DW, The question should not be "Why does He not save all to the same salvation?" or "Why hasn't God chosen all?" no the more pertinent, greater and more mysterious question is "Why has God chosen me and Saved me, the wretched man that I am?". This is true grace and true love and ever so humbling to consider, "Why me Oh Lord? I would have never chosen you in sin but thanks to your grace and mercy alone I live through faith." Also this is the only true root of the security of the Believer - If salvation is God's work it will endure for ever - He will see to it. Peace, steve Pastor David Warner wrote: > In your theology, since a man has no choice and when God saved a man, why > does He not save all to the same salvation? Why do some of those saved once > believe they have a choice, some believe God saved them perhaps even again > their will (at first until they realize they are alive and repent) and some > think you can choose to be saved and then choose to not be saved and then > choose to be saved again? > > David Warner > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Derick Dickens [mailto:Derick@...] > Sent: Friday, January 21, 2005 4:38 PM > To: pastorsforum@... > Subject: RE: [PastorsForum] Elected to be like Christ > > > The problem with the accept mentality is that is only mentioned once in > the Bible and is not what is usually associated with coming to Christ. > More often the ideas of repent and believe are used. Thus, the idea > that we just accept the gift is not at all the concept being conveyed in > the Bible. I see is less as accepting Christ and more as being made > from being dead to alive which transforms us into repentant believers. > Acceptance does not deal with the major issues of infinite sin against a > Holy God. Thus, even in the jail illustration that the governor > "Pardoned" us, it left out the core of the Gospel. The core of the > Gospel is that we are thrusted into deep repentance towards God that can > only be done because God first caused us to repent. > > ------------------------------------ > Wallers Baptist Church > Pastor > derick@... > PO Box 95 > Partlow VA 22534 > tel: 540-582-5703 > mobile: 540-894-1772 > www.thedickensfamily.org > ------------------------------------ > > > >>-----Original Message----- >>From: Steven G. Rockhill [mailto:revrock@...] >>Sent: Friday, January 21, 2005 4:24 PM >>To: pastorsforum@... >>Subject: Re: [PastorsForum] Elected to be like Christ >> >> >>I am just using the words of Rev. Parton from the message that Jerry >>posted a while back. >> >>Peace, >>steve >> >>Pastor David Warner wrote: >> >> >>>The problem with your story is that we don't so much chose >> >>heaven as >> >>>we accept or reject the free gift He offers. DW >>> >>>-----Original Message----- >>>From: Steven G. Rockhill [mailto:revrock@...] >>>Sent: Friday, January 21, 2005 3:44 PM >>>To: pastorsforum@... >>>Subject: Re: [PastorsForum] Elected to be like Christ >>> >>> >>>DW, >>> There once was a very bad man who had died. He was so bad that >>>after he died he was bound in shackles (hands and feet) and >> >>placed in >> >>>a prison cell on a long table. They locked the prison cell >> >>door and >> >>>threw away the key. Then they sealed the prison entryway with >>>concrete so that no one could get in or out. Then they >> >>placed armed >> >>>guards in front of the prison on 24/7 watch. >>> Then Jesus came along and he walked past the guards. >> >>Jesus broke >> >>>through the concrete that had sealed the door and entered >> >>the prison. >> >>>Jesus opened the lock on the cell with out any key. Jesus >> >>broke the >> >>>shackles off the man's hands and feet. Then Jesus said to the dead >>>man >>>- "I give you new life". The man's heart instantly started >> >>beating with >> >>> life and he suddenly awoke and saw Jesus standing there. >> >>He looked at >> >>>his hands and feet and saw the marks where the chains, now >> >>on the floor, >> >>>had bound him. With great excitement he jumped off the table he was >>>lying on and ran out of the prison cell that had been >> >>locked and the key >> >>>thrown away. With great joy he stumbled over the rubble of >> >>the concrete >> >>>that had sealed the doorway. And then he bounded past the >> >>armed guards >> >>>and as he ran into the city with the warm sun shining on him and the >>>fresh air filling his lungs he shouted "Praise Be, Look >> >>what I've done!!". >> >>>This story is the logical conclusion to the "I chose >> >>heaven" theology. >> >>>Peace, >>>Steve >>> >>> >>> >>>Pastor David Warner wrote: >>> >>> >>> >>>>If the governor of a state should declare a pardon to all >> >>the guilty >> >>>>in his state prisons who receive his pardon by acknowledging their >>>>crimes, repenting of committing them, and ask the governor >> >>personally >> >>>>for release, then they could go free. Those who didn't >> >>believe it was >> >>>>real; those who were enjoying their present condition too much to >>>>even ask; those who would not acknowledge their crime, >> >>would remain in >> >>>>prison. The result is not a universal flinging open of the prison >>>>doors but a legitimate universal (state wide in this >> >>instance) offer >> >>>>of freedom to all who repent and believe. Now this is >> >>perhaps a poor >> >>>>illustration and will probably convince no one. It will at >> >>best get >> >>>>an "amen" from those who understand the Bible to teach a world-wide >>>>offer of salvation thru the completed work of Jesus Christ >> >>who Paid It >> >>>>All and an "oh me" from those who see it as a universal >> >>declaration of >> >>>>freedom for all prisoners. >>>> >>>>David W >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >>>-- >>>To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: >>>pastorsforum-unsubscribe@... >>> >>>"In essential things, unity; in non-essential things, >> >>liberty; and in >> >>>all things, charity." >>> >>>-- >>>To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: >>>pastorsforum-unsubscribe@... >>> >>>"In essential things, unity; in non-essential things, >> >>liberty; and in >> >>>all things, charity." >>> >>> >> >>-- >>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ >>++++++++++++++++ >>Pastor Steven G. Rockhill >>Lisbon Reformed Presbyterian Church >>PO Box 88 >>Lisbon, NY 13658 >>315-393-9041 >>revrock@... >>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ >>+++++++++++++++ >> >>-- >>To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: >>pastorsforum-unsubscribe@... >> >>"In essential things, unity; in non-essential things, >>liberty; and in all things, charity." >> >> > > > -- > To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: pastorsforum-unsubscribe@... > > "In essential things, unity; in non-essential things, liberty; and in all > things, charity." > > -- > To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: pastorsforum-unsubscribe@... > > "In essential things, unity; in non-essential things, liberty; and in all things, charity." > > -- ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Pastor Steven G. Rockhill Lisbon Reformed Presbyterian Church PO Box 88 Lisbon, NY 13658 315-393-9041 revrock@... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++