Under John 1.11-13, those that received Him are not Jews of old, but all those who believe. Not because they were born again but because they believed, they were born again, not because they were Jews, because I am not a Jew, yet I believe. Birth does not preceed receiving for one can not be born until first one receives life to have new birth. That is true cause and effect that knows man and God. You can refer to this as "Biblical Psychology" for it accurately represents man and God. Calvinism is something else taking a different cause and effect in an unworkable situation saying nothing is really implementable because nothing is our part in this harmony of of obedience and authority just a one-way system like a person having a conversation with himself in a mental hospital. Thank God the true God is not like this. I wonder if a calvinist can go insane as one of these pretend figures in this insane God?<br><br>Eph. 2.1-5 That special favor is wholly of Christ, not of ourselves. The focus is on Christ, that though we were dead in ourselves, we could be made alive in Christ, not a deadness that could not receive Christ for look at me, I chose Christ out of and inspite of that deadness which all men can do if they hath an ear to hear by God's grace. In misreading this verse you take the deadness to mean that the grace of free will can not receive Christ and that is wrong, confusing the flesh for that which is made in God's image. There is a difference. For we are saved of the Spirit John 3.5-8. All that I have is because of Him, I know that now and I can boast of Him, not of my choosing or receiving Him, but that He allowed me that choice and that reception.<br><br>There is the will of the flesh and a will that is well pleasing to the Lord. Rom. 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not. This necessarily talks of a self-will and a will that is good. A will that is not its own, and a will that can please God if only it could. That idealized will you put down is authentic - a will in Christ the same will that chose Christ is the same will that be in a life that wins in Christ which is totally different than the self-will of the flesh for the sin of body is not the only kind of flesh for there is also the self of the soul, which includes self-will. Eph. 5.15-17 is understanding the will of the Lord and walking in that will with the self-will put to nought by the power of the cross. That which is odious to man and which is included in the dead nature is a self-will, not only in the unregenerated man but also the saved man who lives like a fleshly Christian, with a new life but still allowing his flesh and self-will to get the better of him, still needing to be put to nought on the cross. In 1 Cor. 4.7 let us no boast of that we have of our own, and so by the grace of God, it really is on in Christ Himself we can boast for He gives all. So let us not boast of being said that "God chose me, but not you" for that would be equally as bad priding oneself over others. <br><br>You asked me how did I choose? I choose by the grace bestowed upon me before the foundation of the world to receive or not to receive Him. It is very righteous of God not only to know that I would choose Him but also righteous of Him to allow me to refuse Him in that knowing whether I would choose Him so that there are things God is willing to let be so that that in that freedom, and in His knowing that choice that will be made, He will not touch because it was righteously unrighteous for Him to touch that which was made in His image. This leads to softness, lowliness and meekness, not the hardness of calvinisms mentalizing. God did not come to know anything because God knew already that I would choose Him, but remember, it was not because He preselected me, but rather it was because He knew I would choose Him, not because He forced my hand of calvinism, but he let my hand freely decide of armenianism. This is true omniscience. He already perceived this before the foundation of the world, that is why He can say He chose me, because He knew my choice before even I did. What a great God is this. I only found out when I made the choice. But He knew it before the foundation of the world. You must be willing to allow this omnipotent act of God's doing His freedom to operate this way and not be a control-freak over Him, for is that not what calvinism is doing really, trying to control God? None of this is apart from creation as you mistakenly assume but is exactly a part of His creation, and that is God's omnipresense over this whole affair. In your tone you will notice an overassuming nature about many things and that stems directly from calvinism to protect itself mentalizing position, lifeless in the spirit to touch others with God's life. This agrees with Isaiah 43.13, Isaiah 44.7, Isaiah 46.9-10, Psalms 135.6, Daniel 4.35, though many love to falsely use scripture to falsely accuse we should reject such approaches of calvinism, a sign something is not right. None of these verses help defend the position of calvinism rejecting God's grace bestowed upon's free-will that a righteous God would not manipulate under such a system. <br><br>Pseudo Martin was not one who denied the grace of God bestowing man a free-will before the foundation of the world, nor denying the grace of God unto all things. Do you see the difference in this statement, that the real pseudo Martin is the one who says not this?<br><br>Do you see how the very same verses that you use to falsely accuse actually accuse you of falsely accussing? <br><br>You asked for an interpretation of John 6.44 - I would be happy to. The Father draws those to Him because they are drawable, meaning, they in their free-will are receivable because God whom created them, created them with a free-will, that in such free-will was drawn to God and the Father therefore drew them. Do you see how that works? It is quite wonderful. Notice under calvinism one becomes an automaton, freeless, using this to pride themselves over others saying "look at me, God drew me, but He did not draw you". You just don't get that under armenianism because of the humility in which one came to Christ and in reading this properly as was intended placing God's focus and emphasis on our freedom to be drawn, not on our lack of freedom. One is loving, soft and sensitive, the other is cold, hard, and insensitive God. I prefer the first God, not the second for that is what the Holy Spirit is teaching me, quickening and building up my spirit in truth.<br><br>[b]The simple thing about a saved man is he can say to himself, "I am saved because I came to Christ and God received me", but a calvinist can't say this, for a calvinist must always say "I did not choose God, God choose me, I was just a pawn". One is freedom, the other is zombiism.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>
Last edited by waronthesaints; Sun Aug 17, 20038:02 PM.
