Of course not. He was dead in sins and had no ability to come to God. He’s in hell
Blessings
Balaam showed No Free Will
Discussion in 'Calvinism & Arminianism Debate' started by AustinC, Nov 9, 2020.
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I can top this.
Adam had no free will so he hid himself
Blessings -
That men should seek the Lord ( even though Paul tells us later on in Romans 3:10-18 that we don't, as a rule ), and He be not far from us.
Also, that men, who are the offspring of God, ought not to think of the Godhead ( Father, Son and Holy Spirit ) as something of an object like gold and silver, etc...
And in the light of that, God has commanded us to repent because He has appointed Christ as Judge.
After all of this, very few believed ( Acts of the Apostles 17:34 ), while most of the ones who did not either mocked him or only wanted to hear about his new doctrine of the resurrection of the dead...but not about repentance and and about the One that was raised from the dead to judge the world in righteousness.
I also approach the entire book of Acts with what is given at the beginning and is referred to sporadically throughout...
God's grace through "calling", as found in Acts of the Apostles 2:37, ..."pricked in their heart..", plus:
" Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call." ( Acts of the Apostles 2:38-39 )
Here I clearly see that the promise of remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost is defined by the people Peter is preaching to, their children, and all that are afar off...
and is even further defined by the statement, "as many as the Lord our God shall call".
"Call" = "Summon".
In addition, I see in Acts of the Apostles 13:48, a very significant statement...
"...as many as were ordained to eternal life believed."
This further defines who believes and who does not, and everywhere I look past that, I view everyone who believed on Christ to have done so because they were ordained to it.
Those who did not were not ordained to it.
In other words, the events of Acts 2, Acts 13, Acts 16 ( God opening Lydia's heart so that she listens intently to the words that Paul speaks ) and significant statements about the Lord being selective in who He saves, defines where Paul goes and who believes the Gospel.
Another example of God leading Paul and his company to where God's elect were at, is when the Spirit forbids Paul from going into Bithynia and Asia ( even though we know people there were dying every day ) and instead sends him to Macedonia by means of a vision.
Yet another example of God being selective, is when He tells Paul in a vision to stay and preach at Corinth ( and Paul did so for a year and six months ), because He had "much people in this city"...many elect.
Acts 17 is no different, as God works salvation according to His plan,
and per Romans 8:29-30 only those who are foreknown and predestinated conformed to the image of His Son will be called by the Gospel and justified and glorified by God. -
Wesley Briggman Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
[Jos 13:22 KJV] 22 Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them.
The way I read this verse, Boer is the soothsayer, not Balaam.
Note: English sentence structure was not my strong point.
If it read: Balaam the soothsayer, also the son of Beor... would be clear.
Just my two-cents worth! -
poor-in-spirit Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
The "will" is in the hearts of men. Balaam's "will" was not changed nor altered by God, merely his actions. He condemned himself just as the mammon loving harlots today condemn themselves.
Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
Our Lord's interventions never made believers out of reprobates nor blocked those truly seeking Him.
In those days God wanted His Glory through the physical and visible. He created a physical nation on earth for Himself and used that nation for His Glory, to spread His Name through fear in His Name among the dogs. According to Scripture that alone was the reason for His interventions including national interventions, the raising and lower of kings, etc. -
You don't describe people receiving Jesus' compassionate acts of healing in terms of "making a deal." Why do it here? -
John 3 is a wonderful passage about God's Sovereign work in bringing humans to belief.
Tell us how you caused your own human conception. Now realize that being born again is not of your own doing, just as your first birth was not of your own doing. -
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I thought we already topped this with the Adam quote?
Why would Adam hide from God? Was that the first sin? Because eating the fruit was the breaking of a commandment right?
So after the sin nature enveloped Adam why would he have fear for God who loved him so very much?
If Adam had the ability to choose he failed miserably. Why does Adam get a second chance? So Adam could blame Eve I guess.
Maybe that was Adam’s second sin.
What a mess -
Quantrill -
Numbers shows repentance of those who believe, not those who don't believe.
John 3 shows that God enables belief in those whom he wills. The entire world will not believe. (You ignored the question of how a human self-concieves in physical birth as well as spiritual birth.)
Romans 8 is a blessed passage on God's elective work.
Faith is authored and finished by Jesus (not by humans), Hebrews 12:1-3. -
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Sinners who automatically reject His words and that very same reprimanding.
Again, but for the grace of God in the work of the new birth, I don't see anyone repenting.
As for faith, I've a question:
Are we talking about a faith that is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen ( Hebrews 11:1 )?
A faith that is authored ( created ) and finished ( perfected ) by Jesus Christ ( Hebrews 12:2 )?
A faith that Scripture tells us that not all men have ( 2 Thessalonians 3:2 )?
A faith that ( depending upon how one reads the passage ) is a gift according to Ephesians 2:8?
A faith that is very pointedly said to be "of" Christ in places like Romans 3:22 and Galatians 2:16-20?
If so, then how can God condition salvation on something that He has provided to His children?;) -
How does one get what they do not inherently possess?
Romans 10:17?
Ok...If they get it by hearing the word of God, then our next step is to determine who hears the word of God, IMO.
Those that are "of God", ( as John 8:43-47 says ) and those who have ears to hear ( as Matthew 11:15 and many others state )...or everyone within earshot of the preaching of God's word?
I believe the former, my friend.
In addition, if salvation were based on meeting a set of requirements, how does that not constitute works on the part of men who are seeking a way to escape God's wrath?
The terms of Matthew 4:4 and Luke 4:4 will come into play because the Lord has said that every word is important, and all doctrines and teachings must be formed around everything that the Lord has to say about a given subject...
Not just a few "verses" here and there. -
Covenanter Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
While he was a man with sufficient (human or Satanic) wisdom to function as a prophet, he sinned by being a paid prophet as Peter & Jude point out, but it was not specifically for that he was condemned in Scripture.
He used his wisdom to see that, as Israel was a people under God's protection, if he could cause them to turn away from God, that protection would cease. Balak wanted to fight them, but Balaam showed that by making friends, joining with them in corrupt worship God would turn against Israel.
There is an enduring lesson there for us. Dare we join with other faiths or Christian sects that do not hold the true Gospel that calls for repentance & faith in Christ alone? Can we faithfully witness by joining with them or will we be in danger of being condemned with them? -
I did not ignore your assertion about self-conception. I answered it with three passages of Scripture that deal with the choice to be sons of God in this world by Christ and by the brethren among whom He is firstborn. The Bible does not talk about spiritual self-conception, it talks about receiving Him to become a son (John 1:12).
Faith is authored and finished by Jesus (not by humans), Hebrews 12:1-3.[/QUOTE]
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Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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Also, what distinction do you make between a mad prophet and a false prophet?
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