"Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. Acts 13:48 NKJV
Paul preached the gospel at Antioch in Pisidia and his sermon is recorded in the thirteenth chapter of Acts (Acts 13:13-41). The next Sabbath, almost the whole city came out to listen to the words of the Lord. The Jews were so disturbed by the nerve-breaking statement Paul made that the law of Moses cannot justify them, but the gospel of Jesus Christ can. "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses." (Acts 13:38-39 NKJV) No one can stand before the Holy God without being justified by the blood of Jesus Christ. All humans are thoroughly and completely inadequate to keep the law of Moses no matter how much they try hard.
The Jews stirred up the people not to listen to him any longer. "Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, 'It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.'" (Acts 13:46 NKJV) When they heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord. The next statement is a great revelation. As many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. This reveals what is really going on in the invisible realm, that is, how God works. It does not say they believed and then had eternal life. But it says the other way around. Those who were appointed to eternal life believed. Isn't that amazing?
When the words of the Lord was falling unto the hearts of the people, those who were elected and chosen before the creation of the world responded to the drawing of God by faith. Here, we can see the wonderful mixture of the divine activity of God and human response. The Father God is always drawing his people through the words of the Lord and His chosen ones are responding to the Father's love. This happens when we open and read the scriptures. If there is any encouragement, any comfort, any consolation, any joy, any gain while reading the word of God, then it is the evidence of responding to the Father's love because it overflows from the rivers of living water within. This is happening now and forevermore.
ELECTION IS NOT PRESELECTION
ReplyDeleteCalvinism teaches that a select few have been unconditionally elected for salvation, and that all others will spend eternity in hell.
The elect of God are those who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. The elect have not been individually preselected, by God, for salvation. All men have a choice to accept Jesus or reject Him.
WHY INDIVIDUAL PRESELECTION IS NOT GOD'S PLAN!
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
The gospel is the power for salvation to everyone. Preselection is not the gospel nor would preselection include salvation to everyone who believes.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
If you believe in preselection, then you have to believe that God wants the unselected to perish.
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men.
God's grace is not a preselection process. Grace is the opportunity for all men to be saved.
Hebrews 2:9 But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that the by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.
Jesus died for everyone. God did not limit nor preselect the number for whom Jesus died.
Romans 10:9-17...13 for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."......17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Faith comes from hearing the gospel preached. Faith does not come because it is imputed to a few preselected individuals.
Acts 17:30-31 Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."
Why would God call "all" men to repent, if men do not have free will?
Why will Jesus judge the world if only the preselected will be saved? Why would the preselected have to be concerned about judgment if they are unconditionally saved?
Acts 2:40 ...."Be saved from this perverse generation!"
Peter preached the gospel on the Day of Pentecost. Why would he tell them to be saved if they already had been individually preselected for salvation? They would have had no choice in the matter.
GOD DOES NOT UNCONDITIONALLY PRESELECT INDIVIDUAL MEN FOR SALVATION AND UNCONDITIONALLY SEND ALL OTHERS TO HELL.
God does not force preselected men to BELIEVE (John 3:16)
God does not force preselected men to REPENT (Acts 2:38)
God does not force preselected men to CONFESS (Rom. 10:9)
God does not force preselected men to be BAPTIZED (Acts 2:38)
ELECTION IS NOT PRESELECTION!
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