But of course, that's EXACTLY what He said.
"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you..." -- John 15:16
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) " -- Ephesians 2:4-5
"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. " -- 1 John 4:10"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Christians have a right to know their election by God from before the foundation of the world. Pity some men work so hard to deny them that assurance. You're playing for the wrong team, Mr. R.
bttt
I wrote: “Or maybe he (Jesus) meant, “Those I love will believe and will be saved.”
Dr E replied “But of course, that’s EXACTLY what He said.”
Except what is recorded in scripture is: “And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.”
Nor do the verses the quoted by Dr E show that God loves some people, but hates others. John 15:16 reads “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”
What? Jesus chose and appointed his disciples?
Duh!
And did God come looking for a people not looking for him? Of course. But anyone who reads John would notice Jesus speaks at great length about the need to believe, and how he calls all, but not all come - but that those who come, receive life.
“...these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
And that by believing you may have life. Believe to regeneration, or regenerated by a secret act of God to belief?
What does the word of God say?!
“You’re playing for the wrong team, Mr. R.”
Those who distort the word of God for their own ends are also described...
3He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” 6he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. 7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:
8 “’This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
9in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
It seems the Pharisees had gone to Seminary, and learned what God REALLY meant - what His secret will was! I’ll be content to play for the other team. It is the one Jesus is on.