Brian,
I never said that the offer was for everyone. I simply state that once shown we have a choice. Some people God gives faith to as an added gift to help them beleive. Some he reveals to directly so that they will not need the faith that He has not given to them. Faith by definition is belief in that which you have not seen... ie if you've seen god you probably don't need as much faith in order to believe that He is real. How much faith do you think Saul had? He did not beleive that Christ was God until he was shown. Thomas was similar. We do not all have faith. But we can all choose to believe once shown the truth.
It is not Idolic. It is not humanism. It is a fact which is supported by Biblical Truth.
Let's visit your version of reality. If God choses and we have no free will, then it is not up to us whether we are saved or condemned. Then we are not responsible. So why worry? Why beleive anything? If we are or not saved upon a whim then why be good at all? God's already choosen (before time presumably) so why bother? ...and you can't see why this belief is of Satan? PUUUU-LEASE! you might as well be a Taoist...
Clearly there is a thing called Stuardship. Clearly Stuardship entails choosing to be a good stuard. Clearly this ability to do with life what you want is Free Will. It is not Idolic to suppose that I am saving myself when I choose to follow Jesus. The following is are statements from Jesus' own mouth that supports MY statement of free will(and stuardship, and salvation):
Mark 8:34
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Mark 1:17
"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."
Matt 10:38
and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
Luke 9:23
Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Luke 18:22
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
John 12:26
Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
...How in blazes do you think this is done? by Godly intervention? NO SIR! It is by choice! God calls to many, but few heed the call... why? are not ALL his sheep. YES WE ALL ARE!!! According to you everyone(all His sheep... which IS EVERYONE as mentioned and used in scripture) is saved, and we both know this is not true according to Rev.
You would have me beleive that ALL men are not under God's dominion. Or if they are that they are not Chosen to be saved. If they are not Chosen to be saved then they may as well be satan worshipers. But you see, I do not believe this. And I do not beleive that men who are not called cannot be saved. I beleive that by choosing to follow Christ we can save ourselves in Christ and often save others JUST as Christ saves(see John 3:16). Otherwise why would He have even mentioned that anyone COULD FOLLOW HIM?
-hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
-maouse |
