NASB, AMP, LBLA The Lockman Foundation New American Standard Bible, Amplified Bible, La Biblia de las Américas, and NBLH
CATALOG 
 LOCKMAN 
 STUDYBIBLEFORUM.COM 
 FINDABIBLE.COM 
StudyBibleForum.com Welcome to the StudyBibleForm.
Ask Bible quesitons and give answers!

 
 
Show Me
Statistics
Notes
Answers

Questions:
   Answered
   Unanswered
   Primary (?)
 
Resources

About the Forum
Help & FAQs
Lockman Foundation
Discount Bibles
Bible Translations
 

  SECOND CHANCE      
Not Specified
  ALL THOSE WHO HAVE HEARD THE MESSAGE OF SALVATION AND REFUSED TO ACCEPT IT, WILL THEY HAVE A SECOND CHANCE TO BE SAVED IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD? WILL THE LORD HAVE MERCY ON THEM.
  SOUL AND SPIRIT      
James 2:26
  In 1 Thessalonians 5:23 God's word tells us that man has a body a soul and a spirit. The spirit is the part of us that makes the difference between us and animals. It enables us to have a relationship with God, who is spirit. (John 4:24) This verse further states He must be worshiped in spirit and in truth. The spirit is what enables us to reason and know. It is the intellectual part. It is this part that makes us responsible for responding to God's provision of salvation in Jesus.
The soul is what makes the difference physical life and death. The soul is the seat of our emotions, feelings and wants or desires.
Humans have 3 parts: body, soul and spirit.
Angels are spirits and animals have body and soul only.
My understanding of this subject has been deepened by WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES which is an Emmaus Bible commentary Published by Emmaus Bible College is Dubuque, Iowa.
  SECOND CHANCE      
Rev 7:1
  ALL THOSE WHO HAVE HEARD THE MESSAGE OF SALVATION AND REFUSED TO ACCEPT IT, WILL THEY HAVE A SECOND CHANCE TO BE SAVED IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD? WILL THE LORD HAVE MERCY ON THEM.
  SECOND CHANCE      
Rev 7:1
  Revelation 7:1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind should blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. 2 And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads." 4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: 5 from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, 6 from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, 7 from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, 8 from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed. (NAS)


These 144,000 "Triblation Saints" are still on Earth after the rapture. They have the seal fo God so they won't be harmed.
  Reconcilitation between Paul and James      
James 2:14
  Careful study reveals that there is no disagreement between a Pauline statement like Eph 2:8-10 and the declaration of Jas 2:24. You need to read the passage as a whole (James 2:14-26), it divides itself into three sections: the proposition James 2:16-17; the argument James 2:18-25; and the concluding statement James 2:26. In short, real faith will bring out works proving our salvation, but one can not work for their salvation.
  5:1 the door handle to Christianity      
Rom 5:1
  Therefore: for Paul in Romans this is a stop sign for the reader. Stop and look back at what has lead to this point. Chapters 1-4 have lead to the HUGE words that follow this (the rest of verse 1) and prepare the heart and mine for vv 1-11 of this turning point chapter. Chapter 1 looks at the total sin based foundation of mankind and that there is no excuse for not knowing that God is, Chp. 2 the believer is not saved just by knowing the One True God, their knowledge will be of no use if they stop listening to God and turn their backs on His revalations. Chp 3 the picture and price of sin and man's nature, also the first ray of Light brought by the birth, life, death, and resurection of Jesus. Chp 4 the story of righteousness as gift from God, a free gift not earned, not worked for, given thru the Cross. THEREFORE. we have chapter 5 verse 1 and all the way to the end of chapter 8 the why and how of our Salvation. Always remember the best Theology course in this world is the Book of Romans.
  Take Your Holy Spirit from me?      
Ps 51:11
  "No believer of the present Church Age need ever pray, 'Take not thy Holy Spirit from me'; for Christ promised His own that the Spirit would 'abide with you forever' (Jn. 14:16; compare Eph. 4:30). But it is always proper for the Christian to pray that he may be conformed to the conditions essential to the full ministry of the Spirit." (note at Ps. 51:11, New Scofield Reference Bible, 1967, Oxford University Press) "In the O.T. economy, the Holy Spirit was particularly related to service, rather than salvation...Here David is asking God not to take away his service as the anointed king of Israel..." (p. 846, The Ryrie Study Bible, 1976, 1978, Moody Press)
  Can anyone give me more reasons?      
Bible general Archive 1
  More Reasons .. ok

1.Not one of the apocryphal books is written in the Hebrew language, which was alone used by the inspired historians and poets of the Old Testament. All Apocryphal books are in Greek, except one which is only in Latin.

2.None of the apocryphal writers laid claim to inspiration.

3.The apocryphal books were never acknowledged as sacred scriptures by the Jews, custodians of the Hebrew scriptures (the apocrypha was written prior to the New Testament). In fact, the Jewish people rejected and destroyed the apocrypha after the overthow of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

4.The apocryphal books were not permitted among the sacred books during the first four centuries of the real Christian church.

5.The Apocrypha contains statements which not only contradict
the "canonical" scriptures but themselves. For example, in the two Books of Maccabees, Antiochus Epiphanes is made to die three different deaths in three different places.

6.The Apocrypha includes doctrines in variance with the Bible, such as prayers for the dead and sinless perfection. The following verses are taken from the Apocrypha translation by Ronald Knox dated 1954:

Basis for the doctrine of purgatory:

(2Maccabees 12:43-45), 2.000 pieces of silver were sent to Jerusalem for a sin-offering...Whereupon he made reconciliation for the dead, that they might be delivered from sin.

Salvation by works:

(Ecclesiasticus 3:30), Water will quench a flaming fire, and alms maketh atonement for sin.
(Tobit 12:8-9, 17), It is better to give alms than to lay up gold; for alms doth deliver from death, and shall purge away all sin.

Magic:

(Tobit 6:5-8), If the Devil, or an evil spirit troubles anyone, they can be driven away by making a smoke of the heart, liver, and gall of a fish...and the Devil will smell it, and flee away, and never come again anymore.

Mary was born sinless (immaculate conception):

(Wisdom 8:19-20), And I was a witty child and had received a good soul. And whereas I was more good, I came to a body undefiled.

It teaches immoral practices, such as lying, suicide, assasination and magical incantation.
No apocryphal book is referred to in the New Testament whereas the Old Testament is referred to hundreds of times.

Because of these and other reasons, the apocryphal books are only valuable as ancient documents illustrative of the manners, language, opinions and history of the East.
  Is this      
Rom 6:3
  No, you do not need to be "water" baptized to be saved. The word translated "baptized" (in most texts) literally translates as "immersed" which is to "completely dip, plunge under".

The 1 Peter 3:21 here equates “baptism now saves you” to “but an appeal to God for a good conscience - through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”. This word appeal is the action word in the phrase and has nothing to do with “water baptism (immersion)”. Baptism here is the same as the Romans 6 comments below.

Some Jews of that day "water baptized (immersed)" themselves as an act of spiritual cleansing, purification. This was a normal thing for a religious person to do. Sometimes this was done more than once a day. Note that the Ethiopian is likely Jewish: for he worships at Jerusalem. Nothing is said in the Acts passage that “water baptism” is required for salvation. This was not the message Philip preached. The Ethiopian requests to be baptized. Baptism was something a repentant person did, so this is completely normal for the day.

As for Romans chapter 6: This speaks about believers being "buried with Him through baptism into death". One needs to read the context of this passage to understand what Paul meant by this. I think it is clear that believers are alive in Christ through His death and through His death we are saved. The baptism or immersion here is a reference to being immersed in His death, not a water baptism. Reason being that if we are in Him, we will also be raised up from the dead just as He was. Paul is using a logical argument in this chapter speaking about the believer and sin. Notice how Paul connects the points of his argument throughout the whole chapter, too.

Also note that, in the gospels, John baptized with (in) water but Jesus baptized with the Spirit. See: Matt. 3:11-12; John 1:32-34; Luke 3:16.
  Can a believer lose his salvation?      
Luke 8:13
  Is it possible for redeemed people to lose their salvation (Luke 8:13)?
  Can one who commits suicide be saved?      
Mark 3:28
  Salvation comes through believing in Jesus. If you believe in Christ, but are brought to a point of despair where you killed yourself you would still be saved. This would not be the common course for a believer, but it could theoretically happen.
  Can a believer lose his salvation?      
Luke 8:13
  If one is truly saved, he cannot lose his salvation. Read these words of assurance:

"But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe.
All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.
For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day."
(John 6:36-39)
  Once salvation is lost, it's always lost      
Heb 6:4
  " . . . logically v. 4 implies that if salvation were to be lost, it would be impossible for that person to be born again, lose it, and then be born again again. This much is clear: whoever openly and consciously rejects Jesus Christ is unregenerate even if he seemed to have been saved ealier." Whether he had lost his salvation or never had it to begin with, "either way, the result is identical." (note at Heb. 6:4ff, NRSV Harper Study Bible)
  Can a believer lose his salvation?      
Luke 8:13
  This verse does not imply that once you are saved you are always saved. Jesus says if you come to Him, He will not cast you out. It does not say that the person will still be saved if they renounce their salvation.
  Can a believer lose his salvation?      
Luke 8:13
  The question doesn't say anything about renouncing your salvation; by the way how would you do that anyway?
  Still not clear...would appreciate more      
1 Samuel
  Dear Cking_Hisface, Parents have been blind to their children's sin (and their own sin, for that matter) since Adam. See Proverbs and Deuteronomy for neccesity of discipline for their salvation and your testimony.
  Just as if I had never sinned?      
1 Cor 6:11
  'The term [justified]describes what happens when someone believes in Christ as his Savior: From the negative viewpoint, God declares the person to be not guilty; from the positive viewpoint, He declares him to be righteous. He cancels the guilt of the person's sin and credits righteousness to him.' (Zondervan NASB Study Bible, p. 1639) All this being true, it would be accurate to regard justification as a state in which my standing in the eyes of God is "just as if I had never sinned." Of course, justification by faith alone (Rom 3:28) does not give the justified one license to sin (Romans 6). The apostle Paul was falsely accused of teaching grace as a license to sin, as are many today who understand that SALVATION IS BY GRACE ALONE THROUGH FAITH ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE. "Salvation is conditioned solely on faith in Jesus Christ. Nearly 200 times faith, or belief, is stated as the single condition [for salvation] in the New Testament." (Ryrie Study Bible, Moody Press) Guilty feelings or memories have nothing to do with it; the fact remains "we are justified by faith apart from works of the Law" (Rom 3:28 NIV).
  COULD A BELIEVER LOSE THEIR SALVATION?      
Hebrews
  COULD A BELIEVER LOSE THEIR SALVATION?
  COULD A BELIEVER LOSE THEIR SALVATION?      
Hebrews
  See notes on Luke 8:13 and Hebrews 6:4
  Can a believer lose his salvation?      
Luke 8:13
  How does a "saved" person "renounce" his salvation? It's not common for a saved person to blaspheme the Holy Spirit, is it? If a "saved" person renounced his salvation, it would only demonstrate that he had never been saved to begin with. Since when does the omnipotent Jesus save someone only to have them cast off what He has predetermined to do for them since the beginning of time?
  COULD A BELIEVER LOSE THEIR SALVATION?      
Hebrews
  Also try searching existing q and a's for "salvation".
  Just as if I had never sinned?      
1 Cor 6:11
  Though I concur with JVH0212 that Jesus has declared the believer righteous, I must add that this 'point of salvation' sinlessness is academic. We are not free from self, sin, temptation or the 'spirit of the age' until the Lord returns and restores us to a pre-Adam state through resurrection. You might say that we have won the (eternal) war, but the (present) battles rage on daily. Except Jesus, no one I am aware of is without sin. Even the patriarchs and the apostles had their failures. We are to pursue righeousness, and hope in it, not claim it falsely. If the church were truly made up of sinless people, there would be no divisions, no 'backsliders,' no problems at all. If we say, "Those troublemakers are not counted as righteous, they are hell-bound," there wouldn't be anybody in the church at all. I know that I won't 'cast the first stone.' This said, I stand by my first answer. For the present time, there is no sinlessness. Anyone who lays claim to present perfection is living in denial.
  Take Your Holy Spirit from me?      
Ps 51:11
  THE HEBREW WORD USED HERE IS VERY CLEAR.Qodesh AND MEANS DONT REMOVE YOUR SACREDNESS , OR YOUR CLEANSING POWER FROM ME.WE KNOW THAT WE ONLY CAN DO NOTHING OF OURSELVES BUT NEED HIM TO DO THAT WHICH IS GOOD.IT IS HIS HOLY SPIRIT THAT MAKES US CLEAN NOT OURS.AS WE SEE IN VERSE 10 ONLY HE CAN GIVE A NEW HEART.VERSE 11 HE DOSENT ASK FOR HIS SALVATION ONLY A NEW ATTITUDE VERSE 12 DAVID ASKED FOR THE JOY OF HIS SALVATION BACK NOT HIS SALVATION. IF THE LORD TOOK HIS SPIRIT FROM US WE WOULD CEASE TO EXIST.DONT KNOW WHAT YOUR FRIEND WAS TALKING ABOUT.HOPE THIS HELPS LOVE YOUR BROTHER IN CHRIST RC.SCROLL
  Predetermined or Free Will      
Luke 8:13
  I have a couple questions with what you stated.

1: Where does it say that Jesus is omnipotent? Jesus says in Mat 24:36 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father." If Jesus were omnipotent as you say, He would have known the day and hour.

2: God has predetermined that his plan of salvation will be carried out. This does not mean that he has predetermined who will and will not be saved. God wants everyone to be saved (If you need several versus to back this up, let me know). He provided the means for that to happen through the death and ressurection of Jesus. It is our choice whether to accept his Gift or not. From the very beginning, Adam and Eve made the choice to eat from the tree of knowledge even after God told them not to. In Josh 24:15, "But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... In 1 Kings 18:21, the worshippers at Mt. Carmel were invited to choose that day whom they would serve, either Baal or God. In Isaiah 5:20, the people were certainly capable of choosing between good and evil. Why are we given the warning in Matt 7:15 ("Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.") if we were predestined to be saved or not? Matt 7:21 says that only the people that choose to do the will of God will enter Heaven. Luke 13:3 tells us that unless we repent (our choice), we will perish. Matt 19:23-24 says that it is harder for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. If we were predetermined, then wouldn't it be just as easy (or hard)? John 3:16 ...whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. In John 7: 17-18, If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself... In Romans 1:17-32 is clear that man has chosen evil and is not predetermined to do so. Heb 9:27-28 tells us that we are to face judgment when we die. What would be the need of a judgment if we were predetermined. There are many more versus that talk about our choice which I will post if needed.

3: To renounce your salvation would be to turn your back on God, to no longer believe or accept his Gift. To no longer follow the teachings of Christ. Granted, you could always say that person wasn't really saved then. But then what would you say would have happened to that person if they died prior to that drastic change? And if you say that the person must not have been chosen by God to be saved and was only fooling themselves when they truely believed in Christ and thought they were saved then can you say for sure that anyone is saved? Did Jesus die for everyone or just for a select few? I can show you several versus that show that He died for all, can you show one that says otherwise? Then if Jesus did die for all, how could there be some that God predetermined not to be save?
  Predetermined or Free Will      
Luke 8:13
  "Election is the act of God whereby in eternity past He chose those who will be saved. Election is unconditional, because it does not depend on anything outside of God, such as good works or foreseen faith (Romans 9:16). This doctrine is repeatedly taught in the Bible, and is also demanded by our knowledge of God. . . .
No sinner can ever make the first move in the salvation process. This is what Jesus meant in John 6:44, when He said, "No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him."
. . . Ephesians 1:4-5,11 reads, "Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will . . . also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will." . . . (www.gty.org(slash)IssuesandAnswers(slash)archive(slash) See this website for more information on the Bible doctrine of election.
  How do you then interpret the verses...      
Luke 8:13
  How do you then interpret the verses I listed (and the many others) that talk about "our choice"? I've talked to other Calvinists and they all ignore the verses about our choice in the Bible and quote out a few verses that can be interpreted to fit their needs. The "Free Will" theory holds up throughout the Bible while the "Predestined" theory holds up only in a few parts of the Bible and each of these parts can also be interpreted using the "Free Will" theory.
----------------------------------
You mentioned John 6:44. I agree that no sinner can make the first move in the salvation process. Fortunately, God has already made the first move through Jesus. It's now up to us to accept this. Also, if you put John 6:44 in context and read the entire section, you'll see a whole different meaning. John 6:38-40 - tells us that Jesus is sent to do the Father's will which is that EVERYONE who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life. John 6:44 in simply saying that no one is going to Heaven unless God Allows it. God wants everyone to be saved (this is backed up by other verses I'll supply if needed). John 6:45 "...EVERYONE who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me." It doesn't say "only those I choose will come to me" John 6:47 "I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life." John 6:51 "...This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." He's saying that he will give his life for the world, not a elect group in the world.
-------------------------------------
Eph 1:4-5,11. Again, put it in context. God predestined us as a whole not a group to have the opportunity to be saved. When it talks about us being predestined for foreknew, it's talking about God's plan - that through Jesus we can be saved. When it talks about the Elect, that's simply another way to talk about the people that have accepted Jesus. Today, we use the terms Christian, born-again, believers, etc... Back to Ephesians, at the end of chapter 1, Paul tells them that they were included in Christ when they heard the word of truth, the gospel of their salvation. In other words, when they heard about Jesus, they were included in God's plan. Paul next states that "Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,..." Notice the "Having believed" -- this implies that they had a choice to believe or not.
------------------------------------
A couple other question to ponder: If God chooses only some people to be saved and not others and we have no control over that then why did Adam and Eve eat the fruit? Why did God flood the world to remove all the evil people? Why did Jesus have to die for our sins? If God decides alone who will and will not go to Heaven, why did these things (and others) happen? But if God wants everyone to be saved, but through his great love allows us to make the choice, then these things are easily explained.
  Do you believe once save, always saved.      
Luke 23:43
  If God could strip us from our salvation, then why is Jesus Christ a free gift? That is a slap in the face to the death of Jesus Christ. When Jesus Christ gave up his last breath he said it was finished. Quit asking Him to die a death over and over again just because you slip and sin.
  How do you then interpret the verses...      
Luke 8:13
  I want to thank you for the dialogue we've been having. I do appreciate your views and I hope I can be of some help. Of course, the Calvinism vs. Arianism debate has been raging for centuries. It is said that every Christian believes in Election; but not every Christian defines Election in the same way. Because of the length of my answer, I will send this in 2 parts.

. . . WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH ABOUT ELECTION?
Election is the act of God whereby in eternity past He chose those who will be saved. Election is unconditional, because it does not depend on anything outside of God, such as good works or foreseen faith (Romans 9:16). This doctrine is repeatedly taught in the Bible, and is also demanded by our knowledge of God. To begin with, let's look at the biblical evidence.
. . . The Bible says prior to salvation, all people are dead in sin-- spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1-3). In this state of death, the sinner is utterly unable to respond to any spiritual stimulus and therefore unable to love God, obey Him, or please Him in any way. Scripture says the mind of every unbeliever "is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God" (Romans 8:7-8, emphasis added). That describes a state of total hopelessness: spiritual death.

. . . The effect of all this is that no sinner can ever make the first move in the salvation process. This is what Jesus meant in John 6:44, when He said, "No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him."

. . . This is also why the Bible repeatedly stresses that salvation is wholly God's work. In Acts 13:48 we read, "And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed."

. . . Acts 16 tells us that Lydia was saved when, " . . . the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul."

. . . Romans 8:29-30 states, "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified."

. . . Ephesians 1:4-5,11 reads, "Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will . . . also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will."

. . . Ephesians 2:8 suggests that even our faith is a gift from God.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:13, the apostle Paul tells his readers, "God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation."

. . . Second Timothy 1:9 informs us that God "has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity."

. . . (article by John MacArthur at www.gty.org - listed in Issues and Answers archives) To be continued in next message.
  How do you then interpret the verses...      
Luke 8:13
  WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH ABOUT ELECTION? (continued from previous message)

Occasionally someone will suggest that God's election is based on His foreknowledge of certain events. This argument suggests that God simply looks into the future to see who will believe, and He chooses those whom He sees choosing Him. Notice that 1 Peter 1:2 says the elect are chosen "according to the foreknowledge of God the Father," and Romans 8:29 says, "whom He foreknew, He also predestined." And if divine foreknowledge simply means God's knowledge of what will happen in advance, then these arguments may appear to have some weight behind them.

But that is not the biblical meaning of "foreknowledge." When the Bible speaks of God's foreknowledge, it refers to God's establishment of a love relationship with that person. The word "know," in both the Old and New Testament, refers to much more than mere cognitive knowledge of a person. Such passages as Hosea 13:4-5; Amos 3:2 (KJV); and Romans 11:2 clearly indicate this. For example, 1 Peter 1:20 says Christ was "foreknown before the foundation of the world." Surely this means more than that God the Father looked into the future to behold Christ! It means He had an eternal, loving relationship with Him. The same is true of the elect, whom we are told God "foreknew" (Romans 8:29). That means He knew them--he loved them--before the foundation of the world.

If God's choice of the elect is unconditional, does this rule out human responsibility? Paul asks and answers that very question in Romans 9:19-20. He says God's choice of the elect is an act of mercy. Left to themselves, even the elect would persist in sin and be lost, because they are taken from the same fallen lump of clay as the rest of humanity. God alone is responsible for their salvation, but that does not eradicate the responsibility of those who persist in sin and are lost--because they do it willfully, and not under compulsion. They are responsible for their sin, not God.

The Bible affirms human responsibility right alongside the doctrine of divine sovereignty. Moreover, the offer of mercy in the gospel is extended to all alike. Isaiah 55:1 and Revelation 22:17 call "whosoever will" to be saved. Isaiah 45:22 and Acts 17:30 command all men to turn to God, repent and be saved. First Timothy 2:4 and 2 Peter 3:9 tell us that God is not willing that any should perish, but desires that all should be saved. Finally, the Lord Jesus said that, "the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out" (John 6:37).

In summary, we can say that God has had a special love relationship with the elect from all eternity, and on the basis of that love relationship chosen them for salvation. The ultimate question of why God chose some for salvation and left others in their sinful state is one that we, with our finite knowledge, cannot answer. We do know that God's attributes always are in perfect harmony with each other, so that God's sovereignty will always operate in perfect harmony with His goodness, love, wisdom, and justice.


For further study:
John MacArthur, The Love of God (Dallas: Word, 1996).
J. I. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1961).




© 2000 Grace to You

. . . (article by John MacArthur at www.gty.org - listed in Issues and Answers archives)
 
To See More, Click Here...
 
 
Search
Word(s) or ID#

   
Advanced Search

Get Bible Text
New Bible Window
Translation:


Search Range:

Search word(s):

   
Translation:

Book Chapter:verse

More Online Resources

 
 
 

The Lockman Foundation does not pre-screen Postings.
Postings are the opinions of others and may or may not represent a commonly held view.

StudyBibleForum.com copyright © The Lockman Foundation 2001
Permission to quote guidelines. Report problems to studybibleforum@lockman.org

Gospel Communications Alliance Member

Study Bible Forum