Replies

God did not make us robots. Those who chose GOD, do so willingly.

So if God wants us go "go to HIM", but we do not want to, we can thwart his desire ? Hypothetically, if God wants to save me, I, little me, have the power to resist his power - God forbid.

He wants us to go to HIM because we want HIM. He does not control us as love never controls.

This contradicts Scripture. No human wants to "go to him", humans are born into sin. If it were not for God's Holy Spirit, all would reject God.

Does God rely on a man's cooperation ? Is God powerless to cause us to act unless we choose to allow him ?

No indeed. The theology of various American denominations has become very unaware of Scripture - as Americans we are self-reliant; independent. We are "exceptional" ! It's all about us - and we have the power to do anything we put our minds to ! We can do it !

All these things are heresy. We liken ourselves unto God, purporting to have the power ourselves to enter into the kingdom of heaven, refusing to admit our dependence on God for our safety and sustenance in this life and the eternal salvation of our souls.

Were it so easy to gain salvation everyone would. They could simply declare that they are saved at it would be so.

It is by God's Grace through Faith in Christ that we are saved. We forget that it is written that the best of our works are as filthy rags. The Bible clearly tells us that those who think they can merit heaven will be bitterly disappointed. We forget the doctrine of original sin, Rom 3:10, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:". We are sinful creatures, thus the precious blood of Christ is required as an atonement in order for a man to be in the presence of God.

It never ceases to amaze me how Scripture, both Old and New Testament, is filled with the doctrine that humans are sinful and wicked and are only made acceptable to be in the presence of God by mediation of Christ, and none would accept God except God's Holy Spirit draw them to him - and yet too often this Biblical teaching is implicitly denied in our claim that our salvation is ultimately in our own hands; we hold God powerless over us in that regard. Incredibly, the same God we profess has created the heavens and the earth.

A few short years ago I myself thought I was a "good person". I professed Christianity - but had never seriously studied the Bible ! Does that make any logical sense at all ? How could I say I believed in something, when I could not articulate any detail as to what I believed ?

Thanks be to God, I was, through what seemed "random chance", drawn to God's Law Word, and began to read and study. Now, praise the Lord, I'm beginning to see and admit the vile nature of sin and see how every man, without Christ - even those who outwardly appear to be "nice people" - is given over to temptation of all sorts of wickedness. This is the "bad news", or pessimisstic-sounding (if taken out of context by itself) part of Christian doctrine that few talk about today. The "good news" part of Biblical doctrine, that is, salvation through Jesus Christ, requires that the doctrine of sin be understood and accepted. The sinner convinces themself that they do not need Christ if they don't admit that they are sinful.

There are a few points in this regard in another thread that I'll post a reference to next.