Christian Forums

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Freewill religion is the Man of Sin !

None by Nature Love God or the Lord Jesus Christ

None by Nature Love God or the Lord Jesus Christ, in fact by nature we are haters of God, the True God that is Rom 1:30

30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

By nature men love not God and Christ but darkness Jn 3:19

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

How do men come to Love ? Love to God comes from God's Spirit Rom 5:5

5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

1 Jn 4:7-13

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

It comes from the Grace of God communicating it to us 1 Tim 1:14

14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

This same Faith and Love to Christ was communicated to and evidenced by the actions of this sinful woman who had a perception of her sins, which were many, being forgiven Lk 7: 47-48

47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

And this Love to Christ is evidence that He first Loved us 1 Jn 4:9

19 We love him, because he first loved us.

That sinful woman Loved Christ because Christ first Loved her and gave Himself for her Eph 5:25

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
 
How to Love God !

As once stated, we men by Nature do not Love God, but are indeed haters of God, the True God of Israel and of the Lord Jesus Christ Rom 1:30,31

Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

By Nature we are without understanding of the True God

Rom 3:11

11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

This is the True God !

How to Love God ? This comes from Spiritual Circumcision Deut 30:6

6 And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

This Spiritual Circumcision Rom 2:29

29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

It is the same as New Birth or being born of the Spirit, and then the Love of God is shed abroad in ourhearts Rom 5:5

5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Those who have this Circumcision of the Heart is the Israel of God Gal 6:15-16

15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

Unless we are given New Birth, we never Love God !
 
He is the Saviour to a Chosen People only !

That Jesus is a Saviour to only a Chosen People, an Elect People is seen here Acts 13:23

23 Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:

If His Name is Jesus, He was raised up a Saviour not to all men without exception, but unto Israel !

Notice Paul says that its according to promise ! What promise ? This Promise Isa 45:17


But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.

Israel is another way of saying God's Elect ! Isa 45:4

For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.


Then what about scriptures like this one Jn 4:42

And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

1 Jn 4:42

And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

That has to be according to promise also. Here is the Truth of the matter, Israel is the World that God sent the Son to be the Saviour of.

This world/Israel is comprised of both elect or chosen jews and gentiles. That was the Mystery, in times past it was not readily understood that Israel that was God's Chosen People was not limited to ethnic jews, but it included non jews as well, known as gentiles.

When God speaks of His Chosen here He is speaking of Gentiles Isa 43:19-21


19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

20 The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.

21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.

Cp Isa 43:1

But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

And So thats why it is said also He is the Saviour of the World, to dispel the myth that the Israel He has promised Everlasting Salvation to Isa 45:17 was made up of only ethnic jews, no, its made up of people from around the world !

So thats Why He [ Christ] is the Saviour of Israel and the World at the same time. Its His Chosen from out of the World.

Also, we overlook the meaning of the word world. Its the greek word kosmos and it means:

any aggregate or general collection of particulars of any sort


That means the collection of all God's Chosen from around the World is a World ! Or the collection or gathering of all the children of God is a World Like Jn 11:51-52

51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;

52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

That gathering them[The Children of God] into one is a World ! Or this Jn 10:16

16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

That gathering together of all the Sheep that they be One Fold, thats a World !

Is He not the Saviour of all His Sheep ? Then He is the Saviour of the World !
 
He is the Saviour to a Chosen People only ! 2


More to consider along the lines of God and Christ being a Saviour only to a Chosen particular People !

Lets look at Isa 45:15

Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.

Acts 5:31

Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

The very title the God Israel is indicative and signifies that He is the God of Election, and besides Him is no other. If we harbor hard thoughts about God's discriminate Election, then we harbor hard thoughts on the True God of Heaven and Earth !

Ps 41:13

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.

So He is the Everlasting God Rom 16:26

But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

Ps 106:38

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord.

Lk 1:68

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

Neh 9:6-7

6 Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

7 Thou art the Lord the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham;
 
Redeemed from a vain conversation !


1 Pet 1:18-19

18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

To preach universal redemption is a false accursed Gospel. Redemption is restricted to the actually redeemed Ps 107:2

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

Rev 5:9

9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

Redemption by Christ's Blood, actually redeems us from something unto something. It redeems us out of a vain conversation to God to live for His Glory, no middle ground !

Now the word redeem means : To deliver, to rescue, to recover, to ransom out of bondage or captivity or from that which captivates, to liberate ! It brings and effects repentance because it recovers us from the captive of the devil 2 Tim 2:25-26

25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

The redemption that is in Christ's Blood recovers those He died for from false teachings unto the acknowledging of the Truth. That means the false teachers in 2 Pet 2:1,19-20 could not have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, period ! They are servants of corruption and entangled in bondage Vs 19-20 and all such language contradicts Christ's Redemption from such !

Redemption in Christ's Blood delivers from slavery or confinement of all sorts spiritually. This is extremely important to understand because all men who are by nature lost, and in such a state, we believe not the Gospel 2 Cor 4:3-4

3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

As long as one is in a Lost state, e is in unbelief because they are still under the power of the devil, the god of this world, the prince of this world.

Now know this, while in unbelief we are also in a spiritual prison, a confinement, an enclosure, this is confirmed in Rom 11:32

32 For God hath concluded them all[jew and gentile] in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

Now understand, this word concluded is the greek word συγκλείω:


to shut together, i.e. enclose

I enclose, shut in, make subject to.


to shut up on all sides, shut up completely

so to deliver one up to the power of a person or thing that he is completely shut in, as it were, without means of escape:

The idea here is simply that all men by nature are imprisoned into unbelief, with no way of escape, because God did it ! Ecclesiastes 7:13

Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?

Being in Unbelief by Nature is a Work of God, He delivers us up to the power of satan for that purpose , to confine us in unbelief until we experience redemption if Christ died for us !
 
Redeemed from a vain conversation ! 2


Now understand, this word concluded[Rom 11:32] is the greek word συγκλείω:


to shut together, i.e. enclose

I enclose, shut in, make subject to.


to shut up on all sides, shut up completely

so to deliver one up to the power of a person or thing that he is completely shut in, as it were, without means of escape:

Man cannot exercise his own freewill to release himself from the prison of unbelief or disobedience, no this is done by Christ, by the redemption that is in His Blood Eph 1:7, and by this the Son has the Honor of setting us free from the confinement of unbelief and disobedience,Jesus once stated Jn 8:36

36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

The words make you free in the greek is the word eleutheroō:


) to make free

2) set at liberty: from the dominion of sin

You see, when in unbelief we are under the dominion of sin, so when we believe the Truth, its an evidence that Christ's Blood set us free from that dominion, set us at Liberty, that is Redemption ! Redemption is:

liberation procured by the payment of a ransom[Blood]

Christ's Blood sets free from the dominion of sin and unbelief and satan all those He died for.

So if one becomes a Believer in the True God and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent, its solely because they were Redeemed by Christ's Blood, other wise we remain permanently in Unbelief, and consequently die in our sins Jn 8:24


I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

This Redemption Christ obtained for those He died for which sets them free from all spiritual captivities and confinements and bondage,through His Blood is ETERNAL REDEMPTION ! Heb 9:12

12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

And therefore all for whom He died, shed Hid Blood, are Eternally Redeemed, released from the effects of sin [unbelief] by Christ, therefore any and all who are Eternally Punished Matt 25:41, Christ's Redemptive Death was not for them !
 
None of His !

Rom 8:9

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Its too bad that most of deceived christendom believe that all ethnic jews are God's People, based upon their flesh connection with Abraham, and that thought is totally anti scriptural, for Paul writes Rom 9:8

8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

but yet no one takes heed, Scripture is all to clear as to who and what identifies God's Children. Look at Rom 8:14

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

That True from the beginning of the World !

Gal 3:26

26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Just being a ethnic jew did not mean that God was one Father, Jesus speaking to ethnic jews said Jn 8:39-42

39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.

41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

Lets be instructed by this saying, evidence of being a Child of God, or having God as one Father is Love to Jesus Christ !

If we do not Love the Lord Jesus Christ, then there is no evidence at all that God is Our Father, in fact, until we do Love Christ, its more evidence that we may belong to the devil and have him as our Father Jn 8:44 ! Again, Jesus even here was speaking to ethnic jews who had Abraham as their natural progenitor as Jesus did acknowledge here Jn 8:37

37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

But that did not mean a thing here !

Thats True from the beginning of the World !
 
None of His ! 2

Now is it possible for one to be a child of God without having the Spirit of God and Christ ? Yes it is, for what Paul means in Rom 8:9 sets the basis for no one has proof or a right or evidence of being a Child of God without the Spirit of God indwelling them . We never know who secretly are the Children of God until one is Given the Spirit of Adoption and they cry abba Father Gal 4:6

6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Then we have the Right to be called the Children of God Jn 1:12-13

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power [or Right] to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Now God gives them His Spirit not to make them to be His Children, but because they are His Children already,now is the time for it to be manifested when He gives them His Spirit !

Before this manifestation, he children of God are as the rest of mankind Eph 2:3 by nature, all the children of God are scattered about dead in trespasses and sins Jn 11:52

52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

And it is in God's own predetermined time that each of His children, whether jew or gentile,shall be born again or of His Spirit, and consequently believe on Christ their Elder Bother and then be manifested openly as the Children of God See Jn 1:12-13; 1 Jn 3:10.

In this Vs 1 Jn 3:10, not to do Righteousness is to be in unbelief,its not to rest in faith on the name of the Son of God for all Salvation, and to do Righteousness, which the Born Again Children of God do, is to Live by the Faith of the Son of God, who Gave Himself for them Gal 2:20. Its embracing the Righteousness of God revealed to them in the Gospel Rom 1:16-17,and until this occurs, which is the Work of the Spirit, there is no evidence at all that we belong to God and Christ, and being of jewish ethnicity can not help you !
 
Beware of false teaching !

Many false teachers tell us that Faith on man's part is the condition of Salvation or Justification, however faith cannot possibly be a condition, for in reality, it accompanies Salvation Heb 6:9, and we obtain it by the same means we receive all Spiritual Blessings, by the Righteousness of Our God and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet 1:1

Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

That word obtained is key to understanding the origin of saving faith, its the word lagchanō and mean:


to obtain by lot

a) to receive by divine allotment, obtain

2) to cast lots, determine by lot

by its being "allotted" to them, not by acquiring it for themselves, but by Divine grace (an act independent of human control, as in the casting of "lots").

Its of those things that are freely given us whom Christ was given for Rom 8:32

32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Its to say, Christ being given for us, with him, all things we need to enjoy Him as Our Given Saviour are given with Him, such as Faith to believe in Him. Its given to us in behalf of Christ to believe on Him Phil 1:29

29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

Which s to say also, that God would not have given His Son in Death without compensating Him with those who would believe in Him because of it !

So Faith accompanies Salvation who is Christ [ Lk 2:30] along with repentance, this appears in Acts 5:31

31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Ezk 36:27

27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

Jer 32:38-40

38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:

39 And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:

40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.

These Promises are fulfilled in God giving Christ, these things are the things that He freely gives us with Him Rom 8:32

32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

With Christ he gives us Fear in Our Hearts ,that we never depart from God ! And He gives us Faith !

Beware of those who teach that faith is man's condition to perform to get saved, they are not of God !
 
Those in Jn 3:18 Condemned already !

Jn 3:18

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Those here in this verse that are condemned already, they are unbelievers that Christ did not die for Jn 10:26, they were not of His Sheep, and their not believing is evidence of their being condemned or in a condemned state, due to the fact that their sins against God's Law are imputed or charged to them,and so it is in this scripture that they are presented condemned already, why, because they believe not on the Name of the Only begotten. The Law of God accuses them and condemns them.All for whom Christ died are dead to the Law and its accusations by the Body of Christ, or His Death Rom 7:4

4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

In the original, it is you have been made dead by the body of Christ, which means the offering of His Body in death !

Peter states it here 1 Pet 2:24

24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness or be married to another: by whose stripes ye were healed.

When the Lord bore our sins in His Body on the Tree, that caused all for whom He died to become dead to the Law, He was made a curse for them as a Law Breaker , for all the sins of theirs, that violates God's Law, was not charged or imputed to them. God's Law cannot accuse them or charge them neither condemn them before God, even while and when they are in Unbelief as those are in Jn 3:18, even while in Unbelief and Enemies in themselves, they have been reconciled to God, by the Body of Christ or His Death Rom 5:10. Now thats the difference between man unbeliever Christ has died for, and one for whom He has not !
 
Dead to the Law, freed from sin !


All the people Christ died for are dead to the law, free from sin [legally] for they are free from the imputation of sin 2 Cor 5:19

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Rom 4:78

Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

Rom 6:7

For he that is dead is freed from sin.

This word freed is the greek word dikaioō and means:


) to render righteous or such he ought to be

2) to show, exhibit, evince, one to be righteous, such as he is and wishes himself to be considered

3) to declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be

Its the word Justify as in Gal 3:8

8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.


Now, how are they freed from sin ? By being dead to the Law by the Body of Christ.

Sin is imputed or charged only where the Law can legally condemn of accuse, for the strength of sin is the Law Paul writes 1 Cor 15:5

The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

If ones violations of the Law have been dealt with by God in Justice, then God does not charge or impute them with sin, that makes them Freed from sin and Justified before God.

All whom Christ died therefore are free from the Legal Guilt of sin, even by non imputation as well from any Eternal Punishment due to sin. Now notice, these are not free from Punishment for sin Matt 25:41; Matt 7:23;Luke 12:47-48


And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

To know do good and do it not is sin James 4:17

48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

This tells us that men will be punished for sins as some false teachers attempt to deny !

All this freedom from sin, the Law and condemnation, eternal punishment, is solely due to what Christ hath done,Period !
 
This is why I believe this is True !

2 Thess 2:1-4

1Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

2That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

3Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Isa 14:13-14

13For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:


I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Man's own freewill by far is the most believed and popular religious conviction throughout the whole world. Rev 13:1;5-8

1And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

5And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

6And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

7And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

8And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

It's adherents are linked to all the various denominations, and sects, yes, even the non religious adhere to man's freewill.

So John writes Rev 13:16

And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

That is all follow this deadly concept or philosophy of man's freewill !




well if you do believe that, I suggest you take a class on hermenuetics, and do it quick!.......because if you interpret the bible in such a way, there really is no telling what you are going to pull from the pages, seriously! its borderline delusional reasoning!
 
So are you saying that God forces some to believe the word of God ?

The Bible says that He "causes" those (Ezekiel 36:27) whom He had chosen before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4; 2 Timothy 1:9; Hebrews 4:3; Psalm 74:2) to keep His commandments. (All of the Word of God are His commandments). And to all His election of grace (Romans 11:5; Isaiah 1:9), this act of God upon them, His seed (Psalm 22:23; Romans 9:8; Isaiah 59:21; Psalm 105:6, 18:50), is the grandest privilege of all: they shall be like Him! (1 John 3:2); and live eternally with Him forever...to rule and reign with Him forever!! All praise and glory to our God and Saviour Jesus Christ!
 
Saved in order to believe !

You see, the problem with denying that man must be already saved to believe the gospel of his Salvation, saved by New Birth or Renewing of the Spirit Titus 3:5,when this mis denied, its to say that man by his natural faculty did have the ability naturally to do something that caused God to save them and to give them Eternal Life. So therefore man by his natural ability can repent, believe and get saved by the power of the flesh; even though this is every whit contrary to 1 Cor 2:14

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Rom 8:7-8

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

How can man use his natural faculties of mind and reason to believe savingly on Christ, when by nature his mind is blinded by satan 2 Cor 4:4, whose by nature, their understanding is darkened Eph 4:18

Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

These are Two faculties used in believing.To believe the Gospel one must understand it Matt 13:23

23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

And none by nature understandeth Rom 3:11

11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

So how did those in Matt 13:23 understand the Word ? It was because they were Regenerated, given a New Understanding and Mind !

But alas, the false teachers gives credit to mans human ability and sagacity for believing, mans wisdom, and not to God the Holy Spirit working in Us both to will and to do of His Good Pleasure, and that ones believing is His Work, the Work of God Jn 6:29

29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Phil 2:13

13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
 
The flattery of freewill !

Prov 2:16

16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;

When one offers Salvation or Grace to the natural man, its a flattery, for it impresses him in his own conceit that he has the ability to determine his or her own destiny, to ordain himself to life eternal or not.

In scripture, strange and false doctrines are compared to women Rev 2:20


Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

Spiritual fornication

Rev 14:8

And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

Rev 17:4

And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

Prov 2:16-19

16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;

17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.

18 For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.

19 None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.

Her paths that lead to death are as these Prov 14:12

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Thats her way, and freewill flattery is one of her ways !
 
Free from the Law and Sin !

All for whom Christ died, are by His Death alone, free from the Law that was given to man while in Adam, and by which we transgressed in him, also this is the same moral law delivered by moses to God's Covenant People Israel, a Type and Shadow of God's True Elect People.

Now that these two are one and the same law is set forth by Paul's Rom 2:14,15

14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another )

For the gentiles who have not the Law [as it was delivered to Israel by moses] they do by nature [ the original law given at creation to adam] the things contained in the Law, that is the moral code delivered to Israel by moses, the Ten Commandments, so they are a Law to themselves [having it inscribed in their hearts in Creation] which shows that the reality of God's Moral Law has been written in their hearts at creation.

This also more manifested by the fact that punishment threatened is the same, that as the moral law was given in adam and later formally delivered to children of Israel; Hence Rom 2:15-16,this accusing of their own hearts is evidence of a day of Judgment and reckoning is established, but again, all for whom Christ died are FREE from any condemnation of the Law Rom 5:18

Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Jn 5:24

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Those who shall be condemned in the last day, are those who the Law still has power over in that day Matt 25:41

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Now if Christ had died for them, they shall have been free from the Law to be married to Him Rom 7:4

4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law[and its curse] by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
 
Beware of man of sin preaching !


If we say that a person or persons Christ died for are not saved from the penalty of sin, not until they believe [something they do], then we automatically deny and teach that Christ's Death in and of itself, it alone, does not save one from the penalty of sin , which is a false gospel message ! In fact, that one is saved from the penalty of sin, solely by the Death of Christ is seen in Rom 5:10

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Here Paul teaches that believers, that they were reconciled, restored to a relationship, received into God's Favor, all while still being His Enemies, hostile towards Him, solely by The Death of His Son, this also equates to the being saved from the penalty of sin or else they could not be reconciled to God ! You see by Christ's Death alone, He purged from sin all those He died for Heb 1:3

3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

This is strictly unto the believers, but it occurred while they were enemies, not believers!

Notice BY HIMSELF purged our sins. The word purged is the word katharismos and means:

cleansing, purifying, purification, literal, ceremonial, or moral; met: expiation.

All the sins of those Christ died for, have been expiated, pardoned, and they have as far as God's Law and Justice is now concerned been cleansed from them.

Now that is why they can be truly said to be reconciled to God, by Christ's Death, even while they themselves personally are still being enemies !

Now to teach that any for whom He died must do something, whether believe, accept, repent or what have you, before they are saved from the penalty of sins, is a false gospel and denies the Work of Christ on the Cross for those He died !
 
Sorry for jumping into this thread without reading each and every post, but I truly am curious about one thing, so here is my question;
Was everyone created with the possibility of accepting Christ, or were some created merely to aide somehow in the progression of faith of others?
I ask this question based on the following scriptures;
Exodus 4:21
And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.
Exodus 14:4
And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. And they did so.
Exodus 14:17
And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
I don't believe that either the Pharaoh nor the Egyptians had a choice in the matter. God used them in order to prove that He was the Lord. (Exodus 14:4)
 
Back
Top