Which means never. Tell me when did all of Israel keep the covenant with God in Ex 19:4-6?
NEVER.
That is why they needed to be saved by Grace and not by their works.
BTW God did not refer to the Children of Israel as the Children of God, he referred to them as the Children of Israel.
Only those that obeyed His commands.
That would be none.
Many fell and peished in their sins at Mt. Sinai.
That would be some.
God’s grace is reserved for those that “believe” and obey.
It is reserved for those upon whom he grants mercy. Rom 9:15.
If you are an object of his grace, you will believe.
Does God abandon his children? No. They abandon Him.
Those people were never his children. The people to whom Christ referred when he said he would tell them "I never knew you", were those also his children at some point? Or were they never numbered among his Children or his flock?
No. Jesus said His sheep hear his voice and they “follow”. only those that follow and obey Jesus are his..! Go to Luke 15 and read about the lost sheep at how Christ rejoices when one his sheep that is lost is found and returned.
Are you suggesting that if Jesus Christ actually went out looking for one of his sheep, that he couldn't find it? If Christ goes looking for his sheep, you can be assured that that sheep will not be lost forever.
“Which means never.”
That’s not true. The children of Israel kept their covenant and were faitfhul to God many times. They also failed to keep God’s laws and were unfaithful many times. When they obeyed God, he blessed them. When they disobeyed God, he chastized and punished them, sometimes He even destroyed many of them because they were “stiffnecked”.
“Tell me when did all of Israel keep the covenant with God in Ex. 19:4-6.”
The O.T. is replete with times the children of Israel kept their covenant with God and he blessed them. Not just Israel as a nation but individuals too.
NEVER.
God word disagrees with you. God blessed the Israelites many times because of there obedience to His law and His commandments.
Duet. 15:6 “For the Lord your God will bless you just as He promised you;”
“That is why they needed to be saved by Grace and not by their works.”
The needed “GRACE” because they couldn’t be saved by the works of the law. They couldn’t obey it perfectly, that’s what the law demanded, PERFECTION. If they broke one of the laws, they were guilty of breaking the whole law. Gal 5:2-4 (”2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.”)
BTW God did not refer to the Children of Israel as the Children of God, he referred to them as the Children of Israel.
God’s word again disagrees with you. God in Proverbs 4:1, 7:24,8:32, and Jer. 10:20, Lam 1:6, all refer to Israel as God’s children. Need more?
‘That would be none.’
Again God’s word disagrees with you. Lk.1:5-7 says: (”5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.”
That would be some.
Which ever word you prefer many or some.
It is reserved for those upon whom he grants mercy. Rom 9:15.
You are confusing mercy and grace. Grace is for all men: Titus 2:11 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,”
God bestows mercy upon us because he loves us.
Titus 3:4-6 “4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,”
“If you are an object of his grace, you will believe.”
Again you teach something that is different from the gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ says where are saved by His gospel Rom 1:16 and they we are called by God by being taught of Christ and by being taught, we are drawn. Jn. 6:44-45 We are given the grace only after hearing and believing.
Those people were never his children.
God called them his children...I gave you the verses. Is God a liar? Did God not know more than your beloved “god”, John Calvin?
“The people to whom Christ referred when he said he would tell them “I never knew you”,were those also his children at some point?”
BTW the verse you are referring to is Matt. 7:22-24 These are “religious” folks who “play church”. People like the Pharisees both in the times of Christ and today. People who are religious on the outside. The talk and play a role but don’t obey from the heart. The sad part is, is that all of them thought then they were part of God’s family and many are fooling themselves today just as many of the folks were in the time of christ.
Or were they never numbered among his Children or his flock?
Yes, they were true Israelites...but the law was changing, Christ was establishing His kingdom and they fought him. He gave the religious leaders every opportunity to repent, many did but some didn’t. They, more than anyone, should have know of Christ but they missed him. Remember when Jesus said this:” “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Matt. 23:37 Was Christ not crying for all Jerusalem,even the religious leaders? Those he said depart for I never knew you?
“Are you suggesting that if Jesus Christ actually went out looking for one of his sheep, that he couldn’t find it? “
I’d hate to know that may God was a shepherd who wouldn’t bother to come look for me. How about you?
The bible says Jesus came to seek and those that were lost..Luke 19:9-10 “9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost
“If Christ goes looking for his sheep, you can be assured that that sheep will not be lost forever.”
That’s why God commanded me and you to Go...Mark 16:15 “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
God’s word will do the drawing if men will receive...! We all have a choice to make, we all must choose which master we will serve, its up to us.
Matt. 7:7 says: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Man has to seek...!