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gop_jeff said:So if God has decided who is saved and who is not (since youve now jumped into predestination), what is the point of righteous behavior or confessions of faith, if it has no bearing on one's salvation?
BTW - great post Avatar, and great Scripture reference.
Yeah Avatar, great way to use Scripture out of context.... Rather convenient that you left out the next verse where they said
"Then the people answered, "Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods! 17 It was the LORD our God himself who brought us and our fathers up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. 18 And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because he is our God."
Additionally, Jeff - those whom God calls unto Salvation practice righteous behavior because of their love for God and because the Spirit empowers them to do so...
1 John 3
4Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
7Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. 9No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
The Greek word for "Continues" here means to "Practice" - "9No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." (NAS Version)....
I know how important it is for Christians to feel as if they have "full control" over their own salvation but that's contradictory to Christ's work on the Cross - as "No one is saved by works, lest any man should boast"...
Additionally, the only way someone can come to the realization that their a sinner is to have the spirit convict them of their sins (or expose them to their own sin) - so, ultimately, it's up to God's Spirit to "speak to people" - giving them knowledge of their sins...
The Bible clearly teaches us in Romans that "We are all born Sinners" - and that the only thing we know how to do is "Sin" - "Through one man (Adam), sin entered the world, and through one man (Jesus) we have a way out of that sin"..
However, because we're born into the Sin condition - our hearts are already preconceived to darkness... we have no way of knowing we're in Sin until the Spirit shows us through conviction...