The offer being extended to all, but rejected by many is evidence of the
pervasive sinful condition of man. It is the grounds for God's wrath in
judgment. Scripture reveals that we were once all in that same condition,
deserving that same punishment. All of us have sinned and come short of the
glory of God. Furthermore, all of us have rejected many forms of
revelation, including the proclamation of the gospel. Few indeed respond
positively to the gospel the very first time they hear it. Again, this is
only confirmation of our condition in Adam. As Paul tells us in Romans 3,
none of us were seeking God. Oh, I'm sure most of us were seeking benefits
that can only be actually given by God, but to seek the gift without the
Giver is idolatry.
At this point, if God did not intervene, all men would have remained
condemned, in fact doubly condemned because of having rejected both God's
commands and His Christ. But God is not passively awaiting the response of
those who are spiritually dead and disinterested in Him. He doesn't expect
His enemies to "change their spots." What He commands us to do, He enables
at least some us to do. "Who maketh thee to differ"? The difference
between us is neither a matter of what preachers we have heard or our
response to their message. The difference is something we have received
from God, something of which we cannot elevate ourselves above another
person.
GARY WEBB
----- Original Message -----
From: " Dean West" <ldw45@...>
To: <pastorsforum@...>
Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2007 10:15 AM
Subject: Re: [PastorsForum] Is there free will to unchoose God?
> Steve,
> Makes sense to me. Hopefully it is understood this is not the only rule I
> use in biblical interpretation.
> Obviously context, customs & thought forms, word meanings, literary form,
> divine revelation as a whole must
> be taken into consideration. Still the evidence is overwhelmingly on the
> side of a choice extended to every person,
> and based upon their choice eternity is decided for their soul.
>
> Yes I believe in the sovereignty of God and the free will of man. Can
> this
> finite mind ever understand and reconcile the two? No, not in
> this life.
>
> I shouldn't have mentioned my daughter, somehow I knew you would ask.
> Yep,
> its Reformed Presby......... but you have given me
> plenty of insight from past years reading your material, so I am mostly
> prepared to answer her .......so far!......lol.
>
> Dean
>
>
>
>
> .
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Steven G. Rockhill" <revrock@...>
> To: <pastorsforum@...>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2007 8:19 AM
> Subject: Re: [PastorsForum] Is there free will to unchoose God?
>
>
> Dean,
> To take your approach of setting "the few alongside the many" may get
> you results that you really do not want, i.e. a contradiction in
> Scripture. To just say well this many verses say this and this many
> verses say something opposite so the majority must be right, leaves in
> place that the few verses contradict the many. I have found it better
> to think in terms of restrictive and less restrictive. In this we use
> the restrictive as the guide. If you have two passages e.g. an "all"
> passage and then you have a "many" passage as there are in Scripture -
> you must be guided by the more restrictive sense as it indicates that
> sometimes "all" may not necessarily mean "all inclusive everyone without
> exception". This is really the only way to harmonize what would
> otherwise be a contradiction in Scripture. If you always took the "all"
> for granted and used that as a guide, then whenever you came across a
> "many" passage the contradiction would blare out at you.
>
> It is very possible that this does not make any sense - I am writing
> quickly as I am off to a presbytery meeting today. But hopefully this
> is at least something to think about. BTW what organization are your
> daughter and son-in-law involved - school, church or ministry?
>
> Peace,
> Steve
>
> Dean West wrote:
>>
>>
>> Derick & Steve,
>>
>> Your reasoning abilities and gifts of articulation are enviable to
>> this rather simple minded believer.
>>
>> The issue in discussion is especially interesting to me. My daughter &
>> son-in-law have begun attending an organization that teaches reformed
>> theology. We have had some interesting discussions. Personally I am
>> more concerned with what scripture says than an interpretive system
>> advocated by or named after a man, or a current theological hot issue.
>>
>> A basic rule I follow in studying a difficult issue, or a questionable
>> passage, _is to set the few alongside the many._ The following list is
>> what I would consider "the many" on God's invitation to salvation. It
>> seems the list overwhelms the few passages implying a limited
>> atonement or irrestable grace. As well, they imply a choice must be
>> made to accept or reject the offer of salvation.
>>
>> John 3:14-15 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
>> even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in
>> him should not perish, but have eternal life.
>>
>> Matthew 7:24 (KJV) 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of
>> mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built
>> his house upon a rock:
>>
>> Matthew 10:32 - 33(KJV) Whosoever therefore shall confess me before
>> men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But
>> whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my
>> Father which is in heaven.
>>
>> Matthew 16:25 (KJV) 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it:
>> and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
>>
>> John 3:15 (KJV) 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
>> but have eternal life.
>>
>> John 3:16 (KJV) 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
>> begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
>> have everlasting life.
>>
>> John 4:14 (KJV)
>>
>> 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall
>> never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a
>> well of water springing up into everlasting life.
>>
>> John 11:26 (KJV) 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall
>> never die. Believest thou this?
>>
>> Acts 2:21 (KJV) 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall
>> call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
>>
>> Acts 10:43 (KJV) 43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through
>> his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
>>
>> Romans 10:11 (KJV) 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on
>> him shall not be ashamed.
>>
>> Romans 10:13 (KJV) 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the
>> Lord shall be saved.
>>
>> 1 John 5:1 (KJV) 1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is
>> born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also
>> that is begotten of him.
>>
>> Revelation 22:17 (KJV) 17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And
>> let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And
>> whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
>>
>> Matthew 11:28 (KJV)
>>
>> 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will
>> give you rest.
>>
>>
>> To subscribe, send a message to: pastorsforum-join@...
>>
>> To unsubs
>> cribe, send a message to: pastorsforum-unsubscribe@...
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
> --
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> Pastor Steven G. Rockhill
> Lisbon Reformed Presbyterian Church
> PO Box 88
> Lisbon, NY 13658
> 315-393-9041
> revrock@...
> http://lisbonrpc.port5.com
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
> To subscribe, send a message to: pastorsforum-join@...
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