Obviously that's true because they chose to reject him
Let's consider this...in Ezekiel 18:32 we read where God says for Israel for them to make themselves a new heart and a new spirit.
“‘Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,’ declares the Lord God. ‘Therefore, repent and live.’”Ezekiel 18:32
Jeremiah 4:3 puts the responsibility on man to break up the fallow ground and obviously it's inferring to the fallow ground of their hearts. I suggest that served as an inspiration for Jesus's Sower Sows the Word parable of Mark 4. God also says in Ezekiel that he'd give Israel a new heart and spirit and there's much we could say about that but what can we conclude??...We have our part to play and God has his part. Making a new heart IS NOT synonymous with having a new nature. You don't get the new heart first and then you believe...you believe first, which is you breaking up the fallow ground of the heart and then God implants the new Spirit.
Gospel first....will utilized to receive and then and only then God releases his grace in actual Salvation.
No. They reject Him because they have wicked, unbelieving hearts.
There s no one saying, Oh! How I wish I could believe in Christ, but I .....just....can't.....do it!"
And I was just the same as them for many, many years.
Nothing kept me from trusting in Christ but my own wickedness, selfishness and unbelief.
And that's where I would be to this day but for the mercy of God.
Praise His name for irresistible grace! :)
Just so.
Mankind is responsible to repent and trust in Christ, but 'The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him......' (1 Corinthians 2:14).
Well this raises I think a good question then. If you're presenting the gospel to one and they happened to say well I just don't feel the irresistible urge to receive Christ or to repent and you say the desire has got to be irresistible then I guess God's not willing to take me in. What would you say to them?
There are those who believe in sovereign grace (little me has to do something for God to save me) and those who believe in SOVEREIGN GRACE!... God saved me alone and I did nothing to deserve it... That's what I've been elected to, how about you?... Brother Glen:)
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
8:30 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.
8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Never mind what I 'would' say; what I do say is "repent and believe (Mark 1:15).
Christ will not cast you out.
More than that, He promises, 'Everyone who askes, receives, and he
who seeks, finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.'
The trouble is that men do not seek Christ (Romans 3:11) or if they do, they do not seek Him with all their heart (Deuteronomy 4:29).
The Lord Jesus says of such people, "You search the Scriptures......but you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life" (John 5:39-40).
I believe in election. God tells you where you’ve been a selfish jerk. Actually persuades you. Changes your heart and gives you a conscious. Then it’s up to you. You can always backslide.
I'm sorry, I don't understand the question. You seem to be suggesting that only persons with one narrowly defined Soteriology are saved, which is, in my opinion, blasphemy. (Not to mention probably against the forum rules of questioning the salvation of those who disagree with you.)
I can't help but notice all of your questions seem to be predicated on my quoting of scripture. Acts 13:48. Is your argument with me or with the scriptures?
The main things is that you have an overall confidence that God is in complete control of everything that comes to pass .So each person that you meet is a potential person who can be saved that we know they're all Sinners and so when you have these interactions you know it's in God's control and you'll have an opportunity to minister to them.
Knowing the truth of our saving union in Christ...we are enabled to mortifying sin, pursue holiness, and serve God.
If we live to self that is contrary to the Holy calling God has graced us with.
A True Christian is saved but ignorant or unlearned if they do not grow in grace as instructed
to do.
Why does your side of the debate always resort to such foolish scenarios? In my 11+ years as a Christian, I have yet to encounter this. The first 6+ was as a free will believer, and the last 5+ as a believer of God's sovereign grace. But this never comes up when ppl witness to the lost.
Here are two examples of my witnessing to ppl.
There is a small garage about a mile above our house that we have the mechanic service our vehicles. It's not a licensed garage, but he's as good as they get, and we trust him. I went one evening to have two tires put on my work car, but his step-son was the only one there. He's been pretty rough, but we had a good convo. He even mentioned how sick it was to have our Supreme Court approve same-sex marriage. He loved to fight game roosters, and in my lost days, I did just that. So I spoke to him about that, wanting him to feel like he could talk to me w/o being afraid of Christians. I had many try to push themselves on me, and all that did was drive me away, so I am leery of pushing lost ppl away quicker than I can win them. After he finished, I paid him and invited him to church, and gave him the times we have it. He said something, I think it was something like 'thanks', but he couldn't get out of that garage fast enough. There was none of this 'Well, I just don't feel His grace is irresistible, nor do I feel the urge to be saved." It just doesn't come up in these convos.
The other one was when my cousin a few years ago posted a pic of a game rooster on FB. He was bragging on how good that rooster was. I then told him he needed to worry about going to church, and not going to those chicken fights. He didn't tell me, "Well, I don't feel God's grace is irresistible at this time, nor do I feel the urge to be saved." He said, "I know someone who used to love to go to the chicken fights, too." He turned my past sins against me. I then told him I USED to love to do that, but no longer do I.
So, these idiotic scenarios need to cease and desist. They're just that, idiotic.