Believers need to understand the Truth

[Philip James]

OK I AM NAKED!! I ADMIT IT! WHO TOLD ME? YOUR SINS TOLD ME! IF I CAN SEE YOUR PERSONAL SIN IT HAS TO BE WITHIN ME!!!

NAKED, NAKED, NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKEEEEEEED!!

And God said that it was good....

I'm naked right there beside you brother, trembling under the gaze and overwhelming love of the Most Holy...

Who can stand!

Son of David, have mercy on us.

 

[atpollard]

Let's just take this one:

1 Peter 3:8-13
To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. For, "THE ONE WHO DESIRES LIFE, TO LOVE AND SEE GOOD DAYS, MUST KEEP HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL AND HIS LIPS FROM SPEAKING DECEIT.

The above is stating that THE ONE WHO DESIRES LIFE, MUST keep his tongue from evil and also be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted and humble in spirit.

Do YOU desire LIFE? Then you must do all of the above, and more.
THIS is cooperating with God,,,when you DO what God wants you to do.

Now show me a verse that states we DO NOT have to do any good deeds.

First, a reminder of the actual point that I was making that you felt the need to correct me on ...

Our cooperation is CRITICALLY important as God TRIES to sanctify us? REALLY?

• [snip my verses on God DOING things]

GOD doesn’t TRY, GOD just DOES!

1 Peter 3:8-13 is a wonderful verse, but I don’t believe that an admonition to do good negates the OMNIPOTENCE of God and abrogates His promises to finish what He starts like Romans 8:29-30 where those foreknown end up glorified.

• Does God TRY to call those He predestined, or does God ACTUALLY call those He predestined?
• Does God TRY to justify those He called, or does God ACTUALLY justify those He called?
• Does God TRY to glorify those He justified, or does God ACTUALLY glorify those He justified?

Man is responsible for obedience ...

• [Jhn 14:15, 21 NLT] 15 "If you love me, obey my commandments. ... 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them."
• [Jhn 15:10 NLT] 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father's commandments and remain in his love.
• [1Jo 5:2 NLT] 2 We know we love God's children if we love God and obey his commandments.

However, God sets men apart (Sanctification) ...

• [Jhn 10:27-29 NLT] 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand.
  
• [Jhn 15:16, 19 NLT] 16 You didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. ... 19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.
  
• [Rom 9:23-24 NLT] 23 He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. 24 And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles.

 

[justbyfaith]

The free gift of righteousness is a practical thing in the life of the one who receives it:

Mat 5:6, Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Rom 5:19, For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

1Jo 3:7, Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

 

[GodsGrace]

First, a reminder of the actual point that I was making that you felt the need to correct me on ...

1 Peter 3:8-13 is a wonderful verse, but I don’t believe that an admonition to do good negates the OMNIPOTENCE of God and abrogates His promises to finish what He starts like Romans 8:29-30 where those foreknown end up glorified.

The point you always make is that God is omnipotent and that He keeps HIS promises. I don't negate this.

However no one can deny that IF we want to be saved, we must be IN CHRIST.
Being in Christ is our salvation...HE is the life's blood that give us eternal live.
The reason I posted 1 Peter 3:8-13 is because it shows that WE are to take the action it speaks of:
be harmonious
be sympathetic
be kind-hearted
be humble

It says that WE ARE to do the above.
It does not say that God is going to be those things for us.
This is where we differ. God is almightly,,,yes...but where does it state in the N.T. that HE is going to do everything for us or it takes glory away from Him?
I'd say that our obedience to God GIVES Him glory...

Galatians 2:20 tells us that the life we now live, we live in faith.When we live in faith, we glorify God. It's through HIM that we are ABLE to live in faith.
Jesus was humble to the point of death, and if we are to emulate Jesus, then we do the same.

IF God was DOING everything for us....WHERE would the glory be?
We know HE can do whatever He wants to do.....
The question is: Can WE do what God desires through the strength given to us by the Holy Spirit....If the answer is YES,,,then THIS is what gives God glory..the fact that the Holy Spirit empowers us and this empowerment is made visible to all.

• Does God TRY to call those He predestined, or does God ACTUALLY call those He predestined?
• Does God TRY to justify those He called, or does God ACTUALLY justify those He called?
• Does God TRY to glorify those He justified, or does God ACTUALLY glorify those He justified?

You're right of course.
God does not TRY to do anything...He DOES what He wants to get done.
Here's the problem: You speak of predestination.
God does NOT predestine those who will be saved.
God does NOT justify those who do not wish to be justified.
God does NOT glorify those who do not wish to be glorified.

The fact that you do not believe in libertarian free will causes you to have a damaged understanding of God.

We are not HIS PUPPETS.
God knew who would accept Him.
Romans 8:29 "FOR WHOM HE FOREKNEW" He did not choose...He only foreknew.

Romans 8:29 "HE ALSO PREDESTINED TO BECOME CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON." What was predestined was that we were to be conformed to the image of His Son. This is HOW we are saved...NOT WHO is saved.

Romans 8:30 "WHOM HE PREDESTINES, HE CALLED". Those that God FOREKNEW to be conformed to the image of His Son...God also called, as those that are called at the Wedding Banquet in Mathew 22. They were called...but they had the FREEDOM to LEAVE the Wedding Banquet. They were not FORCED to saty.

Romans 8:30 "WHOM HE CALLED, HE JUSTIFED". Those who STAYED at the Wedding Banquet were the chosen based on how they were clothed --- in Jesus.
THESE WERE JUSTIFIED. Because they WANTED to be at the banquet...they could have left.

Romans 8:30 Those who are justified, will also be sanctified and glorified..
IF they REMAIN IN CHRIST.

Man is responsible for obedience ...

• [Jhn 14:15, 21 NLT] 15 "If you love me, obey my commandments. ... 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them."
• [Jhn 15:10 NLT] 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father's commandments and remain in his love.
• [1Jo 5:2 NLT] 2 We know we love God's children if we love God and obey his commandments.

Please explain to me HOW man is RESPONSIBLE for obeying God...
IF it IS GOD who predestinates man to obey or not obey?
If God predestines EVERYTHING...then He also predestines WHO WILL OBEY
and WHO WILL NOT.

So how does THAT make Me responsible for my actions?
After all, I'M THE WAY THE POTTER MADE ME according to your theology.

However, God sets men apart (Sanctification) ...

• [Jhn 10:27-29 NLT] 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand.
  
• [Jhn 15:16, 19 NLT] 16 You didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. ... 19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.
  
• [Rom 9:23-24 NLT] 23 He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. 24 And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles.

Of course, what you've just said above makes no sense in your theology.
YOU are talking about eternal security --- which is all up to God anyway according to you.

And I do want to point out that in John 15:16 it means that the APOSTLES were chosen...

In your last point...
Romans 9:23-24 you state that God shows mercy to whom He will show mercy and some are prepared IN ADVANCE for glory...
THUS NEGATING all you said in the sentences just above.

Can you understand your conflicting statements?

You say we're responsible
and then you say we are NOT responsible.

Which is it?

 

[justbyfaith]

I find that in my own life, the love of God that is shed abroad in my heart is a constant and does not require me to activate it in order for me to live according to it. I find that it is something that abides in me so that I live according to it through no effort of my own.

He is the one who motivates me to live according to love.

Where is the glory in that?

All the glory goes to Him!