Can unsaved sinners clearly know what God has revealed unto them which is why they are left without excuse if they reject the word of God after having been enlightened? Of course. We are told that in Romans 1.Can a dead man accept a gift? (Eph2:1).
Can unsaved sinners clearly know what God has revealed unto them which is why they are left without excuse if they reject the word of God after having been enlightened? Of course. We are told that in Romans 1.Can a dead man accept a gift? (Eph2:1).
There is absolutely no basis for saying that Jonah did not spend three days in the fish when Jesus said he did.Hi Nick, I agree with you about the incident of Jonah, though not because it happened literally but because of Numbers 12:6. We read there instructions from HaShem with regards to His prophets. He said, "If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make Myself known to him in a vision and will speak to him in a vision. That's what happened to Jonah. He never even left his bedroom to take a sheep to Nineveh. It was all in a dream. To run away from his mission as a prophet, he went down to Joppa, took a ship to Tarshish to hide from the Lord. Once in the ship, he went down in the ship lay down and continued fast asleep while the dream proceed. When he woke up, he considered his dream and took God's will for granted as Nineveh was concerned. Then, he went one with his prophetic mission; went to Nineveh and Nineveh was saved. But, literally, he was never in the belly of the fish.
All sinners will be enlightened by the Holy Ghost at some point in their life (John 1:9) Those who believe and receive the light will be given the power to become the sons of God (John 1:12). Those who reject the light will be damned (John 3:19). God did not design hell for humans, but for the devil and his angels. God is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:8-10), which is why God provided Jesus as a propitiation for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2), giving God the right to forgive sins of any and all who would come to Him for forgiveness and salvation.Have you ever seen the words elect and call in the Bible.
Have you read that all mankind is born dead to God and alive only to sin?
Spiritually dead.
What does dead mean to you?
Have you read John's speaking about the sheep?
John Ch 10:26, '..but you do not believe because you are not my sheep'.
Brother, read John Ch10 ,The Good Shepherd.
The Good Sherpherd calls his own sheep and then they follow him.
God first enlightens the lost sinner (John 1:9). Then those who receive the light are given the power to become the sons of God (John 1:12). Those who reject the light are condemned to hell.Whatever happened to the 'call of God'? God calls dead sinners to faith in Christ. God's calling is the missing truth in the plan of salvation today. Dead sinners cannot accept any gift from God. First God calls them to life (new birth) and out of this new birth they have faith in Christ. Only God's calling gives the glory to God for salvation, but the very popular 'accept Christ gospel' is the product of man's pride wanting to exalt his 'free choice'.
Can a Calvinist understand God if God refuses to allow him to and forces him to depend on a false hope in his erroneous interpretations of the Bible?Can a dead man accept a gift? (Eph2:1).
This is the part I still can't understand.The most important question that anyone will ever be required to answer in life is the same question that will determine the true quality to which that life can be lived for all eternity. The question is, "Have you accepted God’s gift of salvation?" The answer to this one question will determine eternity for you. The question is not, "Are you a good person?" or, "Do you go to church?" Or even, "Do you have a knowledge that Jesus Christ lived and died?" The question is, "Have you accepted God’s gift of salvation?" If you have, then you are free from the debt of sin and will enjoy eternity in a loving relationship with the God of all creation. If you decide not to accept God’s gift, then you will spend eternity burdened with the debt of your sin and all of its horrible consequences. God is a gentleman and will not force anyone to live with Him. He has given us the free choice to accept and love Him, or to reject and be apart from Him.
Who needs the gift
The Bible tells us that everyone is in need of God’s great mercy: Romans 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
A price to be paid
The debt, or price of sin, is separation from God who is holy. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death…"
Payment in full
But God is loving and wants to have fellowship with His children. Like any good father, He does not want us to die. However, He is a just God and could not simply pretend that we had never sinned and allow us to go free without the debt being paid. So He made a way for us to come back into union with Him, and still maintain justice so that the debt is paid in full. God Himself paid our price, not with the wink of an eye, but with His own blood. Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Salvation
However, a gift, no matter how great and wonderful, is useless if it is not accepted. In order to benefit from God’s sacrifice for us, you must accept the gift. The Bible states: Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Putting it all together
The choice is as simple as it is vital. Humble yourself before God and admit that you are a sinner. Tell God that you realize that the price for your debt is death, but that you accept His gift and believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for your (personal) sins. Tell Him that you believe that He raised Jesus from the dead, showing that you also will be raised. Then thank Him. What a wonderful Father. He made the entire universe, the billions of stars and planets and galaxies. He constructed the incredible complexity of the human brain. He holds all of creation together by the power of His spoken Word. That He would be willing to come to us, to be humbled and beaten and spit upon and even to suffer the death of the cross, for you and me, that is a God to love. A God to thank and to praise forever and ever. How wonderful is His name.