Amen!

Tony Powell Amen!!

Amen :)

Tony Powell Amen to that Brother!

Amen brother

I can be appreciative of that point; the story of lazarus is not explicitly used in scripture as an analogy for what God does in salvation. But death to lofe imagery is definitely biblical, which is why I don't think using the lazarus resurrection is an overstep. Read ephesians 1 and 2 to get some context, and then focus on 1:20-2:10. The main point of this passage is that in the same way, with the same power that God rose Jesus from physical death, he raises us from spiritual death. As you read, ask yourself, "Do these chapters present my salvation, and even faith itself, as something I contribute to what God has done, or something I'm given?"

alittlebitlonger199 I totally agree with you. Free will is the reason there are variations of believes all over the world. People refer to instances where in the Bible God influenced a person's will; e.g. Pharaoh in Exodus. Most people argue that in that context Pharaoh didn't have a free will, since the Bible says God hardened his heart. Well, it is true that the bible says that, but the question is, what does that statement really mean? God is always influencing human's will in every situation. This influence is through His Spirit. That still small voice to turn away from sin. But we always 'will' first and foremost to go in a specified direction and when we reject continually God's plea to turn from our wicked ways, He withdraws from us His Spirit and at that point the heart is hardened, never to repent. Because no one can come to the Son if God does not draw them. God's Spirit is the influence. Note here that God's spirit is that influence...the 'influence' that influences our 'will', if we will. Note again that while there are influences, (including God's influence and that of the devil's) we are completely responsible for how we choose to act towards these influences. And this brings to life that it is by grace that we are saved; it is a gift. However, we must will to be saved and will to accept this free gift. No wonder David prayed earnestly for God not to take His Spirit from him. God bless you all.

It's something called God's revealed will vs. God's secret will. For example, let's use what you brought up about God's will being that we all be saved. This is true because we find it in I Timothy 2, right? But scripture also says (over and over in various places in scripture) that there is a Hell, and people will be in it (in fact a vast majority of people will go to Hell). How can God's will be that no one would perish, but an all-powerful God isn't strong enough to see that everyone in all of history makes it to Heaven? If I Timothy 2 is correct and scriptures about Hell are correct either the Bible has contradictions or there are two types of God will... God's revealed will is what is shown in scripture (God wills no man to perish, we shouldn't lie, be immoral, sin or anything like that) and God's secret will is what actually happens (Christians lie, Christians sin and are immoral, and people end up in Hell.) There's resources available. If you say predestination cannot be true, neither can Christianity based on your explanation. Peace bro.

There must be predestination. We can debate what it means, but the Bible uses the specific term.

Denzel Peoples *God does not have a secret will CONTRARY to or in OPPOSITION to His revealed will.* Read that again and meditate on it. THE SPOKEN REVEALED WILL OF GOD is the one that is the truth and what is right because it’s His WORD which He’s given us and so we CAN TRUST IT. ...According to Isaiah 45:19 God has NOT spoken in secret that we should not know: ISAIAH 45:19 19 I HAVE NOT SPOKEN IN SECRET, in a dark place of the earth: I said NOT unto the seed of Jacob, SEEK YE ME IN VAIN: I THE LORD SPEAK RIGHTEOUSNESS, I DECLARE THINGS THAT ARE RIGHT. *There are indeed mysteries of God but His revealed word is not a mystery as He’s chosen to give it to us.* ISAIAH 48:16 16 Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I HAVE NOT SPOKEN IN SECRET from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me. ************************************ ...when reading John 6:40, 1 Timothy 2:4 and 2 Peter 3:9 we need to apply Isaiah 45:19 and know that He’s NOT speaking in secret. We also need to apply Deuteronomy 29:29 and know that this is His REVEALED WILL THAT WE MAY DO IT. ************************************ This is God’s REVEALED will that we can trust and believe because He’s NOT spoken in secret: JOHN 6:40 40 And THIS IS THE WILL OF HIM THAT SENT ME, THAT EVERY ONE WHICH SEETH THE SON, AND BELIEVETH ON HIM, MAY HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE: and I will raise him up at the last day. ************************************ This is God’s REVEALED will that we can trust and believe because He’s NOT spoken in secret: 1 TIMOTHY 2:4 4 Who WILL HAVE ALL MEN TO BE SAVED, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. ************************************ This is God’s REVEALED will that we can trust and believe because He’s NOT spoken in secret: 2 PETER 3:9 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, but that all should come to repentance. *********************************** *If God has another secret will that acts CONTRARY to His REVEALED WILL then we could never trust anything He said and we could never believe anything in His word.* We know that God speaks truth and we know that He does not lie. What if God says do not kill as part of His revealed word to us but secretly He wants us to kill??? We could apply this to everything! What if God in the bible says He’s the Son of God but secretly He’s not??? *If you believe God’s revealed word is CONTRARY to what He keeps secret from us then you have absolutely no basis to trust anything in scripture because God could secretly be desiring something else!* The fact is God’s word HAS BEEN REVEALED to us so we CAN KNOW and as a result we will be held accountable and be without excuse. We will be judged by every Word in the scriptures which is why it is not a mystery. God won’t judge us for something that’s a mysterious secret will past finding out. There are indeed mysterious secrets of God past finding out but His REVEALED WORD is not one of them. That’s why He wants us to read and meditate on His word so He can in fact show us great and mighty things. *IF WE CAN’T TRUST GOD’S WORD THEN IT CAN IN NO WAY BE OUR AUTHORITY because we would never really know what God was saying or if He was secretly saying the exact opposite.* *It’s the devil himself that doesn’t want us to know.* God on the other hand desires that we know everything He’s revealed to us.

I suggest you read Ephesians 1 and Romans 8-9 in the KJV in proper scriptural context it should really open your eyes about reformed theology

Eddison Thomas Romans 9 has nothing to do with salvation. Look at the referenced old testament scriptures in Romans 9. Paul is talking about the Jews and why God chose them as His chosen people.

Shannon Chiles hey brethren God's blessings on you um the reason why I pointed to romans 9 is to draw reference to vs 14 to 23 where God takes action to glorify himself he shows mercy on whom he shows mercy the chapter really outlines God's sovereignty even down to the end of the chapter it out lines the process by which the gentiles received righteousness as opposed to the Jews. So I was just brining some clarity to the folks on why I chose romans 9 which is a very relevant scripture in the questions about Gods sovereignty. Have a blessed day brethren remember .......sola scriptura !!!!!

Eddison Thomas Yes God is truly Sovereign, but if the reformed theology is true, the Word of God is false. 2 Peter 3:9 "9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." If God predetermined who would go to heaven and who would go to hell, those he made as vessels of wrath cannot repent, they cannot be saved. Therefore, God does wish for some to perish, knowing that some cannot repent because they are not God's elect. 1 Timothy 2:1-7 "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man[a] Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth." To get around these scriptures, you would have to do some serious "deductive reasoning", which is a part of Sola Scriptura. Do not lean on your own understanding of the Word of God, or on the understanding of men like John Calvin. Rely on Jesus Christ! Allow Jesus Christ to teach you to truth of His Word, of God's Word by the Holy Spirit. Sit at the feet of Jesus in Spirit and learn from Him. Hold on the Jesus and trust in Him and no one else, not even yourself or your studies. God bless my brother in Christ and hold to the truth of Jesus Christ.

Shannon Chiles This can go on forever with no end because we would both have scripture to back up both our positions however like Jackie said in the vid I don't really refer to it as Calvinism due to the fact that truth excited way before john Calvin was born and I was seeking truth even before I knew who Calvin was honestly lol but to each his own understanding I respect your views...... may God continue to lead us into truth he loves us all

I am new to this and much of is sounds very contradictory... If God truly "desires all to come to repentance." Then he would take the blinders off of everyone, not just some? I mean even WE couldn't come to Him in repentance, He had to choose us and do it... If He chose everyone and did it for them then they would come to repentance too.. Very confusing

Billy Bob it is contradictory. Flee from reformed theology it’s unbiblical.

Look at what you just said, scripture "commands" many things that humans cannot do, then why command it? Why would God, the creator of everything, command us to do something that He knew we were incapable of doing. Come on man that just doesn't make sense and isn't scripturally accurate. You can't take certain scriptures and use those scriptures to make your point. No one said that we deserved it, but to say we are incapable of choosing God is FAR fetched. Even if David and Paul said "no man seeks God, no not one" that still doesn't prove that men are incapable of choosing Him. In context that scripture is simple saying that we are all sinners, not that we're incapable of choosing Him because we are in this state of inability. Joshua did say that the people were "not able to serve the Lord" in their present sinful state Repentance was in order. They were called upon to make a choice of the heart and turn from their evil ways. Joshua said, "throw away your foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel". Nowhere are we left with the impression that these people were all in a state of Total Inability from birth, innately incapable of yielding as Joshua commanded. Such an idea must be read into the text.

eyeamjt God commands all (saved & non) 2b sinless...yet none but Christ can obey that, yet He still commands it. And the impossibility of u or ne1 else to choose God is why it's so beautiful when by His sovereign grace & mercy He causes one 2 believe. So many don't know, it wasn't because of our will, effort, or desire (Rom 9:16; John 1:12-13), if u believe, it's because He caused you (James 1:18; Phil 1:29; John 6:44). titus35.com

Hey if this is how you came to Christ that's cool, but saying it's impossible for us to choose God just isn't biblical. You know how many scriptures there are that say the opposite. #butidigress

@@WatchShrewdTv yes, he commands many things that are impossible for us to do. He said, "Be perfect even as I am perfect." That seems pretty impossible. He gave us the 10 commandments and told us to follow them, and then Jesus came on the scene and told us even thinking about hating a brother or lusting is considered a broken commandment. Why does God do this? Because he wants us to see the impossibility of us reaching a standard high enough to save our selves. He gave us the law so that we might see our need for a savior. Not because he has any expectation that we can follow the law. There aren't scriptures that tell us we have the free will to choose. There just arent. There are TONS OF scriptures telling us that our salvation is God's choosing and it is to fulfill HIS will (Not our free will) starting with ephesians 1. But, all things are possible through christ. It is possible for yiu to "choose christ" Because he chose you first. He raised you from the dead and made yiu born again so you could choose him. That's why they gave the Lazarus example. There was nothing, NOTHING lazerus could do to become alive again. Why? He's was a dead man incapable of anything. There is nothing, NOTHING we can do to choose christ. Why? We are dead in sin incapable of anything including belief. Just like the power of christ had to raise lazerus, the power of christ raises us from our spiritual death. And THEN, once we are born again, we choose. So many people think that you belive and decide to follow god and then you are born again. Reformed theology believes God makes yiu born again and then you belive and follow God. It may happen in a split second, but you are born again first and ONLY God can do that. You can't make a choice if youre dead. If you think about it, that's a works based salvation. The work that you are doing is choosing to believe. It's something YOU did that somebody else didn't do. It makes your salvation a little bit reliant on what YOU do. It may only be .000005%, but it still is a works based theology

cheryl q can a dead man sin?

Also Judas

Its from the group Beautiful Eulogy

its from 116 click reach records the song is called "now they know" it's not beautiful eulogy

Oh sorry my bad,thanks. God bless

Both!

The type of grace you're talking about covers believers and in reformed theology we believe that God will perservere us to the end so there is no turning away from God and doing it with full conscience.

I'd have to disagree bro, haha. I was Arminian for all my life and it just didn't answer questions or make sense yo lol.

Whether reformed or not you believe that. If you believe the Bible and you believe God will be glorified in the end and you believe people will be in Hell, then God is glorified for people "burning in Hell for eternity". He's holy and just and the unholy and unjust will be punished for that. And we should rejoice in His glory. Not that we rejoice over people dying, but that's why we evangelize so people won't have to face that.

Whether reformed or not you believe that. If you believe the Bible and you believe God will be glorified in the end and you believe people will be in Hell, then God is glorified for people "burning in Hell for eternity". He's holy and just and the unholy and unjust will be punished for that. And we should rejoice in His glory. Not that we rejoice over people dying, but that's why we evangelize so people won't have to face that.

Exodus 9:12- "But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had spoken to Moses." God hardened Pharaoh's heart, yo.

read all of the situation. Read the totality of the situation. The more Pharaoh hardened his own heart the more Judicially God hardened Pharaoh's heart. Free will exists. Free will does not take away God's soveriegnty we wouldnt have free will without God giving it to us. Look at all of the passages on repent and believe in the Gospel. There is an implied action on the unbeliever. God saves through the Work of Christ on the Cross. We cant do the work we have to trust and put our faith in Chrit. We do have the ability to accept or reject. Look at the thieves on either side of Christ. One mocked one repented and belived in Christ and who he was. Or did God orchestrate that? If Calvinism is true, then why did satan rebel in the first place?

I'll try to reply to your comment in it's totality. Firstly, I think what you're saying is based off of a lot of assumption. When you read the passage in Exodus, it never says "The more Pharaoh hardened his own heart the more judicially God hardened Pharaoh's heart". It simply says, the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart. What you said is a little bit of a reach lol. Secondly, God's sovereignty, as a term, exists biblically. The Bible doesn't mention this so-called "free will". It's just not a concept the Bible addresses. It think that makes it not biblical, because you can't find it in the book. And I'm not saying that people don't repent and believe the Gospel, or even that humans don't play a part in our salvation; it's just that when you look at passages like Romans 8:28-39, Ephesians 1:3-14, II Thessalonians 2:13-14, II Timothy 1:9-10, and so many other places we see that God is calling us BEFORE the foundation of the world, chosen and set apart BEFOREHAND. These things are not just happening and taking God by surprise. He planned them. He planned for us to chose Him. A good reference to this is, again, the Egyptian Pharaoh. If we look at Romans 9:17-24, we see Paul saying about Pharaoh "“For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills." God hardened Pharaoh's heart; it's undeniable. But, why? Because He does what He wants so that His power might be proclaimed in the earth. God's glory is the purpose; God's sovereignty is how that purpose is manifested. (I also think this applies to your question about Satan.) Lastly, it's not about Calvinism or Arminianism or any theological persuasion being true; it's about God and His Son, our Christ being true. This is just some secondary theological talk that we have. I don't care about Calvin. I care about Christ, and seeing Him glorified.

BUT THAS AFTER PHORAH HARDENED HIS HEART FIRST READ THE PASSAGE BEFORE THAT ONE EXODUS 8:32And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.

@@Sheff313 in the text we see three things. God hardened pharoh's heart, pharoh hardened his own heart, pharoh's heart was hardened. You are assuming God hardened his heart BECAUSE pharoh hardened first. But Romans 9 uses Pharoh as an example of people that God soverignty created for wrath. That was his purpose. Just like Judas was purposed to sell Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. It was the plan of God for these men to be against God and it was his plan from the beginning. When speaking about Pharoh in Romans God says he makes some vessles for glory and others to wrath. Then he days he will have mercy on who he wants and HE will harden who he wants. You have to apply this scripture as a lens when your reading about pharoh in the old testement. Romans 9 is explaining it. How can you possibly deny that pharoh was created for destruction and God hardened his heart after reading Romans?

My friend, though I don't think Calvinism is true, I don't think you can claim that calvinists just haven't studied the scriptures enough. Some of the most respected theologians of this generation and past generations are/were calvinists. The debate can be had.

Ramon i think anyone that continues to live in sin on purpose doesn't love Jesus the way they claim.a real Christian wont hide behind predestination but will live their lives to glorify God...the issue is not with predestination

Believing in predestination is not an excuse to live in sin or not to glorify God. How can you come up with that yo? If I live my life to glorify God, and believe in predestination then where are you getting at?