Question.
I
ve been talk to a Calvinist who says the If God has chosen a person to be he's saved, but if He hasn't chosen a person to be saved, Then he isn't.
My question is , to you or @Preacher4Truth here.
How do you ( Calvinists ) share the Gospel and find out IF a person is destined to be one of the saved ones.[/QUOTE]
1]
God has revealed His eternal purpose to the Church, Eph 3;9-11
9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery,
which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
11
According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
Now here is what many do not understand or take the time to "see" Helen.
God has explained that He has elected a multitude of sinners, that Jesus is going to seek and to save....EZk.34, luke 19,
The thing is He has not told us who they are! So we are told to go into all the world and preach to all men everywhere. We know all men are sinners, so we can faithfully proclaim that :
The Lord Jesus Christ has come to save a multitude of sinners.
The Father has given a multitude of sinners to the Son.
At a point in time each and everyone given to the Son, will come to Jesus, not one will be lost.
Jn6;37-44, John10:26-30
watch;
37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
So we preach a full gospel that Jesus saves a multitude of sinners that he died a Covenant death, and each and everyone who comes will be saved from sin and co-heirs with Christ by new birth.
jn10:
26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
30 I and my Father are one.
If God has chosen someone here to be saved ( to be a Calvinist) why don't you guys seem to try and get them to se the truth...why only tell people that they are not chosen to be saved? How do you know?
Again, we know God has elected a multitude, but we do not know who...look here in Acts 18;
Watch how God explains this very thing to Paul;
5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia,
Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.
6 And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean; from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.
7 And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.
8 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.
9
Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:
10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.
11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
Helen notice in verse 10, The Lord explains to Paul...For I have much people in this city...notice he does not say, all may believe. He says clearly I have MUCH people in this city.[not all]
Jesus knew exactly who and how many would be saved by the preaching and teaching, but not all.
He did not tell Paul who, or how many would be saved...do you see it?
God had elect sheep who were still children of wrath by nature, but as Paul preached the truth, The Spirit would draw them savingly to Jesus.
We pray and go forth in like manner presenting the truth of Christ to all persons.
No gimmicks, no tricks, no gospel clowns,and rock music.
No..the word preached and taught accompanied by the ministry of the Spirit of God.
This is not a 'tongue in cheek 'question but a genuine question. I don't know how you believe about that.
I personally look to obey Jesus. I pray for opportunities to obey Jesus every day and with every person that comes in contact with me. You think we are being harsh with Jane Doe22, or others, but that is not so. We desire for her and everyone on here to believe the true gospel of the true and living God.
Helen, if a person is believing in a false god, the FALSE god has to die, before the true God can be discussed or worshipped in Spirit and truth,do you agree? consider psalm 115;
Using Jone Doe for instance, how would you know whether she is destined to chosen to become a Calvinist , say in a year or so?
We do not know, so we continue to interact with her. I am hopeful for her, in that she leans away from the core LDS teaching a bit, but is still in it's clutches.
We are working toward her salvation or her damnation;
2cor2: very sobering words-
14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ,
in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
16
To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
I see Calvinists tell people how wrong they are , I can't remember seeing any of you ever trying to turn us from error, to what you believe to be correct belief.
So how do you share your truth with others?
Let me say it this way....
Helen we live in a day where many churches have departed from sound doctrine.
When we see it, the reaction is like Paul in acts 17;
16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens,
his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.
Your post and your good questions are what is necessary to promote solid biblical interaction. As a group, we come across as hard, or short with people because often, people just launch into an all-out attack, without interacting first.
They present a twisted caricature of the teaching and profane the truth of God.
you are taking the time to ask solid questions.
I will answer any and all such questions as we are to be faithful to the scriptures.
I hope this is somewhat helpful. If I am not clear or you have follow up questions, by all means, ask anything you want. The truth delights to be investigated.