PREVENIENT GRACE: AN ARMINIAN ERROR

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

throughfaith

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2020
10,467
1,593
113
Only a spirit of self, not willing to give all glory to God, will view God's grace bestowed on whom he pleases as entitlement.

Only God's chosen inheritors, by blood or adoption, receive the free gift. He wrote his will long before his chosen ones were even born.
Well its one thing to have an inheritance and be blessed with all spiritual blessings in The most wonderful being you could ever imagine being in . Than having those things somehow outside of Jesus .
 

BenjaminN

Well-known member
Oct 7, 2020
1,504
307
83
Also remember he's addressing the saints IN him .
Count how many times Paul keeps saying ' in him ' or in whom " in the whole chapter .The blessings are only in him . Were not in him before we believed .
11IN WHOM also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

12That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted IN CHRIST .

13¶IN WHOM ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: IN WHOM also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
It was predestined before, that later, as predestined by Him, we will believe, and be in Him, in whom we have prior to this been predestined by Him.

Order of events:

1. He predestines
2. We believe as it was predestined by Him.
3. We are saved as it was predestined by Him.
4. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit as it was predestined by Him.

All the glory to God!
 

throughfaith

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2020
10,467
1,593
113
It was predestined before, that later, as predestined by Him, we will believe, and be in Him, in whom we have prior to this been predestined by Him.

Order of events:

1. He predestines
2. We believe as it was predestined by Him.
3. We are saved as it was predestined by Him.
4. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit as it was predestined by Him.

All the glory to God!
Predestined to what please ? Which verse says it happened before we believed . Which is Calvinism , i realise that and I know which philosophy its origin is in . But from the scriptures what are we predestined to ? It doesn't say ' to be converted before we born '

Especially in light of .Eph 2
12That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

13But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
 

BenjaminN

Well-known member
Oct 7, 2020
1,504
307
83
Thats the philosophy of the reformed position I realise that . But its not what the verses say .
Oh so we are, based on our twisted interpretations of scripture, to be nullifying the whole reformation as predestined by God?
 

BenjaminN

Well-known member
Oct 7, 2020
1,504
307
83
Predestined to what please ? Which verse says it happened before we believed . Which is Calvinism , i realise that and I know which philosophy its origin is in . But from the scriptures what are we predestined to ? It doesn't say ' to be converted before we born '

Especially in light of .Eph 2
12That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

13But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Not Calvinism, Paulinism (in the order of events below, predestined no. 1, believe no. 4):

Ephesians 1 (ESV)

11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

From the grammar, the order of events in a saved persons life:

1. predestined
2. obtained an inheritance
3. you heard the word of truth
4. believed in him
5. sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
 

BenjaminN

Well-known member
Oct 7, 2020
1,504
307
83
Well its one thing to have an inheritance and be blessed with all spiritual blessings in The most wonderful being you could ever imagine being in . Than having those things somehow outside of Jesus .
It can never be outside Christ Yeshua, our King who shed his precious blood for our sins.
 

throughfaith

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2020
10,467
1,593
113
Oh so we are, based on our twisted interpretations of scripture, to be nullifying the whole reformation as predestined by God?
So your saying the reformation was predestined by God ?
 
B

Blackpowderduelist

Guest
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.

Some would call Romans 8:29-30 the order of salvation: the acts of God and the response of the individual in salvation.
Yes, theologians of old particularly the scholastic era pulled not only from Romans but from the body of texts and penned a theological formula call ordo salutis. It's simply a term to identify a concept found through out scripture. But yes Romans kind of just lays it straight out.
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
13,777
113
...We believe as it was predestined by Him...
If this were true, then all would be predestined to believe, since God wants ALL to come to repentance and salvation through faith in Christ.

Predestination in Scripture means that those who will believe are predestined to be perfected and glorified (Romans 8:29,30). That is the meaning of being "conformed to the image of His Son". But all may believe since the Gospel is for all mankind. But all will not obey the Gospel (Rom 10:16).
 

throughfaith

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2020
10,467
1,593
113
Not Calvinism, Paulinism (in the order of events below, predestined no. 1, believe no. 4):

Ephesians 1 (ESV)

11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

From the grammar, the order of events in a saved persons life:

1. predestined
2. obtained an inheritance
3. you heard the word of truth
4. believed in him
5. sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
¶In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
So looking at verse 14 when is the inheritance? Seeing as the Holy Spirit is the gurantee of it ?
 

BenjaminN

Well-known member
Oct 7, 2020
1,504
307
83
If this were true, then all would be predestined to believe, since God wants ALL to come to repentance and salvation through faith in Christ.

Predestination in Scripture means that those who will believe are predestined to be perfected and glorified (Romans 8:29,30). That is the meaning of being "conformed to the image of His Son". But all may believe since the Gospel is for all mankind. But all will not obey the Gospel (Rom 10:16).
If God wanted all to believe, all would believe, God is almighty. He bestows his grace of salvation on whom he pleases.


2 Thessalonians 2 (ESV)


13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. 14 To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 

BenjaminN

Well-known member
Oct 7, 2020
1,504
307
83

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
13,777
113
If God wanted all to believe, all would believe, God is almighty. He bestows his grace of salvation on whom he pleases.
You are confusing the almightiness of God with His own conditions for salvation. God compels no one to be saved, but He does present the consequences of unbelief to all (Mark 16:15,16).

Even though God desires the salvation of all mankind (1 Tim 2:4), He will not save anyone who fails to obey the Gospel, which is called "the obedience of faith" (Rom 16:25,26). Which means (1) repentance towards God and (2) faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ.

And that is exactly why Paul said this is Acts 20:18-21:
18 And when they were come to him, he [Paul] said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons,
19 Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:
20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,
21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.


God predestines no one for salvation or damnation. And that is why these words of Paul are critical to understanding how sinners are saved by grace through faith.
 
B

Blackpowderduelist

Guest
While I agree that salvation is mongergistic in effort, I do not deny the human ability to by force of will to resist and even reject grace.
 

BenjaminN

Well-known member
Oct 7, 2020
1,504
307
83
You are confusing the almightiness of God with His own conditions for salvation. God compels no one to be saved, but He does present the consequences of unbelief to all (Mark 16:15,16).

Even though God desires the salvation of all mankind (1 Tim 2:4), He will not save anyone who fails to obey the Gospel, which is called "the obedience of faith" (Rom 16:25,26). Which means (1) repentance towards God and (2) faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ.

And that is exactly why Paul said this is Acts 20:18-21:
18 And when they were come to him, he [Paul] said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons,
19 Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:
20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,
21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.


God predestines no one for salvation or damnation. And that is why these words of Paul are critical to understanding how sinners are saved by grace through faith.

Romans 11 (ESV)


5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. 7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 8 as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day."
 

throughfaith

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2020
10,467
1,593
113
He predestined it, as He predestined that all his saved, chosen people will rest on his sabbath day.
1 Timothy 4:10: "For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of ALL MEN, especially of those that believe."

This clearly teaches salvation is offered to everyone, but only those that choose to believe in Christ will be saved.