Featured Entering or invited?

If someone is called, that might mean invited (i.e. called to dinner) or it might mean named (i.e. Simon is called Peter) or it might be transferred (i.e. called into the kingdom). Those transferred by God are often referred to as "the called."

 

The whole human race is indeed invited, and furthermore commanded, to repent and to trust in Christ for salvation. 'For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved' (Joel 2:32; Romans 10:13). But, as I have pointed out many times, men and women will only reject Christ, not choose Him. 'All day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and contrary people' (Isaiah 65:2; Romans 10:21). As the saying goes, if God did not choose some, none would be saved. So God, in His mercy, has opened the hearts of a vast number of obstinate sinners to receive Christ, and these He has saved at measureless cost.

I understand that you do not like this teaching, but it is the teaching of the Bible, and you shouting

is not going to change that, only engender unpleasantness..

 

LOL. The command is the call.

 

I should have added to this text John 5:25.
"Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.'

 

If someone is called, that might mean invited (i.e. called to dinner) or it might mean named (i.e. Simon is called Peter) or it might be transferred (i.e. called into the kingdom). Those transferred by God are often referred to as "the called."

 

IF you or anyone believes in this truly, then you CANNOT believe the L in TULIP! Period.

 

so the NT Gospel is ONLY for the Jews???

 

the are nonetheless TRUE!

 

I think you'll find I can.

 

then either you are very confused, or really don't understand what you believe! This is exactly what the greater majority of those who call themselves "reformed", are like.

 

That is your view to which you are absolutely entitled. There is nothing in the BB rules that say you have to be right. However, you supply no reasoning or Biblical text to support it so until you do I will just let it pass.

 

your own words in #22 shows that you are very confused.

 

Egad. You sound just as bad as Martin, jumping to stupid conclusions you know aren't true. As 'The Prophet' He came only to Israel:

24 But he answered and said, I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Mt 15

...reiterated by Paul:

8 For I say that Christ hath been made a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, that he might confirm the promises given unto the fathers, Ro 15

Gill:
"...“I am not sent, but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel; as a priest, or as a Saviour and Redeemer, he was sent to make satisfaction and atonement for the sins of all God's elect, and to obtain eternal redemption and salvation for all of them, whether Jews or Gentiles; but as a prophet, in the discharge of his own personal ministry, he was sent by his Father only to the Jews; he was the "minister of the circumcision", Romans 15:8 that is, a minister to the circumcised Jews…..”

 

Never said they were not true. I'm stating the truth that He spoke in parables to make the teaching UNCLEAR, so that the multitude would not understand. If a teacher intends to make his message clear and easy to understand the last thing he will do is teach in riddles and dark sayings.

 

Re the OP, I fully understand why folks would have some reservations about the above statements.

It is quite possible and maybe even best to preach Christ and Him crucified and rely on the Holy Spirit to do the rest. But if you read sermons by Calvinist preachers they go much further and have no trouble exhorting and warning people that they had better believe and their eternal destiny depends on it. I came across John Owen saying that your unbelief can completely stop everything and Christ cannot do anything for you as long as you refuse to believe. This is very important - painting a vivid picture of what happens if you won't come to Christ can be one of the means that the Holy Spirit uses to bring you to Christ. If you preach like that it does not mean that you don't believe that God is sovereign in your salvation.

What a Calvinistic theological framework does is keeps us from going off the rails. If we either in preaching or just one on one get to tell someone about who Christ is and what he did we know we can rely on God to do the rest. Without a Calvinistic framework we will go off and try various techniques, often borrowed from sales or psychology, or we will hold out things that might appeal to people like mental health or prosperity in order to get a decision.

I came from a fundamentalist background and I will admit that no one beats them for trying to reach the lost. But I have seen plenty of very evangelistic Calvinist (Baptists) at least. I don't know about Presbyterians. But it was also as a IFB that I saw some very questionable techniques used that caused false conversions and the Calvinists try to avoid this - and do a good job of it.

 

Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Gentiles"

very simple

 

Unclear? Really? I have read this parable in different Versions, and VERY EASY for me to understand! I think that a 10 year old kid will grasp its meaing with not problems!

It is only UNCLEAR, and in RIDDLES and DARK SAYINGS, to those who cannot accept what the passage plainly, because if they did, the they just might have to abandon some of their pet theologies

 

???

You're preaching to the choir. He came to the Jews first. He never began bringing the Gentiles in till Acts 10 - Cornelius.

16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice: and they shall become one flock, one shepherd. Jn 10

 

Read John 1.12

 

Really? If the parables are so clear and easy to understand why did His disciples ask for Him to explain them?

Is there something about these passages that's too complex for you to grasp?:

25 These things have I spoken unto you in dark sayings: the hour cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in dark sayings, but shall tell you plainly of the Father.
29 His disciples say, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no dark saying. Jn 16


10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parables.
11 And he said unto them, Unto you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all things are done in parables:
12 that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest haply they should turn again, and it should be forgiven them.
13 And he saith unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how shall ye know all the parables?
33 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it;
34 and without a parable spake he not unto them: but privately to his own disciples he expounded all things. Mk 4

6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. Jn 10:6

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.
12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And unto them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall in no wise understand; And seeing ye shall see, and shall in no wise perceive:
15 For this people`s heart is waxed gross, And their ears are dull of hearing, And their eyes they have closed; Lest haply they should perceive with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And should turn again, And I should heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.
34 All these things spake Jesus in parables unto the multitudes; and without a parable spake he nothing unto them:
35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world.
36 Then he left the multitudes, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Explain unto us the parable of the tares of the field. Mt 13

If you think Christ spoke in parables/riddles/dark sayings so that the multitudes of JEWS could easily understand His kingdom teaching you are woefully mistaken. It's just the opposite, He spoke in parables so that the multitudes would not understand.