The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Gods Character??

Joe,

You are contradicting yourself AND the historic understanding of this topic, of which you seem to have little regard as if those who wrote, e.g., the Canons of Dordt had less knowledge of the Bible than you do. Yes, the Holy Spirit regenerates, transforms, resurrects the dead soul. All these terms indicate taking something that exists and changing it. When a dead body is resurrected it is not to be understood that a totally new, distinct body is given. The same body is given life. When Lazarus walked out of the tomb after having been dead for 4 days, it was the very same Lazarus who was once dead but was now alive. When the Lord Christ was resurrected from the grave, it was the one and same Jesus Who had been laid there. He had the same body but a "new" transformed body; not a totally different body. We could also speak of the "New" Heaven and "New" Earth, which is not a totally different heaven and earth but one that is first purged by fire and then renewed. Likewise, the "new" covenant is not a distinctly different covenant but one that is renewed, i.e., the one covenant administered differently. (Our Baptist brethren would of course adamantly disagree! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/giggle.gif" alt="" />) When the Scripture speaks of a "new" heart, i.e., the nature or soul of an individual, it isn't teaching that God creates another, completely distinct and different soul within man, but rather the soul/nature of man is transformed, given a new, totally different disposition. But the soul itself is "born again", given life, raised from the dead.

Secondly on this matter of "compel". Again I say, it means to exert a force to be sure. But NOT contrary to one's will, but rather in accord to the will. The unregenerate CANNOT be compelled to believe on Christ nor to even have any interest in Him. Regeneration must precede one being compelled to come to Christ, i.e., to be irresistibly influenced. But again, this compulsion is according to the new nature given in regeneration.

Yes, I am sure you could throw out a plethora of biblical texts, but I assure you that not one would show that man's will is violated. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/nope.gif" alt="" />

In His grace,