God's freewill vs. Mankind's election
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Another would be - "lest I having preached to others, should become a castaway."
Seems slightly like saved by your own works doesn't it?
It would be except it was said by the man who was on the Damascus road to persecute
christians when he was accosted by the Spirit of God, and he(blinded), heard Jesus speaking.....
And was blind for a time until someone prayed for him(Ananias).
Hardly sounds like one's own accounting for the righteousness(faith) they had received on that road does it?
Or did he still need help?
Did the writer of half the books in the N.T. still need help after his conversion?
And if he did, - - - - why? - - - - Since it was his own faith in Jesus Christ he was attesting to?
Why Ananias? Where comes the help to one who sought to cleanse the world of 'christianity' by his faith in God?
Seems slightly like saved by your own works doesn't it?
It would be except it was said by the man who was on the Damascus road to persecute
christians when he was accosted by the Spirit of God, and he(blinded), heard Jesus speaking.....
And was blind for a time until someone prayed for him(Ananias).
Hardly sounds like one's own accounting for the righteousness(faith) they had received on that road does it?
Or did he still need help?
Did the writer of half the books in the N.T. still need help after his conversion?
And if he did, - - - - why? - - - - Since it was his own faith in Jesus Christ he was attesting to?
Why Ananias? Where comes the help to one who sought to cleanse the world of 'christianity' by his faith in God?
Perhaps, and I offer this as a suggestion, the fact we believe in God without evidence is an act of faith in itself. Then as we grow in the Christian life, so too our faith grows stronger. Now whether that initial belief in God comes from within ourselves or is God given I cannot say, but I do know that people have all sorts of often strange beliefs, that are certainly not of God, so on that basis I suggest we can believe in anything we like, including God without any promptings from Him?
E
No. Why would one think that. that is not even context of the passage.
Unfortunately, Paul did still have to make a free choice. He Also knew and believed everything Jesus said, Meaning he knew he was saved eternally. Not by his own works, but by his faith. It was God who would never leave him. thus since he did not work to earn salvation, he understood he never could lose it, we see this in his writings.
ps. welcome back
E
Jesus said, He who believes is not condemned, He who does not believe is condemned already.
Scripture says whoever calls on the name of the lord shall be saved.
It says repent and be converted
It says whoever believes will have eternal life
I can go on and on and on. But you get the jist. How can one do this if they do not have free will to believe to eternal life, or not believe to eternal death.
E
I think Saul knew scripture like the back of his hand.
I think he understood he was in error. and repented. like we all are to do.
I think his blindness was to prepair him to give up his life of power, riches and fame to live a life of being pour, being mocked, jailed, and alot of things we would not want to do, to do the work of God. Being blind had nothing to do with his salvation. or as you said, he would have earned it by suffering from blindness.
I think he understood he was in error. and repented. like we all are to do.
I think his blindness was to prepair him to give up his life of power, riches and fame to live a life of being pour, being mocked, jailed, and alot of things we would not want to do, to do the work of God. Being blind had nothing to do with his salvation. or as you said, he would have earned it by suffering from blindness.
They do have freewill in a sense.
Judas Iscariot had freewill in a sense.
He was with Jesus, he saw the miracles, - (probably one of the seventy He sent out),
but he was a thief and the holder of the bag.
He was also the disciple Jesus Himself said was "the son of perdition".
Freewill indeed. But not led by God.
God could have made robots, but He didn't.
It is a secret and sacred thing, but God chooses His own because without His grace - - - -
none of us would come to the cross. - "None are righteous, no not one".
(Which means none are able to receive His Holy blessing of forgiveness without the gift of faith.)
Judas Iscariot had freewill in a sense.
He was with Jesus, he saw the miracles, - (probably one of the seventy He sent out),
but he was a thief and the holder of the bag.
He was also the disciple Jesus Himself said was "the son of perdition".
Freewill indeed. But not led by God.
God could have made robots, but He didn't.
It is a secret and sacred thing, but God chooses His own because without His grace - - - -
none of us would come to the cross. - "None are righteous, no not one".
(Which means none are able to receive His Holy blessing of forgiveness without the gift of faith.)
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