What I found interesting and I've had to ponder this in light of Hebrews 10:26-31, that unlike 1 John 1:9 where it is guaranteed you will be cleansed when you first come to Christ; after you are sanctified and sin, it is up to God if He will forgive you after you have repented. It doesn't appear guaranteed as some believe.
Both contexts that you cite begin with the conditional word "if". IF one chooses to willfully sin or IF one chooses to continue to confess his sins. IF one continues to confess his sins then it is certain to be forgiven. IF one choose not to confess (willfully sin) then it is certain his sin will not be forgiven. So forgiveness is not guaranteed regardless of what one does, forgiveness is conditional (if) one confesses.
Charismaticlady said:
22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.
God does not forgive
UNconditionally, one must first
conditionally repent and what God does (forgive or not) depends on what man chooses to do. Therefore "perhaps" God forgives
depends on what Simon chose to do, repent or not. One commentator put it this way "
IF PERHAPS"-This phrase doesn"t refer to some "unpardonable sin", and neither does it suggest that Peter felt that Simon"s chances for salvation were very slim. "Perhaps" is exactly what you would say to an individual with freewill. It leaves the door open for repentance or rejection. But there is no "perhaps" in the doctrine of Calvinism. If Simon was one of the elect then he would be forgiven. If he wasn"t predestined then all the repentance and prayer in the world could not help him." M Dunagan.
Now IF Simon chose to repent, then God would have certainly forgiven him as God (Who cannot lie) promises to forgive those who confess their sins (1 john 1:9). The "perhaps" God forgives depends on what Simon chooses to do, "IF" he chooses to confess or "IF" he chooses to continually willfully sin. (Hope this clears it up for you)
charismaticlady said:
Notice also in 2 Timothy 2:20-26 Paul is instructing us to not have these debates and become angry. I believe these are 2 Christians taking different sides of doctrine.
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, a]">[
a]sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. 22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. 24
And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
Verse 25 speak of those who oppose the truth, they are in a lost state but still not out of reach of God's saving grace. Hence they are to be instructed and "perhaps" (depending on IF they choose to heed what is instructed them) God will then permit them to repent.
Acts 11:18 "
Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." The word 'grant' here does not mean as Calvinists think that one can repent only if God 'grants' it to him. Such an idea takes away free will from man choosing to repent or not and makes God solely responsible if man repents or not. If one does not repent, then it is 100% God's fault.
But the idea of 'grant' is that God gave those Gentiles
opportunity to repent, it was up to their free will to choose to repent or not. Mark 1:15 why command men to repent if God alone determines if a man can repent or not? THe imperative to repent implies that men have both ability and responsibility to repent.
Also, in Acts 11:18 and 2 Timothy 2:25 God is speaking to groups (Gentiles and those who oppose the truth) and not an individual. Though God GRANTED Gentiles repentance does not mean God will save ALL Gentiles. We cannot apply to the individual what God has applied to the group. So Calvinists cannot read into this passage that God has unconditionally predetermined repentance to only certain individual Gentiles.
The idea is God granted
opportunity to ALL Gentiles but only those that choose to repent will be saved.
Phil 1:29 "
because to you it hath been granted in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer in his behalf:" Again, "grant" here means God has given men
opportunity to suffer for Christ, not forcing through predetermination only certain individuals to suffer for Christ.
It is God's preceptive will that ALL men choose to repent and God has granted, gave
opportunity, to ALL men to repent. 2 Peter 3:9. Again, repentance has been GRANTED to ALL, not just some.