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To: HarleyD; Forest Keeper; Kolokotronis; Cronos; annalex; jo kus
Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the word of God. Man doesn't accept anything on his own accord

This is what FK said: "but a person does need to ... know God well enough to accept Him."

If you carefully read what he said, you will understand that, while the knowledge may come from God, the decision is made by us. Freudian slip? Maybe.

In other words, once God has revealed himself enough to us, we accept God, not the other way around (obviously, He has already accepted us by revealing Himself spiritually). But the decision to accept must be based on our own free will, or else it is not our acceptance. Forced acceptance, tricked acceptance, etc. is not acceptance.

2,500 posted on 02/10/2006 7:30:48 PM PST by kosta50 (Eastern Orthodoxy is pure Christianity)
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To: kosta50; Forest Keeper; Kolokotronis; Cronos; annalex; jo kus
This is what FK said: "but a person does need to ... know God well enough to accept Him." If you carefully read what he said, you will understand that, while the knowledge may come from God, the decision is made by us.

I agree with FK and he is perfectly consistent in what he is saying. Calvinists do NOT believe that man has no will. Calvinists believe man's will is bound to sin. The Son sets us free from that bondage. Once God has set us free His work is perfect and complete and WE WILL make the decision to follow Christ. But one we are set free we will ALWAYS make the decision to follow Christ.

God enlightens the mind and we choose to follow Christ. Where we disagree from Orthodox, Catholics and many Protestants is over this issue. Everyone else feels that somehow God enlightens and we sit around thinking, "Hmmmm, heaven, hell, heaven, hell????" The fact of the matter is that once God shows us the road to heaven, we have found the pearl of great price and truly desire it.

This was the whole concept of being a "bond servant" which the apostles compared themselves to. We WANT God to put a ring in our ear to be His servant forever more. It doesn't mean servants don't do stupid things. It means that we are now the property of a King.

2,503 posted on 02/11/2006 3:18:35 AM PST by HarleyD ("Man's steps are ordained by the LORD, How then can man understand his way?" Prov 20:24)
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