The gift of spiritual sight requires the same omnipotent power of God used to heal the man blind from birth (blindness symbolizing man’s innate sinful nature which is spiritually blind).
The gift of forgiveness of sins requires the same omnipotent power of God used to heal the man with palsy (palsy symbolizing the debilitating effects of sin).
The healing of leprosy (leprosy symbolizing sin) required the omnipotent power of God.
The healing of sin sick man also requires the omnipotent power of God.
“They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Jesus likens sin to a disease which permeates every fiber of a man’s body, including his heart, his will, his eyesight, his understanding.
Just as it is impossible for the blind man, the paralytic or the leper to will themselves to full health, neither can sinful man cure his sin disease by the power of his own will.
It is only by the saving grace and power of Jesus, the Great Physician, that sin sick man can be healed completely, permanently and eternally.
Jesus uses earthly miracles to teach spiritual/heavenly truths….truths about salvation.
Protestant quoted:
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
Your mocking of Newton’s ‘Amazing Grace’, accusing him of serious doctrinal error, is most unconscionable.
“There are none so blind as those who will not see.”
Sympathy for the Arminian, Part 3
Discussion in 'Calvinism & Arminianism Debate' started by Protestant, Nov 20, 2013.
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A person who closes their eyes is not UNABLE to see. -
This quote is a reconstruction of Jeremiah 5:21:
"Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not"
Unless the Great Physician gives a sinner spiritual sight, that sinner willingly remains spiritually blind.
His willingness to remain spiritually blind is analogous to willingly closing one's eyes.....to the truth. -
Calvinism is a superstitious mystical religion, not unlike it's mother Roman Catholicism. -
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Second, it is Calvinism that claims man is unable to respond to the gospel, it is Calvinism that needs to prove this with scripture.
So let's see what you've got, let me see scripture that says men are unable to respond to the gospel. -
The issue is not that man's unwillingness to see spiritual truth is rooted in a magical thing, the issue is the fact that it is rooted in man's nature naturally.
You are now equating rejection of carrots to rejection of Jesus??!!
His Gospel is considered foolishness by the unregenerate.
His Son, His teachings and His disciples have caused chaos and revolutions worldwide.
This particular section of the Baptist Board is but one example of revolt against the status quo.
You, sir, are the status quo. -
Calvinism teaches that sinful man is not able to respond to the Gospel while in his sinful state. Visit this THREAD if you want to see this subject vetted. Read post #89. -
Second, our eyes must be enlightend for us to see. Ephesians 1:18 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
Third, I don't think Calvinist believe no one can respond to the gospel(in any case I do not). I don't believe anyone would be saved if that was the case. -
Iconoclast Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Winman does offer many scriptures....so much out of context that they really are not scripture anymore. You will see this very soon as he repeats himself every half hour or so:wavey: -
It is not being zapped that enables a man to believe in Jesus, it is being taught.
Jhn 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
Who did Jesus say comes to him in faith? Those who have been TAUGHT. He did not say they had to be zapped. But man has the responsibility to HEAR and LEARN. Every man who does listen to God and learns from him shall come to Jesus in faith. This is what Jesus himself taught.
That is why we are commanded to TEACH all nations. Why should we teach the nations if a man can only believe if God zaps him? You seem bright, doesn't that seem nonsensical?
Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Knowledge is what enables men to believe, that is why Jesus commanded us to teach the nations. Do you see that now?
The scriptures teach the opposite, the scriptures teach that those men who believe the gospel shall be regenerated. -
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As though I wasn't aware that Calvinism teaches a man must be regenerated to respond...
Yeah, I wasn't aware of that. :rolleyes: -
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Paul said the Gentiles do "by nature" the things contained in the law. That's a good thing, where is the problem?
The gospel is so simple a little child can understand it and be saved;
2 Tim 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
This verse doesn't say a person has to be regenerated to believe the gospel, it says the scriptures are ABLE to make even a child WISE unto salvation. It is knowledge that enables a person to believe.
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Free Will-the power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate; the ability to act at one's own discretion.
Hypothetically if your not predestined by God, then your still influenced by your own sinful nature, therefore you have no free will either way(not to make the choice). -
Lev 1:1 And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.
3 If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.
4 And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
God speaking to Moses said that "any man of you" referring to the Jews could bring an offerning to him, and they were to do it of their "own voluntary will".
Now, that is FREE WILL my friend, from the mouth of God himself. So don't tell me man does not have free will.
And note also that God said it would be accepted as an atonement for him.
So, you can believe your Reformed philosophy, or you can believe the word of God, which is it? -
Now, I don't quote commentators too often, I prefer to quote scripture, but I thought I would quote Charles Spurgeon for Protestant and others that think that faith is "magical" and that a man has to be supernaturally zapped to have the ability to believe the gospel.
Spurgeon agreed with me that believing the gospel is a very normal and natural thing for men to do;
As you see, Spurgeon said faith in Christ "is like faith in anyone else". It is not some magical, mystical thing as many portray it, it is not something that comes in visions or dreams.
No faith in Christ is like faith in anyone else and is based upon "the same kind of mental processes, upon simple principles and plain matters of fact", and requires no magical or mystical properties for man to believe. In fact Spurgeon implies that such a magical and mystical faith is not "true faith" at all.
So, Spurgeon agreed with me. :thumbs:
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