Thursday, December 29, 2005

The Baptism of Our Sinless Savior!

The Baptism of Our Sinless Savior!


Jesus Baptism An Official Act For Public Ministry

.
Q. Was the baptism of Jesus an official act? A. Yes, It was an official act as was His temptation and crucifixion.
.
(NOTE: The official acts are those Old Testament requirements that God had ordained for the setting aside of people for the priesthood and other holy offices.)
.
Q. Are Christians commanded anywhere in the Bible to follow the official acts of Jesus? A. No, they are commanded to follow His moral acts.
.
Q. If the baptism of Jesus was an official act are those good people wrong who contend that Jesus was baptized to set an example to His followers? A. Yes.
.
Q. Is there any evidence in the Bible that Jesus was baptized to set an example to His followers? A. We have never found any such evidence.
.
Q. For what reason did Jesus say He should be baptized? A. "Thus it becometh us (John and Jesus) to fulfill all righteousness."( Num. 4:3; Luke 3:21-23; and Matt. 3:13-15) .
.
Q. What was meant by fulfilling righteousness? A. Righteousness among the Jews had always meant conforming to the law, the doing things in a commanded way, now there is no evidence that it meant anything else in this instance. ( Deut. 6:25 ).
.
Q. Was there any New Testament law that Jesus could fulfill by baptism at thirty years of age, or any other age? A. No.
.
Q. Where in the law of the Old Testament is it required a Jew to be thirty years old before he could minister the Holy things? A. Yes. (Num. 4:2-4, 35, 39, 47; Num. 16:8-9; Num. 8:14-15, 21, 22.)
.
Q. Was Jesus to minister publicly in Holy things? A. Yes.(Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45; Heb.3:1; Heb.9:11; Rom. 15:8) .Q. How old then was Jesus when He was baptized? A. Thirty years old. (Luke 3:23) .
.
Q. What law required Him to be thirty years old before He could fulfill it? A. The law of public ministry, the only law of the kind in the Old Testament. ( Num. 43-4, 35, 39, 47; Heb. 9:15-17)
.
Q. Was the ordination or induction of Jesus into His public ministry different from other priests of His time? A. Not in any essential feature.
.

Q. Could any one perform the duties of a public minister until he had been baptized? A. No (Num. 8:7, 14, 15, 21-22.)
......

John the Baptizer inherited his office of priest from his father Zacharias. It was necessary for a priest to perform baptism, therefore John, being a priest (Lev. 16:32-34) baptized the thirty year old Jesus (Num. 4:3, 35, 39, 47). Jesus Christ then being baptized and officially set apart began His earthly ministry.


……….



The Biblical Way Which Jesus Was Baptized

Q. What mode of baptism was prescribed by for inducting one into Holy office? A. Sprinkling. Num. 8:7.
.
Q. Then if Jesus was inducted into His public ministry at baptism, what mode must have been used? A. Without question the mode of baptism was that of sprinkling.
.
Q. If Jesus had been baptized by another mode, would He not have broken God's law for public ministers? A. Yes, when the law said sprinkle, no other mode would suffice.
.
Q. What did Jesus say about the law? A .He stated that He would not break the law! "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill." Matt. 5:17
.
Q. Do not further acts of Jesus show fully that He complied with the law at baptism? A. Yes, there is no record that He preached, chose apostles, performed miracles, healed the sick, raised the dead, or performed any other part of His public ministry until He had been baptized.
.
Q. Who baptized Jesus? A. John the Baptist. Matthew 3:13-17
.
Q. Who was John the Baptist? A. He was the last of the Old Testament prophets. "The law and the prophets were until John."
.
.
He was also a priest in the regular order. His father was Zacharias, the officiating high priest of his time, and his mother was Elizabeth of the daughters of Aaron. We are reasonably assured that he was circumcised at eight days old, presented in the temple at forty days old, confirmed at twelve years of age, and we know that he was about thirty years old when he began his ministry.
.
Q. If John was a prophet, how did he baptize? A. In the same manner that all other prophets baptized--sprinklings.
.
Q. Was there ever a question raised that John had departed from the law of Moses in his baptism? A. No.
.
Q. Did John baptize publicly? A. Yes, Jerusalem and Judea, and all the region round there attended his baptism. ( Matt. 3:5)
.
Q. Were those who came competent to judge as to what the law was? A. Yes. The Pharisees and Sadducees came to his baptism. (Matt. 3:7) .
.
Q. Why was no complaint ever raised against John? A. Because he was baptizing just like Moses and all the prophets said he should baptize-- sprinkling people. .
.
Q. If John had been immersing when those Pharisees and Sadducees came to him, would he not have been pronounced an impostor and violator of law? A. Yes
.
Q. If Jesus had failed to do all the prophets said about Him, or had not fulfilled all the law required Him to do, would He have been thought the promised Redeemer? A. "What think ye?" NO!.
.
Q. Since John was six months older than Jesus, and began his ministry six months earlier than Jesus, or when he was thirty years old, how was John set apart to his ministry? A.Set apart by being sprinkled according to Old Testament law?
.
Q. If John was sprinkled at thirty years old, how did he baptize Jesus at the same age? A. By Sprinkling. Note: Would there not be a striking contrast, if John was sprinkled, and Jesus was immersed?
.
.
.
A believer does not follow the Lord Jesus in Baptism. Our baptism is not to fulfill righteousness, but Jesus was under the law and all the law had to be righteously fulfilled. Our Baptism is not to take on a public ministry but the baptism upon Jesus was the “ordination” for His taking upon Him the public ministry at age thirty thereby fulfilling all righteousness."( Num. 4:3; Luke 3:21-23; and Matt. 3:13-15). Righteousness among the Jews had always meant conforming to the law, the doing things in a commanded way. In all investigation completed there is no evidence that it meant anything else. ( Deut. 6:25 ) If Jesus sought to do His public ministry without proper baptism being administered He would have sinned and He would not have accomplished redemption for His people. His baptism was a must for the working of his Holy work (Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45; Heb.3:1; Heb.9:11; Rom. 15:8)

......

Is it any wonder that there was “celebration” and an announcement from the Father within the Godhead! Mat 3:15-17 But answering, Jesus said to him, "Permit [it] now, for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he permits Him. (16) And having been baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water. And look! The heavens were opened to Him, and he [i.e. John] saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon Him. (17) And listen! A voice [comes] out of the heavens, saying, "This is My Son-the Beloved-in whom I am well-pleased!"
.
Jesus baptism is:

Not baptized for repentance – he was sinless
Not a baptism as our example – we are not to wait until 30 years old;
Not a baptism preparing Immanuel for the Lord - he was God;
Not a baptism for an answer of a good conscience toward God – He was pure and sinless;
Not a baptism for remission of sin – He never sinned.

.
Celebrate my Friends…… CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED! ……. The Messiah has accomplished His work and is at the Right hand of the Father! WE ARE REDEEMED!
.
Q. Do not some claim that it makes no difference which mode of baptism is used, nor as to the age of Jesus at His baptism? A. Yes, but Jesus was under the law and all the law must be fulfilled.
.
Q. Are you glad that our Savior fulfilled all the law required of Him? Q. Yes for Jesus would not have fulfilled the law, if He had been circumcised at ten days old, or baptized at twenty years old?
.
Q. When John the Baptist baptized in Jordan, does that necessarily mean in the river by that name? A. No. The country had the same name as the river. John 1:28 says: "These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing."
.
Q. What did Jesus understand in Jordan to mean? A. When they were near, or at the brink of Jordan, the Jews understood that to be in Jordan. Joshua 3:3 says: "When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan."
.
Q. Did John live at Bethabara when he baptized Jesus? A. Yes, and was there the next morning after the baptism, when he pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of God.
.
Q. What kind of water is at Bethabara? A. A spring. .Q. Do ministers ever immerse in springs nowadays?
Q. If John baptized the multitude by sprinkling, how did he baptize Jesus? .
.
Q. Was it a novel scene in Israel for men like John the Baptist to go to streams for baptism? A. No, all priests did so.
.
Q. Was John the Baptist the only priest that ever baptized "in Jordan"? A. No. His fathers and grandfathers had baptized in the region.
......
Jesus’ baptism was to fulfill the Scriptures, God ordained in the law sprinkling, and had by prophet after prophet inscribed the ceremony. To do anything less would have been sin. Jesus would have failed His calling. Suffice us to end here in saying that Jesus DID NOT ignore the very Scriptures He was fulfilling. To God be the Glory!

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Outlined Approach For Reading this Blog Site

Outlined Approach For Reading This Blog Site

.......


Due to continued contact regarding many people’s thankfulness for the practical and understandable biblical instruction on the blog site and in trying to keep it simple and easy to understand I have updated and constructed what seems good to me to be the best outline for following the blogs in systematic catagories. Therefore if you are new to the blog or are reading them through for the first time I do suggest reading them in the order as stated below. I will update this from time to time as more blogs are added.
.
As previously stated it is not perfect in many ways (typing errors, limited site manipulators, etc.) but it is instructive without being in any way debative or argumentative. The best we can do as Christians is to write to instruct God’s people in a positive manner. Please continue to pray that all Christians will feel comfortable reading and learning at this site.
.
Thanks for your continued support and for those that continue to plug this blogsite and use it for reference and support.
.
......

God’s Gift of Grace Applied

1. Grace, Grace, God’s Grace

2. The Covenant of Grace - Hodge

3. The New Birth and Conversion: The True Biblical Salvation

4. God’s Orderly Work of Salvation

5.Foreknowledged Defined

6. Christ The Lord

7. The Providence of God Brings Comfort To Believers

8. Perseverance of the Saints

9. Calvinism


......




II. The Church, Communion and Day Of Worship

1. Identifying the Church

2. Leadership and Unity in the Kingdom of God

3. Baptismal Exhortation

4. Infant Baptism Does the Bible Teach It

5. The Sins of Rebaptism and Of Leaving One's Baby Unbaptized

6. True Communion

7. Glorifying God

8. The Lord’s Wonderful Day

......


II. Christian Witnessing

1. Called To Confess Christ In Word And As A Living Letter

2. Listening for Gospel Opportunities

3. Let's Evangelize

4. Creationism
.


......

IV. God’s Guidance and the Tools of Faith

1. Guided … by God?

2. Tools of the Faith

3. Favorite Hymns

4. More Favorite Hymns


......

V. Practical Christian Living to Glorify God


1. One Anothering

2. What is Nouthetic Counseling – Jay Adams

3. Godliness through Discipline – Jay Adams

4. A Look At Commitment

5. Our Basic Duty – Forgive the Repentant

6. Overcoming Evil – Jay Adams

7. Worry: A Serious Life Issue That Leads To Atheistic and Lazy Process Which Must Be
Broken Broken

8. Biblical Principals of Work and the Biblical Work Ethic

9. Thoughts on Biblical Sexuality and in Overcoming Sexual Difficulty

10. AA Doctrines Compared with the Scriptures

Calvinism

Some notes given to use by MS in order to have a quick reference guide. Perhaps this will help as we get people that have questions before us. ----Steve
Calvinism


TULIP:

Total Depravity,
Unconditional Election,
Limited Atonement,
Irresistible Grace,
Perseverance of the Saints
.........

.
Total Depravity - man is completely touched by sin in all that he is, but is not as bad as he could be. Furthermore, this total depravity means that the unregenerate will not, of their own free will, choose to receive Christ.
.
It is man who is deceitful (Jer. 17:9), full of evil (Mark 7:21-23), loves darkness (John 3:19), does not seek for God (Rom. 3:10-12), is ungodly (Rom. 5:6), dead in his sins (Eph. 2:1), by nature a child of wrath (Eph. 2:3), cannot understand spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14), and a slave of sin (Rom. 6:16-20).
.
The unbeliever CAN respond to God. His response will be in accordance to scripture that says he cannot do good, is a hater of God, is full of evil, etc., Therefore, we conclude that his free will response will be to reject God, according to the limits described by scripture itself.
.
How is it possible that an unbeliever who cannot understand spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14), who does not seek for God (Rom. 3:10-12), and who is a slave of sin (Rom. 6:14-20), simply "chooses" God?
.
It is God who appoints people to believe (Acts 13:48), chooses who is to be holy and blameless (Eph. 1:4), calls according to His purpose (2 Tim. 1:9), chooses us for salvation (2 Thess. 2:13-14), grants the act of believing (Phil. 1:29), grants repentance (2 Tim. 2:24-26),
.
It is God who causes us to be born again (1 Pet. 1:3), draws people to Himself (John 6:44,65), predestines us to salvation (Rom. 8:29-30) and adoption (Eph. 1:5) according to His purpose (Eph. 1:11), makes us born again not by our will but by His will (John 1:12-13), and works faith in the believer (John 6:28-29).

............

Unconditional Election - God elects a person based upon nothing in that person because there is nothing in him that would make him worthy of being chosen; rather, God's election is based on what is in God. God chose us because he decided to bestow his love and grace upon us, not because we are worthy, in and of ourselves, of being saved.
.
A. Partiality
.
i. There is no partiality with God (Rom. 2:11; Acts 10:34). If God elected someone based on what was in him\her, that would be showing partiality. It would mean that God was judging a person worthy of salvation because of what is in him. God does not show such partiality. "So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy," (Rom. 9:16).
.
Partiality means to look into the future to see who's good enough to pick God and then God chooses them. THAT is God showing partiality because it has God picking someone because of something in THEM!.
.
Gal. 2:3, "But from those who were of high reputation (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—well, those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me."
.
Eph. 6:9, "And, masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him."
.
James 2:8-9, "If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law, according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors."
.
Rom. 9:16, "So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy."
.
Rom. 9:21, "Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use, and another for common use?" (The difference is not in the clay, but in the one who made vessels).
.
John 1:12-13, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
.
James 1:18, "In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures."
.
Eph. 2:4-7, "But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."
.
Titus 2:13-14, "But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 14 And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ"
............

Limited Atonement - Christ died only for the whole world, not just the Israelites, and that he specifically bore the sin of the elect only.
.
A. "Now if we have died with Christ..." (Rom. 6:8); "If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world..." (Col. 2:20); "For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God," (Col. 3:3); "It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him," (2 Tim. 2:11).
.
2 Cor. 5:14-15, "For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf."
.
Rom. 5:18, "So, as through one offense, there resulted condemnation to all men, so also, through one righteous deed, there resulted justification of life to all men."
.
Arminians have the sinner be held accountable for sins that Jesus paid for thereby making Christ's blood weak.
.
If rejection/unbelief is paid for then why are the sinners held accountable for a sin that Jesus paid for? To hold them accountable is to weaken the very blood of Christ by making its effectiveness dependent upon what the "sinner does."
.
i. Objections
.
1. 1 John 2:2, "and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world." Calvinists say that the "world" is referring to all nations, both Jew AND Gentiles, not just the Jewish nation. Jesus was sent to Israel, not to the Gentiles (Matt. 15:24), but later grafted in the gentiles. Therefore, John is saying that Jesus is for the Gentiles as well as the Jews.
.
John 3:16, "For God so love the world..." God loves all people, Jews and Gentiles.
......................
.
Irresistible Grace -- the term unfortunately suggests a mechanical and coercive force upon an unwilling subject. This is not the case. Instead, it is the act of God making the person willing to receive him.
.
A. Ezek. 36:26-27, "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 "And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances."
.
Ezek. 11:19-20, "And I shall give them one heart, and shall put a new spirit within them. And I shall take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances, and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God."
.
John 6:44, "No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day."
.
John 6:65, "...no one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father."
.
Phil. 2:13, “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
.

i. God hardens and softens hearts
.
Prov. 21:1, The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes."
.
Deut. 2:30, "But Sihon king of Heshbon was not willing for us to pass through his land; for the Lord your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, in order to deliver him into your hand, as he is today."
.
Exod. 4:21, "And the Lord said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go."
.
Rom. 9:18, "So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires."
.
Josh. 11:20, "For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, to meet Israel in battle in order that he might utterly destroy them, that they might receive no mercy, but that he might destroy them, just as the Lord had commanded Moses."
.
2 Thess. 2:11, "And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false."
.
In 2 Sam 24:1, God incited David to number Israel and Judah. Yet, in 2 Sam. 24:10 David admitted that he sinned in doing this and God sent punishment on the land for David's sin (2 Sam. 24:12-17). But, it was Satan who incited David to number Israel in (1 Chron. 21:1). There were three influence on David's heart: God, David, and the devil, yet David is responsible for what he did.
.
.....................

Perseverance of the Saints - That we are so secure in Christ, that we cannot fall away.
.
A. John 10:28, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand." Can a Christian perish? If you can lose your salvation, then the Christian, the sheep can perish. But, Jesus said that the sheep will never perish.
.
1 John 2:19, "They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, in order that it might be shown that they all are not of us."
.
i. And I am going to go there no matter what we do? That is not what we say?
.
2 Cor. 5:17, "Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."
.
.........................................
D. Questions
i. If we can lose our salvation, then what good work must you do to keep it? Yes, good work for it is a good work to remain faithful, to not lie, to not steal, to not lust. So, are you being good enough to keep your salvation? Is your heart pure before God?
.
..........................

E. Verses, counter
.
Regarding Matt. 24:13, The context is the time right before Christ's return. He isn't saying you keep your salvation by enduring. It is like saying, "He who endures to the end has demonstrated that He is truly regenerate/saved."
.
..........................

Predestination, Decrees, and Sovereignty
.
1. Predestination Verses
.
A. Acts 4:27-28, "For truly in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur."
.
B. Acts 2:23, "this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death."
.
C. Romans 8:29-30, "For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified."
.
D. Eph. 1:4-5, "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will."
.
E. Eph. 1:11, "also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will."
.
Logic
.
1. God is infinitely intelligent, eternal, and unchangeable. God's knowledge is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. God's plan and purpose in all its elements must also be eternal and unchangeable since they must partake of his infinitely perfect nature and attributes. Therefore, his plan in the world is all encompassing and includes the means and the ends to his purpose.
.
Ordination of sinful things
.
1. God knows all things that can and will occur.
2. Whatever occurs, does so because God has created and/or arranged the circumstances in which all things will occur.
3. Does God know all the possible outcomes of all combinations of events in all circumstances?
4. Who makes the person, the will, the personality, and puts them in his circumstances? It is God. Does God not know the exact result of all those variables; that is, does He not know what the choices of all people will be as a result of all those variable? Yes.
5. Then God predestines all things since He constructs the variables and circumstances that bring about the result.
6. Since God creates/arranges the circumstances and knows the result of the variables within the people and the circumstances, then he is ordaining what occurs in those circumstances.
7. Yet, God is not the author of sin because God cannot create sin.
8. But, God's arrangement, from all eternity, of all circumstances is what Calvinists mean by God ordaining whatsoever comes to pass.
9. Acts 4:27-28, “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur."
.
Who did the gathering? God. Who gathered them together to crucify Jesus? God did. Who predestined that it occur? God! Then God predestined that they sin in order to crucify Christ.
Who did what God predestined to occur? But those who did evil, right? And God predestined it. He predestined that they would do sinful things. Right? In order to crucify Jesus.

.
2. Decree verses
.
John 20:29, "This is the wicked man’s portion from God, even the heritage decreed to him by God."
.

A. Isaiah 10:23, "For a complete destruction, one that is decreed, the Lord God of hosts will execute in the midst of the whole land."
.

B. Daniel 4:24, "this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: 25 that you be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place be with the beasts of the field, and you be given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven; and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whomever He wishes."
.

C. Psalm 2:7, "I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘Thou art My Son, today I have begotten Thee."
.

D. Rom. 11:33, "For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things."
.

E. Heb. 6:17, "In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath."

.

3. Sovereignty verses
.
Rom. 9:16-17, "So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy."
.
A. Rom. 9:18, "So then He has mercy on whom [Gk, singular] He desires, and He hardens whom [Gk, singular] He desires."
.
B. John 12:37,38,40, "But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him; 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke...40 "He has blinded their eyes, and He hardened their heart; lest they see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and be converted, and I heal them."
.
C. Mark 4:11-12, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but those who are outside get everything in parables, 12 in order that while seeing, they may see and not perceive; and while hearing, they may hear and not understand lest they return and be forgiven."
.

4. God is pure and tempts no one

.
James 1:13, "Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone."
.

3. Divine sovereignty and Human Responsibility
.
1. Divine Sovereignty
.
A. God works all things after his will, Eph. 1:11, "also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works [energeo] all things after the counsel of His will." This says that God brings about all things according to his own will.
.
B. God causes the weather, Job. 37:6-13, “For to the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the downpour and the rain, ‘Be strong.’ 7 “He seals the hand of every man, That all men may know His work. 8 “Then the beast goes into its lair, and remains in its den. 9 “Out of the south comes the storm, And out of the north the cold. 10 “From the breath of God ice is made, and the expanse of the waters is frozen. 11 “Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud; He disperses the cloud of His lightning. 12 “And it changes direction, turning around by His guidance, that it may do whatever He commands it on the face of the inhabited earth. 13 “Whether for correction, or for His world, or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen."
.
C. Psalm 1 :6, "Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps."
.
D. Prov. 16:1, "The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord."
.
E. Prov. 16:33, "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord."
.
F. Dan. 4:35, "And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand. Or say to Him, ‘What hast Thou done?"
.
G. Jer. 10:23, "I know, O Lord, that a man’s way is not in himself; nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps."
.
H. Acts 17:26, "and He [God] made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation,
.
I. Would Paul the one who was against the Lord have freely chosen Christ? of his own free will? No, since he was persecuting Christ.
.
J. Gal. 1:15, "But when He who had set me apart, even from my mother’s womb, and called me through His grace, was pleased 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles."
.

3. Divine Sovereignty interacting with Human Responsibility
Prov. 16:1, "The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord."
.
.
A. Prov. 16:33, "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord."
B. Prov. 21:1, The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes."
C. Jonah 1:15 is where the shipmates threw Jonah into the sea: "So they picked up Jonah, threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging; but in Jonah 2:3 Jonah says, "For Thou hadst cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas..." We see that both human and God are said to do the very same thing. God brought about His plan through human free will.
D. Acts 4:27-28, "For truly in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur." The evil deeds were predestined by God.
.
4. Hyper Calvinism http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/articles/hypercal.htm
.
.
1. Denies that the gospel call applies to all who hear, and/or
2. Denies that faith is the duty of every sinner, and/or
3. Denies that the gospel makes any "offer" of Christ, salvation, or mercy to the non-elect (or denies that the offer of divine mercy is free and universal), and/or
4. Denies that there is such a thing as "common grace," and/or
5. Denies that God has any sort of love for the non-elect.
6. "Don't worry about evangelizing, or sinning, or praying, because what you do doesn't matter." That is not what Calvinism is.

.
. The hyper Calvinist denies the gospel call applies to all, and/or denies that faith is the duty of every sinner, and/or denies the gospel offer to the non-elect, and/or denies that the offer of divine mercy is free and universal, and/or denies that there is such a thing as "common grace," and/or denies that God has any sort of love for the non-elect. Calvinists do not agree with the hypers.
.
.
Free will
.
Free will - the ability to make willing choices.
.
. Why is one person different than another person? Why does one choose God and the other does not? Didn't God make that person (Ps. 33:14-15) and put him in that place and that time? Did God make one person's free will to choose God and the other person's free will not to choose God?

A. If you say that free will is independent of God, then how can that be? How can free will be something God is not sovereign over?
.

We are only as free as our nature permits us to be free. If the Bible says the unbeliever is not "free" then he does not have "free will." The Bible says the unbeliever is a slave of sin, dead, full of evil, cannot understand spiritual things, etc. How then is the unbeliever the possessor of "free will"?
.

Calvinists don't deny free will. Calvinists teach that a person is free only as far as his nature permits him to be free. Therefore, what are the limits on the unbelievers freedom according to scripture?
.

The unregenerate is deceitful and sick (Jer. 17:9), full of evil (Mk 7:21-23), loves darkness rather than light (John 3:19), does not understand, does not seek for God (Rom. 3:10-12), is dead in his trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1), is by nature a child of wrath (Eph. 2:3), cannot understand spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14).
.
If Adam and Eve who were not slaves to sin but chose to sin, what makes you think that the unsaved, who are slaves of sin, are going to choose to not sin by choosing God when the Bible says they cannot understand spiritual things (1 Cor 2:14) and are haters of God (Rom. 3:10-12)?
.
Why does one person choose to fear God and the other does not? Didn't God make their free will? What is it that God did differently to them that one would choose to fear God and the other wouldn't?
..

. If you say it is because of different circumstances, then didn't God know what their choice be with those circumstances? Then why did God put them there so that one would not choose God?
.
A. If you say because it is simply that one chooses and one doesn't, then again, why does one choose and the other doesn't since it is God who made their free wills, put them with those parents, in that culture, etc.? What did God do differently to them that one would choose and the other didn't?
.
B. If you say that it is simply the nature of free will, that it is independent of circumstances and that choice is completely up to the person, independent of circumstances, then how can that be so since it would mean that it was independent of God?
.
C. If you say that it is because God looks into the future to see who'll pick Him, then the question still stands, WHY did one pick Him and the other didn't since it was God who made their free wills and gave it to them. WHY are their choices different?
.
D. If God looks into the future to see who will pick Him, then what is it about their ability, their free will (in the future) that enabled one to believe any other one not to?
.
E. If you say it is because some humble themselves, why is it that they do that? Why does one humble himself and another one does not? Did not God make their personalities, their free wills, there abilities and disabilities?
.
F. Why is it that one person will choose God and the other one will not when it is God who made them and gave the ability for them to choose? What is different about them? Why are they different? Why does one choose any other one does not? Remember, it is God who gave them their free will's. It is God who designed their free wills and put them in them. God put them in the circumstances with their abilities and disabilities, their tendencies, their likes and dislikes, etc. God is the one who has done this. So please tell me why, even if God looks into the future, why is it that one person would pick God and the other one would not? What is different about their free wills?
.
G. To say that is simply that God knows their free will choices does not answer the question. Yes, God knows their free will choices. The question is why is one person making the choice and the other one is not when it is God who both gave them the same free will?
.
Free will is of two theological viewpoints: Compatibilist and Libertarian. Compatibilism is the position that a person is only as free as his nature permits him to be free and that his sinfulness prevents him from feely choosing God (1 Cor. 2:14; Rom. 3:10-12; Rom. 6:14-20). Libertarian free will is the position that an unsaved sinner is still able to freely choose God in spite of his sinful nature (John 3:16; 3:36).
.
8. Would Paul the one who was against the Lord have freely chosen Christ? of his own free will? No, since he was persecuting Christ.
.
Gal. 1:15, "But when He who had set me apart, even from my mother’s womb, and called me through His grace, was pleased 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles."
.
.
Evil and God
.
Gen. 50:20, "And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." It was evil deeds brought about by sinful men, yet God meant it for good."
.
In 2 Sam 24:1, God incited David to number Israel and Judah. Yet, in 2 Sam. 24:10 David admitted that he sinned in doing this and God sent punishment on the land for David's sin (2
.
Sam. 24:12-17). But, it was Satan who incited David to number Israel in (1 Chron. 21:1). There were three influence on David's heart: God, David, and the devil, yet David is responsible for what he did.
.
Lam. 3:38, "Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both good and ill go forth?"
.
Isa. 63:17, "Why, O Lord, dost Thou cause us to stray from Thy ways, and harden our heart from fearing Thee?"
.
5. Acts 4:27-28, "For truly in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur." The evil deeds were predestined by God.
.

God Hardens peoples' hearts
.
. Josh. 11:20, "For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, to meet Israel in battle in order that he might utterly destroy them, that they might receive no mercy, but that he might destroy them, just as the Lord had commanded Moses."
.
God Saves -
.
It is God who appoints people to believe (Acts 13:48), chooses who is to be holy and blameless (Eph. 1:4), chooses us for salvation (2 Thess. 2:13-14), grants the act of believing (Phil. 1:29), grants repentance (2 Tim. 2:24-26), causes us to be born again (1 Pet. 1:3), predestines us to salvation (Rom. 8:29-30), makes us born again not by our will but by His will (John 1:12-13).
.
A. It is God who draws people to Himself (John 6:44,65), appoints people to believe (Acts 13:48), works faith in the believer (John 6:28-29), chooses who is to be holy and blameless (Eph. 1:4), chooses us for salvation (2 Thess. 2:13-14).
.
B. It is God who grants the act of believing (Phil. 1:29), grants repentance (2 Tim. 2:24-26), calls according to His purpose (2 Tim. 1:9), causes us to be born again (1 Pet. 1:3), predestines us to salvation (Rom. 8:29-30) and adoption (Eph. 1:5). according to His purpose (Eph. 1:11), and makes us born again not by our will but by His will (John 1:12-13).
.
C. It is man who is deceitful (Jer. 17:9), full of evil (Mark 7:21-23), loves darkness (John 3:19), does not seek for God (Rom. 3:10-12), is ungodly (Rom. 5:6), dead in his sins (Eph. 2:1), by nature a child of wrath (Eph. 2:3), cannot understand spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14), and a slave of sin (Rom. 6:16-20).
.
God Hardens People
. Deut. 2:30, "But Sihon king of Heshbon was not willing for us to pass through his land; for the Lord your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, in order to deliver him into your hand, as he is today."
.

A. Exod. 4:21, "And the Lord said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go."
.

B. Rom. 9:18, "So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires."
.

C. Josh. 11:20, "For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, to meet Israel in battle in order that he might utterly destroy them, that they might receive no mercy, but that he might destroy them, just as the Lord had commanded Moses."
.

D. 2 Thess. 2:11, "And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false."thank you
.
God's Sovereignty
. God can desire one thing and ordain another. He can desire that sin NOT occur, but ordain that it does. Likewise, he can desire that all be saved, but not ordain it. A judge can desire to set criminals free, but ordains that they go to jail because it is the right thing to do.

.
God hides information
. Mark 4:11-12, "And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but those who are outside get everything in parables, 12in order that while seeing, they may see and not perceive; and while hearing, they may hear and not understand lest they return and be forgiven."

.
Questions to Ask
If the Bible says the unbeliever is a slave of sin, dead in sins, cannot understand spiritual things, is a hater of God, is full of evil, and a slave of sin, then how does he freely choose God?
If man is so free and not influenced by God, then why do you pray for God to influence people by saving them?
.

Verses
.
Prov. 1:28-29, "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me, 29 Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord."
.
. The context is how wisdom shouts in the street (v. 20) and calls people to follow her. But, no one would (v. 24), because no one wanted her reproof (v. 25). When disaster comes, then they will call on her but she will not answer, (v. 28). Why? Because "they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord," (v. 29). This is consistent with the doctrine of Total Depravity which states that the unsaved will not choose God.
.
Jeremiah 32:40, "And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me."
.
Matt. 15:24, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
.
Matt. 24:13, “But the one who endures to the end, he shall be saved."
.
. The context is the time right before Christ's return. He isn't saying you keep your salvation by enduring. It is like saying, "He who endures to the end has demonstrated that He is truly regenerate/saved."
.
John 15:16, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you."
.
Romans 9:22-23, "What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,"
.
1 Pet. 1:3, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," (NASB).
.
2 Pet. 3:9, "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance."
.
Rom. 11:8, "just as it is written, 'God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes to see not and ears to hear not, down to this very day.'"
.
Acts 13:48, "And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; AND AS MANY AS HAD BEEN APPOINTED TO ETERNAL LIFE BELIEVED."
John 1:12-13, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, WHO WERE BORN NOT OF BLOOD, NOR OF THE WILL OF THE FLESH, NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN, BUT OF GOD."
Philippians 1:29, "FOR TO YOU IT HAS BEEN GRANTED FOR CHRIST'S SAKE, NOT ONLY TO BELIEVE IN HIM, but also to suffer for his sake."
.
Romans 8:29-30, "FOR WHOM HE FOREKNEW, HE ALSO PREDESTINED to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified."
.
Ephesians 1:5, "HE PREDESTINED US to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will."
.
Ephesians 1:11, "Also WE HAVE OBTAINED AN INHERITANCE, HAVING BEEN PREDESTINED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE who works all things after the counsel of His will."
.
1 John 2:2, "and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world."
.
Calvinists say that the "world" there is both Jew AND Gentiles, not just the Gentile nation. Jesus was sent to Israel, not the Jews (Matt. 15:24). Therefore, John is saying that Jesus is for the Gentiles as well as the Jews.
.

A. Matt. 15:24, "But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
.
B. Rom. 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
.
1 John 2:4, "The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."
. keeping his commandments is a result of knowing him....not a cause of it. Otherwise, that would be works righteousness teaching which is false.
.
Comments and Questions

.
OSAS:
. If you can lose your salvation, then what must you do to keep it? If you say stay faithful, then you keep your salvation by being good (believing God, is good). This means you take credit for your believing, yet God grants that we believe (Phil. 1:29) and our believing is His work (John 6:28-29).
A. For those who believe you can lose your salvation: Do you believe you can perish if you have eternal life? If so, then what about where Jesus said that those who have eternal life will never perish (John 10:28)?

.
God commands people to repent
. God commands people to repent and believe in Him because it is the right thing to do. Remember, God requires that we do what is right. Whether or not an unbeliever can or cannot repent and believe God doesn't negate the moral truth that they should. That is why God commands that we repent and believe.
.
It is man who is deceitful (Jer. 17:9), full of evil (Mark 7:21-23), loves darkness (John 3:19), does not seek for God (Rom. 3:10-12), is ungodly (Rom. 5:6), dead in his sins (Eph. 2:1), by nature a child of wrath (Eph. 2:3), cannot understand spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14), and a slave of sin (Rom. 6:16-20).

1. Exodus 20:3, “You shall have no other gods before Me."
2. Acts 17:30, "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent."

.
Would God ask us to something we cannot do like believe in Him when we can't?
.
Yes, God would ask us to do something we cannot, doesn't God say, "Be holy, for I am holy," (1 Pet. 1:16)? It is right for God to command us to believe in Him (Ex. 20:1-3) because that is what all should do. We cannot be holy ourselves, yet God grants it to us in Christ. Likewise God grants that we believe (Phil. 1:29) not of our own wills (John 1:13).

.
As a Calvinist Are you saying that Calvinists serve a false god? On what basis? Remember, God does predestine (Eph. 1:1-11), elects (Matt. 22:14; John 15:16; Eph. 1:4; Titus 1:1), and justify -- as Calvinists teach. Are you saying that these things are not of God?
.
Are Calvinists Christians? If not, on what basis do you state that they are not?
.
If Calvinists preach a false gospel, then how? They teach that Jesus died, was buried, and rose bodily from the dead per 1 Cor. 15:1-4. How is that a false gospel?

.
Foreknow
. Foreknow in Rom. 8:29 does not mean to know the future. It means TO KNOW IN A SALVIVIC WAY, (see John 10:28; Matt. 7:21-23; Gal. 4:8-9 for proof that God only "knows" believers, not unbelievers.) God says he ALSO predestines THE ONES who are foreknown (Rom. 8:29). They are the same group. The foreknown ARE ALSO the predestined.

.
Predestination
. Noah Websters 1828 Dictionary. Predestination. "The act of decreeing or foreordaining events; the decree of God by which he hath, from eternity, unchangeably appointed or determined whatever comes to pass. It is used particularly in theology to denote the preordination of men to everlasting happiness or misery."
A. www.dictionary.com:

.
Misrepresentation:
. To say that I misrepresent Calvinism is an admission that the critics understand what I am saying and that it doesn't fit what they think that Calvinism really is. Yet, I am a Calvinist, trained on a graduate level in Calvinism. Therefore, who logically is most probably misrepresenting Calvinism...me or those who oppose it?

.
Responsibility of the unbeliever
. The unbeliever CAN respond to God. His response will be in accordance to scripture that says he cannot do good, is a hater of God, is full of evil, etc., Therefore, we conclude that his free will response will be to reject God, according to the limits described by scripture itself.

.
Servetus

.
. Executions for heresy were common in Calvin's time..."after the Peasants' War in Germany, after the siege of Munster...In England 39 people were burned at the stake for heresy between 1547 and 1550...If one says that Calvin was in error in agreeing with the execution of heretics then why is there not equal indignation against all the other leaders who did the same thing?" --- from http://www.reformed-theology.org/html/issue02/c_vs_s.htm
.
A. "Thomas Aquinas explicitly supported the burning of heretics saying, "If the heretic still remains pertinacious the church, despairing of his conversion, provides for the salvation of others by separating him from the church by the sentence of excommunication and then leaves him to the secular judge to be exterminated from the world by death." (Summa Theologiae, IIaIIae q. 11 a. 3) .... from http://www.reformed-theology.org/html/issue02/c_vs_s.htm
.
B. Calvin went France to meet Servetus to try and convert him to the truth. But in Catholic France, Calvin would have been executed as a heretic, yet Calvin went there. So, Calvin risked his life to speak to Servetus.
.
C. After Servetus was arrested, Calvin pleaded with the members of the council, if he is going to have to be put to death, don't burn him. It is too cruel. At least behead him. But, Servetus was executed on Oct. 26, 1553.
.
D. Calvin didn't "have Servetus killed." He risked his own life by going to France to warn Servetus not to come to Geneva, yet Servetus did go there. Furthermore, it was the law of Geneva that heretics be killed. So, it was a lawful execution (Rom. 13:1-2). Also, Calvin was not the prosecutor in Geneva. He was only a witness.
.
E. If Calvin had Servetus killed, how is that possible if Calvin had been previously banished from Geneva for three years. Therefore, he didn't have the power and authority to have anyone killed. Calvin was only a witness at Servetus' trial.

.
Anti Calvinist "proof" texts

.
Job 1:1, "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job, and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil." This is hyperbole (an exaggeration to make a point). Is Job actually blameless? He had never sinned? Of course not.
.
A. There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job, and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil.
.
B. It does not state how he came to fear the Lord. It just says he did.

.
Psalm 25:12-14, "Who is the man who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way he should choose. 13 His soul will abide in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. 14 The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant."
.
Context: Psalm 25 is a Psalm of David. He praises God. In verses 1-4 David says, "Make me know Thy ways, O Lord..." if the fear of the Lord is a choice, why is it that David does not choose to know the ways of the Lord? Why does he ask God to make them know them?
.
A. Context: In verses 1-7, David confesses his trust in the Lord, asks God to teach him, to remember His compassion, and not remember David's sins. In 8-11, David praises the Lord, says God teaches the humble, and that "All the paths of the Lord...truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies." In 12-14 we have the declaration that God will make those who fear Him, know His covenant.
.
B. Psalm 25:12-14 does not say the unregenerate has the ability to freely choose God. It says that God reveals His covenant to those who fear Him which is consistent with Reformed theology that says that God is the one who opens the heart and the mind. Therefore, those whose hearts and minds have been opened will then fear the Lord. Thus, these verses do not contradict reformed theology.
.
C. To say that from these verses we can authoritatively conclude that the fear of the Lord is a choice, is to read into the text that which is not there.
.
D. To not deal with how this verse is consistent with Reformed theology is to ignore a possible interpretation of the verse. It is not sufficient to simply deny that the verse can be interpreted this way.
.
E. To assume that this verse means that unbelievers have the innate option of being able to choose or reject the fear of the Lord, is to beg the question. In other words, it is a fallacy in a discussion to assume the thing true that you're trying to prove by trying to to assert this verse proves that unbelievers are freely able to choose God.
.
Prov 1:29, "Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord."
.
Context: wisdom is personified. Prov. 1:20, "wisdom shouts in the streets and lifts her voice in the square." In 1:23-25, wisdom declares that she called out to the scoffers and fools, but no one paid attention; they did not want her reproof. Wisdom then states that when calamity occurs, the fools will seek her but she will not answer, "Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord."
.
First, Prov. 1:29 is perfectly consistent with the Reformed doctrine of total depravity which teaches that the unbeliever's sinful nature will restrict his choices to the realm of rejecting wisdom. This is actually a good supporting text for Calvinism.
.
Second, Prov. 1:29 does not state that the fear of the Lord is a choice. It says that they did not choose the fear of the Lord. To say that this verse is proof that the fear of the Lord is a choice is to read into the text a preferred presupposition instead of drawing out of it what it actually says. Furthermore, it is consistent with Calvinism which states that the unregenerate will not choose the fear of the Lord because they will act in harmony with their depraved nature which will result in a denial of God. This explains why they did not choose the fear of the Lord.
.
Third, to not deal with how this verse is consistent with Reformed theology is to ignore a possible interpretation of the verse. It is not sufficient to simply deny that the verse can be interpreted this way.
.
Fourth, to assume that this verse means that unbelievers have the innate option of being able to choose or reject the fear of the Lord, is to beg the question. In other words, it is a fallacy in a discussion to assume the thing true that you're trying to prove by trying to to assert this verse proves that unbelievers are freely able to choose God.
.
.
Prov. 1:23-25, "Turn to my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. 24 Because I called, and you refused; I stretched out my hand, and no one paid attention; 25 And you neglected all my counsel, and did not want my reproof."
.
Prov. 2:1, My son, if you will receive my sayings, and treasure my commandments within you, 2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; 3 For if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding;4 If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; 5Then you will discern the fear of the Lord, and discover the knowledge of yes okay to myGod.
.
Mal. 3:15-17 when we exercise our free will decision
.
John 5:40, "and you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life."
.
Again, they were unwilling to come because they are deceitful (Jer. 17:9), full of evil (Mark 7:21-23), loves darkness (John 3:19), does not seek for God (Rom. 3:10-12), is ungodly (Rom. 5:6), dead in his sins (Eph. 2:1), by nature a child of wrath (Eph. 2:3), cannot understand spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14), and a slave of sin (Rom. 6:16-20).
.
John 6:45, “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.
.
Lou says we get the knowledge of God by fearing God. What happens if you choose to fear God? Go to Psalm 25:12-14 "what man is he that fears the Lord... that he shall choose..." What covenant is God going to show those who fear him? The New Covenant! we go to acts 13:26, "Men and bretheren...that feareth God, to you is this message sent."
.
Acts 13:26, "Brethren, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the word of this salvation is sent out."
.
Like the verses above, those who fear God do so because God has granted them repentance (2 Tim. 2:25), granted that they believe (Phil. 1:29), and are born-again not of their own wills (John 1:13).
.
Acts 17:30 is fearing the lord... to exercise their own free will
.
Acts 10:1-2, "Now there was a certain man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, 2 a devout man, and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people, and prayed to God continually."
.
.
The term "God fearer" is used by Luke of non Jewish people who were attracted to the Jewish system. It does not mean he was saved but that he had an appreciation of Judaism
> A person who feared the Lord yet wasn't saved.
> Where does it say he is not saved?
A. Where does it say "God fearer" in the NT... but it does say that there are those who feared God.
.
Titus 3:5-7, "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
.
"Is it possible to be regenerated without having a relationship with Jesus Christ." white" this is a work of the HS of God, where thru the Gospel a person turns and believes. He must be reg. to do this, give the gifts of faith and repentance.
.
1 Pet. 1:1-2, (noun form) "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure." Προγνωσι occurs but twice in the New Testament, e. g.,Acts 2:23 and 1 Pet. 1:2, in both of which instances it evidently signifies approbation, or choice from beforehand. It is explained by the equivalent phrase “determinate counsel.” Hodge, A. (1996). Outlines of Theology. Index created by Christian Classics Foundation. (electronic ed. based on the 1972 Banner of Truth Trust reproduction of the 1879 ed.). Simpsonville SC: Christian Classics Foundation.

Grace How I Love To Proclaim It !



GRACE HOW I LOVE TO PROCLAIM IT!


Total Depravity - Man is completely touched by sin in all that he is, but is not as bad as he could be. Furthermore, this total depravity means that the unregenerate will not, of their own free will, choose to receive Christ.

It is man who is deceitful (Jer. 17:9), full of evil (Mark 7:21-23), loves darkness (John 3:19), does not seek for God (Rom. 3:10-12), is ungodly (Rom. 5:6), dead in his sins (Eph. 2:1), by nature a child of wrath (Eph. 2:3), cannot understand spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14), and a slave of sin (Rom. 6:16-20).

The unbeliever CAN respond to God. His response will be in accordance to scripture that says he cannot do good, is a hater of God, is full of evil, etc., Therefore, we conclude that his free will response will be to reject God, according to the limits described by scripture itself.
.How is it possible that an unbeliever who cannot understand spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14), who does not seek for God (Rom. 3:10-12), and who is a slave of sin (Rom. 6:14-20), simply "chooses" God?

It is God who appoints people to believe (Acts 13:48), chooses who is to be holy and blameless (Eph. 1:4), calls according to His purpose (2 Tim. 1:9), chooses us for salvation (2 Thess. 2:13-14), grants the act of believing (Phil. 1:29), grants repentance (2 Tim. 2:24-26),

It is God who causes us to be born again (1 Pet. 1:3), draws people to Himself (John 6:44,65), predestines us to salvation (Rom. 8:29-30) and adoption (Eph. 1:5) according to His purpose (Eph. 1:11), makes us born again not by our will but by His will (John 1:12-13), and works faith in the believer (John 6:28-29).


Unconditional Election - God elects a person based upon nothing in that person because there is nothing in him that would make him worthy of being chosen; rather, God's election is based on what is in God. God chose us because he decided to bestow his love and grace upon us, not because we are worthy, in and of ourselves, of being saved.

Partiality?

There is no partiality with God (Rom. 2:11; Acts 10:34). If God elected someone based on what was in him\her, that would be showing partiality. It would mean that God was judging a person worthy of salvation because of what is in him. God does not show such partiality. "So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy," (Rom. 9:16)..

Partiality means to look into the future to see who's good enough to pick God and then God chooses them. THAT is God showing partiality because it has God picking someone because of something in THEM!.

Gal. 2:3, "But from those who were of high reputation (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—well, those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me."

Eph. 6:9, "And, masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him."

James 2:8-9, "If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law, according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors."

Rom. 9:16, "So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.".

Rom. 9:21, "Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use, and another for common use?" (The difference is not in the clay, but in the one who made vessels).

John 1:12-13, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

James 1:18, "In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures."
Eph. 2:4-7, "But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."

Titus 2:13-14, "But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 14 And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ"


Limited Atonement - Christ died only for the whole world, not just the Israelites, and that he specifically bore the sin of the elect only.

A. "Now if we have died with Christ..." (Rom. 6:8); "If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world..." (Col. 2:20); "For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God," (Col. 3:3); "It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him," (2 Tim. 2:11).

2 Cor. 5:14-15, "For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

Rom. 5:18, "So, as through one offense, there resulted condemnation to all men, so also, through one righteous deed, there resulted justification of life to all men."

Arminians have the sinner be held accountable for sins that Jesus paid for thereby making Christ's blood weak. And they bring God's justice into question!

If rejection/unbelief is paid for then why are the sinners held accountable for a sin that Jesus paid for? To hold them accountable is to weaken the very blood of Christ by making its effectiveness dependent upon what the "sinner does."

Objections

1 John 2:2, "and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world." Calvinists say that the "world" is referring to all nations, both Jew AND Gentiles, not just the Jewish nation. Jesus was sent to Israel, not to the Gentiles (Matt. 15:24), but later grafted in the gentiles. Therefore, John is saying that Jesus is for the Gentiles as well as the Jews.

2. John 3:16, "For God so love the world..." God loves all people, Jews and Gentiles.

Irresistible Grace -- the term unfortunately suggests a mechanical and coercive force upon an unwilling subject. This is not the case. Instead, it is the act of God making the person willing to receive him.

Ezek. 36:26-27, "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 "And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.".

Ezek. 11:19-20, "And I shall give them one heart, and shall put a new spirit within them. And I shall take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances, and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God."

John 6:44, "No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day."

John 6:65, "...no one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father."

Phil. 2:13, “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

God hardens and softens hearts

God is sovereign and does all things that please Him according to His holy will. For his purposes and divine pleasure, with the hearts of men being in Hid hand God both softens and harden men's hearts. He soes this without being sinful nor being the author if sin. Note the following passages:

Prov. 21:1, The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes."

Deut. 2:30, "But Sihon king of Heshbon was not willing for us to pass through his land; for the Lord your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, in order to deliver him into your hand, as he is today."

Exod. 4:21, "And the Lord said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go."

Rom. 9:18, "So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires."

Josh. 11:20, "For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, to meet Israel in battle in order that he might utterly destroy them, that they might receive no mercy, but that he might destroy them, just as the Lord had commanded Moses."

2 Thess. 2:11, "And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false."

In 2 Sam 24:1, God incited David to number Israel and Judah. Yet, in 2 Sam. 24:10 David admitted that he sinned in doing this and God sent punishment on the land for David's sin (2 Sam. 24:12-17). But, it was Satan who incited David to number Israel in (1 Chron. 21:1). There were three influence on David's heart: God, David, and the devil, yet David is responsible for what he did.


Perseverance of the Saints - That we are so secure in Christ, that we cannot fall away.
.John 10:28, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand." Can a Christian perish? If you can lose your salvation, then the Christian, the sheep can perish. But, Jesus said that the sheep will never perish.

1 John 2:19, "They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, in order that it might be shown that they all are not of us."

And I am going to go there no matter what we do? That is not what we say?

2 Cor. 5:17, "Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."

Understanding and Answering Responses Concerning The Will


At this point in reading and defining grace through the work God doea in callging men to salvation questions arise about the will of man both its abilities, inabilities and liminations.
Therefore this section seeks to biblically set forth any anxieties folks may have regarding this!


Free will - the ability to make willing choices.

Why is one person different than another person? Why does one choose God and the other does not? Didn't God make that person (Ps. 33:14-15) and put him in that place and that time? Did God make one person's free will to choose God and the other person's free will not to choose God?


A. If you say that free will is independent of God, then how can that be? How can free will be something God is not sovereign over?

We are only as free as our nature permits us to be free. If the Bible says the unbeliever is not "free" then he does not have "free will." The Bible says the unbeliever is a slave of sin, dead, full of evil, cannot understand spiritual things, etc. How then is the unbeliever the possessor of "free will"?

We don't deny free will. Calvinists teach that a person is free only as far as his nature permits him to be free. Therefore, what are the limits on the unbelievers freedom according to scripture?

The unregenerate is deceitful and sick (Jer. 17:9), full of evil (Mk 7:21-23), loves darkness rather than light (John 3:19), does not understand, does not seek for God (Rom. 3:10-12), is dead in his trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1), is by nature a child of wrath (Eph. 2:3), cannot understand spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14).


If Adam and Eve who were not slaves to sin but chose to sin, what makes you think that the unsaved, who are slaves of sin, are going to choose to not sin by choosing God when the Bible says they cannot understand spiritual things (1 Cor 2:14) and are haters of God (Rom. 3:10-12)?


Why does one person choose to fear God and the other does not? Didn't God make their free will? What is it that God did differently to them that one would choose to fear God and the other wouldn't?.


If you say it is because of different circumstances, then didn't God know what their choice be with those circumstances? Then why did God put them there so that one would not choose God?

A. If you say because it is simply that one chooses and one doesn't, then again, why does one choose and the other doesn't since it is God who made their free wills, put them with those parents, in that culture, etc.? What did God do differently to them that one would choose and the other didn't?

B. If you say that it is simply the nature of free will, that it is independent of circumstances and that choice is completely up to the person, independent of circumstances, then how can that be so since it would mean that it was independent of God?

C. If you say that it is because God looks into the future to see who'll pick Him, then the question still stands, WHY did one pick Him and the other didn't since it was God who made their free wills and gave it to them. WHY are their choices different?


D. If God looks into the future to see who will pick Him, then what is it about their ability, their free will (in the future) that enabled one to believe any other one not to?


E. If you say it is because some humble themselves, why is it that they do that? Why does one humble himself and another one does not? Did not God make their personalities, their free wills, there abilities and disabilities?


F. Why is it that one person will choose God and the other one will not when it is God who made them and gave the ability for them to choose? What is different about them? Why are they different? Why does one choose any other one does not? Remember, it is God who gave them their free will's. It is God who designed their free wills and put them in them. God put them in the circumstances with their abilities and disabilities, their tendencies, their likes and dislikes, etc. God is the one who has done this. So please tell me why, even if God looks into the future, why is it that one person would pick God and the other one would not? What is different about their free wills?



G. To say that is simply that God knows their free will choices does not answer the question. Yes, God knows their free will choices. The question is why is one person making the choice and the other one is not when it is God who both gave them the same free will?


Free will is of two theological viewpoints: Compatibilist and Libertarian. Compatibilism is the position that a person is only as free as his nature permits him to be free and that his sinfulness prevents him from feely choosing God (1 Cor. 2:14; Rom. 3:10-12; Rom. 6:14-20). Libertarian free will is the position that an unsaved sinner is still able to freely choose God in spite of his sinful nature (John 3:16; 3:36).


Would Paul the one who was against the Lord have freely chosen Christ? of his own free will? No, since he was persecuting Christ..Gal. 1:15, "But when He who had set me apart, even from my mother’s womb, and called me through His grace, was pleased 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles."




The Sovereignity, Decreetive, and Predestinarian Nature of God.


A. God Is Sovereign:

That God is Sovereign cannot be denied. These passages establish this most basic truth about God Almighty!


Rom. 9:16-17, "So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.".A. Rom. 9:18, "So then He has mercy on whom [Gk, singular] He desires, and He hardens whom [Gk, singular] He desires."


John 12:37,38,40, "But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him; 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke...40 "He has blinded their eyes, and He hardened their heart; lest they see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and be converted, and I heal them."


Mark 4:11-12, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but those who are outside get everything in parables, 12 in order that while seeing, they may see and not perceive; and while hearing, they may hear and not understand lest they return and be forgiven."

Note: God being sovereign in these many different ways and areas in His world.

1. God works all things according to all His holy will - Eph. 1:11, "also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works [energeo] all things after the counsel of His will." This says that God brings about all things according to his own will..

2. God is sovereign even over the weather, Job. 37:6-13, “For to the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the downpour and the rain, ‘Be strong.’ 7 “He seals the hand of every man, That all men may know His work. 8 “Then the beast goes into its lair, and remains in its den. 9 “Out of the south comes the storm, And out of the north the cold. 10 “From the breath of God ice is made, and the expanse of the waters is frozen. 11 “Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud; He disperses the cloud of His lightning. 12 “And it changes direction, turning around by His guidance, that it may do whatever He commands it on the face of the inhabited earth. 13 “Whether for correction, or for His world, or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen."

3. He does all that pleases Him - Psalm 1 :6, "Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps." And then a couple more verses to seal the evidence - Dan. 4:35, "And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand. Or say to Him, ‘What hast Thou done?"; Acts 17:26, "and He [God] made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation,.

4. What is from the Sovereign Lord? - Prov. 16:1, "The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.". And then Prov. 16:33, "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord." Here? Jer. 10:23, "I know, O Lord, that a man’s way is not in himself; nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps."


5. He is sovereign even in His revealing Jesus Christ in those whom He desires to even if they had the habit of persecuting the Church. Gal. 1:15, "But when He who had set me apart, even from my mother’s womb, and called me through His grace, was pleased 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles.".



Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility:


Divine Sovereignity does not throw away nor do away with human responsibilty in any form nor manner. Note men are not excused from making plans but ut us the sovereign Lord that deliveres the answers! Prov. 16:1, "The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord." Other passages clearing the interacting of divine sovereignity and human responsibility include:

Prov. 16:33, "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord."B. Prov. 21:1, The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes."

Jonah 1:15 is where the shipmates threw Jonah into the sea: "So they picked up Jonah, threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging; but in Jonah 2:3 Jonah says, "For Thou hadst cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas..." We see that both human and God are said to do the very same thing. God brought about His plan through human free will.


Acts 4:27-28, "For truly in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur." The evil deeds were predestined by God.



God Soverignly Calls Men to The Human Responsibility of Repentance and Belief in the Gospel



Acts 17:30, "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent."



Rom 10:6-13 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) (7) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) (8) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; (9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (11) For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (12) For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.



2Co 5:17-21 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (18) And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; (19) To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. (20) Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. (21) For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.


Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Hyper- Calvinists

Hyper Calvinism is the thinking that goes far beyond the scriptures and becomes almost fatalistic. The hyper-calvinists deny many things concerning basic evangelical Christianity. Hyper-Calvinist thinking:


1. Denies that the gospel call applies to all who hear, and/or

2. Denies that faith is the duty of every sinner, and/or

3. Denies that the gospel makes any "offer" of Christ, salvation, or mercy to the non-elect (or denies that the offer of divine mercy is free and universal), and/or

4. Denies that there is such a thing as "common grace," and/or

5. Denies that God has any sort of love for the non-elect.

6. "Don't worry about evangelizing, or sinning, or praying, because what you do doesn't matter."

That is not what Calvinism or the doctrines of grace teach. The Bible is clear thta Satan is tethered and that we are to go forth in all the worldmaking disciples and baptizing. The hyper Calvinist denies the gospel call is to be proclaimed to all.





God's Sovereign Grace Gives Faith and Grants Men Repentance Unto Salvation



It is man who is deceitful (Jer. 17:9), full of evil (Mark 7:21-23), loves darkness (John 3:19), does not seek for God (Rom. 3:10-12), is ungodly (Rom. 5:6), dead in his sins (Eph. 2:1), by nature a child of wrath (Eph. 2:3), cannot understand spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14), and a slave of sin (Rom. 6:16-20).


It is God who appoints people to believe (Acts 13:48), chooses who is to be holy and blameless (Eph. 1:4), chooses us for salvation (2 Thess. 2:13-14), grants the act of believing (Phil. 1:29), grants repentance (2 Tim. 2:24-26), causes us to be born again (1 Pet. 1:3), predestines us to salvation (Rom. 8:29-30), makes us born again not by our will but by His will (John 1:12-13).


It is God who draws people to Himself (John 6:44,65), appoints people to believe (Acts 13:48), works faith in the believer (John 6:28-29), chooses who is to be holy and blameless (Eph. 1:4), chooses us for salvation (2 Thess. 2:13-14)..B. It is God who grants the act of believing (Phil. 1:29), grants repentance (2 Tim. 2:24-26), calls according to His purpose (2 Tim. 1:9), causes us to be born again (1 Pet. 1:3), predestines us to salvation (Rom. 8:29-30) and adoption (Eph. 1:5). according to His purpose (Eph. 1:11), and makes us born again not by our will but by His will (John 1:12-13).


God is the author and finisher our faith for God draws sinful men unto salvation, through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, thereby saving them by His marvelous grace.


B. God Sovereignly Decrees and Ordains all Things

God is infinitely intelligent, eternal, and unchangeable. God's knowledge is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. God's plan and purpose in all its elements must also be eternal and unchangeable since they must partake of his infinitely perfect nature and attributes. Therefore, his plan in the world is all encompassing and includes the means and the ends to his purpose.


Verses Proclaimimg God's Decreetive Character:


John 20:29, "This is the wicked man’s portion from God, even the heritage decreed to him by God."

Isaiah 10:23, "For a complete destruction, one that is decreed, the Lord God of hosts will execute in the midst of the whole land."

Daniel 4:24, "this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: 25 that you be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place be with the beasts of the field, and you be given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven; and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whomever He wishes."

Psalm 2:7, "I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘Thou art My Son, today I have begotten Thee.

Rom. 11:33, "For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.".E. Heb. 6:17, "In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath."



What About When Sinful Things Happens? Has he decreed the evil?

Men are responsible for the sin and evil they do. God decrees His will so that all things pertaining to our salvation, good and His glory come to pass. God uses the evil of men to carry out his purposes as needed. Notice concerni Joseph's brothers God let Joesph know - Gen. 50:20, "And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." It was evil deeds brought about by sinful men, yet God meant it for good."

Also who incited David to number the people of Isreal and Judah? David, Satan Or God? The scriptures answer that there were three influences, one being God, one Satan and one David. Now who was responsible for the sin of David? God? NO, Satan? No. David? YES!


In 2 Sam 24:1, God incited David to number Israel and Judah. Yet, in 2 Sam. 24:10 David admitted that he sinned in doing this and God sent punishment on the land for David's sin. (2
Sam. 24:12-17). But, it was Satan who incited David to number Israel in (1 Chron. 21:1). There were three influence on David's heart: God, David, and the devil, yet David is responsible for what he did.


Lam. 3:38, "Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both good and ill go forth?".

Isa. 63:17, "Why, O Lord, dost Thou cause us to stray from Thy ways, and harden our heart from fearing Thee?".


God's decrees / arrangements, from all eternity, of all circumstances is what is meant by God ordaining whatsoever comes to pass. God is pure and tempts no one. James 1:13, "Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone." God does know all things that can and will occur for whatever occurs, does so because God has decreed them to carry out His will for His glory and the good of His people. In His decrees He predestines all things including the variables and circumstances that bring about the results and purposes He desires.

Since God creates/arranges the circumstances and knows the result of the variables within the
people and the circumstances, then he is ordaining what occurs in those circumstances without being the author of sin.



Our Lord's Sovereign decree and plan for our salvation is the number one example of God Decreeing all things that come to pass.


Acts 4:27-28, “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur."


a. Who did the gathering? God.
b. Who gathered them together to crucify Jesus? God did.
c. Who predestined that it occur? God!

Then God decreed that the death of Christ would occur. How? Through sinful men. That was an important part of the decree. So sinful men would sin in order to crucify Christ. What did God decree? Christ to die on the cross. By whose hands? Those of sinful men to crucify Christ. God predestined it. He decreed that they would do sinful things.



Our Sovereign Lord Predestined Us To Sonship Before the Foundation of the World


Our Salvation was predestined before the foundation of the world. This predestination included Christ’s redemptive work on the cross as well as our personal calling. God’s people have been predestined and elected before the foundation of the world to salvation and sonship through the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, being predestined to salvation we will be glorified and be with our God forever, God be praised!


Acts 4:27-28, "For truly in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur."

Acts 2:23, "this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death."

WE, God’s people have been predestined and elected before the foundation of the world unto sonship through the Lord Jesus Christ. And being predestined to salvation we will be glorified and be with our God forever. God be praised!


Romans 8:29-30, "For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified."

Eph. 1:4-5, "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will. "........ Eph. 1:11, "also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will."


In conclusion lets praise our God in that he has called us unto salvation by His grace which is far deeper and broader and bigger than we canever imagine nor explain. Our salvation is nothing that we have done nor ever could do in and of ourselves. Therefore, may we never become complacent in it and may we never be as the hypers and fail to proclaim the wonderful grace of our loving Lord.

While it is true that the Lord hardens and softens the hearts of whom He wills ( Deut. 2:30; Ex 4:21; Rom 9:18; Josh. 11:20; 2 Thess 2:11) and that He also has hidden information from men (Mark 4:11-12), We do not know whom He is calling to salvation so therefore let's go forth knowing that we are to share the gospel and that our ministers are to proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ to the world!


I am greatly indebited to Mat Slick and C.A.R.M. for much of this writing today. Please continue to pray for that ministry and MAtt has he continues his labor of love in Christ's kingdom!