Chapter 13.17
Calvinism
Predestination
vs.; Free Will – Does scripture support one or the other or both?
1) Total Depravity 2)
Unconditional Election 3) Limited
Atonement
4) Irresistible Grace 5) Perseverance of the Saints (The
five Points)
The conundrum
If we are
predestined; then God is in control and we can’t change anything.
If our lives are
already predetermined, then why do we preach the Gospel?
Paul scratched
his head over this when he said;
“God’s ways are
past finding out”.[1]
First Word
My personal Belief System has a
conflict with Calvinism since it states that God has already chosen those that
will come to him; known as “the Elect.” I have always hung my hat on John 3:16, which says that “whosoever” believes on Jesus will be
saved, and I considered myself as one of the “whosoever”.
The word predestination in Greek
means “determined”
and is mentioned in only 6 passages of the NT. There is much controversy
concerning the doctrine of “Free Will” vs.; Predestination. If you continue along with me, you may find
that the two views can exist side by side.
If I was a doctor and my BS, my Belief System on a
particular disease was based on my “understanding” of what I had read; and what
I “understood” was actually wrong; then my view on how to treat the disease
will produce a wrong remedy. The
foundation of our BS of scripture must be solid in order to
understand correctly the rest of scripture.
J.
Vernon McGee says; the Elect
are the “whosoever
wills” and the non-elect are the “whosoever won’ts”,
and it is all according to HIS purpose.
Two Views on Salvation
ü Arminianism The believer
chooses God; God’s grace is the
source of redemption,
but can be resisted.
ü Calvinism God chooses the believer; God offers grace to those He elects that
cannot
be
resisted.
From Paul’s letters we can see that he preached both views;
predestination [2]as well as free will.[3]
A little Background
John Calvin (1509-1564)
taught that salvation was only for those predestined by God. He became a great leader in the Reformation of the Churches. His whole point was that we “find our way”
through “the scripture alone” to find
the revelation of God; and not the
scripture plus traditions of men as
in the Catholic
Church. John had five
doctrinal points that he embraced. Stay tuned.
The Reformation came about to get rid of traditions and embrace the Holy scripture as the whole Word
of God[4]
and that the Bible is dependable, reliable, sure and without error, and
there is NO “private interpretation” and NO “special revelations.” [5]
The basic message of the Bible is plain for anyone to see and
understand.
TULIP
Out
of the reformation of the church came five doctrines which became known
as the five
points of Calvinism and are remembered by the acrostic TULIP.
T -
Total depravity… U
– Unconditional Election… L – Limited Atonement…
I – Irresistible Grace…
P – Perseverance
of the Saints…
If you can grasp the first point of
Calvinism, then the rest will fall into alignment. The first point states that we are not partially
lost, but are TOTALLY lost; dead in our sins. We can do nothing to save ourselves nor even have
the ABILITY to even seek God.
Point Number 1
Total Depravity
It all begins with the fall of
man in the Garden of Eden; it was a “Total Fall” from grace. Sin entered into this world through Adam, and
through sin, death entered.[6]
We were born in sin when we entered this world and physical
and spiritual death is our
fate.[7] We are unable on our own to change our nature;
only the grace of God can resurrect our fallen soul.[8]
There is a total inability on
our part to do anything to contribute to our own salvation. As natural men we are both blind and deaf;
the Word of God is foolishness to us, therefore we are unable to
come to God.[9] We have no desire for
the things of God, therefore God must enable us to do so.[10]
Satan has bound up our senses and we only know the perverted truth that
he has placed in front of us.[11] It is Christ who seeks us out to give us life
while we are still dead in our sins.[12] It is God the Father that enables man to come
to him.[13]
So salvation has to come from the Lord, it is a gift; we cannot do
anything to earn it.[14]
The fall of man did not surprise God, nor was His plan of redemption an
afterthought, it was in place before the fall of Adam and Eve.
Faith
Faith without works is a dead faith;[15] true
faith is a living faith, it contains three elements (all action words)
1)
Awareness of the information God has provided through His Word.
2)
Accepting the truths of
the Word and implementing
them in our life.
3)
Trusting and reliance on the Word; believing unwaveringly.
Point number 2
Unconditional Election
Chosen: eklegomai (Greek) meaning to pick out; to choose.
Webster:
ü
Unconditional: Without reservations; absolute, without
condition.[16]
ü
Election: Chosen by God for salvation and eternal life.[17]
ü
Elect: Persons
belonging to a special privileged group. (Those selected and separated out of the
masses of the world.)[18]
If all men are not “Elected” or saved, then the conclusion must be
that God has chosen not to save everyone, but only some. Some receive Justice others receive Grace (Clemency).
Paul said; Man is unable to understand the ways of God.
Grace is an ACT of God, [19] NOT a STATE into which He brings us. If you can accept that man cannot do anything
to save himself, then it becomes obvious that it’s up to God to be the One that
saves us. There is no specific condition
that puts man in a position to receive the election of
God; to become one of His elect; we are not chosen because of
who we are.[20] We are NOT chosen because
we accepted Christ, we were chosen so that “we might have the ABILITY” to accept Christ. (We
can’t do anything on our part to merit salvation)
When we read He foreknew us, it means He foreknew all our sins and
weakness. It has nothing to do with Him
knowing whether or not we would accept Him. He chose us in spite of ourselves; it was His
good pleasure, the cause of His choice is found in Him,
not in us; it is the gift of God.[21]
We can “believe” only because we were unconditionally elected by
Christ.
Reconciliation – Redeemed – Saved
– Elect
Let’s pause right here to grasp that
something must happen in order for a debt to be paid; Reconciliation
is an accounting term; to balance the books and that’s where “God the Son”
comes in; He paid our debt. If a man had
become a bondservant because he was unable to redeem himself; unable to repay
his own debt, then a kinsman who was ready,
willing and able,
could redeem him. The Son of God
became the “son of man” to become our
kinsman and redeem us.
It was prophesized by Isaiah the prophet, that Christ would be the one
who would come and “reconcile” man to Himself …To pay the debt… To
redeem the Elect. Christ would give His
life for “the
Church” which is not just the Jews or the Gentiles, but for ALL those He
foreknew; the Elect, “every kind of
person” that makes up the Church.[22]
Man is DEAD in his sins and it is Christ that makes us alive.[23]
Get ready to get upset: Jesus Christ did not die for EVERY man’s sin;[24]
He died just for the Elect, the chosen, the predestined, those who are saved;[25] ALL
others will die in their sins.
Point number 3
Limited
Atonement
Webster: Atonement, satisfaction given for a
wrongdoing; reconciliation; the redeeming of mankind.
Three
questions
now arise concerning Christ dying on the cross for our sins;
1)
Did
Christ die to save everyone? If so,
He failed, otherwise we would all be saved.
2)
Did
He die to save no one in particular? If
so, man is responsible to do something on his own part to receive salvation.
3)
Did
He die to save specific people? If so,
it’s “All
God” and His election of saving grace and we can do nothing to merit
this underserved act.
Limited Atonement; means that only some are reconciled; only some redeemed from deserved Hell
fire; only some saved.[26] The Elect were chosen before the creation of
the world to receive the covenant of the blood of Jesus Christ; we were adopted
as sons.[27]
Under Roman law an adopted son enjoyed
all the rights and privileges as a real son.
Reading the Hadith; a
collection of sayings of Mohammad, (Sura 32:13), the Muslims believe that God made a bunch of
people just to go to Heaven and made another bunch of people just to go to Hell.
In actuality, scripture says ALL have
sinned and ALL
fall short of the glory of God. ALL are
deserving of Hell fire.[28] God has chosen to save some that were already Hell bound;
and His ways and His reasons are just past finding out.
Ephesians
1:4-7 – The elect are a predestined people.
4 For HE
CHOSE US IN HIM BEFORE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD to be holy and
blameless in His sight.
5 In love HE
PREDESTINED US TO BE ADOPTED AS HIS SONS through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His
pleasure and will- to the praise
6 of his glorious grace, which He has
freely given us in the One he loves.
7 IN
HIM WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the
riches of God's grace. NIV
Predestination
– Free Will
First Word; All are
predestined for eternal life… somewhere.
Election proceeded from
God’s love and sovereign good pleasure… into separation… into obedience… into
adoption… into salvation… into Sonship.
Predestination: For those God foreknew, He also predestined
to be conformed to the likeness of His Son.[29] When
God chose or elected some before the
earth was made to be predestined to
salvation, it was proposed that it was because in His omniscience,
that He “foreknew”
that they would be drawn to Christ and in the finality of things, accept Him. (Something that they would do)
This cannot be the case, as scripture teaches, that election is not
based on God knowing the action or reaction of man to His will; It is a solely a gift from God.[30] The Apostle Paul was Hell bound until God chose him and predestined him to
eternal life. [31]
God does not predestinate some to “NOT believe”; that would be “Double Predestination”, considering man is already not drawn to God in his current fallen state. Election flows from God’s own initiative
according to His
design, His purpose, His council
and His
will.[32]
Man’s destiny is
in conformity to God’s eternal plan.
Free Will conflict: The Holy Spirit knows the will of God and
imparts wisdom, knowledge and
truth to the Elect.[33] When you know the truth, you want it… are
drawn to it… want more of it… and have the ability to lay hold of it; therefore
it does not conflict with man’s free will to choose it.
When you know the truth, it will set you free.[34]
Think now and reason with me… along with those that were predestined,
the plan of
redemption was also predestined.
It must be remembered that in God’s
eternal plan, it also included His Son, who was predestined to die on the cross.
Predestination in scripture is always presented with the intent of God’s
willingness to embrace ALL who will believe. All who believe become “predestined” to Eternal Life.
Election/Predestination is an “effectual calling” which draws forth FAITH which salvation
demands, commands and requires.
Whosoever
Will – The Conflict
This is hard to digest,
but there seems to be two parallel lines
of “The
Elect” taught in scripture which both calumniate with God somewhere
in eternity; you cannot deny one or the other, you cannot look at just one
line, but the both of them at the same time.
1)
There are those that God chose before the foundations of the earth; “The Elect” and then
2)
Those who would be drawn by the Holy Spirit through the hearing of the word of God.
Jesus flat out told His Disciples that He had other sheep that were not
of this sheep pen.[35] If you can just grasp the fact that God chose
the nation of Israel to be His
chosen people and then made a way for the Gentiles through “free will”
to come to Him; to be grafted into the vine, then you will understand it. Without this understanding in your Belief System, there is no reason to preach the Gospel if
we are without FREEWILL and are just predestined
to “whatever”.
NOTE: All of the Jews did not “choose” to accept the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. Likewise, all of the
Gentiles did not choose to either; so we can reason that Life is choice driven.[36]
On your own, you are incapable of doing anything to accept Christ; it is
the seed of “truth”
sown by the Holy Spirit that “enables you” to desire to receive Him.[37] The Holy Spirit sows the seed of “truth”
in man’s life… Some hearts are fertile ground for the seed to grow, other
hearts are hard and full of thorns and the seed is choked out.[38]
The “Whosoever”
that comes to God is included in The Elect and
become
predestined by God to receive the
gift of eternal
life with Him.[39]
Israel’s
Covenant – Who is All Israel?
God made a covenant with
Israel that they would be His special people and that He would save
them. The covenant contained a lot of “Ifs”; scripture states that “ALL Israel” will be saved,[40]
but how can this
be since most of the Jews rejected
the Gospel of Jesus Christ? It becomes
crucial in our life to understand that God does not break His promises. If God
goes back on His covenant with Israel, then perhaps He would go back on the
promise of salvation for us; He will not.
“All
Israel” is made up of those who accept Jesus Christ, both the Jews as well as the believing Gentiles whose branches were grafted
into the root of the Jewish vine.[41] NOTE: The unbelieving Jewish branches that
were broken off can be grafted back in IF they accept Jesus as the Messiah.[42]
If you have accepted Jesus Christ, you now have Jewish roots.
Point number 4
Irresistible
Grace
When
the word of God goes forth, MOST are NOT drawn to
God. There are TWO
CALLS,
one physically
outward and one spiritually
inward.
1)
The
outward call to the natural man concerning spiritual things
are foolishness to him.[43] It cannot be received nor understood. Man stands both blind and deaf, he needs a
fertile heart to receive the seed of the Holy Spirit which
will “enable him”
to seek out God.[44]
2)
The
inward call is a spiritual force that is
irresistible; stronger than our own natural “resistive will”
to desire God; stronger than the “destroying will” of Satan.[45]
When the HOLY
SPIRIT places
an inward call in you,[46] you are irresistibly drawn to Christ and nothing can frustrate the inward call
of the Spirit.[47] You are not “DRAGGED” kicking and
screaming against your will to God, you are “DRAWN” to God because
of the prior wok of “grace” through the Holy Spirit who imparted wisdom, knowledge and TRUTH in you spirit.
Point number 5
Perseverance
of the Saints
Webster: Perseverance… Patient effort… Persistence… to
continue in some course of action… the continuance
in Grace of those elected to eternal salvation.[48]
We are to continue steadfast in our purpose of the way of life in Christ
until He returns.
Our Chief end is to glorify God
and enjoy Him forever.
We have received THREE blessings;
1) Redemption; the forgiveness of our sin,
2) Appointed to participate with Him, and
3) Sealed with the Holy Spirit.
God the Son, who died to save men who could not save
themselves, will also preserve those who He has saved[49]
and will carry them to completion until the “Day of the Lord”; His return. Even though we as the Elect are still tempted, God
makes a way of escape for us.[50]
We can have serious failures, but none will be a final or a total
fall.[51]
It’s a done
deal; nothing can separate us from God; nothing can snatch us out
of His hand; none of us will be lost; the Elect no longer stands condemned.[52]
The Holy Spirit not only INITIATES salvation in us, He also PRESERVES us.[53]
This is the doctrine of “Once Saved, Always saved”; eternally elected;
eternally saved. Time means nothing to
God’s decrees… When God says something… It is prophecy. [54]
His unthwartable Will and purpose will happen according to His plan.[55]
Jesus on Calvinism – “Words in Red”
Jesus does NOT speak of
“Predestination” from the foundation of the earth; but He does say; He
does the choosing; God does the drawing; and it could happen “anytime” He
chooses for it to happen. Read what Jesus said concerning the FIVE POINTS OF CALVINISM.
1)
T Total
Depravity
– No one can come to me, unless it has been granted by the father.
2)
U
Unconditional Election – You did not choose me, but I chose you.
3)
L Limited
Atonement –
You do not believe, because you are not my sheep.
4)
I Irresistible Grace – No one comes
to me unless the Father who sent me draws them.
5)
P
Perseverance of the Saints – I give eternal life to them, and no one
shall snatch them out of my hand.
Point 1 -
John 6:65 - Total Depravity
65 He went on to
say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father
has enabled him." NIV
Point 2 -
John 15:16 – Unconditional Election
16 You did not
choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that
will last. NIV
Point 3 -
John 10:26 – Limited Atonement (Particular Redemption)
26 but you do
not believe because you are not my sheep. NIV
14 "I am
the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me- 15 just as the Father
knows me and I know the Father-and I lay down my life for the sheep. NIV
Point 4 -
John 6:44-45 – Irresistible Grace (Effectual
Calling)
44 "No one
can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up
at the last day NIV
Point 5 -
John 10:28-29 - Perseverance of the Saints.
28 I give them
eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my
hand.
29 My Father,
who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my
Father's hand.
NIV
The Landowner – Free Will or Predestination or both
Come let us reason together;
in this parable of Jesus, the Landowner went out early seeking workers, and hired/elected only some. The workers did not seek Him; He sought them;
chose them; hired them; elected them. These first hired were the Elect; those
predestined from the foundations of the earth.
Not all of His workers were hired at the same time; the Landowner went
out over and over again with “THE
CALL”
and hired more workers. These additional
new hires came by “FREE WILL” as the Spirit
“enabled” them to accept the Call for work and thus became
predestined for the same pay as the
others who were first chosen. (I understand if your BS doesn’t embrace this.)
Both
got in on the same reward of eternal Life with Christ.[56]
Rejection
Some of the teachings of
Christ were unacceptable to a number of His followers and they left the assembly of believers; His words were just Foolishness;
Crazy. (Eat my flesh, Drink
my blood) [57]
Scripture teaches that there are some who work among us, who will seem
like they are part of the body, but they are really not; they are
lost.[58] Christ did not lose any of these that left;
they were never saved, they were never His.[59]
Predestination
– Rabbit Trail
The Predestination doctrine
testifies of “God’s
sovereignty” and runs from the Old Testament through the New
Testament. It’s about what God has
already said; if God has said it, then His eternal purpose will not fail; it
will come to pass. God sees the end from
the beginning, from “born” to “born again”.[60] This
is not a straight line, but is full of struggles, dips
and turns, mountains and valleys.
Man was created with free will to do
whatever he pleases, Freedom to choose to do the greatest good as well as Freedom to do the greatest evil; the exercise of
his own volition, Freedom of Choice, Freedom of Election, and Freedom of
Spirit.
“Devine
Sovereignty” and “Human Free will” are parallel lines. They never meet nor cross. It is clear, that in God’s Sovereignty, that
before He created the Earth, He foreknew those that would be drawn to Him by
the Holy Spirit; in effect they were predestined.
A preacher
preaches to a crowd:
One stays to receive Christ…
The
rest leave; not everyone is
drawn.
His call has been sent out to ALL
men,
some will
answer, some will not.[61]
If on the cross,
Christ died for “all men” to be saved, then He was an utter
failure as all men are not
saved. However, if He died for “ALL” He foreknew that would be drawn to Him both now and in the future, He is 100
percent successful.
The “Once
Saved, Always Saved” doctrine is about the Predestination
of security for the believer. It’s the “believer’s security” that is
predestined.[62]
Paul, scratching his head over this said, “O the depth of the riches
both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are his judgments, and His
ways are past finding out”.[63]
PREDESTINATION: None drawn by
the Holy Spirit will be lost to that old serpent, Satan.[64]
The
Take Away
T Point 1 - Calvinism states that man did not partially
fall from grace, but is totally fallen and does not have the ability to seek out
God… He has no desire for things of God… It is God that seeks out man and enables him
to come and make a decision of faith.
U Point 2 – Our Election did not involve any action
or decision on our part… We are not chosen because of God foreknowing our decision
of faith… It is a free gift… We can believe only because we were elected to be
able to believe.
L Point 3 - God chose to save specific men who were fallen
and deserved Hell fire… All were on death row… All those He chose received Grace; the
others received Justice.
God did not make some men “purposed”
to go to Heaven
and others “purposed”
to go to Hell…
ALL are Hell bound.
I Point 4 – We are irresistibly drawn to God because
the Holy Spirit imparts wisdom, knowledge and truth in our souls… we want more
of it…We are drawn to the truth.
P Point 5 – We are to continue in our life in Christ
and He will preserve us to “the day of the Lord”; His return… Nothing can
take us out of His hand… Once saved, always saved.
Calvinism or Predestination is an “effectual” calling; it demands, requires and commands “FAITH” to be drawn
forth from the Elect.
The death of Christ on the cross was NOT for ALL men’s sin, but only for the sins of
those that would believe on Him; ALL others die in their sins and will spend eternity
with Satan’s gang of minions.
God does not purpose or predestinate some men to “NOT
believe,”
that would be “double
Predestination,” because ALL men are totally
fallen and already do not believe.
There seems to be two parallel
lines of “The
Elect” taught in scripture which both calumniate with God somewhere
in eternity. The Predestined; that’s already IN the vine and the Whosoever; that’s GRAFTED into the vine. Jesus flat out told the Disciples that He
had OTHER sheep that were not of their pen.
The “Whosoever”
that comes to God is included in “The Elect” and becomes predestined by God to
receive “the
gift of eternal life” reigning with Jesus Christ.
J. Vernon McGee
says; the Elect are the “whosoever wills” and
the non-elect are
the “whosoever
won’ts”, and it’s all according to HIS purpose.
Why Preach: It has been said that if men are predestined,
then there is no need to preach the Gospel. However, we preach the Gospel
because WE WERE COMMANDED TO PREACH; regardless of
any conflict that we might have in our mind.[65]
Faith comes by
hearing and hearing comes by the Word of God. [66] How can they believe in the one of whom they
have not heard? How can they hear
without someone preaching to them? How
can they preach unless they are sent? [67]
If you are a Presbyterian, you will agree with the part about Predestination.
If you are a Baptist, you will agree with the part about Free Will.
If it helps; think of those with “Free Will” as those chosen and “enabled”
by the Holy
Spirit, to seek God, and thus PREDESTINED to “eternal life”.
“Predestination” and “Free Will” exist side by side
and
are both taught in scripture;
both
are a part of the SOVEREIGNTY of God.
We
do not have to choose;
We
are compatibilist.
[1] Romans 11:33 - O the depth of the riches both of
the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and
his ways past finding out -- Romans 11:33 – Man
cannot figure out the ways of God
[2] Ephesians 1:11 – We were chosen, PREDESTINED -- Ephesians 1:4-5 – He CHOSE US in His good pleasure and
“Will”
[3] Romans 1:16 – SALVATION IS
UNIVERSAL; for those that believe -- 1 Timothy 2:3-4 – GOD’S WANTS
ALL MEN TO BE SAVED.
[4] 2 Timothy 3:16 – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for
teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness
[5] 2 Peter 1:20-21 – No private interpretation; men spoke from God as they
were carried along by the Holy Spirit
[6] Romans 5:12 – Death has come to ALL
men because all sinned
[7] Psalm 51:5 – We were born in sin; surely I was sinful
at birth, sinful from the time my mother
conceived me.
[8] Job 14:4 – Man cannot
make something pure that’s impure -- Jeremiah 13:23 – Can a Ethiopian change
his skin
[9] 1 Corenthians 2:14 – The
Word is foolishness to the natural man. -- Mark
4:11-12 – The natural man is blind and deaf, ever hearing but never
understanding
[10] John 6:65 – God enables us to come to Him
[11] Genesis 6:5 – Our
thoughts and inclination are of evil all the
time.
[12] Ephesians 2:1 – Christ
made us alive when we were DEAD in our sins
[13] 2 Timothy 2:25-26 – We must be gently instructed in the Word of God
[14] Ephesians 2:8-9 –
Salvation is a Gift from God, we can’t do anything to earn it.
[15] James 2:26 - For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so
also FAITH APART FROM WORKS IS DEAD.
[17] John 15:16 – Christ does
the choosing; you have not chosen me, but I have chosen you -- Romans 9:15 – God has the right of divine clemency; "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy”
[18] Galatians 1:15 – God choses you before you are born. -- Romans 9:11-13 –
God’s purpose in election stands before you were
born or had done anything good or bad -- Ephesians 1:4-5 – He chose and predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus
Christ -- 1 Peter 2:9 – We are part of a chosen generation;
a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people;
[19] Romans 9:16 – Salvation
does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God's mercy -- Ephesians
2:8-9 – Salvation is a gift from God, not by works, so that no one can boast --
Romans 11:33 – Man cannot figure out God’s ways; they are past finding out
[20] Acts 10:34 – We are not
chosen because of who we are; God is no respecter of persons -- Deuteronomy
7:7-8 – We are not special in our own right, you are saved because the LORD
loved you
[21] 2 Peter 3:9 – GOD IS NOT
WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE
[22] Romans 4:25 – It was the
death of Jesus Christ that justified us
[23] 1 Corenthians 15:22 – It
is through Christ that we are made alive
[24] Isaiah 53:11 – Prophecy –
Christ will suffer for the sin of many and He will bear their iniquities.
[25] Ephesians 5:25 – Jesus
gave His life for believers.
[26] Matthew 26:28 – The covenant is for many – not for ALL
[27] John 6:37 – God the
Father gave many to God the Son -- John 17:9 –
Only some were given to Christ
[28] Romans 3:23 – We ALL deserve Hell fire judgment
[29] Romans 8:29-30 - For those God foreknew he also predestined to be
conformed to the image of his Son
[30] Acts 9:15 – The Believer
is a chosen vessel
[31] 1 Corenthians 15:8-9 –
God Chose Paul to be His vessel
[32] Philippians 2:12-13 –
God’s good purpose is at work in you.
[33] John 16:13 – The Holy
Spirit guides you into ALL truth --
1 Corenthians 12:7-9 – The Spirit gives wisdom and
knowledge
[34] John 8:32 – When you will know the truth, the truth will set you free
[35] John 10:16 – I have other
sheep that are not of this pen.
[36] Joshua 24:15 – Life is
choice driven; then choose for yourselves this
day whom you will serve
[37] Romans 10:13 – Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
[38] Mark 4:14-20 - Some
hearts are fertile others rocky.
[39] Revelation 22:17- The whosoever are the Elect; whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of
Life -- John 3:16 – Whosoever believes will have eternal life
[40] Romans 11:26 – ALL OF
ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED.
[41] John 10:16 – The Believing Jews and Gentiles are All Israel --
Romans 11:17-23 – Believing Gentiles have been grafted into the vine
[42] Romans 9:6 All descendants of Israel ARE NOT Israel
[44] John 6:44 – You must be DRAWN by the Father in order to
come to Him -- Acts 16:14 – The Holy Spirit OPENS the heart giving
the ABILITY
to see
[45] Ephesians 2:1-9 – Your FAITH is a gift from God
[46] Romans 8:14 – The Holy
Spirit leads you. -- Matthew 16:17 – The Holy Spirit REVEALS secrets
to the Believer -- John 6:45 – They will
all be TAUGHT, they
will LISTEN,
they will LEARN
and they will Come
[47] Romans 8:29-30 – He foreknew us and predestined us to be conformed to the likeness of his Son
[48] Philippians 1:6 – The Holy Spirit who began a good work in us will carry us
to completion.
[49] John 6:39 – Jesus will
lose none of us
[50] 1 Corenthians 10:13 – The Holy Spirit makes a way out of temptation for us so that
we may be able to bear up under it
[51] John 10:28-29 – No one
can take us out of His hand.
[52] Romans 8:1 – The believer
is no longer condemned.
[53] Romans 8:38-39 – Nothing can separate us from Christ -- Romans 8:27 –
The Holy Spirit knows the WILL
of God.
[54] Isaiah 55:11 – If God
said it; It will happen
[55] Romans 8:29 – We are among many brothers with Christ predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son
[56] Matthew 20:1-14 - THE LAST
SAVED GETS SALVATION THE SAME AS THE FIRST.
1 For the kingdom of
heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard.
2 He agreed to pay them a
denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
3 "About the third
hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.
4 He told them, `You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you
whatever is right.'
5 So they went. "He went out again about the sixth hour
and the ninth hour and did the same thing.
6 About the eleventh hour
he went out and found still others - Why have you been standing here all day
long doing nothing?'
7 "`Because no one
has hired us,' they answered. “He said to them, `You
also go and work in my vineyard.'
8 "When evening came,
the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, `Call
the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and
going on to the first.'
9 "The workers who
were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius.
10 So when those came who
were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also
received a denarius.
11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner.
12`These men who were
hired last worked only one hour,' they said, `and YOU HAVE MADE
THEM EQUAL TO US who
have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.'
13 "But he answered
one of them, `Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work
for a denarius?
14 Take your pay and go. I WANT TO GIVE
THE MAN WHO WAS HIRED LAST THE SAME AS I GAVE YOU. NIV
[57] John 6:56 - By EATING MY FLESH AND DRINKING MY BLOOD you enter into me and I
into you.
[58] Matthew 7:23 – Some
pretend to be Christians.
[59] 1 John 2:19 – Those that
left were not really one of us.
[60] Jeremiah 1:5 - Before I
formed you in the womb I knew you, -- Ephesians
1:4-5 - He chose us in him before the creation
of the world; He predestined us to be adopted as
his sons through Jesus Christ
[61] Acts 2:39 - The promise is to you and to your children, and to
all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.
[62] Ephesians 1:11-13 - We
were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him; Having
believed, we were marked in him with a seal, the
promised Holy Spirit -- Romans 8:29-30 -- For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be
conformed to the image of His Son
[63] Romans 11:33 - Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! HOW IMPOSSIBLE
IT IS FOR US TO UNDERSTAND HIS DECISIONS AND HIS WAYS!
[64] Romans 8:38-39 I am
persuaded that nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God --
John 6:40 - I shall lose none of all that he has given me
[65] Matthew 28:19 - Therefore, go and make
disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit.
[66] Romans 10:17 - So faith comes from
hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
[67]
Romans 10:14-15 - And
how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can
they hear about him unless someone tells them
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