Chosen to Salvation

[FreeGrace]

4 hours ago, Rosie1jack2pauline3 said:

It could also be the will of the Father, that one posts there!.

The Bible clearly says what the "will of the Father is".

John 6:40 -  For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

A parallel verse about the Father's will is 1 Cor 1:21 -  For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.

God's choice for salvation is ALWAYS those who believe.  

[enoob57]

16 hours ago, David1701 said:

As I proved with Scripture, being born again is necessary for anyone to believe in Jesus Christ; however, you cannot be said to be saved until you have believed.

Scripture produces faith; faith produces ability to believe; belief produces repentance; repentance produces the need of Jesus only; the need cries out to Jesus to save... 

[FreeGrace]

32 minutes ago, Rosie1jack2pauline3 said:

In response to the post below:

Yes, I too don’t understand that , “ I made the decision “ where it clearly says in scripture that God chose us.....another said,Scripture produces faith.....as if that’s the only way God can reach us.?🤣...sorry, but I think God is laughing with me..his word says.

David1701 said: 

This is why, when I hear some people say things like, "I made the decision to believe in Jesus and now I'm saved.", alarm bells go off in my head.  How can anyone whom God has saved, make such a statement?  It's a sign of dead religion, not living relationship.

[double click fails.  It's very easy to understand, really.  When a person says they make a decision to believe, they are saying that they accept and believe what was said.  This is what faith is; a trust issue.

When you or anyone else trusts what someone else says, you have made a decision.  And decisions can go either way;  either to trust or NOT to trust.

Maybe unwittingly, you have proven my point about the gospel message being a trust issue.  

You may decide to believe that or you may decide to keep resisting that.

That is your choice.  As it is for every human being.]

Isaiah 55:8-9  New International Version

⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

[I always wonder why verses are left out when quoting Scripture.  For example, John 6:45, which explains clearly what v.44 means.  And here.

So, let's look at the previous verse.

v.7 - Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

This is quite clear.  The verse is inviting the wicked/unrigheous to "forsake their ways/thoughts, and to turn to the Lord".  And the result of doing so;  God "will have mercy on them, and will freely pardon".

This verse is in opposition to the Calvinist claims about God choosing to salvation, and regeneration being required for someone to believe.]

◄ Romans 8:16 ►

Verse  (Click for Chapter) King James Bible The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: New King James Version The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, American Standard Version The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: Berean Study Bible The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Douay-Rheims Bible For the Spirit himself giveth testimony to our spirit, that we are the sons of God.  English Revised Version The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: World English Bible The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God; Young's Literal Translation The Spirit himself doth testify with our spirit, that we are children of God;

 

 

Please note that ALL these verses say that the Spirit tetsifies WITH WITH WITH our spirit.  Except the Douay-Rheims.  Yet, it seem far too many pastors quote the verse using "to" rather than the actual word "with".

The 2 words have a completely DIFFERENT meaning and changes the whole verse.

[enoob57]

I believe it was God who said it...

Romans 10:17 (KJV)

[17] So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

 

[FreeGrace]

4 hours ago, Rosie1jack2pauline3 said:

 

Isaiah 55:8-9

New International Version

⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Again missing the key verse, which is v.7.

Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

To "let the wicked/unrighteous forsake their ways/thoughts" shows that these people CAN do it.  It's a choice.  And to "let them turn to the LORD" obviously shows that they CAN do that as well.  Nothing about God choosing who will forsake/turn.  

And those who do will receive mercy and be freely pardoned.

This verse proves that the unregenerate have free will to forsake their ways and turn to the LORD.  And the result is that God will have mercy on them and pardon them.

[farouk]

4 hours ago, Rosie1jack2pauline3 said:

• When God testifies with our spirit that we are his child...you will 100% know it in your spirit, because it came from Gods  “Living Word” and not a bible in sight..for myself..my testimony.

 

 

 

Romans 8

 

New International Version

 

 

Life Through the Spirit

8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ² because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you^[a] free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,^[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.^[c] And so he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

⁵ Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. ⁶ The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. ⁸ Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

⁹ You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life^[d] because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of^[e] his Spirit who lives in you.

¹² Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. ¹³ For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

¹⁴ For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. ¹⁵ The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.^[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,^[g] Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

@Rosie1jack2pauline3 By the Spirit we indeed cry, Abba, Father, as Romans 8 says.....

[farouk]

Just now, Rosie1jack2pauline3 said:

AMEN!!!.....Brother!!...🙏💗

This is indeed so, @Rosie1jack2pauline3

[David1701]

22 hours ago, Mr. M said:

2 Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling,

not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace,

which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

Grace without purpose is easily led astray. Election does not equal

salvation, as has been said, but it is the path to salvation for the 

elect, who must be found faithful, and chosen for His Purpose, 

to rule with Him in His Kingdom.

Revelation 17:14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb

will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings;

 and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.

 

The Gospel is never presented as it is in modern evangelicalism,

that is accepting Christ determines who goes to heaven or hell.

It is who will serve Him, in holiness and righteousness.

Luke 1:

74 To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,

Would serve Him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.

The question I would propose, is what does it mean to call

someone Lord, not Savior.

1 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I make known to you that no one

speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one

can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

"Well done, good and faithful servant".

To be faithful requires the saints to do the works ordained for them.

How often is Ephesians 2:8 & 9 cited for saved by grace to deride a 

"works based salvation", while ignoring verse 10?

10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,

which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

The saints do do the works ordained for them to do, because God works in us, to will and to do of his good pleasure.

We are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation.

[David1701]

22 hours ago, Mr. M said:

We are born from above to receive from above.

When you receive wisdom from above (James 3),

you know it is not of yourself. If you are not receiving

"every good gift and the perfect giving", what are you 

waiting for? How do you know if you are born again, other

than remember the moment you converted. That's not much

of a testimony.

Once you have been born again, an eternal, living, loving relationship with the Lord begins.  This results in a dramatic inward change, leading to outward change (fruit-bearing, by the Holy Spirit) and a lifelong battle against our flesh.

[David1701]

21 hours ago, enoob57 said:

Not only have you not done as you claim... you haven't provided one verse that regeneration precedes faith! I have provided faith indeed precedes salvation...

I certainly did provide verses (not just one) showing that regeneration necessarily precedes faith in Jesus Christ.  You can shut your eyes if you want, but the truth is there.

John 3:3-7 (KJV)

  3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he can not see the kingdom of God. 
  4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
  5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water andofthe Spirit, he can not enter into the kingdom of God. 
  6  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 
  7  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 

---Jesus said that we must be born again to see and enter the kingdom of God.  We know that we enter God's kingdom, through faith in Jesus Christ.  Q.E.D.

1 John 5:1 (WEB) Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. Whoever loves the Father also loves the child who is born of him.

---Everyone who believes (present tense), has been (Greek perfect tense - happened in the past, with the result continuing in the present) born of God.  This means that being born of God necessarily precedes believing, confirming the truth declared by Jesus himself, in John 3.

There are also several Scriptures showing that the unregenerate man hates the light and will not come to it (John 3:19,20 - contrast this with the born again  person in verse 21); that he is hostile towards God and cannot please him (Rom. 8:7,8); and that he does not receive the things of the Spirit of God (e.g. the gospel - 1 Cor. 2:14).  In short, the natural, unregenerate man will never believe in Jesus Christ unto salvation - ever.

https://www.worthychristianforums.com/topic/287288-chosen-to-salvation/?do=findComment&comment=3610478

 

Edited January 13, 2023 by David1701