God calls you to be an overcomer by living a holy life!

[Elijah674]

His mercy is not the Question. Justice is the End of the line! See Nah. 1:9 + Obadiah 1:16

'.... they shall swallow down, and [[they shall be]] as though they had not been.'

--Elijah

 

[gr8grace]

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it(salvation) [the] righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS [man] SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."

That was a mouth full, and I will have to read it a again. But I think you are right, that is what I determined and have always thought. But I am trying to understand where other people are coming from and then search the scriptures, hoping the Holy Spirit will show me if I am wrong.
I do believe that our salvation is all due to God's grace and mercy. Even the faith that we have to be able to believe the Gospel comes from Him. However, I don't believe it is really His faith, because if it was all people hearing the Gospel would believe it. That would be like saying We have God's Will. No, we follow God's will.

Gods Foreknowledge can Know the people who follow His standard though.

That is part of the subsequent doctrinal belief. What one believes about foreknowledge.

Thanks again for your contribution to the discussion.

I had it explained to me that made it click for me.

We are totally depraved creatures, we will never go after God. God came after us, ALL of us !

We all can produce a mustard seed of faith, but that faith is still a dead faith. Now the holy Spirit comes in and makes that dead faith effective for salvation. So it really isn't our faith that saves us, we had a dead faith that cannot save. the Holy spirit turns it into a Living faith.

For me it was BINGO. Calvinism always had me caught with " well if it was my faith then it was a work." we can all produce a faith in Christ,but to God it is still dead until the Holy Spirit makes it effective. And if we have a mustard seed of faith, the Holy Spirit will make it effective for salvation.

It really tells us that we have to be EXACT when it comes to the Gospel. Because a lot of people proclaim Christ but trust in their works/or their OWN continuing faith for salvation. theirs is a faith, but its still a dead faith.And the Holy Spirit will not take that certain dead faith and make it effective for salvation. They have never truly believed in Grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. If they have ever believed in Christ alone, they are still saved if they have ventured into false doctrines.

 

[farouk]

I agree, God's grace and mercy towards us is that unfathomable.

Do you have any thoughts about Paul's scripture reference?

[MENTION=93058]Deborah13[/MENTION]: Only that grace must be the key to anything we might be able to grasp about the basis of Paul's comment that you quoted.

Blessings.

 

[John Zain]

It really tells us that we have to be EXACT when it comes to the Gospel. Because a lot of
people proclaim Christ but trust in their works/or their OWN continuing faith for salvation.
... They have never truly believed in Grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Of course they have never believed it ... because it is not in Scripture!

Would you care to show us some verses that teach:
believe in Grace alone ...
through faith alone ...
in Christ alone.

Caution #1: I have dozens of passages which will disqualify any that you find.
Caution #2: Paul wrote to the saints who are faithful in Ephesus.

 

[Deborah13]

God came after us, ALL of us !

Agreed.
John 16 KJV
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9Of sin, because they believe not on me;

We all can produce a mustard seed of faith, but that faith is still a dead faith.

I agree that our faith is dead until the Holy Spirit indwells us.
I do not agree that we produce any faith, I believe that all faith comes from God. He created man with the ability to have faith in many things. Man if left on his own will cannot see God to put His faith in God unless the Holy Spirit convicts, the Father draws.

Now the holy Spirit comes in and makes that dead faith effective for salvation

If this is true, in the way I think you mean, then God only chosen certain people for salvation. Which would mean it is not His will that all people be saved.
I believe it is the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and the Gospel Message.
It is the conviction of the Holy Spirit that is not always effective. Man in His pride can resist. He says, that is foolishness. He says, I'm a good person, I'm OK with God because I am a good person, I feed the poor, etc. Or I am not ready yet, I like my life the way it is. I, I, I....PRIDE

For me it was BINGO. Calvinism always had me caught with " well if it was my faith then it was a work." we can all produce a faith in Christ,but to God it is still dead until the Holy Spirit makes it effective.

Now when said this way, I maybe agree. When the Holy Spirit convicts (which may occur sometime before one hears the Gospel, (it did with me) one, as I said, may reject that conviction and others know in their hearts that they are accountable to God (like me). The Father draws, too. If we don't reject (grieve) the Holy Spirit's conviction, our hearts are softened so that when we hear the Gospel Message, it a joyful message to us. It's a relief if you will.
When we heard, we were not saved until by grace, through faith (which is all from Him) we received it. Then we are made a new creature in Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (our spirit is made alive because it is now indwelled by the Holy Spirit). And that last part, receiving and indwelling happens in the twinkle of an eye, if you will.
I know the only way I can stay in saving faith, is to keep looking at Him and His righteousness.
If I look at me, I will always be lacking in some way.

God told the Israelites, in the OT, that if they would seek Him, with all their heart and their soul that they would find Him.
Grace and faith has always been God's way.

 

[Deborah13]

I agree, God's grace and mercy towards us is that unfathomable.

Do you have any thoughts about Paul's scripture reference?

[MENTION=93058]Deborah13[/MENTION]: Only that grace must be the key to anything we might be able to grasp about the basis of Paul's comment that you quoted.

Blessings.

Oh boy, do I agree with that!

 

[farouk]

I agree, God's grace and mercy towards us is that unfathomable.

Do you have any thoughts about Paul's scripture reference?

[MENTION=93058]Deborah13[/MENTION]: Only that grace must be the key to anything we might be able to grasp about the basis of Paul's comment that you quoted.

Blessings.

Oh boy, do I agree with that!

:yes

 

[gr8grace]

It really tells us that we have to be EXACT when it comes to the Gospel. Because a lot of
people proclaim Christ but trust in their works/or their OWN continuing faith for salvation.
... They have never truly believed in Grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Of course they have never believed it ... because it is not in Scripture!

Would you care to show us some verses that teach:
believe in Grace alone ...
through faith alone ...
in Christ alone.

Caution #1: I have dozens of passages which will disqualify any that you find.
Caution #2: Paul wrote to the saints who are faithful in Ephesus.

P.S. You're living in some sort of dream world. It's time to wake up!

So can you tell me, how exactly do I get saved? If you believe I am Wrong and am not really saved, where is your heart for the lost? You have countless pages of condemnation and Judgement. And I have not seen one OP from you that teaches us how to get saved in your opinion.

I WANT you saved and I want you to know the truth. We may disagree on most of our doctrines, but my Heart is for you to be saved and Live in that truth of being eternally saved.

If I am that bad and that far off, where is your good news for me so I can be saved.

I tell you John(not from wanting to be right but from wanting to see you saved) that faith alone in Christ alone is the only way to salvation and you will be eternally saved with no way out. Eph 2:8-9

 

[George Muller]

Ro 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Tit 2:11 ¶ For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

The strength of sin is the law, the power to live Godly comes only in the grace of God.