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    There is salvation in no other, for there is not another name under heaven having been given among men, by which it behooves us to be saved."

Proverbs 16:4

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They need to come to Jesus first, of their own free will, and lay their life on the altar for God.
He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
(Joh 1:11-13)
 
It's not asking the question it is how it is asked and why it was asked.
So now we know the hearts and motives of others?
Sounds like you are mocking anything from IVP and then asking if it was woke simply because it was about race.
Sounds like you are a bit touchy over this 'woke' topic.
That is how just asking a question can be mocking.
That wasn't my question and that 80 year old lady isn't me.


Yes, a question can be mocking but necessarily needs to be. Jesus asked many questions and Socrates used questions as a means of teaching.
 
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He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (Joh 1:11-13)
He came unto his own, and his own received him not. (They exercised freewill and rejected the Saviour.)

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, (Those who received him of their own freewill became the sons of God.)

Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (They were born again of the spirit to eternal life. They were saved and it was their choice.)

They came to Jesus believing in Him and accepted him as their Lord and Saviour of their own freewill. Jesus died for the sins of the whole world but only a few accepted. It was their freewill choice. They elected to follow him.

Jesus said, “come unto me and be saved.” It is our choice whether we follow Jesus or not. They were not specially elected above all others as Calvinists believe. Jesus wants us to be his disciples of our own free will, and to follow Him in love all the days of our life. We love our nearest and dearest of our own free will and that is the sort of love the Lord wants from us. He does not want robotic zombies who think they are elected above all others as the Pharisees thought.

(It is 3:30 am, I am going back to bed, and we will speak again later.)
 
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He came unto his own, and his own received him not. (They exercised freewill and rejected the Saviour.)
If freewill, can you explain this...

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
(Rom 11:25)

Romans 11 gives some insight in why so many Gentiles, but so few of the Jewish faith come to believe in Jesus.
Note Blindness in part. Who did the blinding? Does it affect 'freewill' of the Jews?
 
If freewill, can you explain this...

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
(Rom 11:25)

Romans 11 gives some insight in why so many Gentiles, but so few of the Jewish faith come to believe in Jesus.
Note Blindness in part. Who did the blinding? Does it affect 'freewill' of the Jews?
blindness G4457 From G4456; means stupidity or callousness for which the only cure is a change of heart. It was their own doing according to their own free will, by which means they turned their backs on the true God.

Paul writes:-
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. (Rom 11:25 KJV)

a) The word “mystery” means what is “concealed, hidden, or unknown." From G3466 meaning "to shut the mouth" from the idea of silence imposed by initiation into religious rites. (Strongs)

b) The “times or fulness of the Gentiles” refers to the entire period of Gentile domination over the Jews, beginning with the Babylonian captivity (2Ch_36:1-21) and ending with Christ's return to earth to reign. (Believers Bible)
 
blindness G4457 From G4456; means stupidity or callousness for which the only cure is a change of heart. It was their own doing according to their own free will, by which means they turned their backs on the true God.
So you think the Gentiles were any better? Paul had already concluded both Jew and Gentile under sin back in chap 3 of the same Letter.
With you, all glory goes to man’s freewill rather than God or at least detracts from the glory due to God ALONE.
 
He came unto his own, and his own received him not. (They exercised freewill and rejected the Saviour.)
Again, there is the metaphysical presupposition of free will brought into the passage.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, (Those who received him of their own freewill became the sons of God.)
Same thing.
Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (They were born again of the spirit to eternal life. They were saved and it was their choice.)
Once again.

John 10:26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.
That "because" is telling us of cause and effect. The effect is unbelief. The cause is you are not my sheep.
You have to be a sheep in order to believe.

John 8:47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.
Again, the same cause (not belonging to God) and the effect (does not hear.)

John 10:4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
Again, already being a sheep = knowing His voice and following Him.

2 Cor. 4:3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

1 John 4:6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. . .

All over the place, not free will, but cause and effect.
Why do some believe? Phil. 2:13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Work
G1754
ἐνεργέω
energeō
to be active, efficient: - do, (be) effectual (fervent), be mighty in, shew forth self, work (effectually in).

Will
G2309
θέλω, ἐθέλω
thelō ethelō
choose or prefer (literally or figuratively); by implication to wish, that is, be inclined to (sometimes adverbially gladly)

But I know I am preaching to the choir here.
 
So you think the Gentiles were any better? Paul had already concluded both Jew and Gentile under sin back in chap 3 of the same Letter.
With you, all glory goes to man’s freewill rather than God or at least detracts from the glory due to God ALONE.
All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, including Calvinists, Jews, and Gentiles. God is no respecter of persons.
 
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What gymnastics do free willers use to explain this verse?

Proverbs 16:4 (KJV) The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
I believe the wicked there are the vessels of wrath God intentially made to fit them for destruction due to their sins. Paul wrote of them here Rom 9:20-22

20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

Also the Book of Job speaks of them here Job 21:30


That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.

These people unfortunately are not included in Gods Salvation Purposes.
 
crossnote

Spiritually dead and at enmity toward God their choices go against God and His will.

Correct, by nature all men are slaves to sin, and the lusts of the devil we shall do, no choice about it, we shall do Jesus said it Jn 8:44

44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Jesus didnt tell them they have a choice to do the lusts of their father did He ? He says ye will do, its in the indicative mood, present tense, they are doing it, and shall continue to do it, they have no choice but to do it.

So whatever choices they make, they are doing the lusts of the devil !
 
Job21:3 Bear with me, and I will speak, and after I have spoken, mock on.

The book was written in 2008, almost 14 years ago, I don't think "woke" was that much in fashion back then.
Here is a slight summary:

"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language . . ." (Revelation 7:9). The visions in the book of Revelation give a glimpse of the people of God at the consummation of history―a multiethnic congregation gathered together in worship around God's throne. Its racial diversity is expressed in a fourfold formula that first appears in Genesis 10. The theme of race runs throughout Scripture, constantly pointing to the global and multiethnic dimensions inherent in the overarching plan of God. In response to the neglect of this theme in much evangelical biblical scholarship, J. Daniel Hays offers this thorough exegetical work in the New Studies in Biblical Theology series. As well as focusing on texts which have a general bearing on race, Hays demonstrates that black Africans from Cush (Ethiopia) play an important role in both Old and New Testament history. This careful, nuanced analysis provides a clear theological foundation for life in contemporary multiracial cultures and challenges churches to pursue racial unity in Christ.
Our church is the most interracial group of people I know. Several interracial couple and therefore families. The was there long ago in some places.
 
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