Unable to Believe the “Foolish” Gospel

[electedbyHim]

I never said I learned anything from the internet , especially not forum posts.
What ABBA revealed about the wolves in sheeps clothing is and was completely reliable and in harmony with all Scripture.

What did God teach you about the Reformed or Calvinist?

I genuinely would like to hear what you believe God revealed to you.

 

[follower]

What did God teach you about the Reformed or Calvinist?

I genuinely would like to hear what you believe God revealed to you.

What indeed and in truth is necessary In Jesus' Kingdom Today ?
With all of our heart and soul and mind and spirit we seek Jesus Himself, waiting on Jesus, for His Word.
He never disappoints.
We hear His Voice, and follow Him.
The other voices, we will not test, will not listen to, will not follow - rather run from the deceptive voices.

 

[follower]

(The Gospel is “foolishness” to those who are perishing, 1 Cor. 1:18)

“And those who heard it said, 'Who then can be saved?'
But He (Jesus) said, ‘The things which are impossible with men
are possible with God.’ ” (Luke 18:26-27)

Trust God, not men.

 

[electedbyHim]

What indeed and in truth is necessary In Jesus' Kingdom Today ?
With all of our heart and soul and mind and spirit we seek Jesus Himself, waiting on Jesus, for His Word.
He never disappoints.
We hear His Voice, and follow Him.
The other voices, we will not test, will not listen to, will not follow - rather run from the deceptive voices.

What has this to do with the Reformed and Calvinists?

 

[Dougcho]

If the unredeemed cannot believe the gospel, there is no point in evangelizing, or preaching.

Art thou serious?
The elect must hear the Gospel so they can respond to it.
(No matter where their faith came from.)

Jesus told me there's a second reason why He sent me to evangelize:
So, on Judgment Day, people can't complain about
no one telling them about Jesus and the Gospel.
Yes, they could NOT believe because God did NOT give them faith to do so
... tough to swallow, I freely admit ... but CANNOT Almighty God choose
for Himself who He wants to be in heaven with Him?

God created everyone, He owns everything, etc.,
but man wants to be the one to choose who goes to heaven!
C'mon, let's get real.

 

[Bruce.Leiter]

I see nothing in scripture to validate that idea.
I looked in BibleGateway.com for the words 'soften', with 'heart', and came up with nothing.
Your POV makes it look like it will be God's fault that the "unsoftened" will perish.

No, it's their own fault by rejecting their Creator (Romans 1:18-20). The Holy Spirit is the direct Agent of the new birth in John 3 and raises people from the dead in Ephesians 2:1-10 through faith by God's grace, not of our own doing; it's his gift. Also to his credit are the resulting good works of verse 10. My reference to the softening of hearts is to Ezekiel 36:26-27, where God gives a spiritual heart transplant to replace the hard, stony hearts of unbelievers.
Eze 36:26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Eze 36:27 And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

 

[Bruce.Leiter]

DougCho--- a little off topic here, but you brought up Luke 18. Peter and the disciples are astonished when Jesus says it is almost impossible for rich people to be saved. Jesus says "The things which are impossible with men are possible to God". What happens in the very next chapter of Luke? A rich man is saved!! Have you ever noticed that?

"A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was WEALTHY." (Luke 19: 2) He is up in a tree and Jesus calls him down and says that he must eat at his home. The people began to murmur. But Zaccheus has been changed already and promises to give half of his income to the poor! "Jesus said to him, “Today SALVATION has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

I have always found that to be so amazing and comforting. Jesus says it's virtually impossible for a rich man to be saved---then he literally saves a rich man in the next chapter!!! Nothing is impossible with God. Hallelujah!!

The biblical writers grouped many events together according to themes rather than chronologically, the way modern historians do. God guided their writing.

 

[HiddenTruth]

Because of what is clearly stated in the NT …
unredeemed man is NOT able to believe in Jesus and
the “foolish” Gospel … due to a multitude of reasons!
(The Gospel is “foolishness” to those who are perishing, 1 Cor. 1:18)

Here are some of the best NT passages which testify to this:

Inherited sin nature ● Romans 3:9-18,5:12; Galatians 3:22

The citations given in the OP don't support the OP's opening gambit. Everything else is therefore flawed from that point.

 

[Hopeful 2]

Art thou serious?
The elect must hear the Gospel so they can respond to it.
(No matter where their faith came from.)

The statement has been made that all are born dead in sin, and that those dead in sin will not heed the gospel.
If all the dead in sin cannot heed the gospel, why evangelize ?

Jesus told me there's a second reason why He sent me to evangelize:

What were those reasons ?

So, on Judgment Day, people can't complain about
no one telling them about Jesus and the Gospel.
Yes, they could NOT believe because God did NOT give them faith to do so
... tough to swallow, I freely admit ... but CANNOT Almighty God choose
for Himself who He wants to be in heaven with Him?

God created everyone, He owns everything, etc.,
but man wants to be the one to choose who goes to heaven!
C'mon, let's get real.

If we are to be punished for our own sins, and those sins were our choice, why is it so hard to believe some are so sorry for their sins that they will do whatever they can to be found guiltless on the day of judgement ?
The Godly sorrow of 2 Cor 7:10 seems like a foreign concept to Calvinists.

 

[Hopeful 2]

No, it's their own fault by rejecting their Creator (Romans 1:18-20).

Then they did have a choice in the matter.

The Holy Spirit is the direct Agent of the new birth in John 3 and raises people from the dead in Ephesians 2:1-10 through faith by God's grace, not of our own doing; it's his gift. Also to his credit are the resulting good works of verse 10.

It is a gift we have to qualify for, with obedience and repentance from sin, and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of past sins. (Acts 2:38)

My reference to the softening of hearts is to Ezekiel 36:26-27, where God gives a spiritual heart transplant to replace the hard, stony hearts of unbelievers.
Eze 36:26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Eze 36:27 And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

Thanks for the work.
But isn't that addressing OT Jews ?
And, God provided this qualifier..."I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went." (Ez 36:22)

 

[Dougcho]

The statement has been made that all are born dead in sin, and that those dead in sin will not heed the gospel.
If all the dead in sin cannot heed the gospel, why evangelize ?

What were those reasons ?

If we are to be punished for our own sins, and those sins were our choice, why is it so hard to believe some are so sorry for their sins that they will do whatever they can to be found guiltless on the day of judgement ?
The Godly sorrow of 2 Cor 7:10 seems like a foreign concept to Calvinists.

We are commanded to evangelize because ...
Father God will give His elect-chosen-called the necessary faith to believe.
2 Cor 7:10 -- Christians need to repent of their on-going sins.

 

[Hopeful 2]

We are commanded to evangelize because ...
Father God will give His elect-chosen-called the necessary faith to believe.
2 Cor 7:10 -- Christians need to repent of their on-going sins.

We are commanded to evangelize, because faith cometh by hearing the word of God.
Some change their ways after hearing the truth.
I know I did.

 

[Dougcho]

We are commanded to evangelize, because faith cometh by hearing the word of God.
Some change their ways after hearing the truth.
I know I did.

Cannot you understand the doctrine I am presenting?
Those "anyone"s and "everybody"s who believe
were given the necessary faith to believe.
I believe this because of all of the many NT verses that say ...
man is unable, unwilling, etc. to believe the "foolish" Gospel.

 

[Hopeful 2]

Cannot you understand the doctrine I am presenting?
Those "anyone"s and "everybody"s who believe
were given the necessary faith to believe.

I so not believe that God forces some to believe, and leaves others on the shoulder of the road.
Everyone has the same chance to believe...and obey.

 

[Dougcho]

We are commanded to evangelize, because faith cometh by hearing the word of God.
Some change their ways after hearing the truth.
I know I did.

IMO, all who are born again experienced what you did.

 

[Dougcho]

I so not believe that God forces some to believe, and leaves others on the shoulder of the road.
Everyone has the same chance to believe...and obey.

You are choosing to ignore all of the Scriptures which say:
God blesses and curses for His good pleasure, etc. etc.
Everyone deserves hell, but God has chosen to save some!!!
Which ones? ... Those who decide to believe God, or
those God chooses to be with Him in heaven FOR ETERNITY.

 

[Hopeful 2]

IMO, all who are born again experienced what you did.

I can't imagine any other believer having a different experience.
Folks hear the message, and they either submit to it or reject it.
I rejected it for a long time, but I finally turned from darkness and unto the light, later.

 

[Hopeful 2]

You are choosing to ignore all of the Scriptures which say:
God blesses and curses for His good pleasure, etc. etc.
Everyone deserves hell, but God has chosen to save some!!!
Which ones? ... Those who decide to believe God, or
those God chooses to be with Him in heaven FOR ETERNITY.

God wants all men to be saved.
But He won't give eternal life to those who hate Him.

 

[Dougcho]

I can't imagine any other believer having a different experience.
Folks hear the message, and they either submit to it or reject it.
I rejected it for a long time, but I finally turned from darkness and unto the light, later.

Yes, that's impressive!
How about people who say,
"I tried very hard to believe, but I just cannot."

 

[Dougcho]

God wants all men to be saved.
But He won't give eternal life to those who hate Him.

Do you mean,
God doesn't give faith > belief > eternal life
to those who hate Him?