Does man naturally have ability to Seek God ?

[marke]

Man naturally doesnt seek God, and cant since naturally hes dead to God !

Calvinists believe unsaved sinners cannot understand God. That is baloney.

Numbers 22:35
And the angel of the Lord said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

 

[beloved57]

Calvinists believe unsaved sinners cannot understand God. That is baloney.

Numbers 22:35
And the angel of the Lord said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

Its not going to change friend, man does not seek after the True God Rom 3:11

 

[marke]

Its not going to change friend, man does not seek after the True God Rom 3:11

Not every sinner who begins to seek or feel after the Lord will find Him, but many will.

Acts 17:27
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

 

[beloved57]

Not every sinner who begins to seek or feel after the Lord will find Him, but many will.

Acts 17:27
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

None seeks after God Rom 3:11

11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

 

[marke]

None seeks after God Rom 3:11

11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

How do you think we should interpret Acts 17? Why did God say He appointed times and bounds "That they should seek the Lord?" Did the Lord not know that there is none that can seek the Lord, according to Calvinist interpretation?

Acts 17
24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

 

[beloved57]

How do you think we should interpret Acts 17? Why did God say He appointed times and bounds "That they should seek the Lord?" Did the Lord not know that there is none that can seek the Lord, according to Calvinist interpretation?

Acts 17
24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

Since none seek after God naturally dead in sin, then when one does seek after the True God, its after having been born again Spiritually, because naturally he doesnt seek after God, for thats common sense !

 

[marke]

Since none seek after God naturally dead in sin, then when one does seek after the True God, its after having been born again Spiritually, because naturally he doesnt seek after God, for thats common sense !

It was God's design for men to seek after Him even though their nature was not to do so. That is why God has to first nudge a sinner to seek God before that sinner will be enlightened to do so.

John 1:9
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

Acts 17:27
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

 

[beloved57]

It was God's design for men to seek after Him even though their nature was not to do so. That is why God has to first nudge a sinner to seek God before that sinner will be enlightened to do so.

John 1:9
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

Acts 17:27
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

Already answered, Man by nature doesnt seek after God Rom 3:11

 

[marke]

Already answered, Man by nature doesnt seek after God Rom 3:11

There are reasons given for why men do not seek the Lord and there are Biblical examples of men seeking the Lord. If the Bible was easy to understand nobody would need God. Those Bible students who do not please God will not be given good understandings of Scripture.

Exodus 33:7
And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.

2 Chronicles 14:7
Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us; because we have sought the Lord our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.

2 Chronicles 15:4
But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.

2 Chronicles 15:15
And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the Lord gave them rest round about.

2 Chronicles 17:4
But sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.

2 Chronicles 26:5
And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.

Psalm 34:4
I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

 

[JudgeRightly]

Already answered, Man by nature doesnt seek after God Rom 3:11

So... Total inability?

 

[beloved57]

There are reasons given for why men do not seek the Lord and there are Biblical examples of men seeking the Lord. If the Bible was easy to understand nobody would need God. Those Bible students who do not please God will not be given good understandings of Scripture.

Exodus 33:7
And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.

2 Chronicles 14:7
Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us; because we have sought the Lord our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.

2 Chronicles 15:4
But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.

2 Chronicles 15:15
And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the Lord gave them rest round about.

2 Chronicles 17:4
But sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.

2 Chronicles 26:5
And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.

Psalm 34:4
I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Man naturally doesnt seek God because hes dead in sin, buried under sin Rom 3:9

9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;

 

[beloved57]

So... Total inability?

Spiritually yes, because naturally we are spiritually dead !

 

[JudgeRightly]

Spiritually yes,

Total inability from birth/conception?

because naturally we are spiritually dead !

Define "dead" as anything other than "separated from God" and you do damage to the rest of scripture.

 

[beloved57]

Total inability from birth/conception?



Define "dead" as anything other than "separated from God" and you do damage to the rest of scripture.

Man is born dead to God, his only hope is to be born again, with spiritual life from God

 

[JudgeRightly]

Man is born dead to God,

Chapter verse.

Because Paul says:

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead.I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death.For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. - Romans 7:7-12 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans7:7-12&version=NKJV

his only hope is to be born again,

There are two directions for me to take this. I would like you to respond to both, please.

The first:
Is there any point at which man is NOT condemned by the law?

The second:
You said: "Man is born dead to God..." (for the sake of consistency, I'm going to assume that we are both talking about being born physically of a woman's womb, and continue under that assumption).

Which raises the question, what about BEFORE he is born? In other words, is a human being dead to God prior to his birth? If so, why?

If not, then if a human being in the womb dies prior to his birth, where does he go? And assuming not, what is it about being born physically that causes someone to die to God, where just a millisecond prior to being born he was not dead to God?

with spiritual life from God

Did not God give life to the world in the form of Jesus? (John 6:33)

And if so, would not preaching Christ be preaching life?

And if we preach Christ, would that not be God indirectly giving life to those who are dead so that they may come to Christ? (John 6:44, 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14)

And if we believers preach Christ, would that not result in unbelievers hearing? and when they hear, could they not believe? And if they believe, would they not call on Christ? (Romans 10:14-15)

 

[marke]

Man naturally doesnt seek God because hes dead in sin, buried under sin Rom 3:9

9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;

The Bible says men do not seek God. The Bible also says men do seek God. The way to understand the whole context of the Bible is to go to God and ask Him to explain the difference, not dismiss half the Bible in order to try to understand the other half.

 

[beloved57]

The Bible says men do not seek God. The Bible also says men do seek God. The way to understand the whole context of the Bible is to go to God and ask Him to explain the difference, not dismiss half the Bible in order to try to understand the other half.

Man doesnt seek God naturally. Rom 3:11 not the True God !

 

[JudgeRightly]

Man doesnt seek God naturally. Rom 3:11 not the True God !

Can man seek God after He has called them?

 

[beloved57]

Can man seek God after He has called them?

Yes since God calls the elect when He gives them Spiritual life. Like when He called Lazarus He gave him physical life from the dead. Remember what happens to them God called in Rom 8:30

30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

 

[JudgeRightly]

Yes since God calls the elect when He gives them Spiritual life. Like when He called Lazarus He gave him physical life from the dead. Remember what happens to them God called in Rom 8:30

30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

So if God calls, can man reject His calling?