Who are the inspired scriptures directed to?
- Thread starter ForestGreenCook
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I guess, if you have read Psalms 53:2-3, you must have forgotten what it said. Try reading it again and you will see what God saw by his foreknowledge. Repentance and belief comes only after regeneration. The elect, for whom Christ died for on the cross, are born, by natural birth, into this world spiritually dead and are born again to be spiritually alive by regeneration (Eph 2:5).
Most of the regenerated children of God are still searching the scriptures, trying to find out how they can get eternal life, and they are doing this from a lack of the knowledge of the truth, as those in Romans 10, who had a ZEAL of God, but not according to knowledge and were going about to establish their own righteousness.
When Christ was on earth, he set up his kingdom, which is his church. He is the husband and the king and is reigning over his kingdom on earth from the time that he set it up until now. His kingdom is all of God's elect, not only those that are preaching the truth of his doctrine, but also those that are preaching a false doctrine from a lack of knowledge, such as yourself. At Jesus's return he will have his angels to gather up his elect and take them home in heaven. which will include you.
If God were to be *choosing* for salvation, He would elect ALL.
1 TIMOTHY 2
1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions,and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
1 TIMOTHY 2
1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions,and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
There is a deliverance (salvation) when a regenerated child of God comes unto the knowledge of the truth. That deliverance is received while we are still in this world. The natural man, as described in 1 Cor 2:14, cannot discern spiritual things and could never come unto a knowledge of the truth, so the "all" would be the elect who have the ability to discern spiritual things, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Ps 53: 2, 3 "God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God." Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."
Eph 2: 5 "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened together with Christ, by grace ye are saved."
No one disputes that there is none righteous, among men. Its your statement that, 'repentance and belief comes only after regeneration,' that begs for scriptural proof before being accepted as true.
Eph 2: 5 "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened together with Christ, by grace ye are saved."
No one disputes that there is none righteous, among men. Its your statement that, 'repentance and belief comes only after regeneration,' that begs for scriptural proof before being accepted as true.
No matter now hard you try to make the natural man, 1 Cor 2:14, void of the Spirit, have the ability to believe in spiritual things or repent of disobeying a spiritual law that he cannot discern , it is not going to happen. He must have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit through regeneration before he will be able to discern spiritual things.
Hey! Forest...
1 Cor 2:14 "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."
I would be good, if you could post the scripture your using rather than just listing its location...
I agree that at some point the natural man has to be changed into the spiritual, but not at first. The Lord calls the lost to himself as the comforter reproves them of their sin and if their sorrow is after the world, they are led to death, but if they have a godly sorrow that leads them to repentance; then they are chosen of the Lord, who forgives them and they are given Jesus' righteousness as their own. They are then baptized into the body of Christ as the Spirit takes up residence within their spirits, which is what makes us spiritual. The Holy Spirit is holy and will not make himself to be one with sinful flesh, we must because of this, have not only the Lord's forgiveness, but his imputed righteousness too, before we're saved.
2 Cor 7: 10 "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death."
Acts 2: 38 "then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
1 Cor 10: 8-10 "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
So, there is no way that we are born of the Spirit, before confession is made unto salvation!
Maranatha!
1 Cor 2:14 "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."
I would be good, if you could post the scripture your using rather than just listing its location...
I agree that at some point the natural man has to be changed into the spiritual, but not at first. The Lord calls the lost to himself as the comforter reproves them of their sin and if their sorrow is after the world, they are led to death, but if they have a godly sorrow that leads them to repentance; then they are chosen of the Lord, who forgives them and they are given Jesus' righteousness as their own. They are then baptized into the body of Christ as the Spirit takes up residence within their spirits, which is what makes us spiritual. The Holy Spirit is holy and will not make himself to be one with sinful flesh, we must because of this, have not only the Lord's forgiveness, but his imputed righteousness too, before we're saved.
2 Cor 7: 10 "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death."
Acts 2: 38 "then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
1 Cor 10: 8-10 "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
So, there is no way that we are born of the Spirit, before confession is made unto salvation!
Maranatha!
In reference to 2 Cor 7:10, A lot of the books of the new testament were written to the churches in letter form. In 2 Corinthians Paul in 2 Cor 1:1 was writing to the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all A-chai'-a. Paul was not writing to the natural man, void of the Spirit, who could not have discerned his writings about spiritual things. He would have thought it to be foolishness. Acts 2:38, These men were "pricked" in their heart when they were accused of crucifying Jesus. Being pricked meant that their conscience had a godly sorrow. The natural man described in 1 Cor 2:14 could not have had a repentant heart or believed the spiritual things that Jesus taught. The regenerated men in Acts ask "what must we do " in contrast to the natural men that stoned Steven who were "cut to the heart". The men in Acts had already received the Holy Spirit, but had not received the gift of the Holy Ghost because Jesus did not give the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, until after he had ascended. The scriptures will not harmonize unless you understand that the word "salvation" in Greek means "a deliverance" and "death" means "a separation". In 2 Cor 7:10 Paul is explaining that when a child of God repents, they are delivered (saved) here on earth, not eternally. When you are in a state of non repentance, you are temporarily dead (separated) from God until you repent. A helpful thing to remember, is that, the scriptures were not intended for the natural man who could not discern spiritual things, but was given to God's regenerated children telling them how he wanted them to live their lives here on earth. Eternal deliverance for God's elect was secured by Jesus's sacrifice on the cross for God's acceptance, and not to man for man's acceptance.