David1701

Just a clarification: foreknew, when applied to people, in the Bible, means "chose beforehand", not "knew what they would do". From BDAG - the foremost Koine Greek lexicon: Foreknow (proginosko) BDAG: προγινώσκω 1. to know beforehand or in advance, have foreknowledge (of) τί someth. Hs 7:5. Abs., in advance 2 Pt 3:17. 2. choose beforehand τινά someone Ro 8:29., 11:2, Pass. of Christ προεγνωσμένος πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου 1 Pt 1:20.—Know from time past προγινώσκοντές με ἄνωθεν Ac 26:5.

Christians are all His sheep. There are also many who are not saved yet, who are Jesus' sheep (although they will be saved, in God's timing); but, there are many who are not Jesus' sheep. John 10:24-28 (KJV) 24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. 25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. 26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Salvation is by grace, through faith. It is this (the whole thing - salvation-by-grace-through-faith) that is the gift of God.

The doctrines of grace are the gospel. There is one poster who wants to call these "Calvinism"; but, they are simply what the Bible says about how salvation works. Let's leave Calvin out of it, and study what the Bible says, in context, not merely walls of texts without proper exposition, or out-of context proof texts, as one poster likes to do, which is not Bible study at all.

I was in a sorry state. I realised that many of my attitudes were very wrong, and had discovered, by experience, that I could make little improvement to what was in my heart. I was thoroughly miserable. It was as if I were in a dark dungeon, and the limit of my ability was to move my stool and bed around the prison cell. I'd been to Edinburgh University, studying Biology (they taught evolution); but, I'd come to an awareness that molecules-to-man evolution was impossible, and that there must be a God (essentially, because of irreducible complexity). I tried self-improvement books, to little avail. Then I realised that I needed help from outside myself. I started reading, alternately, a book on witchcraft (the real thing, not fiction) and a Gideon's New Testament that I'd been given years before, at school. Gradually, I found that the witchcraft book was not what I was looking for, but I was fascinated by Jesus. He was like no-one I'd ever met or heard about (I wasn't brought up as a Christian). He was holy, loving, kind, truthful and firm. He was uncomfortably confrontational, yet deeply caring. I put down the witchcraft book, and kept reading only the gospel of Luke. I realised that I'd broken God's law, and must be in trouble with God (I didn't know just how much trouble!); so I kept reading, hoping to find the solution. I was still in my state of unbelief, reading the gospel of Luke, but only understanding the outward things, nothing spiritual, when I reached Luke 23:34. Luke 23:34 (KJV) 34 ¶ Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. Suddenly, when I read the part in bold, I KNEW, beyond any doubt, that Jesus had died for me, on the cross, taking my sin and punishment upon him (I'd not known this even the moment before). It was as if a bright light had been turned on inside me (I now know that this was God making me born again, but I didn't even know the phrase then). I was overwhelmed with sorrow for my sin and love for Jesus. I kept on saying that I was sorry for my sin, with many tears, asking his forgiveness, and that I loved Jesus and wanted to follow him all my days. Charles Wesley summed up my experience exactly, in his great hymn, "And Can It Be", verse 4. "Long my imprisoned spirit lay, Fast bound in sin and nature’s night; Thine eye diffused a quick’ning ray— I woke, the dungeon flamed with light; My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed Thee." I remember once, in a church service, that the pastor asked who knew what this verse was talking about. I was very saddened, when only a few hands went up. There are, sad to say, many people, who think that they are saved, when all they have is a fleshly decision and some religion.

Yes indeed; it takes the Lord himself to work in us, and not only us reading, or hearing, the word of God, for us to be saved. James 1:17,18 (KJV) 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. 1 Thess. 1:4,5 (KJV) 4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. 5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

I was saved through reading the gospel of Luke; however, it was not a decision of my flesh that saved me, but the power of the living God, who miraculously made me born again, while I was reading, granting me repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

Enoob, why have you changed the subject to redemption? It's a very good subject, but it's not what we were discussing. You said that Cain should have been able to respond to the Lord (I assume you meant positively), because God had declared to him his responsibility. I pointed out that this principle of yours (that a declaration of man's responsibility before God implies the ability to carry it out) would mean that a declaration of God's law to someone, would mean that that person had the ability to obey God's law. There are several insurmountable problems with your principle, not the least of which is that the law was given to show man his sin, guilt and inability to keep it. This, on its own, disproves your principle. Do you understand this? No amount of quoting Scriptures about other subjects is going to help you here. For your own sake, and to please the Lord, please acknowledge that your principle is incorrect.

If you think that God declaring to Cain his responsibility, means that Cain was able to respond in repentance and obedience, then you should be able to keep God's law, simply because God has declared it to you, in his word. By your "logic" salvation would be by law and there would be no need for the gospel at all. Can you not see that what you teach is not Christianity?

We need to look at what Scripture also says, to get the full picture. We can't just pick and choose which Scriptures to believe; we need to believe them all. A partial truth, declared as if it were the whole truth, becomes an untruth. As has been demonstrated to you, on numerous occasions, from Scripture, the work of the Holy Spirit is needed, in order for someone to be saved, not only the Scriptures.

What? John 7:53-8:11 is not based on the handful of Alexandrian manuscripts! It is based on the majority of manuscripts.

I hear that KISS was "Kids in Satan's Service". Anyway, whatever the official line about the names of the groups, the important point is that they are clearly satanic.

I did not say that you were causing harm. I said that what you posted could cause harm. The word of God is intact, in the TR; but, it is certainly true that the so-called "Critical Text" has altered or deleted many verses, or parts of verses. What is it with some people on this forum? There are frequent misrepresentations and hardly any apologies.

It should not be "fine" with any born again Christian, to leave out parts of the inspired word of God. God put them there for a reason.

That is a hideous picture!

What was the point of stating that John 7:53-8:11 is not in some of the earliest manuscripts, if not to cast doubt on it? Why not rather say that 85% of extant Greek manuscripts, not to mention the Latin stream, which dates from the 2nd C. A.D., contain it (if you feel the need to comment on the textual criticism at all)? Saying that some of the earliest manuscripts do not contain it, might put doubt in young Christian's minds, the implication being "earliest is best", which is mostly not true at all.

When there is trouble in front of you, behind you, on your left and right, and beneath you - look up! Look away to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not rely upon your own resources, but rely upon Him. Roll your burdens off onto Him, for he has the almighty strength to carry them, and the good will to do it. 2 Cor. 4:16-18 (KJV) 16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

You cannot trust the translation/textual criticism notes, the omissions and alterations, in the modern Bible versions. They are designed to induce doubt and toleration of error in the readers. We certainly should trust the passage about the woman caught in adultery.

I've heard that view, but only very occasionally. If I recall correctly, AC/DC stands for "Anti-Christ/Devil's Children", so it's unsurprising if the devil has deceived them into thinking hell will be party time. It's one of the devil's great deceptions, along with the lie that he's not real.

The word of God is vitally important; however, we must not neglect the work of God in our hearts. He works in us, to will and do of his good pleasure. Of His own will, He made us alive with the word of truth (i.e. the work of God was needed, along with the word of God). James 1:16-18 (KJV) 16 Do not err, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Phil. 2:12,13 (KJV) 12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

I think, although we can't prove it, that Jesus was writing what the following verse describes, and that the accusers knew the implication. I believe that this ties in perfectly with Jesus telling the one who is without sin to cast the first stone. Jer. 17:13 (KJV) O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.

Yikes! It's just as well that God is in charge...

There is such a chess programme, programmed by Google; it's called "AlphaZero". It was given the rules of chess, but no strategy, then, by playing thousands of games against itself and analysing the results, within 4 hours (!) it had learned strategy and tactics to such an extent that it beat the best chess programme at the time (Stockfish) in a series of games. I've played against Stockfish, and it thrashes me every time (my playing strength is roughly that of a National Master, in America, although we don't have that title here).

Edit: The elect are not, at any time, bound for destruction. Our lives certainly deserve destruction (in this we are the same as everyone else), but, the difference is that God has chosen, from the foundation of the world, to have mercy upon us. He has predestined us for adoption as sons, to be holy and without blame before him in love. If you deny the above, then you deny the very foundations of the gospel - that salvation is of the Lord, not of man's will or works; that salvation is all of grace, through faith (not because of faith); that Jesus laid down his life for his sheep (from Jews and Gentiles); that he laid down his life for his bride; that he prays for those whom God has given him, not the world in general; that he accomplished eternal redemption, for those for whom he died; that he propitiated the Father, on the cross, for those for whom he died; in short, that he accomplished what he came to do - to save his chosen people (from Jews and Gentiles) from their sins.

Everyone's unresponsive hardness is foreknown... Everyone's unresponsive hardness is irreversible, unless God works a miracle and makes the person born again. Fatalism is impersonal, unreasoning, unfeeling inevitability. God's sovereignty in action, working all things according to the counsel of his own will, is very different; however, I'm used to such spurious caricatures. The righteous judgment of God is based on the fact that sinners sin willingly. No-one has to force a son of Adam to sin, it comes naturally and it comes certainly. The amazing thing is that God has chosen to have mercy on some of us rebellious, hard-hearted sinners, rather than give us all what we deserve. Salvation is of the Lord. Those who are saved, are saved because God willed it to be so, for us, from before the foundation of the world. We are saved by grace, through faith and that not of ourselves, so that no-one may boast. We are saved through faith (i.e. that is the means through which God saves his chosen ones); we are not saved because of our faith.