Decisional JUSTIFICATION - Sovereign SANCTIFICATION

Absolutely NOT! Resist the theology that claims that some or all have no choice. Would God not be a liar to say "God so loved the WORLD that He gave His only begotten Son that WHOSOEVER believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life." The issue is "whosoever believeth," not "whosoever God chose."

You give yourself more credit than you deserve, then, zrs6v2. You didn't even know Christ before you heard and the ONLY thing that could have "clued you in" on God's plan might be your conscience.

Both are valid points. God was in control in this sense -- if Pharoah agrees, the Jews leave Egypt. If Pharoah doesn't agree, the Jews leave Egypt! God gave Pharoah the opportunity to make the right choice and "save himself" from the Red Sea of God's wrath! Pilate could have "pushed" Jesus back on the Jews instead of trying to "save his own skin." But "what does it profit a man if he save his life but lose his own soul?" Human choice is what makes it personal with God.

Take yourself. You are soul (conscience), spirit (mind, emotions, will), and body. Suppose God could separate YOU into 3 "persons." One part, your soul, would be "in charge" and eternal either life or death. One part, your spirit, would be all your "grey matter" and would "glorify" your wisdom and life. :laugh: One part would be your body -- just like Christ, the "palate" of God's beauty, your body is the palate of your wisdom and mind. :thumbs:

Well, that is what God did. There is not really a way to say that His Spirit is someOne else's -- nor His body someOne else's. Yet He is Holy and Perfect throughout! And this is what He intends to make us like one "person" at a time! That is, He intends to JUSTIFY our souls, SANCTIFY our spirits, and GLORIFY our bodies until we are like His own Son!!! And that is why He chose to delineate Himself into 3 Persons.

skypair