Featured I am a false convert, love my sin, and headed to hell!!

That verse says God has commanded all men everywhere to repent, so according to your view, all men everywhere should have repented like the man who stretched forth his withered hand.

Lots of people hear the command to repent and believe, why don't they all do it?

 

No, Calvinism teaches that a sinner cannot even understand the gospel. He cannot be willing to hear it. He cannot be willing to repent, and he cannot be willing to believe.

If this is true, then a man must be regenerated before he will even be willing to listen to the gospel and understand it.

You have to be in a total state of denial to believe this nonsense.

 

What is the difference in that eternal life that folks have now without works, and that eternal life that is inherited by those enduring in good works?

 

having eternal life now is a state of being - one passes from death to life when he believes upon Christ alone

while inheriting eternal life is a quality of life - an inheritance that we store up in heaven through faithful service


In the Old testament, the inheritance was a possession that enhanced the quality of life. No longer were the Israelites to be slaves to others, they were given a possession.

Consider:
Numbers 32:18
We will not return to our homes until every one of the sons of Israel has possessed his inheritance.

Deuteronomy 15:4
However, there will be no poor among you, since the Lord will surely bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess,

Judges 2:6
When Joshua had dismissed the people, the sons of Israel went each to his inheritance to possess the land.


When the True Heir came (Jesus), He was rejected. Son of God was automatically understood as Heir of God. The obvious implication was that He came from God - they said "You make yourself equal with God?"

Just a tidbit, go to a Muslim apologetics site, and you'll see that they understand precisely that Son is equivalent to Heir. They reject the notion, but they understand the implication, just like the Jews


Mark 12:7
But those vine-growers said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!' - see Luke 20:14

In Mark and Luke, this parable was spoken almost immediately after the rich young ruler asked what he must do to inherit eternal life

What was a type in the OT land of Israel will become fully realized eternally

Acts 20:32
And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Notice it is for those who are sanctified, see Romans 6:22 - But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.


Acts 26:15-18
And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.
But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you;
rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you,
to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’

Paul was sent to preach not only forgiveness of sins, but an inheritance. And he did just that. Read Ephesians 1. Paul was speaking strictly about an inheritance, and declared that the the mystery of the gospel is that Gentiles are now included in the inheritance which was once promised to only Israel. See also Romans 11, where he says that Israel has been cut off and Gentiles grafted in.

He's not saying that Gentiles couldn't go to heaven before the cross, or that Jewish people are excluded from heaven now. We know from scripture that both of those premises would be false, seeing many Gentiles of faith in the OT, and Jewish Christians in the NT.

Paul wrote that those who live ungodly will not inherit the Kingdom of God (Gal 5) and that those who live ungodly will not have an inheritance in the Kingdom (Eph 5)

He never said that ungodliness will exclude someone from going to heaven but that they would forfeit their inheritance

1Peter 1:4 tells us that there is an inheritance stored up in heaven.


I don't believe scripture tells exactly what our inheritance will be, or what it will look like. But one thing seems clear - it is a possession. And it is called eternal life. And it is for those believers who have forsaken all and followed Christ. Not that they earn it, but that Christ is not ashamed to call them brethren and share His inheritance with them.

Jesus told many parables about being judged by what we've done, with what God has given us. And each time the judgment comes, He said - take from this one and give to that one. He's not talking about taking someone's place in heaven and giving it to someone who already has a place in heaven, He's talking about taking a slothful servant's inheritance and giving it to the one faithful servant.

Who are the faithful servants? The Elect. Many are called to suffer (with Christ), but few are chosen (as sons, to receive the inheritance). They will be vessels of honor, while nominal believers will be vessels for common use - saved as one escaping the flames

 

Very interesting, thank you for posting that.

So what will the saved folks without an inheritance have in heaven in your opinion?

 

I did not misrepresent Spurgeon, he wrote much more than I posted.

http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0531.htm

He went on;

Now Spurgeon says it only makes sense to preach the gospel to sinners, but that is nonsensical as well. According to Calvinism, an unregenerated sinner cannot possibly understand the gospel, as he is unable to understand spiritual matters (1 Cor 2:14). I cannot count how many times Calvinists have told me that. Besides that, if a sinner could understand the gospel (and he can't according to Calvinism), he has a heart of stone and cannot possibly be willing to even listen to it, much less to repent. And, according to Calvinism, it is impossible for the unregenerate man to believe.

So, according to Spurgeon himself, it is nonsensical to preach the gospel to a regenerated man, but according to Calvinism, it is ridiculous to preach the gospel to an unregenerated sinner.

It is you that has not carefully thought out your own doctrine. It is absurd.

 

You're welcome. I honestly have no idea what someone would have if their inheritance is forfeited.

I've often thought of Jesus saying "In My Father's house are many mansions"

I've sometimes had a rudimentary thought that there will be mansion owners, and there will be maids :laugh:


I know it sounds silly, and probably is. But I don't want a view based on pure speculation. And I've seen no hint in scripture. So I trust Him, knowing that He judges fairly and acts accordingly

 

Brother Wes, your ignorance of Calvinism shows in every post you post, and especially here. I am not saying you're ignorant as in stupid, but not knowing/understanding it. I am ignorant about many things. I am ignorant in regards to flying a helicopter, airplane, about calculus...well, I may be stupid about calculus...it was trig based, and I never took trig, so I couldn't grasp it....anyhoo....

Without true God given repentance, you have no God given salvation. God commanded Israel to keep the Ten Commandments, knowing full well they couldn't on their own.

Here's the thing you're missing. It's that the goats will NOT repent. They have no desire to come to God. Their hearts are hardened by sin, and they revel in them. The Word, Jesus Christ, and the written word of God, have no place in their heart. It's a heart issue....

 

Willis, it is you that is not thinking this out. An unregenerated sinner cannot understand the gospel if you tell him the gospel according to Calvinism (1 Cor 2:14). He cannot be willing to listen to it, he cannot be willing to repent, he cannot be willing to believe.

Before he can understand, be willing to listen, repent, or believe, he must be regenerated according to Calvinism.

Well then, according to Charles Spurgeon himself, if the man is already regenerated, it is unnecessary and ridiculous to preach the gospel to him, because he is already saved.

You do not see how ridiculous this doctrine is. You are in a state of denial.

 

Sinners are always in a state of denial. They have their "God is love" thoughts, and that if "God is love", then I won't go to hell. Sinners can NOT understand the gospel, because it IS spiritually discerned.

True story....

Years ago...probably mid-1990's...I went to church. I had read many times of Jesus being tempted by satan and wanting Jesus to turn the stones into bread. I didn't truly understand what was going on here. A preacher was preaching on this when all of a sudden, it seemed like a veil was removed, and I got it. God showed me what was going on here. Many years later, May 24, 2007, @ approx. 1:30 am, God completed His election in my life.

 

Willis, you are agreeing with me. You agree that an unregenerated sinner cannot understand the gospel.

You agree that an unregenerated sinner cannot be willing to repent.

You agree that an unregenerated sinner cannot possibly believe.

The only person according to Calvinism that can understand the gospel, repent, and believe is a REGENERATE man Willis.

Now go back and read what Spurgeon said, he said it is both unnecessary and ridiculous to preach the gospel to a regenerate man, because he is ALREADY SAVED.

You are not thinking this out Willis, if you did, you would see how utterly ridiculous this doctrine is. Calvinism teaches that you have to be regenerated to understand and believe the gospel, but if you are regenerated, you do not need to hear the gospel, you are already saved! That is ridiculous.

 

And Willis, that is why regeneration CANNOT precede faith.

 

Regeneration preceeds conversion, and are NOT synomous. But I'll leave it there......Excerpts from John 3.....Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God......Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.......The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit..... For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved......But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.......then there's Romans 9:16.......So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.....Phpp. 1:6....Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.....Phpp. 2:13....For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure......

 

God begins His work in the sinner's life before they ever even give Him a second thought....that's why they love Him....He loved them first...He loves us so much that He began a work in our lives, a work we were unable to do...

 

That's not what Spurgeon said, Spurgeon said that a regenerated man was SAVED and did not need to hear and believe the gospel, because he was already SAVED.

So, you think Spurgeon is completely wrong here?

Tell me Willis, is being regenerated the same thing as being born again?

 

Spurgeon is just a man, and not the final authority. Regeneration is being born from above, yes. Regeneration brings about a change in one's disposition.....from "we will not have this Man over us, to..."I want You Lord, and Your people to be my people"....

God regenerates a sinner before they ever call out to Him...

 

I got this from Monogism dot com, would you agree with this?

http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/regeneration_grudem.html

According to this Reformed site, even though they seem to happen almost at once, regeneration happens before a person believes and is saved.

Would you agree with that Willis? Would you agree that for a few seconds we are regenerated before we believe? I mean, it does take a moment to hear the gospel and believe it doesn't it? Thought takes time doesn't it?

So, do you believe that a man is born again, but still LOST for a few seconds?

I know R.C.Sproul believes you can be regenerated for YEARS before you hear and believe the gospel. Do you believe that is possible Willis?

 

I am very glad to read your testimony & see that your progressing in your understanding of Gods plan & Sola Gratia.......and that by its very nature as a gift.

 

Yep, he's already swallowed the hook and line, all that's left is the sinker.