Kermos
Well-Known Member
"you did not choose Me, but I chose you"I have gone back through most of these reply’s and nobody is mentioning anything about the church. We cannot have a talk about election and not talk about the church.
Here’s why...
The church was a part of the eternal purpose of God before he even created the world.
Ephesians 3:9-11
...snip
(Jesus Christ recorded in John 15:16)
"But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."
(Jesus Christ recorded in John 3:21)
"This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent."
(Jesus Christ recorded in John 6:29)
"apart from Me you can do nothing"
(Jesus Christ recorded in John 15:5)
"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."
(Jesus Christ recorded in John 14:15)
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away."
(Jesus Christ recorded in Matthew 24:35)
"For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother."
(Jesus Christ recorded in Matthew 12:50)
"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; [that is] the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, [but] you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans"
(Jesus Christ recorded in John 14:16-18)
"Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn [bushes] nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven [will enter]. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and [yet] it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell ? and great was its fall."
(Jesus Christ recorded in Matthew 7:15-27)
@CKNW3, it appears to me that you put man's works in front of God's works based on your words "God does not just select people to be in the church/body. Each individual has the opportunity to be obedient to the gospel message and be added to the church and become one of 'the elect'", and this quote from your post is not the only of your writings that leads me to perceive that you believe in the sovereignty of man instead of the sovereignty of God.
As I perceive your writings, your words imply choice by the creature in oppostion to the words of Lord Jesus in John 15:16.
As I perceive your writings, your words imply that you believe it is the power of men for obedience as opposed to properly attributing works to the fruits of the Spirit of God per Lord Jesus in John 3:21 and Matthew 7:15-27.
As I perceive your writings, you attempt to disengage the people of God from the people of God - this sounds confusing because it is circular reasoning - you wrote "The church was a part of the eternal purpose of God before he even created the world". God knows every single individual that is and will become part of the Body of Christ, the Assembly of God (see Matthew 25:34, Revelation 13:8)! On the other hand, you, in your arrogance, dare to declare that God does not know - in spite of the fact that God clearly states that God knows (see Matthew 25:34, Revelation 13:8)!!!
As I perceive your writings, your words convey that you claim to power to do apart from Christ that which Lord Jesus Christ said that people can not do (John 15:5).
I am saved from the wrath of God for I believe is Jesus my Lord whom the Father has sent (John 6:29)! I do the will of My Father who is in heaven (Matthew 12:50)! By the grace of God, the wretch that I am, God has mercifully chosen me. God recorded my name from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain (Luke 10:20, Matthew 25:34, Revelation 13:8)! The words of Jesus are of immeasurable value to me (John 14:15)! Jesus, my Lord and my God (John 20:28), is immeasurably and unspeakably valuable to me!