Posted on 01/14/2011 5:57:52 PM PST by topcat54
Evangelical book catalogs promote books such as Planet Earth: The Final Chapter, The Great Escape, and the Left Behind series. Bumper stickers warn us that the vehicle’s occupants may disappear at any moment. It is clear that there is a preoccupation with the idea of a secret rapture. Perhaps this has become more pronounced recently due to the expectation of a new millennium and the fears regarding potential Y2K problems. Perhaps psychologically people are especially receptive to the idea of an imminent, secret rapture at the present time. Additionally, many Christians are not aware that any other position relative to the second coming of Jesus Christ exists. Even in Reformed circles there are numerous people reading these books. Many of these people are unaware that this viewpoint conflicts with Scripture and Reformed Theology.
(Excerpt) Read more at reformed.org ...
Excellent..thanks Harley
Yes, their lapdogs follow them, not realising that the Calvinists would have their heads at the first sign. The OPC/PCA has dreams about reincarnating the Geneva police-state
kosta50: Who determines if you should believe, God or man?But your last statement is a total non sequitur, kosta! My belief in God is not in any way the "supreme authority" which "determines" my salvation. God is the supreme authority, always and everlastingly. My life is in His hands. He alone is my Judge; on Him my salvation entirely depends.betty boop: Ultimately, I do — in response to God's living appeal, given in four revelations....
kosta50: Then you are the final and supreme authority that determines if you are "saved" or not "saved." From your response, it seems you believe that man is the ultimate god.
Are you trying to put God and me on the same ground, kosta dear? But this cannot and does not work. This would be a category error....
As for your conclusion, drawn from that error — "Then there must be as many gods as there are believers! " — this is total nonsense. It lacks logical basis, given the inequivalency of God and man.
As for your last observation: God provides; He gives us everything we need for the exercise of the free will which He endued in us. Having free will, we are moral agents.
But God is Principal.... freely allowing his "agents" to make their own free decisions — subject only to His Final Judgment.
Thanks for writing dear kosta!
Those are goofy lies about his family. Calvin’s father was a prominent administrator at the Cathedral in Noyon where Calvin was born.
There’s no evidence Calvin’s father embezzled anything from anyone (not that there’s much wrong with embezzling money from a corrupt church.) lol.
There is a museum to John Calvin in Noyon here...
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/noyon-museum-calvin.htm
Exactly.
No Calvinist believes their particular perspective on faith is a requirement for salvation.
The only requirement for salvation is God's grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.
"Be not afraid; only believe." -- Mark 5:36
Unlike Rome, who says that unless a person is a member of the Roman Catholic church either now or after their death (go figure) that person will roast in hell.
As Dylan said, “ya gotta serve somebody.”
Amen. Everyone who is called freely come to Christ.
lol. Geneva never conducted an Inquisition.
That type of bloodbath belongs to Rome alone.
And as we’ve heard from RCs on this forum, many RCs long for a return to that Inquisition.
Pathetic.
LOL LOL
We actually believe God is in control .. Sovereign over all His creation.. and most definitely HIS CHURCH ....not some guy in robes that have men fall on their face in front of HIM cause he sits on the throne ( sounds a bit like revelation doesn't it :)
It is Gods world, Gods church and we are the sheep of HIS pasture
Does that make sense to you? I doesn't to the rest of us.
Uhhhhhhhhhhh
the sentence structure and word choices do not consistently sound
merely
like that, imho.
To which calling there is no man that can be said by men with any certainty of affirmation to belong, until he has departed from this world; but in this life of man, which is a state of trial upon the earth, Job 7:1 he who seems to stand must take heed lest he fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12 Since (as I have already said before) those who will not persevere are, by the most foreseeing will of God, mingled with those who will persevere, for the reason that we may learn not to mind high things, but to consent to the lowly, and may work out our own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God that works in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13 We therefore will, but God works in us to will also. We therefore work, but God works in us to work also for His good pleasure.
This is profitable for us both to believe and to say—this is pious, this is true, that our confession be lowly and submissive, and that all should be given to God. Thinking, we believe; thinking, we speak; thinking, we do whatever we do; 2 Corinthians 3:5 but, in respect of what concerns the way of piety and the true worship of God, we are not sufficient to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God. For our heart and our thoughts are not in our own power; whence the same Ambrose who says this says also: But who is so blessed as in his heart always to rise upwards? And how can this be done without divine help? Assuredly, by no means. Finally, he says, the same Scripture affirms above, 'Blessed is the man whose help is of You; O Lord, ascent is in his heart.' Assuredly, Ambrose was not only enabled to say this by reading in the holy writings, but as of such a man is to be without doubt believed, he felt it also in his own heart.
herefore, as is said in the sacraments of believers, that we should lift up our hearts to the Lord, is God's gift; for which gift they to whom this is said are admonished by the priest after this word to give thanks to our Lord God Himself; and they answer that it is meet and right so to do. For, since our heart is not in our own power, but is lifted up by the divine help, so that it ascends and takes cognizance of those things which are above, Colossians 3:1 where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, and, not those things that are upon the earth, to whom are thanks to be given for so great a gift as this unless to our Lord God who does this—who in so great kindness has chosen us by delivering us from the abyss of this world, and has predestinated us before the foundation of the world?
AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!
THX THX.
MARK BSNR: "The hall monitor strikes again. Latin is civilized. Why are you against it?"
Neither I nor the Religion Moderator nor any FReeper who follows the rules is a "hall monitor" nor "against Latin."
Perhaps it's not willful disregard for the rules that leads you and Cronos to post excerpts without attribution (putting FR at risk of copyright infringement) and, as in the post you're referencing, to post in Latin without the translation.
Both these actions are against the rules of the FR RF.
Additionally, an "exorcism" directed at another poster (as Cronos directed at me last night and has now been removed) is against the rules.
For your benefit, here is the Religion Moderator's instruction...
RELIGION MODERATOR: "Do not ever post an exorcism as if a prayer for another Freeper. And do not ever post in a foreign language without also translating it to English."
Are you and Cronos capable of civil debate and posting within the rules of the Free Republic Religion Forum?
But it is said, It is by his own fault that any one deserts the faith, when he yields and consents to the temptation which is the cause of his desertion of the faith. Who denies it? But because of this, perseverance in the faith is not to be said not to be a gift of God.
Do note that at no point does Augustine consider grace to be unavoidable and incorruptible. The only times he uses it is in “On GRace and Free Will” is when he refers to weak will that is made invulnerable by God without losing it’s free will. In the same book he points out that in the case of Adam, God’s infallible foreknowledge of sin is not the same as a predestination to sin, thereby refuting double-predestination
The first work of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conversion, effecting justification in accordance with Jesus' proclamation at the beginning of the Gospel: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."Mt 4:17 Moved by grace, man turns toward God and away from sin, thus accepting forgiveness and righteousness from on high.The Church teaches God's grace is necessary to enable man to be lifted out of sin
When God touches man's heart through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, man himself is not inactive while receiving that inspiration, since he could reject it; and yet, without God's grace, he cannot by his own free will move himself toward justice in God's sight
Augustine's work was never accepted in the Church and most tend to ignore it. However, Augustine's argument for God changing the will is overwhelming and compelling. His reference to Cyprian teaching him this truth illustrates that 1) this was a view held by senior members in the Church, and 2) it was a difficult teaching to grasp.
Thank you, Harley. AMEN!
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