Predestination & Election: What in Heaven Are They? #1

One of the great questions - and mysteries - of life...explored here in this excerpt from the popular (over 50,000 copies in distribution) video "Amazing Grace - The History and Theology of Calvinism."

This video is available from the Vorthos Forum or directly from the producer The Apologetics Group at www.theapologeticsgroup.com.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• election
• predestination
• Bible
• Christianity
• reformed
• Augustine
• orthodoxy
• John
• Calvin
• arminian
• grace
• sin
• salvation

[HermitintheRain]

@bluetew37 we are indeed compelled by the Spirit. what a wonderful Spirit, who guides, chastises, rebukes, but never fails to lead us unto the path that he has begun in us. what a wonderful Savior.

And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. Isaiah 35:8

[HermitintheRain]

@bluetew37 a life which includes the denial of self, the taking up of our cross daily. a cross and a denial which includes everything about us-including our coveted freewill. in fact when i look about my life as a child of God; if find that i wander fastest, stumble quickest whenever that 'freewill' asserts itself and demands to have what it wants. turns out, it is really just my flesh waging war against my soul, which the precious blood of Jesus has been shed.

[HermitintheRain]

@bluetew37 I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. (John 5:30b) it would be kind of ironic for one who is purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ; one who becomes a servant, even a slave of Christ, should think that he must first exercise his freewill to do so. For it is Christ who is the Master, we his slaves; it is Jesus who is Lord, and we the servants. this wrestling about for man's freewill is actually contrary to the life of a Christian.

[HermitintheRain]

@bluetew37 if your salvation is contingent on you having your freewill or not, then you are in great danger. because anyone who has been bought by the precious blood of Jesus Christ is made joyfully the servants of God's will. any true disciple of Christ will be uninterested in his own will; but will be as his Lord was in this world who stated in so many ways, but none more clearly than when he stated:

[HermitintheRain]

@bluetew37 that is not until the Lord himself caused them to understand; an understanding that was only intensified and solidified when the Spirit of God came upon them at Pentecost. when a crowd is gathered to hear the preaching of the gospel and some respond with faith and others as the Parable of the Sower illustrates, it is not because of a man's will that is causing whatever response occurs; but as the Lord stated in John 10.

[HermitintheRain]

@bluetew37 we could be like Pilate himself, who standing before the Light of the world was pressed to ask, What is truth? but Pilate couldn't see it, because the Spirit had not given him eyes to see or ears to hear it. even the disciples, who spent 3+ years with the Lord, didn't really understand what he was teaching or what he was doing. they certainly didn't understand why he died, or even after seeing him resurrected, didn't comprehend the importance of it.

[HermitintheRain]

@bluetew37 we either serve the flesh or serve the Spirit. those who are not born of the Spirit can and will serve only the flesh. we who are born in sin, servants, even slaves to the flesh, must first be delivered from that bondage; a bondage that is even unknown, and even appears foolish to those who know nothing of the Spirit-that is those who have not been born of it. what sets a man free? truth. but unless the Spirit enlightens our darkened minds and hearts we will not see the truth.

[HermitintheRain]

@bluetew37 a man's will can only do that which is of its nature. a fallen sinful man's will can only, and will only choose that which is according ot his sinful God-hating heart. unless God does something with the heart of man-that is changes it, makes it new, gives it repentance-that heart will influence man's will to only choose that which is of its sinful flesh-which can never please God. man has the illusion of thinking that he is free in himself. but Scripture is quite clear that we serve

[HermitintheRain]

@bluetew37 i know who has saved me. i know that i don't have to worry about my will being the factor in whether or not i am saved. i know that he who has begun a good work in me will indeed continue to work in me unto that perfect day. all the slanderous comments about how God forces himself on those he saves. they really don't offend anyone-except those who cherish their freewill above everything. if it wasn't for God going against my freewill, i would still be on the broad road to destruction

[HermitintheRain]

@bluetew37 yet in an instant, even in the blink of an eye, i found my soul, my heart, my mind, and my will entirely changed to where now when i once wanted nothing to do with God; finding that all i wanted was God.

you see, you argue about how it is your freewill that saved you; that is your choosing God. all i know if the God how stepped into the middle of my worthless life and saved me inspite of my will. and you expect me to be sorry that God 'forced' himself upon me. praise God he did.