Not for the Calvinist.
God insists you love him.
Love does not insist on its own way (1 Co 13:5, ESV).
Love does not insist on its own way (1 Co 13:5, ESV).
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.[1 Cor. 1:18-21]
He we see the two classes of ppl, the lost and saved. Those who are lost are in the flesh(Romans 8:8 says those in the flesh can't please God) and consider the message of the cross as rubbish. They don't want Him. Those who are saved see the power displayed in the message of the cross and how the Christ hung, bled, died and was buried and three days later was resurrected. They see that the same power that raised the Christ from the grave, the same power that it took to make the earth and all that we see around us was the same power that saved them.
For those who are lost, God has to overcome their sin darkened and hard as a stone heart before they will love Him. It says in Ezekiel 11:19 He would give them an undivided heart and a new spirit, and in Ezekiel 36:26 He said He would give them a new heart and new spirit. There has to be a supernatural heart transplant first, before they will love Him.
Then we can read Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.[1 John 4:7] As it plainly states, those who love God have been born of Him. It takes God giving them the new birth FIRST before they will love Him.
Now, let us carry these thoughts over to a great two verse passage...
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.[Romans 8:28-30]
Here we see that God works for the good of those who love Him. Now, who are those who love Him? 1 John 4:7 says it is those who are born of God who love Him. And those who love Him have been, FIRST, born of Him via regeneration, and then we see how all that Romans 8:28-30 works itself out. God foreknew, when did God foreknew them, from before the creation of the world.[Ephesians 1:4] Those whom He foreknows(He foreknows ppl, not their actions), He predestined, called, justified and also glorified.
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