Understanding God’s election

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Rufus

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Could you please elaborate on this. It is a rather cryptic statement. Satanism claims that what one does, whether good of evil, carries no life or death consequences beyond death. That is not synergism.
But it does sound a lot like what UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION claims for those designated as "the elect".
All the world's religions (save for biblical Christianity) are satanic at its core. Satan could care less that anyone believe in him or not; but he cares very much that people don't believe in Christ. Satan is very content to offer the whole world a smorgasbord of religions because all their adherents will be joining him in the Lake of Much Heat.
 

Rufus

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Since Jesus informed that God is seeking those who will bow in obeisance to Him in Spirit and Truth, maybe the ones ultimately with some deep down humility and true piety that gets brought to the surface do end up being smarter to choose life than the arrogant who enjoy the darkness and ultimately choose to remain there.
There you go! The difference between the two lumps of clay that God created are the two lumps of clay. OR...maybe the lump God created for noble purposes was infused with the light of life (which would make them smarter), while the other lump created for common/shameful/dishonorable purposes were left in the darkness which rendered them unwise and foolish. How's that idea grab ya?
 
Oct 19, 2024
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Typical what? Having to explain my actions because they are misrepresented?

And I showed you how to get your own answers. Do you want me to give you a fish everyday? Or do you want to know how to fish?

The answers I gave you were part of a larger narrative. Even in providing the answers, if you don't understand how the answers make sense inside a larger narrative, you will simply have a series of unrelated answers. But the answers are related and ignoring that, what was the point? I had already showed you how to answer your own questions.
I only enjoyed fishing as a kid in the pond my grandpa stocked with enough crappie to make sure we would get bites every few minutes.

Go ahead and say it, (your teaching was over my head :^)
 
Jul 3, 2015
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This is an assumption of man's makeup.
I am wondering also if by saying this you are somehow intimating that the natural man, before being fully indwelt with the Holy Spirit of God, made alive in Christ, with heart circumcised, if you somehow think or believe the Holy Spirit partially inhabits the man of flesh/the natural man? Really, I am wondering how to interpret what you have said here, and how it aligns with what is said in Scripture. Any elucidation you can bring to this subject would be appreciated, and please also if you can, respond to my other posts in reply to this, at least this one <=link. Thank you!
 

Rufus

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2 Thessalonians 2:10b-14a ~ Those who are perishing refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie, in order that judgment may come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness. But we always thank God for you, brothers who are loved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning to be saved by the sanctification of the Spirit and by faith in the truth, to which He called you through our gospel.
Wait a minute! Why would an all-loving God of all mankind w/o exception ever send a strong delusion to anyone since He wills everyone to be saved? Or at least wants everyone to be so.
 
Oct 19, 2024
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Many are called (invited) but few are chosen.

So believers, then, are smarter or more pious or more humble because they have figured out what the miseries of life are all about, while their far more numerous counterparts are dumber, without piety or just plain ol' proud. The difference within sinners are sinners themselves.
Yes, meaning that all are invited, but many refuse the invitation.
Yes, atheism is due to ignorance of GW (pun intended :^)
 

cv5

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Nov 20, 2018
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Many are called (invited) but few are chosen.

So believers, then, are smarter or more pious or more humble because they have figured out what the miseries of life are all about, while their far more numerous counterparts are dumber, without piety or just plain ol' proud. The difference within sinners are sinners themselves.
You need to do your homework.
The correct interpretation is actually "all" are called and "none" are chosen.
Romans 2:12 and Rom 5 ("many") and Acts 10:34 are the keys.
 

Rufus

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28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

Yes @Rufus , Jacob was a prevail-er, and concordantly, we are overcomers.

It's easy to get the picture here. I sure hope that you come to terms with the obvious truth of the matter eventually.....;)
Or God was gracious to Jacob and let him get away with only some pain in his thigh.

Meanwhile, "we are overcomers' because Christ overcame the world FIRST! How's that for a novel idea?
 

studier

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Apr 18, 2024
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There you go! The difference between the two lumps of clay that God created are the two lumps of clay. OR...maybe the lump God created for noble purposes was infused with the light of life (which would make them smarter), while the other lump created for common/shameful/dishonorable purposes were left in the darkness which rendered them unwise and foolish. How's that idea grab ya?
Note the word "choose" which has been brought about by circumstances that bring a man to choose with the God designed and retained in fallen men ability.
 

PaulThomson

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Oct 29, 2023
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PaulThomson said:
You are wrong. The first resurrection, which ushers in the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ and His saints on this present earth, has to do with God's true Israel being vomited out by the planet and returning to the land that had in the previous 6000 years bereaved the nations

Ez. 36:11 And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

12 Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you, even my people Israel; and they shall possess thee, and thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them of men.

13 Thus saith the Lord God; Because they say unto you, Thou land devourest up men, and hast bereaved thy nations:

14 Therefore thou shalt devour men no more, neither bereave thy nations any more, saith the Lord God.

15 Neither will I cause men to hear in thee the shame of the heathen any more, neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the people any more, neither shalt thou cause thy nations to fall any more, saith the Lord God.

This is about the 1000 year reign occupation of the land by the resurrected saints. Verse 12 says people will stop dying in the land of Israel. This did not happen when the Jews returned from Babylon. This will happen during the 1000 year reign." Everything said in Ez. 36 is true of the Resurrected Israel during the 1000 year reign. Some aspects of the return from Babylon might appear to have partially fulfilled Ez. 36, but the return from Babylon does not fufill all the things prophesied. You are selecting the things that were fulfilled, and are skipping over the parts that do not, pretending that the entire chapter perfectly fits and is certainly about the return from the Babylonian captivity.

Based on your false claim that Ez. 36 is certainly about the return from Babylon, you then staple Ez. 37:1-14 to chapter 36, as if it is a continuation of that prophecy and is also not about the resurrection. It is a different prophesy, which clarifies to the Jews how chapter36 will be brought about. How will the land ofIsrael be repopulated with immortal exiles? By the Holy Spirit raising them out of the ground at the resurrection and transporting them to the land of Israel as delimited in Ez. 47:13-23.

First of all, v.12 doesn't teach what you say. The NIV reads:

Ezek 37:12
12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.

NIV

Or,

Ezek 37:12
12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel.

ESV

Or

Ezek 37:12
12 "Therefore prophesy, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD," Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel

NASB

Or

Ezek 37:12

12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, O my people, and bring you into the land of Israel.
Darby
I cited Ezekiel 36:12. You are arguing against Ezekiel 37:12 saying what I said Ezekiel 36:12 says.

Explain how this came to pass when the exiles returned from Babylon, or whenever you claim this chapter, EZEKIEL CHAPTER 36, is about.
 

Rufus

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Feb 17, 2024
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You need to do your homework.
The correct interpretation is actually "all" are called and "none" are chosen.
Romans 2:12 and Rom 5 ("many") and Acts 10:34 are the keys.
Well... I think as a disciple of Christ I'm going to believe what the Rabbi said -- AND none of the passages you cited contradict him either.
 

PaulThomson

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Oct 29, 2023
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All the world's religions (save for biblical Christianity) are satanic at its core. Satan could care less that anyone believe in him or not; but he cares very much that people don't believe in Christ. Satan is very content to offer the whole world a smorgasbord of religions because all their adherents will be joining him in the Lake of Much Heat.
The Christians you call synergists very much believe in Christ. So how are they satanic?
 

Rufus

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Feb 17, 2024
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PaulThomson said:
You are wrong. The first resurrection, which ushers in the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ and His saints on this present earth, has to do with God's true Israel being vomited out by the planet and returning to the land that had in the previous 6000 years bereaved the nations

Ez. 36:11 And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

12 Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you, even my people Israel; and they shall possess thee, and thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them of men.

13 Thus saith the Lord God; Because they say unto you, Thou land devourest up men, and hast bereaved thy nations:

14 Therefore thou shalt devour men no more, neither bereave thy nations any more, saith the Lord God.

15 Neither will I cause men to hear in thee the shame of the heathen any more, neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the people any more, neither shalt thou cause thy nations to fall any more, saith the Lord God.

This is about the 1000 year reign occupation of the land by the resurrected saints. Verse 12 says people will stop dying in the land of Israel. This did not happen when the Jews returned from Babylon. This will happen during the 1000 year reign." Everything said in Ez. 36 is true of the Resurrected Israel during the 1000 year reign. Some aspects of the return from Babylon might appear to have partially fulfilled Ez. 36, but the return from Babylon does not fufill all the things prophesied. You are selecting the things that were fulfilled, and are skipping over the parts that do not, pretending that the entire chapter perfectly fits and is certainly about the return from the Babylonian captivity.

Based on your false claim that Ez. 36 is certainly about the return from Babylon, you then staple Ez. 37:1-14 to chapter 36, as if it is a continuation of that prophecy and is also not about the resurrection. It is a different prophesy, which clarifies to the Jews how chapter36 will be brought about. How will the land ofIsrael be repopulated with immortal exiles? By the Holy Spirit raising them out of the ground at the resurrection and transporting them to the land of Israel as delimited in Ez. 47:13-23.



I cited Ezekiel 36:12. You are arguing against Ezekiel 37:12 saying what I said Ezekiel 36:12 says.

Explain how this came to pass when the exiles returned from Babylon, or whenever you claim this chapter, EZEKIEL CHAPTER 36, is about.
The New Covenant was instituted and ratified at the Cross -- all of which occurred in the Land and hundreds of years after the exile.
 

Cameron143

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Mar 1, 2022
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I only enjoyed fishing as a kid in the pond my grandpa stocked with enough crappie to make sure we would get bites every few minutes.

Go ahead and say it, (your teaching was over my head :^)
Hardly. You understood. How else would I be confident that you could fish. The main reason I responded to your post was that you stated you found the book of Revelation to be difficult to understand. I hear this comment often. One that I have voiced before, until someone tIaught me how it is to be understood. That's what I was passing on to you.

I would venture that if we all took an IQ test, most people here would score higher than I would. That's why I ask lots of questions. But people on forums have become very jaded, and believe there is some devious ulterior motive in asking questions.

You have made it known that you believe the exchange of ideas should promote unity, but your manner of discourse often has the opposite effect. You are not alone as this is true of us all. But if you are going to make it a point of emphasis, alot of humility can't hurt.
 

PaulThomson

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Oct 29, 2023
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You and I are saved, yes? While anyone is welcome to pursue God, how many unsaved people do you know who are doing so?
There are a number of high profile people who were not saved but are obviously seeking, and some of whom have found God in Christ. Jordan Peterson, Joe Rogan and Russell Brand immediately come to mind.
 

PaulThomson

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Oct 29, 2023
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And you know this how? You, too, are greater than men's hearts? All "synergists" are Christians?
What does Christian mean? Someone who believes in Christ.

Act 11:26
And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
 

Cameron143

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There are a number of high profile people who were not saved but are obviously seeking, and some of whom have found God in Christ. Jordan Peterson, Joe Rogan and Russell Brand immediately come to mind.
Of course, as has anyone who was ever saved. It wasn't meant to be a definitive answer on the subject. Instead, it was a general statement characterizing the difference between those who are generally seeking after God.