Again, you war against Scripture...
"For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth" -- Romans 9:11
You two insist on a works-based salvation when the Bible tells us over and over that our own works are as filthy rags to God, and we are only saved by Christ's work on the cross alone.
No, just a rmeinder, as mark pointed out to you, that the reformed theology steps all over its toes.
Romans 9:11...You two insist on a works-based salvation when the Bible tells us over and over that our own works are as filthy rags to God, and we are only saved by Christ's work on the cross alone
That is the deformed interpretation of the Reformed theology. And even if St. Paul were to say what you say he says (out of context), it would not be the entire "Bible" but only St. Paul, in Romans.
Let's get that straight, and agree on this: St. Paul is not the Bible. And his wiritngs are not to edify the orthodox but to correct the deviant chruches. So, it is somewhat ironic that so many deviants looked at him as the Bible (Gnostics, Marcion, and the Reformation)
The phrase "war against Scripture" is piercing.
Amen!
It is foolishness to some and a stumbling block to others, but it is THE GOOD NEWS. God has reconciled us to Him through His Son. It can't be said enough. It only becomes complicated when we make it complicated.
***”For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth” — Romans 9:11***
Why don’t you call out the surrounding verse to illustrate the proper context?
Romans 9 through 11 is very important. Israel’s unbelief and its rejection of Jesus as savior astonished and puzzled Christians. It constituted a serious problem for them in view of God’s specific preparation of Israel for the advent of the Messiah. Paul addresses himself here to the essential question of how the divine plan could be frustrated by Israel’s unbelief. At the same time, he discourages both complacency and anxiety on the part of Gentiles. To those who might boast of their superior advantage over Jews, he warns that their enjoyment of the blessings assigned to Israel can be terminated. To those who might anxiously ask, “How can we be sure that Israel’s fate will not be ours?” he replies that only unbelief can deprive one of salvation.
The principle of divine election does not invite Christians to theoretical inquiry concerning the nonelected nor does this principle mean that God is unfair in his dealings with humanity. The instruction concerning divine election is a part of the gospel and reveals that the gift of faith is the enactment of God’s mercy (Romans 9:16). God raised up Moses to display that mercy, and Pharaoh to display divine severity in punishing those who obstinately oppose their Creator.
The basic biblical principle is: those who will not see or hear shall not see or hear. On the other hand, the same God who thus makes stubborn or hardens the heart can reconstruct it through the work of the holy Spirit.
The apostle responds to the objection that if God rules over faith through the principle of divine election, God cannot then accuse unbelievers of sin (Romans 9:19). For Paul, this objection is in the last analysis a manifestation of human insolence, and his “answer” is less an explanation of God’s ways than the rejection of an argument that places humanity on a level with God. At the same time, Paul shows that God is far less arbitrary than appearances suggest, for God endures with much patience (Romans 9:22) a person like the Pharaoh of the Exodus.