Strange ??? - by whose Judgement:
The offer is sincere - the respondent cannot be sincere except God grant it by special intervention!
Romans 9:20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
Do you honestly want God out of control ?
Bruce:
If God has called you to repent.. do you stand and ask if you are chosen ? If God says come unto me do you ask am I called ? No man is judged merely out of God's ordination but they are judged according to works. All men by works fail. Well then - Who then can be saved ?
Matthew 19:25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
The disciple were ready to give up at this point.. and according to the flesh we need all give up !
=== YOU can have heaven... but you will not have it because of YOU ! ===
26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Jesus tell them that THEY cannot attain but not to lose Hope because with God anything is possible.
27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
Peter says "WE HAVE DONE EVERYTHING WE CAN"... not enough ?
28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Christ promises manifold reward in spite of the fact that their efforts are as dung in the eyes of God yet they are those who are indeed the called. They will not go unrewarded !
29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
Christ does not look down upon our efforts indeed if they please Him they are because they are wrought in Him and ordained of Him for our good. We can not GIVE to GOD ! God lacks nothing.. all of our giving is to ourselves in subtle ways. Christ Loves to Love through us ! Christ became man and had Compassion. Can you hear God's call.. harden not your heart or be punish ! Can you see God's truth.. think not that you are wiser than others but rather give thanks ! It is God who has made you all that you are and are not! You , Bruce , as any other man cannot operate in a realm where you ask *IF* you are chosen or written in the Book of Life !
You are not worthy to even look into it ! Rather we as mortal men must respond to the simple and plain ! Jesus has said " SEEK and you shall FIND " He said that to the Elect ! He has promised the wicked nothing... are you the wicked? Though your sins be as scarlet yet they shall be white as snow! Bruce these are the things of God. Do you so desire to see yourself glorified? You will lose. Do you seek the glory that comes only from above? You already have the gift, grow in it. Election is known by God's word but as to WHO is Elect or more importantly " am I elect" you can only PRESS IN !
I once had a fellow ask me very plainly ... " what do you do if your not sure God loves YOU ???
This was very very tight moment... this man had lost everything precious to him. He lost his wife ..his children.. his family... he had nothing left.. I say NOTHING !
How can you believe GOD loves you when that happens ?
At that point in life there remains a cross road...
I said that though God may hate you yet to believe that would be the end !
A man , to maintain life and hope, needs to operate on the "assumption" that God loves him and let anything else be a surprise or he would be destroyed for sure...
Mark5:27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
BRUCE... that is when " With God ALL THINGS are POSSIBLE is REALLY OWNED !
When you have nothing left but to beg... oh how sweet the mercy of Christ can be....
Psalms 106:4 Remember me, O LORD, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;
And again:
Luke 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
Could you hope for more than for The Christ to remember even you Bruce ?
30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
Do not kick at the works of God.. rather enter in at that narrow door....
Do we sit back and wait for God to reveal the Book of LIFE ?
Or do we beg and fight .....
Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
Do you have a "will" to seek heaven and to believe God..
Why kick and not thank God ?
Do you know the love of God or Hear His call to repentance ?
Why kick and not obey God ?
Will you end your days in heaven and eternal joy ?
Why not rejoice that He has called you and thank God ?
Will you rot and worry for the scoffers and the evil... go with them then.. they will never thank you .. they will only render evil for your kindness.
I am Saying !
1) All men are commanded to repent !
Only the elect will receive the true gift of repentance but all are commanded to try !
2) Men are not chosen by their works and only the chosen will repent out of a new and true heart !
In the flesh dwells no good thing !
3) Examples of repentance from scripture..
These men repented out of a suffering of consequence but not out of a purity of heart and a sincere hatred of sin and agreement with God concerning truth. EVERY GOOD GIFT comes from above and is not to be found in the flesh of carnal and unregenerated man.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
From there you have two choices.. Get angry and fight God.
Wonder who will lose ?
Trust that God will not reject any who approach him in purity of heart and DRAW NIGH !
James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Another promise:
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Lastly:
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
That is pretty simple.. call upon God and get saved... am I elect ? Try calling.. can you call ? All the Elect will call by the power of God's Spirit of Repentance and Faith !
Strange beliefs ? Yes indeed strange according to the world but all too precious to those who have both known and believe !
John 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world , but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Forget justifying Christ's Plan of redemption to the world.. The world hates Christ... Do YOU see the DOOR ?
GO through it and forget the world..
1 Corinthians 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
Strange beliefs... indeed.. and I hope most strange as long as they are pleasing to Him who hath called me.
1 Cor 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
Strange beliefs indeed.. not of myself of a certainty but a gift :-}
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. |
