Don19

Yes, I was aware that John Lennon went through a period in the late 70s (starting in 1977) when he proclaimed to be a born again Christian. I believe it did not last. If that is so, then it ought to be clear that he was a spurious convent, not truly born again. But if you have other information, then I would stand corrected. Nevertheless, Lennon's comments in a 1980 interview in reference to Bob Dylan's conversion are pretty damning. So, as it stands, Lennon would be "he that received the seed into stony places" (Matthew 13:20).

No doubt John's death was the wrath and judgment of God, due to his anti-Christian comments in 1966. I'm not against secular music, though. The musicians themselves might be wicked, but the earth and the fullness thereof is the Lord's, Who richly gives us all things to enjoy, so that we might do so to His glory. I liked the Beatles since I was 11 or 12 years old; I'm 30 now. Not as far back as some of you - no offense!

Yes, that's what Scripture says, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27). Who hears the voice of Jesus? His sheep do. John 8:47: "He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." Who is the "us" in Heb 1:2? The ones Jesus prayed for. Consider: Jesus prayed for Peter, but not for Judas. John 17:6-9: I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

Christ's sheep, His elect, hear His voice, and follow Him. John 5:25: Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

Heb 10:26-31 is addressed to genuine believers. However, it is impossible for any of Christ's sheep to escape from Him and be lost (John 6:37-39, 17:2). So, with that being said, I find this link below a very helpful and succinct overview of all the Hebrews warning passages, which places them in their proper context, which is of the judgment that was to come upon Israel in 70 AD. The judgment would be limited to this life, and does not involve loss of eternal life. https://letgodbetrue.com/sermons/index/year-2014/hebrews-threatening-verses/

This is an excellent article on fruits: https://www.wordofhisgrace.org/wp/know-them-by-their-fruits/ Note that Cain's sacrifice was of the fruit of the ground: it was the fruit of man's works. Man was taken from the ground, but God said in Genesis that the ground is cursed because of Adam's sin, and that it shall bring forth thorns and thistles. Jesus also references thorns and thistles in Matthew 7 where He talks about false teachers. You will know them by their fruits = you will know them by what they say. Are they teaching salvation by grace, by Christ as our righteous Substitute? Are they like Abel, who by faith offered a more excellent sacrifice unto God, rather than the fruit of the ground? Or do they preach a corrupted gospel of works-salvation? Now, there are a lot of people who are superficially nice, seem like pleasant people, do good deeds, maybe they say they are Christians. So what? That's not good fruit. There are nice people who espouse all sorts of religions.

I disagree. Heb 6:4-6 is talking about believers, considering they were made partakers of the Holy Ghost. However, the warning of this passage does NOT treat of eternal salvation. I posted this is another thread: https://www.worthychristianforums.com/topic/251150-osas-once-safe-always-saved/?do=findComment&comment=3191834 I think this only makes sense if we consider that the book of Hebrews as a whole was written to Jewish Christians prior to the destruction of Jerusalem. That's what the warnings are about. There is other Scripture to support this view, and Heb 6:8 should clue us in to the proper interpretation. I don't think there's any other interpretation that both fits the context of the epistle and is supported by other Scripture. Those who would interpret it to mean a loss of salvation do so in defiance of the promises of the gospel.

Did you choose to be born? Did God ask you if you wanted to exist? Did you choose your race, parents, or year of birth? All the people who were born at a time and place where they would never hear the gospel didn't have a choice in that matter. So how is being born again a choice? Nicodemus didn't seem to think it was, as he understood Jesus teaching total inability (surely, he did not think that Jesus meant "born again" literally). I have seen good things from you on the subject of eternal security. Yes, there are OSAS Arminians; unfortunately for them (you), however, their (your) position is inconsistent. I will say it is a happy inconsistency, though. Arminians like the Remonstrants and Wesley were characterized by a belief in "conditional security," just like Rome, which is no security at all, and is "another gospel." But I would have you know, that the predestinarian position which I have set forth with biblical proofs absolutely does not permit "conditional security" or "loss of salvation." I thank God for saving me against my "free will"! Because I wanted nothing to do with Christianity until He intervened. It was like I was walking off the edge of a cliff, and He just reached out and snatched me away to safety.

This is the Law, though: the covenant of works, not the covenant of grace. Israel after the flesh didn't choose life, and God sent judgment upon them in 70 AD. They received all the curses of the Law, as anyone under the Law must keep the entire thing (Gal 3:10, Jas 2:10). The New Covenant is promissory, not of works; as Paul says in Galatians, if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Sinful flesh is not able to choose life - what's born of flesh is flesh, and what's born of Spirit is spirit. A corrupt tree cannot bear good fruit. It was the serpent who told Eve that ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Israel after the flesh is a demonstration of that; hence, there is now a new and better Covenant which is unconditional. Neither is man able to choose Christ; as Jesus said, "[...] whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:33). And He said, "no man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him [...]" (John 6:44) - in Greek, the word for "draw" carries the idea of compulsion, or of dragging. He will judge the goats at the final judgment based on whatever works they did not do to one of the least of His brethren - in other words, by the law; whereas His sheep are commended for whatever little thing they did do for the brethren, even if it's something so small they don't even remember, as we see by their questions. See Matthew 25:31-46. Based on the goats' questions, it is possible they did a lot of "charity"; however, they won't be judged on what they did do but rather on what they did not do. The goats get law - they get conditionalism. The sheep get grace, and they it unconditionally, just as they were chosen in Christ from the foundation of the world (Eph 1:3-6).

The Scriptures say, of Pharaoh, "Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth." If you read Romans 9 carefully, the Apostle Paul addressed this "anticipated objection" you raised - that the damned are ordained to hell. Just as in Romans 6, Paul answered the "anticipated objection" to his gospel of grace by rebutting the suggestion that one may as well sin so that grace may abound, Paul in Romans 9 answered this anticipated objection in exactly the same way. And what does he say? 19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Indeed, as Proverbs 16:4 states, "The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil." A word of caution, if I may. If God has ordained reprobation to His glory and to the good of those who love Him, who are the called according to His purpose (which I would argue is most biblical according to these and other Scriptures): then it is good. All that God does is good and just, for He is good and just, and the source of everything that is good and just. As it is written in Isaiah: Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil. God is totally sovereign over all evil, but He uses it for good (see Genesis 50:20). Unconditional election is a doctrine most God-exalting and man-humbling. It magnifies the glory of God's grace - grace meaning favor. God's favor is not something man could ever earn, but is given according to the mere counsel of His will. It also magnifies God's love, as it is not common to all men; but for its objects, it is totally effectual and never fails.

I don't find this idea of free will in the Bible. Only God's will is truly free, as He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased (Psalm 115:3). I find that in Romans chapter 9 Paul says that God has mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will He hardens. Nope, no free will there! Or how, so that God's purpose according to election might stand, He loved Jacob and hated Esau, the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil. No "offer" of salvation there, but an unconditional gift to whomever He chooses. Or in the 6th chapter of John, where Jesus says that all the Father has given Him will come to Him; and that He will never cast out the one who comes to Him. Or 1 Peter 2:8, contemplating those who stumble at the word, whereunto also they were appointed. I find that "free will" is rather something God has saved His people from, even quickening them when they were dead in sins and trespasses (Eph 2:1-5). If the difference between being saved and damned is thanks to what *you* did, then you make yourself your own savior, or at least co-savior. But Jesus Christ is either your Savior 100% or not at all. All praise will forever belong to Him, not to ourselves.

The kingdom is now, but it is not of the world (John 18:36). The world cannot see it, because you have to be born again to see it (John 3:3). It's not the "visible church" so-called because the kingdom does not come with observation, as Jesus said (Luke 17:20-21). When Jesus returns, He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God (1 Cor 15:24). Clearly, there is already a kingdom, as these words presuppose an already-existing kingdom to be delivered up. Christ's people are come unto the heavenly Jerusalem - Heb 12:22.

It is surely possible, as Paul warns about it in Colossians 2: 8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. 18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. 20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not; 22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.