The thing you need to consider is that why you have said appears to come from a misunderstanding of just who God is. Also of what Jesus has said. The disciples asked Jesus "who then can be saved", after Jesus basically said the young rich ruler would not/could not be saved. [will not enter the kingdom of God]. Jesus said, clearly, without stuttering "With man this is impossible..." FULL STOP. Jesus didn't simply say man can't do it, but that is was impossible. Jesus says nothing more about man in salvation. The rest is about God.
amen, 100%
We do not have free will, at least not as those who claim we have a libertarian free will. Our will is, and scripture is clear on this, bound to sin. Paul explained all of this. We are slaves of sin, and such, free in regards to righteousness. That is, we do NOTHING when it comes to righteousness, for righteousness has no claim or hold on us. Solely bound to sin. None righteous, no not one, no one seeks after God. No one. Why? They have all gone their own way. That is, God isn't even in their mind. He isn't part of "their own way."
Understanding you are judged by Sin, condemned and headed to hell is much different than being bound to sin.
Man is depraved , amen, But remember, the gentile who did not have the law. Prety much still obeyed many things..
Back to misunderstanding of God. God is sovereign over the whole universe. God did not thrown everything into a pot, shove it in the oven, and say, "Let's see what comes out". God planned out everything.
So God planned out all the evil we see in the world today? and all the evil from day 1?
He is in control of everything. However, the question becomes, just how does that present itself, and how can God do that if we already know everything that is going to happen. Oh wait... we don't... but God does. Like an author writing a book. For a good author, the book... writes itself. So it isn't God and robots, but we are still stuck in a storyline that unfolds as we live what God has already "written" so to speak. It is not at all an easy concept to understand. But the sinful mind would use this to say that God made robots, and use twisted logic which was actually refuted a long time ago by people better than us. Calvin was one. When you read about the people he argued with, and what they believe, they were beyond twisted.
If man has no choice. If grace is so irrestable. man would never reject it.. (they did not have a choice) then in reality,. I think we are robots.
is this not Satan's lie from the beginning. that God does not love, he can not be trusted?
Jesus point in His telling about the rich young ruler is, if God is not involved, there is no salvation. It doesn't matter what you say or do, it will not happen.
I do not think anyone disputes this, even the legalists agrees in Some of Gods work they just add their own works on top of Gods work
There will be something about you, your words being hollow, your heart not being there, etc. So much possibility, except for salvation. The believer does not come to God, God comes to the believer. Ephesians 1 says God has foreordained us (believers) to the adoption of children through Jesus Christ. The focus of the verse is to say that even before we were born, we were adopted children of God through Christ.
No, it says we were predestined to become Gods children.
It was God's choice, and it should be His choice because we sinned against God. He has no responsibility to save anyone.
Correct.
But God also has to restore his integrity. Satan made us doubt Gods love and his integrity. saying God is not to be trusted. He is holding back from you. He knows you will receive something if you eat.
If God holds back the ability of people to even be given the opportunity to be saved. then that really does not restore Gods integrity does it? Saying he loves some and puts them above others. while not even offering love to others. while God tells us to love everyone.. again, destroys Gods integrity, as it tells us to do something he refuses to do.
Saying he has the right to do what he wants. i agree.
But does he really do what you have suggested here?
No requirement. He could damn us all and He would still be holy, righteous and pure. However, He promised to save His creation through Eve.
