Did Jesus Die on The Cross for The Just/Elect/Saved Whose Names Are Written in The Book of Life OR

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FollowerofShiloh

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Jan 24, 2024
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No, I don't believe God could have. Sin needs to be punished, otherwise God would not be just.

And even more strongly disagree with your second statement I bolded. Jesus was not merely innocent! Jesus was the Righteous One of God who laid down his life for the unrighteous. If God only needed "innocent" one to atone for sins, he could have sacrificed anyone's innocent infant in the place of sinners! It is not Christ's "innocence" that is imputed to repentant sinners, it is nothing less than his RIGHTEOUSNESS! And there's a difference between innocence and righteousness! Jesus did not come into this world to merely fulfill all "innocence". He came to fulfill all righteousness *(Mat 3:15: Rom 5:18)! There is no such thing as "innocence" by faith, only righteousness by faith (Rom10:6). This is why the blood of [innocent] animals could never take away sins.
Jesus is GOD!

And yes, God can do as He pleases. But it pleased God to use sacrifice. And there's an impacting image to something or someone being sacrificed on a person's behalf. It imprints the mind and soul. This had to be done because of what I am.
 

Rufus

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Feb 17, 2024
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Your concept of omniscience obviously includes exhaustive divine foreknowledge. Why are you reacting with disbelief that I started dealing with your extra-biblical theory of exhaustive divine foreknowledge when critiquing your view of divine omniscience?
You still don't get it, do you? The term "foreknowledge" is mere an anthropomorphic way of expressing the truth that God knows all things. How is it possible for God, who transcends all his creation (including time), to actually foreknow anything when there is absolutely nothing for him to "foreknow"? Since he transcends all time, he transcends the future, as well. Paul in Rom 8:29, for example, even had to express God's "foreknowledge"in the past tense because our finite minds cannot comprehend the Eternal. There just isn't any way to express the Infinite in a comprehensible manner, apart from employing anthropomorphic language. This text literally should read: "For those God knows [eternally], he also predestines to be conformed..." If God had to peer into the future to see places, people or events, then that would imply he he cannot know all eternally.
 

Rufus

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Jesus is GOD!

And yes, God can do as He pleases. But it pleased God to use sacrifice. And there's an impacting image to something or someone being sacrificed on a person's behalf. It imprints the mind and soul. This had to be done because of what I am.
Only as that is consistent with his essence. In this restrictive respect, then, God can do all things qualitatively; but not all things quantitatively, such as what Mr. Thompson earlier suggested re absurdities, e.g. God making square circles. God is a God of Order -- not of chaos, mayhem or confusion. These latter "attributes" are owned by the god of this world. He has the patent on them.

God's free moral agency is no more of a libertine-type than ours. Ponder 2Tim 2:13 and learn what that profound truth means.
 

FollowerofShiloh

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Jan 24, 2024
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Only as that is consistent with his essence. In this restrictive respect, then, God can do all things qualitatively; but not all things quantitatively, such as what Mr. Thompson earlier suggested re absurdities, e.g. God making square circles. God is a God of Order -- not of chaos, mayhem or confusion. These latter "attributes" are owned by the god of this world. He has the patent on them.

God's free moral agency is no more of a libertine-type than ours. Ponder 2Tim 2:13 and learn what that profound truth means.
Just pointing out that God chose to use sacrifice but He could have done it other ways if that was His desire.
 

Rufus

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Feb 17, 2024
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Calvinism in a nutshell...
Are you suggesting that the demands of the Gospel contradict biblical theology? When I share the gospel, or when I leave gospel tracts to be read by the lost, and both those tracts and I exhort people to believe the gospel and repent of their sins, do you think we are simultaneously contradicting the biblical truth of the Five Doctrines of Grace?
 

Rufus

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Just pointing out that God chose to use sacrifice but He could have done it other ways if that was His desire.
I don't believe that because your comment clearly infers that God could have found one or more superior ways.
 

FollowerofShiloh

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Jan 24, 2024
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I don't believe that because your comment clearly infers that God could have found one or more superior ways.
I am doing no such thing. God did it how He thought it should be done. But had He chose another way it still would have been God doing what He thought it should be done.
 

BillyBob

Active member
Dec 20, 2023
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So, you can tell some people that they can believe that Jesus died for them because it is true.
And you can tell other people that they can't believe that Jesus died for them because it isn't true.... :confused:
I am not sure if these questions were directed at my post or not. However, if they are directed at me, then why?
I only claimed that Adam had the ability to please God which was lost with the fall of man. Adam had that ability but we do not unless we are changed in some way. We can only be changed by hearing the word of God and the Spirit changing us within.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
I would never attempt to tell anyone what they can/cannot believe. I cannot see into their heart, only God has that ability!
 

Rufus

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I am doing no such thing. God did it how He thought it should be done. But had He chose another way it still would have been God doing what He thought it should be done.
Yes you are! You said earlier:

Just pointing out that God chose to use sacrifice but He COULD have done it other ways if that was His desire. (emphasis mine)

And this very clearly implies that if there were "other ways" for him to desire, his initial choice would have been less than perfect. But can a perfectly Righteous, Holy and Good God desire to choose anything that is either less or better than perfect? And have you never read:

Ps 18:30a
30 As for God, his way is perfect...?
NIV

See also Deut 32:4; 2Sam 22:3; Dan 4:37; Rom 12:2; Rev 15:3, etc.

You see what happens when our minds are not controlled by the Word of God? It's uber easy, even for us Christians, to think in worldly or fleshly terms.

Finally, not only is the Cross of Christ God's perfect redemptive plan on the vertical level (i.e. because of who and what God is) but it's also perfect on the horizontal plane with respect to his image-bearers! Do you know why this is also true?
 

FollowerofShiloh

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Jan 24, 2024
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Yes you are! You said earlier:

Just pointing out that God chose to use sacrifice but He COULD have done it other ways if that was His desire. (emphasis mine)

And this very clearly implies that if there were "other ways" for him to desire, his initial choice would have been less than perfect. But can a perfectly Righteous, Holy and Good God desire to choose anything that is either less or better than perfect? And have you never read:

Ps 18:30a
30 As for God, his way is perfect...?
NIV

See also Deut 32:4; 2Sam 22:3; Dan 4:37; Rom 12:2; Rev 15:3, etc.

You see what happens when our minds are not controlled by the Word of God? It's uber easy, even for us Christians, to think in worldly or fleshly terms.

Finally, not only is the Cross of Christ God's perfect redemptive plan on the vertical level (i.e. because of who and what God is) but it's also perfect on the horizontal plane with respect to his image-bearers! Do you know why this is also true?
I said God could have done it any way He chose. Not sure how that means there was other options. It just means God chose how He wanted it done and He did it that way.
 

Rufus

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Feb 17, 2024
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I said God could have done it any way He chose. Not sure how that means there was other options. It just means God chose how He wanted it done and He did it that way.
And I'm saying that your premise contradicts scripture! God didn't examine all his "options" and then decide on a plan. This kind of thinking reflects the typically low view NRs generally have about God. Your premise clearly implies there "could have been" other options. You're the one who used the word "could"! So, own it already!
 

FollowerofShiloh

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Jan 24, 2024
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And I'm saying that your premise contradicts scripture! God didn't examine all his "options" and then decide on a plan. This kind of thinking reflects the typically low view NRs generally have about God. Your premise clearly implies there "could have been" other options. You're the one who used the word "could"! So, own it already!
No, my premise claims that God could have done it any way He wanted to do it and nothing more. He's God and is not limited. You are the one forcing God into a realm where He's only capable of doing the one way He did. But my God that I believe in and serve, with Him, anything is possible.
 

Rufus

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Feb 17, 2024
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No, my premise claims that God could have done it any way He wanted to do it and nothing more. He's God and is not limited. You are the one forcing God into a realm where He's only capable of doing the one way He did. But my God that I believe in and serve, with Him, anything is possible.
God is limited. Since you cannot believe this, then explain to me why God cannot sin. Why he cannot lie. Why he cannot deny himself. What is stopping him!? Explain this. I can't wait to hear that explanation! :rolleyes:

P.S. You might want to brush up on the definition of "cannot". Just sayin'...
 

FollowerofShiloh

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Jan 24, 2024
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God is limited. Since you cannot believe this, then explain to me why God cannot sin. Why he cannot lie. Why he cannot deny himself. What is stopping him!? Explain this. I can't wait to hear that explanation! :rolleyes:

P.S. You might want to brush up on the definition of "cannot". Just sayin'...
He's Holy and Perfect.

Learn the definition to Holy and Perfect and then a clue might be understood by you.
 

Rufus

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Feb 17, 2024
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And while I'm thinking of it, Mr. Shiloh, what part or "perfect" didn't you get in my 2333? Since God's eternal plan of redemption was perfect in eternity [past] because He himself is perfect, how COULD he possibly improve upon that? Work on this problem, too. And, of course, consult a dictionary. You need all the help you can get.
 

Rufus

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Feb 17, 2024
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He's Holy and Perfect.

Learn the definition to Holy and Perfect and then a clue might be understood by you.
As in He IS holy and perfect in his essence? That kind of holy and perfect? And this holy and perfect essence does not restrict his choices? CAN he choose to BE something that is contrary to his holy and perfect nature? Or is he mutable, after all?