In a recently closed thread, @AustinC gave this illustration to the point that one must enter the door of a room.
I thought this a rather insightful response. However, that nor the topic of that thread are the discussion of this thread."God goes through the door and draws you in.
God is the cause of salvation. Faith is the effect."
Often one hears the message of invitation to receive Christ, but how would the message of invitation be different with the thinking mentioned by AustinC?
This thread is not about the controversy of how one is redeemed, but specifically upon the words used in the desire for one to be redeemed.
Whether it be one on one, one to the assembly, or one to those who pass by on a street, how would you put the message of belief?
Entering or invited?
Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by agedman, Jan 18, 2022.
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SavedByGrace Well-Known Member
Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.
13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
It is clear from this Parable, that Jesus says that entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven, is by INVITATION. This initial Invitation was REJECTED by those originally Invited, which were the Jews, the CHOSEN of God in the Old Testament. Because of this, those who REJECTED this Invitation (shows free will), were no longer worthy to attend this Banquet. The Invitation is then OFFERED to ALL THE PEOPLE, THE BAD AS WELL AS THE GOOD, shows that the WHOLE HUMAN RACE in meant. We then have those who suppose that the can enter this Banquet, by another means, and Jesus clearly says that this is not possible, as He ALONE is The Gate.
Reformed theology, as represented by @AustinC, are clearly in error, as they suppose that sinners do not have the God-given ABILITY to ACCEPT or REJECT the Gospel Message, which is Parable clearly shows to be WRONG! -
The ones on the street seemingly showed no more inclination to come then did the others who didn’t come, but were given proper clothing and brought. “10So the servants went out into the streets and gathered everyone they could find, both evil and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.”
All but one was dressed appropriately, and they would not normally have such garments.
Where does that fit in your presentation of the error of Reformed Theology? -
SavedByGrace Well-Known Member
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SavedByGrace Well-Known Member
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5 point Gillinist Active Member
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Martin Marprelate Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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SavedByGrace Well-Known Member
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SavedByGrace Well-Known Member
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SavedByGrace Well-Known Member
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5 point Gillinist Active Member
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Martin Marprelate Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
The Gospel call goes out to everyone, but people do not receive it savingly unless unless it comes with irresistible, life-giving power.
Look, Lazarus is dead; he's been dead for quite some time. We can call on Lazarus to come back to life; we can tell him how much better it would be if he were alive, and point out to him the severe disadvantages of being dead. We can get the best preacher in the world to tell him all this. But it won't do any good. He won't hear us. He can't. He's dead, you see (Ephesians 2:1).
In fact, it's even worse than that, because, quite frankly, Lazarus is a stinker (John 11:39). He's not just dead, but he's dead in trespasses and sins. He has no right to come back to life. 'But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us , even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)' Ephesians 2:4-5). And there is your irresistible grace! When the Lord Jesus calls, "Lazarus, come forth!" Forth Lazarus will come, ready or not, still bound with the grave clothes, but obeying the sovereign command of Christ. -
5 point Gillinist Active Member
Jesus said, “For many are invited, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). In this statement, Jesus distinguishes between the general call that everyone receives by hearing the gospel and the effectual call that leads to salvation. The effectual call is also taught in passages such as Romans 1:6, where Paul greets the believers as those “who are called to belong to Jesus Christ”; and Acts 16:14, where Luke says of Lydia that “the Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.” The effectual call, therefore, is God’s action toward the elect, those whom He chose in Christ “before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless. . . . He predestined [them] for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:4–5).
- GotQuestions -
SavedByGrace Well-Known Member
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SavedByGrace Well-Known Member
Like I have heard, that in God's "revealed will", He desires that the entire human race is saved. But, in His "secret will", He really only desires to save the elect! UTTER RUBBISH!
Reformed theology on the salvation of sinners, is mainly HERESY! -
Parables clearly teach? Not. -
SavedByGrace Well-Known Member
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46 And Paul and Barnabas spake out boldly, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you. Seeing ye thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. Acts 13 -
10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11 And he answered and said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. Mk 4
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