Our New Birth is a Result of Christ's Death !
Christ's Death is that which obtained for all whom He died, their New Birth. For New Birth is by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, which Resurrection confirms the success and value of His Death for those He died for !
1 Pet 1:3
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy
hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
NIV 1984 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy
he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
NLT 2007 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy
that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation,
ESV 2001 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy,
he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
And Christ's Resurrection was only possible because of His Death !
Yet there be those of the wicked that tell us that Christ's Death in and of itself does not save anyone, and that apart from the Spirit it is worthless ! Such Blasphemy shall be given account for in the Day of Judgment !
Savedbygrace57,
One should at least give the biblical response to such erroneous statements. No response might make some think that these statements might be correct as stated.
However,....
Christ's Death is that which obtained for all whom He died, their New Birth. For New Birth is by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, which Resurrection confirms the success and value of His Death for those He died for ! 1 Pet 1:3
This is actually a very correct statement as it is stated. But the writer, Savedbygrace57, has a thological perspective that restricts or limits this statement.
God created man consubstantial. We are all of the very same essence. We all have the very same human nature. God is not a respector of persons in that He created some differently, or even for different reasons. God created man, a creature that bears His Image because God wanted a creature much like Himself so that He could commune with this creature. That there would be a free and mutual relationship with a creature who would voluntarily, freely desire Him, to return the love that God sheds upon all creatures.
When Adam sinned and the punishment for that sin was death, meaning man lost life, man lost his eternal existance. Man would live a short biological life, then cease to exist, returning to dust. That was not the purpose of why God created man. If God desires to have communion with man for an eternity, then God will need to restore life, restore and eternal existance to his creation, especially man. For man himself cannot save himself. How can a mortal being give life to Himself.
We know that God planned for this episode in His creation by having His ONLY Begotton Son to redeem man. Christ would come in due time as the Incarnate Christ. Christ would be both God and man. Christ would bear the very same nature, our fallen human nature, our mortal nature so that by His death of that nature, could raise that nature to life, to an eternal existance again.
Since all men are consubstantial, then by changing one nature, changes all natures. Thus by His resurrection all men will obtain an eternal existance and because man does have life, now God and man can again be rejoined in an eternal union. God gives that opportunity to every single human being, not one human being will be without the means to know God.
The text of IPet 1:3 is speaking about this universal effect upon all men by Christ's resurrection. We indeed were given a new birth, we were given eternal life, and the hope that Peter speaks of is that man will freely accept Christ, so that his eternal life will be spent in heaven with Christ, not apart from Him in hell.
NOte, that this phrase, born again, or new birth has nothing to do with our spiritual rebirth that is spoken of in John 3:5. That is the rebirth of our spiritual relationship with Christ upon faith, repentance and baptism. That we enter into the Body of Christ we also recieve the Holy Spirit.
Yet there be those of the wicked that tell us that Christ's Death in and of itself does not save anyone, and that apart from the Spirit it is worthless ! Such Blasphemy shall be given account for in the Day of Judgment !
His death and resurrection in and of itself saved every single human being from death. Christ corrected the fall. This is NOT salvation of our souls which we do by and through faith individually.
Here are the texts that clearly show that Christ saved mankind, the world from the fall, death, and restored life to all. This is a physical life, this is our mortal nature changed to immortal. This did not happen immediately, but will occur at the second coming of Christ.
They are, Gen 3:15 the promise of the solution, Christ, to overcome the condemnation of death,Gen 3:19.
Rom 5:12 also states the reason for Christ's resurrection, which effect is stated in Rom 5:18.
Rom 11:32 is the equation of all men falling, with all men receiving mercy, namely life
Another equation showing same is I Cor 15:22. But it is important to read the verses 13-21 as well. For it states that if the dead are not raised then Christ is not raised. This is referring to all dead, not just elect as the writer savedbygrace57 teaches.
That Christ reconciled the whole world to God, saved the world from death is found in II Cor 5:18-19, Col 1:20, John 4:42 and I John 4:14,
That Christ was Incarnated, Heb 2:12-16 and the purpose was to overcome death, the power of satan, also I John 3:8.
John 6:39 shows and aligns with Col 1:20 that all things were given to Christ and all things redeemed that everything will be raised in the last day and none will be lost. Kinda impossible to lose a human nature, that is consubstantial. It should be noted that the next verse speaks of those of "all men of vs39" those who see and believe will have eternal life with Christ.
Also, verses such as Acts 24:15 where it states that all the dead will be raised, the just and the unjust. Rev 20:12-13 also makes this same statement.
To even suggest that Christ's death was limited or restricted is absurd in the light of scripture.
Now, what has this to do with free will, the topic of this thread?
The poster, Savedbygrace57, because He holds to the predestination view, and that Christ ONLY died and resurrected the elect to salvation, eliminates man's participation in his personal salvation of his soul. He also believes that God foreordained certain men to heaven and all others to hell. Though noting is scripture can be found to support it. Which is probably why he does not either explain or comment on his own statments.
But God created man free. The only way love can occur, as described in I Cor 13 is that the participants be independent of each other as to will. God did not create robots, or tools, but a rational creature, with a soul, mind, and will. Our eternal abode, heaven or hell rests entirely upon our very own desires and actions regarding Christ. That is the way God wanted it, to have man freely respond in return, to love, to obey, to submit our wills to his will. Revelation itself is based on man's free will. Man needs to know what God expects from Him, what God desires of our relationship. this is also why we will be judged, not God, nor anyone else for what we do.
