" It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened who have tasted that heavenly gift, who have shared in that Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away to be brought back to repentance ...."
James,
Sounds like Grace didn't do it's job.......however if you know Scripture, you know it did. At this point I can only assume you do not know the REAL work of GRACE.
We already have you on record, of being presented with verses that say point blank that fallen man does not have the ability, and then you turning right around and saying "No, we have the ability".
So, why should I be surprised when you are presented Scriptures showing that God's grace is irresistible, that you reject them?
Lets examine some verses:
Deu 30:6 And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.
God changes fallen man's entire nature.
Here is a verse where God actually says he will "CAUSE YOU" to walk in His ways:
Eze 36:26-27 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Do you honestly think you can thwart God's will???
Eph 2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
God ORDAINED, that His people would not only repent, and trust in Jesus, but to live a live of good works also!
We already discussed that Jesus told Nicodemus, that a man could not even see the kingdom of God, unless they have already been born again first.
what about this verse:
Joh 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
Here is Jesus saying that "EVERY MAN", comes to Him, who hears God. If God's grace was resistible, then you would think at least one man would resist it right???
I could give TWENTY more verses that say the same thing.
Joh 1:11-13 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Whose Will? And again, notice "as many received Him....were born of the will of God..."
Psa 65:4 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.
God chooses and causes His people to come to Him, to repent and to trust in Jesus, and to live a life of Good works.
If you want me to write this same post again, with the exact same words, only just use different Scriptures, I can do it again.
If you wish to check out complete lists of Scriptures, check out this link:
The Father writes his own word upon (places the fear of himself in, etc.) his people's hearts Jer 31:33; Jer 32:40; Mat 16:15-17; Luk 10:21; John 6:45; 2Cor 4:6 The beginning of salvation is the sovereign impartation of spiritual life into a heart which had been dead, thereby causing it to exercise faith 1John 5:1; Eze 37:3-6, 11-14; John 1:11-13; John 3:3-8; John 5:21; Eph 2:1-5; Jam 1:18; 1Pet 1:3; 1John 2:29 True offers of grace in the outward gospel call may be resisted by men who do not have this new heart Act 17:32-33 In fact, true offers of grace will always be resisted by such men John 10:24-26; John 12:37-40 But there are some whom God causes to come to him Psa 65:4; Psa 110:3; John 6:37-40; Rom 9:15
I honestly don't think you understand the meanings of the Scriptures you posted. Again all if read plainly with no Calvinist spin say nothing about if Grace is irresistible.
However I did find this sentence humorous : " True offers of grace in the outward gospel call may be resisted by men who do not have this new heart Act 17:32-33 In fact, true offers of grace will always be resisted by such men"
You rejected what the Bible says about fallen man!
I SHOWED you where ALL MANKIND'S WILL is ENSLAVED to sin, and would NEVER choose to repent and trust in Jesus, and since you rejected all those verses, you NOW laugh, when you read that fallen mankind resists God's will!!!
Irresistible Grace is ONLY for those whom God has Chosen.
Remember that verse in Acts:
"And as many as were APPOINTED TO ETERNAL LIFE BELIEVED."
TO the "appointed" God's grace was irresistible.
Look, if as a Christian, you are walking around thinking you have free will, and The fall, did not really hurt mankind that much, and salvation depends on each persons decision to repent and accept Jesus, then of course Irresistible Grace is not important or even necessary.
But ALL THAT IS WRONG.
The truth is ALL MANKIND is born with a will ENSLAVED to sin, and the ONLY ones who will accept Jesus are the ones God shows mercy to, by MAKING THEM BORN AGAIN.
Let me ask you this.....
IF.....mankind had a free will, and could come to God on their own, don't you think there would be a LOT more Christians in this world????
I would expect somewhere around HALF of the people in the world would truly repent and trust in Jesus.
THAT IS NOT THE WORLD YOU AND I LIVE IN.
Christians are MAYBE 2-5% of the population!!
Read this passage and ask yourself if it is YOUR supposed free will, OR God who saves:
Joh 3:3-8 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
With all due respect, You are very confused as to what I believe. I can read a book on theology and know what you believe. However if you want to know what I believe, you are going to have to read the Bible without your Calvinistic guide to Scripture interpretation.
Just so you know, I read and believe fallen man cannot save themselves.
Btw, you say fallen man cannot respond to grace, yet even the "elect" start out as "fallen mankind"....???
Some kind of special thing happens first, only for them ....right?
