Charles H. Spurgeon
August 2, 2019
Morning Reading
Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.
—Ephesians 1:11
Our belief in God's wisdom supposes and necessitates that He has a settled purpose and plan in the work of salvation. What would creation have been without His design? Is there a fish in the sea, or a fowl in the air, which was left to chance for its formation? Nay, in every bone, joint, and muscle, sinew, gland, and blood-vessel, you mark the presence of a God working everything according to the design of infinite wisdom. And shall God be present in creation, ruling over all, and not in grace? Shall the new creation have the fickle genius of free will to preside over it when divine counsel rules the old creation? Look at Providence! Who knoweth not that not a sparrow falleth to the ground without your Father? Even the hairs of your head are all numbered. God weighs the mountains of our grief in scales, and the hills of our tribulation in balances. And shall there be a God in providence and not in grace? Shall the shell be ordained by wisdom and the kernel be left to blind chance. No; He knows the end from the beginning. He sees in its appointed place, not merely the corner-stone which He has laid in fair colours, in the blood of His dear Son, but He beholds in their ordained position each of the chosen stones taken out of the quarry of nature, and polished by His grace; He sees the whole from corner to cornice, from base to roof, from foundation to pinnacle. He hath in His mind a clear knowledge of every stone which shall be laid in its prepared space, and how vast the edifice shall be, and when the top-stone shall be brought forth with shoutings of "Grace! Grace! unto it." At the last it shall be clearly seen that in every chosen vessel of mercy, Jehovah did as He willed with His own; and that in every part of the work of grace He accomplished His purpose, and glorified His own name.
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Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.—Ephesians 1:11
Discussion in 'Calvinism & Arminianism Debate' started by Wesley Briggman, Aug 2, 2019.
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Wesley Briggman Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
The op assumes something not proven that free will is not or cannot be determined by God. Therefore the op is faulty.
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Wesley Briggman Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Since it cannot be proven that free will is not or cannot be determined by God, then free will is a myth. Glad for your insight and acknowledge that God is in control. -
Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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Wesley Briggman Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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According to the arts and sciences of metaphysics "free will" cannot exist since we cannot speak of that which we know nothing about including giving it a label.
It therefore must exist at least on an academic level. -
Just a heads-up ...
Are you aware that Paul was writing to
"the faithful" believers in the church at Ephesus?
All of those wonderful descriptions of who they were, etc.!
IMO, he was NOT really writing to the unfaithful believers!
Ditto for his letter to the Colossian church.
Please note that he gave warnings even to them
about the results of (habitual) sinning ...
to try to keep them on the straight and narrow. -
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Ultimately God must create free will if he wants to talk to someone else for a change. -
Wesley Briggman Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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Joh 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
Then Later said;
Joh 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
You see all we have to do is ask for eternal life.
This is my definition of being free to Choose Christ.
MB -
Exhaustive Determinism is as bogus as a three dollar bill.
God causes or allows whatsoever comes to pass. God allows us to make plans within His boundaries.
God sets before us the choice of life or death, and begs us to choose life. Obviously He does not compel us either way.
Deu 30:19
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, -
Alan Gross Well-Known Member
"If thou knewest the gift of God...."
Jesus Knows His Bible. -
Wesley Briggman Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Mat 7:22 KJV - Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 KJV - And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Jesus's response to this man's inquiring about entry into heaven does not comport with your stated understanding: "You see all we have to do is ask for eternal life." Your conclusion is not supported by scripture.
Luk 18:22 KJV - Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
Eph 2:4 KJV - But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5 KJV - Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Col 2:13 KJV - And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
A soul that is dead to the influence of the God of heaven is influenced by the Prince of the power of the air: Satan.
Therefore, that soul is easily deceived to believe that by naming the name of Jesus and asking for eternal life, it is granted to him.
The Holy Spirit must quicken (bring to life in relation to God) a soul to begin the process of being born-again into the family of God. A soul that is dead (separated from God) in trespasses and sin cannot quicken it's self!!! -
MB -
Alan Gross Well-Known Member
Jesus Knows His Bible.
"Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will."
—Ephesians 1:11
"If thou knewest the gift of God...."
It is God Who Works and Gives the Gift, after The Counsel of His OWN WILL,
or Spiritually dead sinners remain Spritually dead sinners, lost in their sins, dead in trespasses and sins, in a dead State with NO ABILITY to relate to God, Who is Spirit, and by dead, I mean, "dead", and God Means, "dead".
Let the dead bury the dead.
The blind follow the blind.
"If the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.." Ecclesiastes 11:3 -
MB -
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