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What if Jesus meant every word He said? 

Tags: God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit, The Bible, Truth, Love, Eternal Life, Salvation, Faith, Holy, Fellowship, Apologetics 

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Why We Believe While Others Reject [Youtube]

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Garland-Green

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PostPosted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 5:20 am
Why We Believe While Others Reject


[Working link April 8th 2016. Please notify us of broken links and inaccurate content.]  
PostPosted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 8:08 am
I have some thoughts regarding this. Obviously both free will, and determinism is true if we read the Bible honestly. By the Spirit we know that the Bible is God's word, so it is true and trustworthy in all ways. We know free will exist, because people are responsible for their actions, and though those who reject the gospel can not understand the things of God, because their ears are not attuned to it, and their nature is opposed to God, it is still a conscious choice. They can choose to ignore their nature. They can choose to incline their ears, and seek him with their hearts (Isaiah 55:3, Deuteronomy 4:29). So while it is true that they can't because of hard hearts, and deaf ears and because they do not belong to God, it is also true that they do not want to. That they on some level understand what is being rejected, and the consequences. Salvation is a gift. For you to receive the gift you have to reach out your hand. People are tossed into the lake of fire that are immoral, not found in the book of life - have not accepted the truth of the Gospel, repented, believed and so in turn been saved. Obviously it was a choice, or there would not be consequences. You don't hold someone responsible who is programmed to do evil and reject the truth, and have no choice but to operate on the programming, like a robot. You hold the programmer responsible if the robot malfunctions, or follow programming. We also know that before time God predestined (the action of God in foreordaining from eternity whatever comes to pass) us to be like Jesus. I can't wrap my head around how both are possible. I realize I can't understand everything about God, and how he operates because I am limited (that is also why this is called a paradox by some. I believe all paradoxes in essence stem from a lack in our ability to comprehend something fully), and that this is only a problem of perception, but if anyone has insight I welcome it. I don't really have to understand it. I accept that God knows more than me, and that he has full control, and I submit myself to his will, whatever it may be.
I am just commenting on the video since he left out free will and personal responsibility altogether.

Romans 8:29-30 tells us, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”

Obviously God can do both, without it being a conflict or for one to gain at the expense of the other, where responsibility is taken away, and sovereignty abandoned. Being God he can do anything that he set his mind to do. Since he is just, we know he would not punish someone not responsible for their sin. Being just we know he would not cause someone to sin, because that means that he is the originator of sin and that God would be responsible for the sin. For our eternal fate to be fair, salvation must be available to all (1 John 2:2), something we can reject, or accept, and the holy spirit must be working to convince us all of the truth (John 16:8.).

The great 17th century Reformed theologian Francis Turretin held that a careful analysis of Scripture leads to two indubitable conclusions, both of which must be held in tension without compromising either one:

that God on the one hand by his providence not only decreed, but most certainly secures, the event of all things, whether free or contingent; on the other hand, however, man is always free in acting and many effects are contingent. Although I cannot understand how these can be mutually connected together, yet (on account of ignorance of the mode) the thing itself is (which is certain from another source, i.e., from the Word) not either to be called in question or wholly denied (Institutes of Elenctic Theology, 1: 512).  

Garland-Green

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