Sit in on a prayer meeting. Most Christians are calvinists at heart. They ask God to call... save ... heal...convert etc "If it be your will" they say. Christians who speak with God regularly tend to acknowledge His Sovereignty in all areas of life on earth and in heaven. They do not usually pray that a person will save himself or heal himself. Most of the missionary movements of the 15th to 19th centuries were instigated by God through Calvinist. Check your history books.
Yamil, if I gave you a measure of sand to make cement surely this means that I gave you a certain amount suitable for the task. I would not be giving you the measure ie spade or scales etc.
Michael, I asked you for your definition. I look at Scripture and see verses like Romans 9 ....not the children of the flesh...but "the children of the promise are counted for the seed" and also Romans 1:3 "Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David" Surely this means that the Jews must come through Jesus in the same way as the first Christians came to Him as recorded in Acts if they are to be children of the promise.
Abigail, Faith is a gift of God. He gives a measure of it to each of us that believe. Romans 12 :3 "...but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith"
Michael, Who is " the seed of Israel"? See Romans 9 ....not the children of the flesh...but "the children of the promise are counted for the seed" and also Romans 1:3 "Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David" We who are believers are in Christ therefore the seed of David
So JD, What is "the faith of Jesus Christ" in Gal 2: 16 and 2: 20 "I live by the faith of the Son of God? It is mentioned also in Philippians 3:9 "not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:"
JD you quoted "Ga 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise (Spirit) by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." Read the verse again. Whose faith is it by which we believe? "by the faith of Jesus Christ" His faith is perfect and has been tested and given to us that we might believe.
Foreknowledge? Abigail I think I would rather have spent a day with Esau than with Jacob. Jacob is shown in scripture to be a cunning, dishonest man but God still loved him. Amazing.
It is interesting to note that almost half the respondents are post-mill or a-mill which are quite similar in belief. The discussion is examining some of the many and varied pre-mill views most of which contradict each other and have Christ returning several times and saved living with unsaved on the earth with Jesus Christ in control - quite a mishmash in fact.
Do you really see God up there biting his fingernails and wondering if anyone will accept his magnificient offer? We read in scripture that the end will come when the full number of gentils have been brought in. Also that no one will come to the father unless the father draws him. Rather a different picture.
Abigail you have not read 2Peter3:9 in context. Yes all of the letters were written to believers and they must be read with that fact in mind. When Peter says that "God is longsuffering to uswards, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" He is speaking to the believers about "us" not willing that any of us should perish, and that the full numbers of "us" believers should come to repentance. It's plain English.
Does not scripture tell us that "we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Eph 2:10 In other words we are saved in order to fulfil God's plan of good works.
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