Where does believing faith come from part 3

By the way...this is hilarious! Just wanted to state that for the record.

Blessings!

The Archangel

 

While I agree we can learn tons from the father's actions in the parable, the runaway son is not the point of the story. The older son is the point and he is cast in the role of the pharisees.

Blessings,

The Archangel

 

I believe all of us would agree that salvation originates and ends with Christ--the author and finisher of our faith.

First man can never fully know the mind of God. His thoughts and ways are higher than ours. However, we can know what God wants us to know, and that is what is written in the Bible. He has revealed His mind to us in his word. The Bible does say: "Let this mind be in you which is also in Christ Jesus." We are to have the "mind of Christ."

In order for one to have salvation there are two prerequisites: the Word of God (the gospel), and the Holy Spirit. Without these two factors a person cannot be saved. God the Holy Spirit works through the Word of God to convict a person of their sin and their need for a Saviour. Then a person is able to put their faith in Christ and be saved. It is Christ that saves. He has atoned for our sins. He said: "It is finished." It is all His work, and not man's. Salvation is all of God. Man simply needs to receive it as a free gift. In receiving that gift, he believes that Christ is his saviour.

 

I honestly cannot answer a question about why God chooses certain people because I am not God. Something that may seem random to us is not random to God because He knows everything. We do know that He saves out of every tribe, kindred, tongue, and nation.

I am not trying to dodge your question. I just cannot answer it.

One thing that confuses me is the mixing of choice with belief. Can one choose to believe something or does it just "click" ? Can I choose to believe that the moon is made out of blue cheese? I know that I can say that, keep telling myself that, and maybe even want to believe that, but I know I cannot believe that because it just does not make any sense.

If someone hears the Gospel in a church service, it may or may not make sense. If the person realizes it is the truth, is a "choice" involved to believe the truth or does it just click? Regardless of whether or not the person "chooses to walk down the isle" that person will either believe or not believe the truth after hearing it.

Don't people make choice based on what they believe? How can one "choose" to believe anything? When you hear or encounter something, you either believe it or not. You make choices to do things based on what you have come to believe. Right?