Understanding God’s election
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[Eze 36:26 KJV]
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
[Rom 12:2 KJV]
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
[Tit 3:5 KJV]
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
I don't follow your point.
Not after becoming born-again by God's grace- but not of myself nor by my works- I was made righteous solely by Christ's offering/sacrifice, which righteousness, He imputed unto me by His grace and mercy. God does it all, we do nothing but to be the unworthy recipients of it.
[Phl 3:9 KJV] 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
[Rom 12:2 KJV]
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
[Tit 3:5 KJV]
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
I don't follow your point.
Not after becoming born-again by God's grace- but not of myself nor by my works- I was made righteous solely by Christ's offering/sacrifice, which righteousness, He imputed unto me by His grace and mercy. God does it all, we do nothing but to be the unworthy recipients of it.
[Phl 3:9 KJV] 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
So many read the scriptures irresponsibly and recklessly. You nailed it perfectly above. They don't pay close attention to the order of words or phrases in scripture. Eph 2:8-9 clearly places grace BEFORE faith. We're saved BY grace through faith when means faith is a byproduct of grace. And when Paul says "by grace", he saying more than mouthful since grace is the proactive expression of God's infinite love for his elect. And other things precede faith such as God's effectual call, the drawing of the sinner to Christ, regeneration, etc. And this is perfectly logical since the spiritually dead have no ability to respond to the gospel until they're raised up first. Regeneration is what "quickens" the soul.
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So...the God who created the universe out of NOTHING doesn't know how to save the totally depraved? The totally depraved have stumped God Almighty, while at the same time possessing this "sovereign free" will that can overcome their total depravity. IOW, the totally depraved can do something that God cannot! Such a high view of God you have... 
As you stated it that would actually be the changing of the mind, not the heart.
Anyway, a spiritually dead person is unable to change either the mind or the heart. As @Rufus said, they must first be given spiritual life, and with that, is all else changed.
[Col 2:13 KJV] 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Anyway, a spiritually dead person is unable to change either the mind or the heart. As @Rufus said, they must first be given spiritual life, and with that, is all else changed.
[Col 2:13 KJV] 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
So...the God who created the universe out of NOTHING doesn't know how to save the totally depraved? The totally depraved have stumped God Almighty, while at the same time possessing this "sovereign free" will that can overcome their total depravity. IOW, the totally depraved can do something that God cannot! Such a high view of God you have...
Do you understand what totally depraved means? Totally.
When God created man in His image?
He granted man to have his own domain of sovereignty to reflect God's nature.
God honors man's divinely conceived design - to have sovereignty in a limited realm... so much?
That God will not over ride a man's (soul's) volition.
For man is sovereign when he chooses to reject God.
God will not over ride a man's choice if its not what God would prefer.
Just like when Lucifer chose to reject God.
He granted man to have his own domain of sovereignty to reflect God's nature.
God honors man's divinely conceived design - to have sovereignty in a limited realm... so much?
That God will not over ride a man's (soul's) volition.
For man is sovereign when he chooses to reject God.
God will not over ride a man's choice if its not what God would prefer.
Just like when Lucifer chose to reject God.
The heart (kardia) is a function of the mind.
The mind (nous) is also a function of the mind.
The Greek - nous - in the Bible is called the mind.
It is the part of your mind where a man takes in facts and details and are stored in memory.
The kardia (heart) is the part of the mind where a person has made his conclusions and convictions about life
A man THINKs with his heart. Its not about human emotions, though what you think in your heart
can cause one to have an emotional response.
Too many are yet confused as to how the word "heart" was used by the ancients.
A new heart will be a heart that God instills with new thinking within!
Instills with the Word of God, which will transform him away from his old way of thinking.
The mind (nous) is also a function of the mind.
The Greek - nous - in the Bible is called the mind.
It is the part of your mind where a man takes in facts and details and are stored in memory.
The kardia (heart) is the part of the mind where a person has made his conclusions and convictions about life
A man THINKs with his heart. Its not about human emotions, though what you think in your heart
can cause one to have an emotional response.
“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23:7a.
You said in your heart: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the
stars of God. I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north." Isaiah 14:13
Too many are yet confused as to how the word "heart" was used by the ancients.
A new heart will be a heart that God instills with new thinking within!
Instills with the Word of God, which will transform him away from his old way of thinking.
It's difficult to reply to you because you seem to contradict yourself. Your last two sentences
say what I have been saying (I think), that: "a new heart will be a heart that God instills". Exactly. And:
"Instills the Word of God, which will transform him away from his old way of thinking". Exactly.
Yet, you also say, "the heart is a function of the mind". So, I am unable to decipher what it is you actually think.
Anyway, things spiritual are of/by God, not man. It is God who must give a new heart and a renewed mind.
A spiritually corrupt heart (old heart) is incapable of changing itself, and a spiritually corrupt mind (old mind), is incapable of changing itself. How can that which is completely corrupt and dead spiritually, uncorrupt itself or give itself life? With what does the corrupt fix the corrupt? Something/someone external (God), must first intervene to make that occur.
Maybe this will illustrate it more clearly for you. Those below heard and considered the gospel but not having been given faith, the gospel had no meaning nor significance to them. Therefore, since faith is not of the mind, nor of the ear (they heard and thought yet didn't believe), the gospel didn't profit them. Receiving a faith in the heart given by God, is prerequisite to comprehending the gospel. Of himself, natural (unsaved) man is incapable of doing that.
[Heb 4:2 KJV] 2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard [it].
say what I have been saying (I think), that: "a new heart will be a heart that God instills". Exactly. And:
"Instills the Word of God, which will transform him away from his old way of thinking". Exactly.
Yet, you also say, "the heart is a function of the mind". So, I am unable to decipher what it is you actually think.
Anyway, things spiritual are of/by God, not man. It is God who must give a new heart and a renewed mind.
A spiritually corrupt heart (old heart) is incapable of changing itself, and a spiritually corrupt mind (old mind), is incapable of changing itself. How can that which is completely corrupt and dead spiritually, uncorrupt itself or give itself life? With what does the corrupt fix the corrupt? Something/someone external (God), must first intervene to make that occur.
Maybe this will illustrate it more clearly for you. Those below heard and considered the gospel but not having been given faith, the gospel had no meaning nor significance to them. Therefore, since faith is not of the mind, nor of the ear (they heard and thought yet didn't believe), the gospel didn't profit them. Receiving a faith in the heart given by God, is prerequisite to comprehending the gospel. Of himself, natural (unsaved) man is incapable of doing that.
[Heb 4:2 KJV] 2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard [it].
Great post! So many here seem to think that even though Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall badly broken, he can not stand up but put himself back on the wall from whence he fell. We clay vessels are so powerful....
The clay is what God molds on the wheel of life's circumstances that He arranges.
Two lumps of clay can be placed under the same pressures.
One will turn out good.
One will not ....
Both faces the same pressures designated by God.
One that turns out noble leaves the other to be without excuse.
God uses the winner's testimony as a witness against the loser.
