God's freewill vs. Mankind's election

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BarlyGurl

Guest

Salvation is the gift of God, it was given by faith, not because we worked to earn it. which is what Paul was trying to say.

Now you are contradicting yourself with careless words because ZONE is reading VERY carefully what you type.
correction...
Salvation is the gift of God, it was RECEIVED by faith, not because we worked to earn it. which is what Paul was trying to say.
 
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eternally-gratefull

Guest
Faith comes from the bible you read and the will to believe and the salvation is what your talking about
regeneration, your eyes were openned, you went from darkness to light. The Holyspirit was there doing the work.
But you HAD faith. Faith with Gods grace(the work of the Spirit influencing you) received the gift. Not good works
or obedience to the law.

Yes, the example I like to use is two men drowning, and someone coming to save them. the one who trusts the man saving him will allow him to do what he needs to do.. And will be saved, the one who does not may allow him to try, but will try to help the man..

One thing they tell you in water rescue training is if a person does not sit still and allow you to do the work, But trys to help, chances are you both will drown.. We are told to let them go.

This is a good example. Many people believe in God and Christ, but they want to help him instead of letting him do all the work, Only because they do not trust him.. That is why they can not be assured of salvation, because they are trying to do it of their own power with the rescuers help, and not letting the rescuer save him.
 
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eternally-gratefull

Guest
Perhaps I am misunderstanding you, but how can faith come from God and yet, we trusted our parents because they gave us reason to believe?
Because if I did not trust my parents, or they let me down all the time, I would not trust them. If I did not trust God could do what he promised. I would not trust him either, I may believe in him, but I would try to add my works to his work to make sure I was saved, due to lack of faith.


Also, if you do not mind,

If faith (not speaking about the measure of faith which all is given as a testimony of no one having an excuse) comes from God at His will, would He not be selective in whom shall be saved and whom He will judge?
I never stated faith only comes this way. Everyone has a chance to have faith no one is given more of a chance than anyone else. God did the same for me as he did everyone around me, But not all of us will trust him.

If faith is a product given to you, then 'the reason to trust' has no true value, seeing that it has been handed to one.

I never sated this, you misunderstood me completely!!..lol
 
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eternally-gratefull

Guest

Salvation is the gift of God, it was given by faith, not because we worked to earn it. which is what Paul was trying to say.

Now you are contradicting yourself with careless words because ZONE is reading VERY carefully what you type.
correction...
Salvation is the gift of God, it was RECEIVED by faith, not because we worked to earn it. which is what Paul was trying to say.
This would be wrong, I did not receive faith, No place in the text does it say I received faith. It says I was saved by Having faith, not working.

I recieved salvation, because I had faith
 
Aug 15, 2009
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Will someone explain this to me?

If faith comes from God, then:

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Romans 12:3 [SUP]3 [/SUP]For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Everyone has it. But not everyone uses it.

James 2:26 [SUP]26 [/SUP]For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
 
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Abiding

Guest
this is the question i am looking at.
(OP, i hope you don't mind it i isolated this....i'm trying to keep this narrow.
and i appreciate seeing the question put forward).
Romans 12:3For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

We already know from the gospels that men had faith before they even believed in the gospel or
what the gospel was. So if every man is given faith then it would have to be a gift.

But to call it a fruit which it is also after salvation, and also a spiritual manifestation. Does
take away that all men have a portion at least the size of a mustard seed, prior to salvation.

So the twist of Eph 2:8 as ive said before is not true and is only there to bolster
a bad doctrine built upon the eisegesis it is. namely limited atonement
 

zone

Senior Member
Jun 13, 2010
27,214
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In this context. No.

Salvation is the gift of God, it was given by faith, not because we worked to earn it. which is what Paul was trying to say.


By grace we are saved (the gift)

[SUP]4 [/SUP]But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, [SUP]5 [/SUP]even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) (this gift)

vs 8 - 9 tells us how we got this gift. by faith, not works.

I would agree with them in the context of this passage.

again, I have no clue what they believe, I am sure if I studied synergism and monergism I would find things from both I agree with, and both I disagree with.. which is why I stay away from this type of discussion


I give him ALL the credit for my salvation also. I can't boast of anything, because God did all the work.


Thats fine. Study Study Study,, we all should study..lol

But hope you see where I am coming from now if nothing else. even if you decide to not agree.

okay...i think i see where you're coming from now:

faith - pistis - is not a gift from God.

is that right?

[MONERGISTS] again, I have no clue what they believe, I am sure if I studied synergism and monergism I would find things from both I agree with, and both I disagree with.. which is why I stay away from this type of discussion.

Thats fine. Study Study Study,, we all should study..lol

But hope you see where I am coming from now if nothing else. even if you decide to not agree.
i think i do now (though i may be wrong....still reading the old posts - i have two windows open).
but i had to go to other sources to see where you are coming from....you have not be precise.
and i wonder why you're so dismissive of a word when i am using it to try to help you understand where i am coming from?
love you EG.

(Daniel 9 is fulfilled btw:))
 
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Simbadog

Guest
I'm new to this but would like to jump in. If someone could briefly explain what true, saving, biblical faith is then this might be a good starting point for me and give me an idea where you folks are coming from.
 
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cfultz3

Guest
Because if I did not trust my parents, or they let me down all the time, I would not trust them. If I did not trust God could do what he promised. I would not trust him either, I may believe in him, but I would try to add my works to his work to make sure I was saved, due to lack of faith.




I never stated faith only comes this way. Everyone has a chance to have faith no one is given more of a chance than anyone else. God did the same for me as he did everyone around me, But not all of us will trust him.



I never sated this, you misunderstood me completely!!..lol
Please do not see my questions as something which I think you are saying. They are just thoughts that I am asking.
 
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eternally-gratefull

Guest
Please do not see my questions as something which I think you are saying. They are just thoughts that I am asking.
lol I don't my friend, Your good. Thats why I LOL'd at the end, I saw you misunderstood me, or were trying to make sure you understood me correctly.
 
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BarlyGurl

Guest
Do what? Don;t just say error. explain why you disagree, that is prety ride to do what you just did.
I think that is "pretty rude"... I don't mind... you ignored my last request... and you are contradicting yourself... and I have said the very same in another post. I don't think you are doing so on purpose... but sometimes WOMEN say things that should be heard and I was trying to be tactful.... and you plowed ahead anyway... and then admitted you were confused YOURSELF. Honestly examine this scenario... I am pretty confident the Holy Spirit will convict you gently that you might shoulda held back... if you had the confusion wouldn't have occurred... and I think you know God is not the author of confusion.
Faith is yours yes, you must chose. But it comes from God.
Correction
Faith is yours yes, you must chose, this is operating the will.
I have illustrated this several other times... how everyone has faith for an assortment of things... eg light switches.

 
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cfultz3

Guest
Romans 12:3 [SUP]3 [/SUP]For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Everyone has it. But not everyone uses it.

James 2:26 [SUP]26 [/SUP]For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Thank you Stephen. I see what you meant now EG in that faith comes from God. It is just that we need to grow it. Thank you both.
 
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eternally-gratefull

Guest
okay...i think i see where you're coming from now:

faith - pistis - is not a gift from God.

is that right?
In the context of eph 2, the gift is salvation. not faith. The faith is based on eph 1: 13- 14.

In the context of having the ability to have faith or not have faith. that is the gift of God. Because God did all the work. Thus in this context. Faith would be a gift.


But then again, as I just said, everyone is offered this same gift. They just have to prove to take it or to reject it.
 
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BarlyGurl

Guest
I'm new to this but would like to jump in. If someone could briefly explain what true, saving, biblical faith is then this might be a good starting point for me and give me an idea where you folks are coming from.
Right now we are just hashing out FAITH is a work... an operation of our reasoning power to engage the will to BELIEVE (the gospel) and therefore recieve salvation.

The basis for freewill... which some refute becaus the word freewill is not in the bible as a WORD tho the principal is scattered from beginning to end.
 
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eternally-gratefull

Guest
I'm new to this but would like to jump in. If someone could briefly explain what true, saving, biblical faith is then this might be a good starting point for me and give me an idea where you folks are coming from.
True biblical faith would a complete trust in God and a complete emptying of self.,

If you do not believe you are really a sinner, But believe in God. then you do not have faith
If you believe in God, but think You have to work to earn his gift, you do not have faith

True faith means totally humility and belief in everything God says concerning us, Our condemnation, our ability to save ourselves (zero) and his ability to save us,
 
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BarlyGurl

Guest
In the context of eph 2, the gift is salvation. not faith. The faith is based on eph 1: 13- 14.

In the context of having the ability to have faith or not have faith. that is the gift of God. Because God did all the work. Thus in this context. Faith would be a gift.
There you go... using two seperate definitions of faith in the same explanation AGAIN. adding to the confusion.
 

zone

Senior Member
Jun 13, 2010
27,214
164
63
In the context of eph 2, the gift is salvation. not faith. The faith is based on eph 1: 13- 14.

In the context of having the ability to have faith or not have faith. that is the gift of God. Because God did all the work. Thus in this context. Faith would be a gift.


But then again, as I just said, everyone is offered this same gift. They just have to prove to take it or to reject it.
okay....i'm not clear on what you believe then.
i'll keep looking.
the word pistis is always the same.

the question is...is pistis a gift from God.
 

zone

Senior Member
Jun 13, 2010
27,214
164
63
Thank you Stephen. I see what you meant now EG in that faith comes from God. It is just that we need to grow it. Thank you both.
hi cfultz3....i hope it's okay for me to just quote your post.
faith comes from God = pistis (faith) is a gift of God?

is it a gift in Ephesians 2?
 
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eternally-gratefull

Guest
okay....i'm not clear on what you believe then.
i'll keep looking.
the word pistis is always the same.

the question is...is pistis a gift from God.
I will be honest, I do not know how to explain it then.

In eph 2, the gift was salvation. not faith. Faith was the means by which I was saved, and someone else was not, (because they tried to work for it)


4102. πίστις pistis, pis´-tis; from 3982; persuasion, i.e. credence; mor. conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), espec. reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstr. constancy in such profession; by extens. the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:—assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.

Strong, J. (2009). Vol. 1: A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible (58). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

Again, this is strongs complete defenition. can you show me where Strong said faith was a gift of God? This seems to be saying the opposite.