Posted on 02/18/2002 8:54:15 PM PST by rwfromkansas
On another issue, I wouldn't mix OT and NT quotes. Reason being that Christ came to dump the old law and replace it with the New Covenant. A whole new ballgame.
HuH??
Ephesians 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
But because of our total Depravity we can not seek after God.
Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
So some thing has to happen so that we will want to hear the gospel
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Only when Our heart has been changed by His grace can we hear and respond to the gospel.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Now THAT is an interesting question. Can God will Himself not to be good? Is God just because He has willed Himself to be just? In my estimation, these questions fall into the same category as "Can God make a rock so big He can't lift it?"
The OT sheds light on the NT and you can't say you are rightly dividing the Word of Truth if you decide to ignore the older half.
Well, see, right there is the crux of some issue or other. We don't have finite minds. Minds are infinite. I'll just say that.
On another thread today we learn there may well be another dimension besides the three of space and one of time. Another dimension that we are just beginning to be aware of, and it may be detectable in the lab using ordinary physics techniques. The extra dimension is quite a bit larger in appearance than clusters of synapses, and it is possible synapses are operating in the new dimension and that all our minds are linked.
This is my leap: All our minds are one through this new dimension, --which is neither timelike nor spacelike,-- and it is the mind of God, but we are not aware of this due to our animal bodies and our world distracting us.
I'm not sure about that. What makes you think it is God's mind? Why couldn't it be, for example, the mind of John Malkovich?
Nice sidestep. You did notice that the author of the thread quoted numerous sources from the Bible. He has it down. Yet you say that even this topic is not scriptural, yet refuse to use the scriptures to back that up.
Interesting. . .
God did not elect me. He gave me the ability to choose. God chose (Election), ahead of time (Predestination) to sacrifice His only Son, Jesus Christ that I may be restored (Sanctification) to Him...if I so choose.
Yes, and the other way around even more strongly. The NT stands quite well by itself, but the OT can be studied to see where the changes were made. Fulfillment of the Mosaic law indicates completion, and this is all explained in the NT. Once you 'get it' you will act correctly without needing all the rules spelled out.
**1. Does God have free will?
**2. Are we made in His image?
1. Yes, since after all he is God. 2. We were created in his image, but that image was corrupted after the fall. Therefore, one can't assume we have the same attributes we did before the fall (like free will).
That certainly is convenient.
Somehow I'm reminded of an old Ray Bradbury story where a kid starts telling his buddies "I wanted you to do that." after every move. Predictably he gets thumped by his irritated companions, and as they head home he winds up screaming triumphantly at them "I want you to do everything you do for the rest of your lives!"
Not sure why I thought of that. Inevitable, I guess...
It goes back to the meaning of the Logos. As in John 1:1, in the beginning was the Word. Logos is translated as Word. I take that as Mind, although there are other metaphors, the NT is jam packed with parables about this.
It is the thing behind consciousness, behind soul, behind personality, behind You.
John Malkovich also has a piece of the Mind.
We can explain biology and evolution and chemical processes, rightly or wrongly, but we can't explain consciousness. Where did that come from? We can't know that, it's a total mystery. So we'll just call it the Mind.
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
Abundant blessings in the name above all names!
Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour!
The other thing that love requires is risk. This is very important. Everyone of us that has ever fallen in love with someone has put themselves at risk that the object of that love might reject them. God knew this as well. He created us with the right inherent in love to turn to Him and reject His offer of Love towards us. Mankind rejects Him every second of every day yet He still loves us. Some people find out that He loves them and accept Him as their God, Jesus as their God and savior and He frees us from our sinful conditions and marriage to the law, causes the death of our sinful nature, and gives us a brand new nature capable of loving Him back through His own love in our hearts. To me a God Who puts Himself at risk of being rejected by the one He Loves is a much much bigger God than one who merely preprograms some lucky ones to be His bride. That sounds like the prearrainged marriages in third world countries. No choice. Just do it.
No, we are all predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus, to be saved, to be Loved by a God who understood that Love was a choice. But, unfortunately, many will reject His love proposal. And to be honest with you, this kind of Calvinst doctrine portrays God to the world as more of a Geppetto than a God of Love
A reprobate, by definition, is not elect.
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