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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans

“There aren’t any.”

Until there are. All are sinners until they are justified. All seek not until they do. All are dead until they are given life.

Human will exists according to the passage we are discussing. By it we can choose to do something or sometimes merely desire to do something without doing it.

“He has willed the chosen.”

Yes. His will is done. My meaning is that He has not forced our will to change. Nothing in these passage indicates that.

“The chosen do not choose Christ.”

It may be that describing a willing heart as choosing is not correct. The Bible does teach making a choice to serve God, but repentance may be less than a choice and merely a willingness to turn from sin to God.

“Whosoever will may come.” I cannot prove this is a choice, but it is something for which we are held accountable which means is under our control and responsibility.

It is also clear that Christ used figures of speech for emphasis. So He says “he who believes in Me, believes not in Me...” in John 12:44. In context, the gospel demands a response of either faith or unbelief, repentance or hardness of heart.

So, returning to my point, the gospel is for all. The command to repent is to all men everywhere. Those who are disobedient and remain unrepentant do so of their own volition and are thus responsible for their judgment. God has afforded to them an offer of life which they have refused.

But those who hear and repent are granted to believe and be saved. This is a gift from God with no merit on our part.

You argue that the answer to the question of who has resisted His will is no one, but that is not true. Some quit resisting His will and believe. Some continue resisting His will.

Apparently Stephen was not informed on your position on this subject as he proclaimed “you always resist the Holy Spirit” in Acts 7:51. Or what about Christ proclaiming His willingness to save Jerusalem but did not because they were unwilling in Matthew 23:37? Or what about Christ denouncing the lawyers who refused to enter the kingdom and hindered others as in Luke 11:52?

Christ again ties the issue to our will when He said that anyone who is willing to do God’s will recognizes His doctrine is from God in John 7:17?

God’s will is for people to be saved. When people yield or submit their will to His, they are able to receive the message in faith. When people resist the word of God, His Spirit and His grace through continued pride and stubbornness, they cannot believe and do not receive the gift of salvation. If people abide in unbelief they are condemned to hell. If they do not continue in unbelief they are saved.

God did not say He hated Esua before he and Jacob were born. He ordained the older to serve the younger. The hated statement came many years later describing Edom. Does God not love the world? There are many characteristics of God’s love that we could discuss, but the key distinction between the love God has for all and the love He has for the elect is that His love for the elect is eternal. So, in light of eternity His temporal love will seem as hate. Jacob loved one wife more than the other. It describes his loving Leah less as hate even though he actually did love her.

God does choose those who are saved. We are saved by His merits alone. These are given. What is incorrect is the idea that He also elects some for damnation. It is clear from many scriptures that people bring damnation on themselves by refusing God’s will not because He forces His desire upon people so He can send them to hell.

Does God harden men’s hearts? Yes. People harden their own heart by stubborn disobedience when confronted with the truth. When we sin ignorantly we are disobedient. When we learn our action are against God’s commands and do not repent, we are hardening our heart. How does God harden hearts? It is by sending truth to someone who God knows beforehand will refuse to obey.


98 posted on 06/08/2013 3:40:05 PM PDT by unlearner (You will never come to know that which you do not know until you first know that you do not know it.)
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To: unlearner
When we sin ignorantly we are disobedient.

Nah... just ignorant.

How could we 'disobey' something we have no 'knowledge' of?

160 posted on 06/09/2013 5:05:03 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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