Just can't deal with Paul, eh? ok then
Let's check out what was going on with Ezekiel back in the days before Christ when Israel could not, for the life of them, keep it together.
Ergo, what was really going on back then. It's not difficult.
Ezekiel 36:26-27.
It does not matter what chapter in Ezekiel a person wishes to discuss, Gentiles in the 21st C or any Gentile in any C, are not the recipient of Ezekiels prophetic words.
God addresses Ezekiel from the top of the chariot throne and calls him as a prophet ( cahpters 1-3). The purpose of that? Ezekiel was to ACCUSE Israel (since they had forsaken God and were not filled with the Holy Spirit as we are today) of BREAKING their covenant agreement with their God. Israel has gone awhoring (Bible type expression) after other gods and worshipping
them which has led to terrible social injustices and violence.
God was warning Israel of the Babylonias attacking them, twice, with the 2nd time to the utter destruction of the temple and city being laid waste. You can continue to read of how Ezekiel went about warning Israel and what effect it had. That's a very brief synopsis but let's get right to your chosen chapter and verses.
By the time we get to that chapter, Israel has been taken captive by the Babylonians and God, ever mindful of His love for and promises to Israel, promises restoration through a new 'David' but as a Messianic king. God states He will remove Israel's hard hearts and send His Spirit into His people so that they will love and obey their God, the One with whom they had entered into
covenant.
Ezekiel 38-39 God states He will ultimately defeat evil among the nations. Chapters 40-48, describe how God's presence will one day return to His people and the temple will be rebuilt. Scholars are devided as to whether or not these things are literal or symbolic.
But one thing we can be sure of. God was addressing Israel through Ezekiel and not Amercians or Norwegians. This tends to be the 'proof' of Calvinists and those who prefer to believe that way but do not wish to be called by that moniker, say therein is the proof that God alone is responsible for salvation and gets you 'saved' so that you will understand the gospel...the op belives Calvinsim is the gospel meaning, I suppose, that we have no choice in salvation since God has us earmarked and there is nothing we can do about it and thus we have the birth of limited atonement.
This may create a warm feeling in the hearts of good Calvinists everywhere but Ezekiel was God's prophet to Israel.
And finally, Jesus addresses the work of transformation through the new covenant when He spoke of being born again in John 3. Paul, addresses it in II Corinthians as per scripture.
b.
A new heart and put a new spirit: Jesus referred to this great work of spiritual transformation through the new covenant when He spoke of being
born again in
John 3. Paul spoke of it when he wrote of believers being new creations in Jesus Christ (
2 Corinthians 5:17).
17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
The position in which to enjoy spiritual renewal, is to be IN Christ. We receive the Holy Spirit....we are born into God's family and God accepts BECAUSE of the sacrifice of Jesus.
The idea of limited atonement is not biblical. The only way salvation is limited, is in the rejection of God's grace through Jesus.
I cannot possibly deal with the meaning of Jesus blood being shed as pertains to the sacrifical systme of the OT, or the history of Israel or the fact prophecy on their behalf is still to be fullfilled, in this or any other thread. The BDF is not a teaching platform even though many think it is and what I wrote above, is a very tight, very succint explanation of a topic that people, who really want to understand, spend long hours studying.
It is not, never has been and never will be, an explanation of God putting His Spirit into UNREPENTANT, UNSAVED AND SINFUL individuals so that they will accept the gospel. The problem with people who think the entire OT was written for their benefit is that they do not comprehend the fact that Israel is still God's chosen people, no other nation has ever been in a covenant relationship with God and that includes this one.
