Do we have a duty to believe? Is there some inherent merit in faith? We are commanded to believe, so this would also be a duty, that seems quite clear: Mark 1:15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” And faith is, in fact, […]
Category: Theology
But what does it mean to choose a group, as in “I choose those who choose me, to be mine”? That’s practically a tautology! As if a politician should say “I choose those who vote for me to be my supporters.” Now if the reply is that God chooses people for service, or for glory, […]
Is the choice God makes in election, choosing who will be saved, really God choosing those he sees will have saving faith when he brings his grace? We have to ask what the basis for God’s choice is, for Israel, for Esau, for Pharaoh (who wasn’t a nation!), and for others. For the reason Paul […]
Does God only enable faith? Does grace stop there, and then we make a decision? John 1:7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. Certainly grace does enable belief, and Jesus came to provide grace, required grace, without which we could not believe. But […]
Categories
Faith – Does it have a cause?
Salvation comes by faith, but does faith itself have a cause? Is faith the end of the chain? JAS 1:18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth… Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Faith has a cause! Hearing the word of Christ. Now […]
RO 9:19 One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?” First we should notice what Paul doesn’t say, he doesn’t say that men freely choose to sin, and thus God is just in condemning them. This is a perfect opportunity to give this reply, and solve […]
Categories
Does Jesus love everyone?
“So it appears, first, that God loves all in some ways (everyone whom he creates, sinners though they are, receives many undeserved good gifts in daily providence), and second, that he loves some in all ways (that is, in addition to the gifts of daily providence he brings them to faith, to new life, and […]
Does regeneration precede faith? John 5:24 I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. “He who believes has (past tense) crossed over from death to life.” And in the verses that seem […]
Categories
Limited Atonement?
Did Jesus only atone, on the cross, for those who would believe in him? Colossians 1:20 … and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. 1 Timothy 2:6 … who gave himself as a ransom for […]
Categories
Irresistible Grace
1 Corinthians 1:26-29 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame […]