Being Called, Being Chosen

[Alive]

3 minutes ago, AdHoc said:

It will up to each reader to decide. Maybe one can express "foreknowledge" better than I.

Thanks for the chuckle, brother. Love you.

A thought occurs to me…that God has complete and total foreknowledge of everything including His own Plans.

;-)

[AdHoc]

9 minutes ago, Alive said:

Thanks for the chuckle, brother. Love you.

A thought occurs to me…that God has complete and total foreknowledge of everything including His own Plans.

;-)

God cannot be taken by surprise. His foreknowledge is complete. His unlimited foreknowledge is so evident in Daniel. While God created the dream about things that would come to pass, neither soothsayers, nor Nebuchadnezzar NOR Satan knew it. How superior is Jehovah to His creature - how unlimited is HE!

[Marathoner]

7 minutes ago, AdHoc said:

It will up to each reader to decide. Maybe one can express "foreknowledge" better than I.

I appreciate your contributions, brother. Always solid.

We run the risk of "getting out there" as it pertains to things only the Almighty is capable of; in this case, foreknowledge. As for myself, I rely upon two sources to inform me:

Scripture, and my experience with the Lord. 

Because our experiences vary, and these experiences constitute our testimony, we ought to walk wisely when sharing such things with others. With this in mind, then, here is an example of the foreknowledge of the Lord:

When our Lord informed Peter that he would deny Him three times. 

While that's certainly not the only scriptural example of foreknowledge in the scriptures, it's certainly an excellent one to share. Over time I came to understand that there is nothing amiss with the Lord declaring the end from the beginning, and the gift of freewill that He has given to us. Simply put, nothing is hidden from the Lord. The implications run deeper than we are able to fathom.

God knows everything. 

I've never viewed these matters through the lens of salvation alone (I moved on from matters of salvation many years ago). That's not why the Lord chooses a vessel of honor or even dishonor. He chooses the vessel so that His name shall be glorified. Yes, even through the vessel of dishonor, God is glorified. Like foreknowledge, that doesn't rest well in our minds of flesh. 

Another way of describing foreknowledge that hopefully will strike a chord with some of our readers:

Knowing what was, what is, and what shall be. It's all the same in the sight of the Almighty.

[Alive]

6 minutes ago, AdHoc said:

God cannot be taken by surprise. His foreknowledge is complete. His unlimited foreknowledge is so evident in Daniel. While God created the dream about things that would come to pass, neither soothsayers, nor Nebuchadnezzar NOR Satan knew it. How superior is Jehovah to His creature - how unlimited is HE!

Amen!

[Neighbor]

2 hours ago, Alive said:

Amen…and it is a great help for folks to read what both men actually believed regarding those various scriptures.

Think so? Hmm all it has done for me is to make me think I am a freewilled Calvinist. I choose to believe what God the Holy Spirit has made impossible for me to not believe.

( Say what?)  -I can't fight city hall.

[Alive]

2 minutes ago, Neighbor said:

Think so? Hmm all it has done for me is to make me think I am a freewilled Calvinist. I choose to believe what God the Holy Spirit has made impossible for me to not believe.

( Say what?)  -I can't fight city hall.

Well…yes of course. If you set at the table of one or the other, you ought to actually know what they taught rather than what the chatter tells you.

This is what I meant.

[Alive]

Please see an example that will surprise most folks who side with Arminius.

This is what he wrote about the issue of 'total depravity'.

Keep in mind Arminius was born 4 years before Calvin died.

Arminius:Disputation 11; Sections 7 and 8

VII. In this state, the free will of man towards the true good is not only wounded, maimed, infirm, bent, and weakened; but it is also imprisoned, destroyed, and lost. And its powers are not only debilitated and useless unless they be assisted by grace, but it has no powers whatever except such as are excited by Divine grace. For Christ has said, "Without me ye can do nothing." St. Augustine, after having diligently meditated upon each word in this passage, speaks thus: "Christ does not say, without me ye can do but Little; neither does He say, without me ye can do any Arduous Thing, nor without me ye can do it with difficulty. But he says, without me ye can do Nothing! Nor does he say, without me ye cannot complete any thing; but without me ye can do Nothing." That this may be made more manifestly to appear, we will separately consider the mind, the affections or will, and the capability, as contra-distinguished from them, as well as the life itself of an unregenerate man.

VIII. The mind of man, in this state, is dark, destitute of the saving knowledge of God, and, according to the Apostle, incapable of those things which belong to the Spirit of God. For "the animal man has no perception of the things of the Spirit of God;" (1 Cor. ii. 14;) in which passage man is called "animal," not from the animal body, but from anima, the soul itself, which is the most noble part of man, but which is so encompassed about with the clouds of ignorance, as to be distinguished by the epithets of "vain" and "foolish;" and men themselves, thus darkened in their minds, are denominated "mad" or foolish, "fools," and even "darkness" itself. (Rom. i. 21, 22; Ephes. iv. 17, 18; Tit. iii. 3; Ephes. v. 8.) This is true, not only when, from the truth of the law which has in some measure been inscribed on the mind, it is preparing to form conclusions by the understanding; but likewise when, by simple apprehension, it would receive the truth of the gospel externally offered to it. For the human mind judges that to be "foolishness" which is the most excellent "wisdom" of God. (1 Cor. i. 18, 24.) On this account, what is here said must be understood not only of practical understanding and the judgment of particular approbation, but also of theoretical understanding and the judgment of general estimation.

[Neighbor]

Presenting  https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel 38-39&version=NKJV for introduction and consideration.

[warrior12]

3 hours ago, In the Clouds said:

I can only speak from what I read in the Bible.  Calvinism and Arminianism are names referencing people who I may have heard of but haven't studied.  

Asking the question you the poster asked should entail at least a brief examination of the two beliefs stated above.  Why, because there is much discussion, agreements and disagreements on both.  It would then give you a better insight of how both sides see the question of "free will" vs " predestination" , which is really the OP question in his own words. 

When one get into that discussion, it will lead to a deeper study of scripture and also stir up emotions as you hear the words and meanings in depth from commentators, pastors, teachers and believers in general.  Yes, it can even cause to see your loved ones as in a forever lost state or condemnation.  If I am incorrect, please readers correct my views or state the correct postions.  

It's a long study and answer to your question will be your conviction as you study scripture and form your theology with the teachings you agree with.  There are numerous books and sermons on those topics and only you can determine which you see as worthy.

One pastor put it this way to me.  He said it is like two trains running on tracs side by side .

 

[Neighbor]

1 hour ago, Marathoner said:

I rely upon two sources to inform me:

Scripture, and my experience with the Lord. 

Seems like  two excellent resources to me.