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A calvinist can argue that the message is for the elect.
The point is, when you start with a pre-concived notion based on your love for an idea or some thing, you will find verses which support your idea.
For example, the major being in the army loves verses that support guns and sort or downplays verses that don't support them such as "he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword".
The important thing is that everyone loves God in his/her unique own way, that's what i've realized so far at this point in my life.
I don't know where they go. I don't make judgment calls. You do.
I leave judgment up to God.
Yes, but not for this. This is essentially "the meaning of Life" question. And this should be left in God's hands.
Are you NUTS? The overall purpose of the entire Bible is to explain GRFS!
On what basis or for what reason do you believe/discern that you are saved or bound for Paradise?
Did God waste His breath/inspiration on you?! (2TM 3:14-17 & 4:1-4)
I would say that pertains to the revelation that God gives to each person as they are able to receive. Those who have will be given more because they are able to receive it because they have prepared their hearts to do so. Just speaking off the cuff here, spitballing if you will
That is quite the load of opinions.
But.....do they concatenate in the least with the OT narratives and lessons and parables?
And the NT narratives and lessons and parables?
If they do not.....you would be advised to jettison them ASAP.
Inventing a different gospel from scratch is never a good idea BTW.
The consequences are very predictable.
Yes, each human is given a measure of faith.
No no, major your interpretation is one of the many interpretations of the Kingdom of God and Paradise and our place in it.
You see, you like to live in the future, and i like to live in the now. We are both happy with these choices based on (limited) free-will and we have found peace and hope.
Also, i don't make judgment calls about myself either about my eternal destination because i would go into judgment for billions of people and souls that live and have ever lived.
So, i am competently in the hands of God, at his mercy, thankful for His miracles to the world and to me and grateful that i got to know Christ here and now.
Does it mean we are given faith or according to the measure of our faith?
I believe some have more than others and we see that by the miracles happening around their life compared to other like believers.
Do you think it's because people are centered in their minds (images of the future) instead of in their hearts (spiritual reality right here right now)?
Faith is not a thing.
You either trust in someone or something, or you do not.
God draws all people to himself. and he attempts to convince them of the things concerning the gospel.
The person must chose to decide if they will trust God. or reject him in unbelief.
God gives all those born of him a measure of faith But this has nothing to do with salvation
Really?
What happened to Nadab and Abihu when they tried to love God in their own way?
[Lev 10:1 KJV]
And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.
[Lev 10:2 KJV]
And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
*******************************************************************************
Oh what about Moses? Was he loving God when he rerouted the message a little?
[Num 20:8 KJV]
Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.
[Num 20:11 KJV]
And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts [also].
[Num 20:12 KJV]
And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
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Did you want me to post several dozen similarly?
Next question: do you think that MANY here that are deviating from the straight and by wrongly exercising their own will in matters of the gravest import just as they did in the foregoing?
You can do nothing to save yourself
Salvation is by grace, period.
But it takes faith to recieve it. otherwise you will deny it
You do not save yourself or earn salvation when you chose to bow down in faith and call out to God. God gets the glory..
ouch
so Jesus said he came not to judge but to Save (john 3) and that it is those who believe who are saved. those who do not believe are already condemned.
But free will is not part of the equation?
Faith for me began when i realized that God exists. This was the first step in the journey, which doesn't end until the end of my life here in the fallen world.
It's an ongoing journey. But that was the first step which then lead to further questions, which then lead to exploration of religions which then lead to Christianity.
This is why the dictionary description of "atheist" is nonsensical because you can't "un-know" something which you internalize and realize within yourself.
Unless ... you have an accident and you lose your memory and mind. Then you're in a state of "lack of belief".
Oh I think it boils down to DESIRE.
What people REALLY desire in their hearts.
Think bogus prosperity gospel. Or the gatekeeper neo-pharisaism that you see on this thread.
I really don't know. This to me is a matter of (limited) free will.
I don't want people to think like me and i can't think like others either.
The beauty of God's creation and us in His image is the variety of the ways in which we worship Him.
Paul said it is grace and works.
Romans 4:4
Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
Romans 11:6
And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
2 Timothy 1:9
who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
The redemption of Adam and the Woman conclusively prove absolute free will.
Frankly, the entire saga of Genesis 3 proves free will.
I mean Satan DEFINITELY had free will in this escapade just the same as everybody else.
But the righteousness of faith says this: "Do not say in your heart, Who will go up into Heaven?" (that is, to bring down Christ); or, "Who will go down into the abyss?" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.) But what does it say? "The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the Word of faith which we proclaim), that if you acknowledge the lord Jesus with your mouth, and believe in your heart that GOD raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes into righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses into salvation. Romans 10:6-10