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Old 08-25-2009, 01:35 PM
PastorLyndon PastorLyndon is offline
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Uh huh...and from where comes this faith?
Do you have faith that your car will start every morning? Do you have faith that your boss will pay you on payday? Or if married, that your spouse will remain faithful to you? We have within us the ability to have faith and trust in people and material things in this life. The gospel gives us knowledge of the Almighty God and His plan to save men. If we can trust in and have faith in people and things, then why not in Jesus? Depravity is overcome by the power of the gospel! When we read of the hope in the scriptures or hear of it by a preacher or Christian, that hope can turn to faith. Especially when the ones speaking the gospel are personal testimonies of the power of this gospel and the God they serve. Jesus said if He be lifted up (On the cross) then He would draw all men unto Him. Since faith is the only way to please God, it is those who have faith that He would draw. Grace always precedes faith, so that we know it is a work of God, and never of self. A lot of limitations have to be placed on so many scriptures to make Calvinism true. I think that if God meant these scriptures to speak only of those He chose and not all men, then He would have clrified such in each of these scriptures. But such can only be assumed and read into them. Such interpretations are impossible with the Greek. Dr Malcolm Lavender has challenged Dr James White on the issue of language, of which White will not answer because he knows Malcolm is right. Language, History, and the scriptures are all against Calvinism. Their support is faulty foundations, man made theories not found in scripture, and teachings of men after the Church had been corrupted, and none from before this time.

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Oh, yeah: Hebrews 12:2...Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith...
You seem to be proud that you have made a point against me with scripture. But unfortunately you have proven nothing at all. I would not argue against what this scripture says! Faith in Christ would never have been possible without God's grace. It is not saying that God gave faith to some and not others! This can only be assumed. God gave faith to all men to some level. Men show this faith in many ways in life. But they do not have faith in God. Yet when the gospel is shared, faith can be sparked in those who are ready and willing to receive more in life and learn of the creator. You seem to miss the power of the gospel. Faith can be directed towards God because of the power behind the message of Good news to the world. Good news is given to the world, not just some in the world that God chose. Why preach it to all if it is only for some? God wants men to have faith out of their own free will, not only because it was given to them. He even spoke of Israel, His elect, when He said, O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! Deut. 5:29
God forces nobody. He provides the way and promises more to those who obey. Those who respond will be saved, and those who continue in faith and obedience will walk in His blessings.

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See Pastor, apart from God's work in your own life, you would have never come to faith. Why didn't God do for everyone what He did for you?
This has already been answered. Each man will give an account of their own life and choices when they stand before God in Judgment. Since He made provision, those who reject it will have the harsher judgment upon them. God did the same for them as He did for me and you. They rejected it!
Calvinists typically seem to fear the idea of works. Although I believe works do have some to do with salvation, they are not works that we can boast in at all. We are ashamed of our old lives, and therefore cannot boast of where we are now. Most know that they tried every in life and failed. Their own ways failed every time. It was only God's ways that brought fulfillment. Our choice cannot cause boasting when we were complete failures on our own with the choice we made previous to Christ. It is only because of His grace that we could have faith and choose to follow Him.
All of this said, this also brings me to the issue of works not pertaining to salvation directly. They are still because of salvation. But according to scripture all men will be judged by their works, whether good or evil. And Christians will suffer loss or be rewarded. Why is it that God would reward us for any works? It seems so important to Calvinists to eliminate works from our lives. Yet God seems to consider them greatly in all He does. Our choices are a part of salvation and life in Christ. They are because of Christ, but we still have to make choices for or against Christ and what is right and wrong.


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I don't care how emotional you get, how different you think you were from the sinners that never come to repentance. Were it not for God's divine action on your life in some capacity that He did not do for others, you would have never repented of your evil ways and chose God.
I have agreed with the fact that it is because of God that we are saved. But He did the same for all men in provision. Some receive it and others do not. Some are hungry and tired of the world, while others are full of the world and feel they have no needs. This is why Jesus said it is hard for a rich man to enter into heaven. They think they have all they need in life,and therefore they will not turn to Christ of consider their spiritual condition. They trust their money, which provides for them.

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Unless, of course, you would rather take credit for everything?
This is quite the opposite of what I have been saying. We can take no credit for what we could not do ourselves. Jesus made the provision - not us! We only received it. If I were to give you a million dollars as a gift and you received it, would you boast to others how you were able to pay off a house, buy a car, etc. because of your choice to receive the money from me? I sure hope not! The same goes with salvation.
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