Understanding God’s election
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I find that view as distasteful and cruel as the Nazi's selecting who will die, head that direction. It's simply not the character of God. They keep asking where is God morally obligated to save, like he's Zeus. God obligated Himself when He sent His only Son to die for ALL. Scripture is so clear yet Cran and Rufus have not yet been able to show error in the verses I posted. I guess we rip that part out of the Bible and burn it. The Gospel is Christ crucified, Savior to all who believe. Jesus is the Gospel, not TULIP not Calvin, Jesus + nothing!!
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In a very real sense, it is both. The power is in the gospel itself.
Rom 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
However, Christians are called to persuade people to believe the gospel.
Rom 10:13
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Rom 10:14
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Rom 10:15
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Rom 10:16
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
Rom 10:17
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Rom 10:18
But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
Rom 10:19
But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.
Rom 10:20
But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
Rom 10:21
But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
Again, the gospel of peace is the glad tidings of good things, but Christians are called to have their feet shod with the preparation of the same.
Eph 6:15
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Anyhow, as Paul rightly said, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. It is not something that God zaps people with against their own free will. Israel heard, but, sad to say, the gospel that they heard was not mixed with faith by most who heard it.
Heb 4:2
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.
Why wasn't it mixed with faith? Paul told us why. For the most part, the Israelites were a disobedient and gainsaying people who refused to hear. This is what the scriptures repeatedly teach, and not the nonsense that several of you here are spouting.
Rom 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
However, Christians are called to persuade people to believe the gospel.
Rom 10:13
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Rom 10:14
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Rom 10:15
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Rom 10:16
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
Rom 10:17
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Rom 10:18
But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
Rom 10:19
But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.
Rom 10:20
But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
Rom 10:21
But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
Again, the gospel of peace is the glad tidings of good things, but Christians are called to have their feet shod with the preparation of the same.
Eph 6:15
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Anyhow, as Paul rightly said, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. It is not something that God zaps people with against their own free will. Israel heard, but, sad to say, the gospel that they heard was not mixed with faith by most who heard it.
Heb 4:2
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.
Why wasn't it mixed with faith? Paul told us why. For the most part, the Israelites were a disobedient and gainsaying people who refused to hear. This is what the scriptures repeatedly teach, and not the nonsense that several of you here are spouting.
The Word gives you the answer.
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
... he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God
Whoever believes in him is not condemned
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life
For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
There's enough verses to make the case and answer the question. Believe and be saved.
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No offer of marriage was/is given to individuals. Marriage to Christ will be to the true church alone.
The true spiritual Church (different than the corporate church) is the bride of Christ, not individuals, otherwise, there would need to be many brides, and many marriages, not just one as scripture informs us there will be. The spiritual Church must marry the Lamb; it will not/cannot refuse to do so as Christ is also the head of the Church. As such, He presents it to Himself as a bride prepared for marriage. No one can become a member of the true spiritual Church unless God Himself joins them to it.
[Eph 5:23 - 27, 32 KJV]
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so [let] the wives [be] to their own husbands in every thing. ...
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so [let] the wives [be] to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
It is God alone who adds people to the true, spiritual Church - the bride of the Lamb (Christ). Those He adds He saves.
[Act 2:39, 47 KJV]
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call.
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
As 2 Co 1:1 informs us, Paul is addressing the true, spiritual, church of God, telling them the church is espoused to Christ to become His bride.
[2Co 1:1 KJV]
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy [our] brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:
[2Co 11:2 KJV]
2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband
The true spiritual Church (different than the corporate church) is the bride of Christ, not individuals, otherwise, there would need to be many brides, and many marriages, not just one as scripture informs us there will be. The spiritual Church must marry the Lamb; it will not/cannot refuse to do so as Christ is also the head of the Church. As such, He presents it to Himself as a bride prepared for marriage. No one can become a member of the true spiritual Church unless God Himself joins them to it.
[Eph 5:23 - 27, 32 KJV]
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so [let] the wives [be] to their own husbands in every thing. ...
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so [let] the wives [be] to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
It is God alone who adds people to the true, spiritual Church - the bride of the Lamb (Christ). Those He adds He saves.
[Act 2:39, 47 KJV]
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call.
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
As 2 Co 1:1 informs us, Paul is addressing the true, spiritual, church of God, telling them the church is espoused to Christ to become His bride.
[2Co 1:1 KJV]
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy [our] brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:
[2Co 11:2 KJV]
2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband
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While I agree that one is to persuade, then the one persuading is exercising the power, wouldn't they be giving the increase and not just planting and watering?
If the power is in the words of scripture, why doesn't everyone who physically hears the gospel get persuaded?
According to Isaiah 55, when the word of God goes forth from Him it always accomplishes His purposes. When the gospel goes forth and some are still unaffected, was God's purpose accomplished?
If the power is in the words of scripture, why doesn't everyone who physically hears the gospel get persuaded?
According to Isaiah 55, when the word of God goes forth from Him it always accomplishes His purposes. When the gospel goes forth and some are still unaffected, was God's purpose accomplished?