Like Satan himself, wicked men are eager to enslave God and to exalt themselves. They wish to place their feet on the neck of the Most High while he bows down to them in worship. For this reason, they would distort even the most basic and obvious biblical terms to accommodate their sinister aspirations. And so there are many who insist that God chooses men for salvation on the basis of their own decision to have faith in Jesus Christ, and that this faith comes about from their own free will. They rant on and on about how much they are able to do to liberate themselves. By the time they are finished, we marvel at the Tower of Babel and wonder why they would need Christ at all. Men are accustomed to self-delusion, but we know that no tower constructed by human hands can attain eternal life. The proposal is defeated even if the misuse of foreknowledge remains unchallenged. This is because the Bible teaches that faith is not something men can muster up at will, but that it is produced in men by God according to his decision and as a gift from him (John 6:44, 65, 10:26; Ephesians 2:8). Therefore, to say that God chooses individuals for salvation on the basis of foreseen faith becomes just an awkward admission that he chooses whomever he wishes apart from the peoples will and merit (Romans 9:16). --Vincent Cheung, vincentcheung/.../02/all-things-for-our-good/ --------------- Romans 9:16 (ESV) So then it depends not on HUMAN WILL or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. John 6:44-45 (ESV) No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— John 6:65 (ESV) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” John 10:26 (ESV) but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. Eph 2:8 (ESV) For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 13:52:44 +0000
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