The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Does God force men to sin?

This is an impossibility since God has eternally determined to save a specific number of people for Himself and infallibly secured their salvation in the sending of Christ Who made full atonement for them. We who believe the Scriptures to be inspired hold that there are no contradictions to be found in them. There are far too many passages which speak of the eternal security of TRUE believers to allow us to entertain such a notion. Let's take each one of these passages you have referenced (without any exegetical comment) to see what they actually teach.

1. Rom 11:22: Paul is speaking of two groups which is more than evident; Jews who were cut off due to their unbelief and Gentiles who at this time God had bestowed His goodness. The entire context is dealing with the inclusion of the Gentiles into the Church with a warning to them to not be presumptuous of that great blessing. What are we to make of the apodosis, "otherwise thou also shall be cut off"? What is not to be assumed is that any true individual believer can be cut off. Why? Because Paul had already established such in great passionate detail previously in the same letter, cf. 5:1, 8-10; 8:1, 29-39. See also Isa 43:1-3; 54:10; Jer 32:40; Matt 18:12-14; Jh 3:16; 5:24; 6:35-40, 47; 10:27-30; 17:11,12,15; 1Cor 1:7-9; 10:13; 2Cor 4:14, 17; Eph 1:5,13,14; 4:30; Col 3:3,4; 1Thess 5:23,24; 2Tim 4:18; Heb 9:12,15; 10:14; 12:28; 1Pet 1:3-5; 1Jh 2:19,25; 5:4,11-13,20; Jude 1,24,25.
2. Heb 10:26-29: The writer is addressing those who profess faith. This type of warning is found in myriad places in Scripture which warnings emphasize the individual's responsibility to continue in the faith they profess. There is, once again, no warrant to take this text as teaching that a TRUE believer can apostatize for it would contradict the myriad passages (noted above) that clearly teach otherwise. A professing believer is to persevere. One who fails to do so to the end will suffer damnation which therefore shows this person never had true faith.
3. 2Pet 2:20,21: Again, this text does not indicate it is being addressed to a TRUE believer but rather those who had heard the Gospel, had a change of mind/life and then turned back to their old ways, i.e. living in sin. Those who only have an external appearance of salvation do not have any real assurance of eternal life as they eventually show that they had no union with Christ. Cf. Matt 13:1-23; Mk 4:3-20; Lk 8:5-15.
4. 1Cor 9:27: Here Paul is warning those at Corinth specifically and to all who profess faith everywhere that the indolent and self-indulgent professing Christian has no reason to be assured of salvation. One cannot do as the Corinthians were want to do, i.e., they thought they could safely indulge themselves to the very edge of sin, while Paul considered himself as engaged in a life-struggle for his salvation; fighting the old man (remnants of the sin nature) within. He clearly states this battle in Romans 7:24,25. In short, one cannot expect to own an assurance of salvation when living a life of sin. Assurance is only given to those who fight the good fight against sin within and without.

You continue to make assertions without any evidence that such things are taught in Scripture. The phrase, "He chose us" is most always connected to Christ and unto salvation, e.g., "He chose us in Him [Christ]" (Eph 1:4; 2Thess 2:13; Deut 7:6,7; Ps 135:4; Isa 41:8; 42:1; Matt 11:25-27; Jh 10:16; Acts 13:48; Rom 9:23; 2Thess 2:13,14; 1Pet 2:9) There is NOTHING in any of these passages nor in the ones you keep referencing that speaks to believers "partaking in God's sovereignty"! God cannot divest Himself nor share His incommunicable attributes. This sounds more like Mormonism.

Please prove from Scripture that "Nature" is used as a synonym for "sovereignty".