Here's a question-what caused you to believe? Hear me out, man left to his own devises do NOT seek God and I can prove it from Scripture.
So if you THINK scripture states that man cannot seek God...
were all those verses I posted LIES straight out of the bible?
Calvinism makes a statement.
THIS is the statement:
MAN CANNOT SEEK GOD BECAUSE HE IS TOTALLY DEPRAVED AND THUS UNABLE TO.
I have offered MANY verses that plainly state that man is able to seek God.----
Then they look for scripture that SEEMS to support that incorrect theory...proven by MANY verses.
So YOU are doing the same.
YOU are creating a conflict in scripture, just like calvinism does.
I will now respond to your many verses...which are too many actually...however, I'll take the time necessary
to show you and
@atpollard that scripture does not lie.
Only what we BRING to scripture lies.
John 3:5: “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
Greek Verb: γεννηθῇ (gennēthē, passive aorist subjunctive of γεννάω, “to be born”).
Greek Verb: πνεύματος (pneumatos, “Spirit,” linked to rebirth).
I don't need the Greek J...it's of no help at all in 99% of cases.
So what does the above have to do with Calvinism?
If we're not born again we cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
EVERY Christian believes this.
BUT HOW do we enter the Kingdom of God?
THAT is the question.
John 3:8: “The wind blows where it wishes… So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Greek Verb: πνεῖ (pnei, present active indicative of πνέω, “to blow”).
Greek Verb: γεγεννημένος (gegennēmenos, perfect passive participle of γεννάω, “born”).
DITTO.
Are ALL your verses going to be moot?
John 14:26: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit… he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
Greek Verb: διδάξει (didaxei, future active indicative of διδάσκω, “to teach”).
Greek Verb: ὑπομνήσει (hypomnēsei, future active indicative of ὑπομιμνῄσκω, “to remind”).
DITTO.
ALL Christians believe this.
NOTHING to do with calvinism.
John 15:26: “But when the Helper comes… the Spirit of truth… he will bear witness about me.”
Greek Verb: μαρτυρήσει (martyrei, future active indicative of μαρτυρέω, “to bear witness”).
DITTO.
And Amen to that.
BUT
Apparently, the Holy Spirit brings a different truth to the reformed/calvinist.
Because they follow MEN
instead of following JESUS.
John 16:8-9: “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me.”
Greek Verb: ἐλέγξει (elenxei, future active indicative of ἐλέγχω, “to convict”).
Greek Verb: πιστεύουσιν (pisteuousin, present active indicative of πιστεύω, “to believe”).
Perfect. So does the Holy Spirit CONVICT, CONVINCE, the world of sin...
or
Does God pick and choose who will be saved by using IRRESISTIBLE GRACE?
Your old Calvinist beliefs are edging in.
Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses.”
Greek Verb: λήμψεσθε (lēmpsesthe, future middle indicative of λαμβάνω, “to receive”).
Greek Verb: μάρτυρές (martyres, noun from μαρτυρέω, “witnesses”).
Does the Holy Spirit come upon me by force?
THIS is what you have to support with scripture.
You're using verses that do NOT support calvinism.
1 Corinthians 2:12: “Now we have received… the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.”
Greek Verb: ἐλάβομεν (elabomen, aorist active indicative of λαμβάνω, “to receive”).
Greek Verb: εἰδῶμεν (eidōmen, perfect active subjunctive of οἶδα, “to know/understand”).
We have RECEIVED the spirit of God.
Was it FORCED upon us?
Not good verses Johann.
1 Corinthians 2:14: “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God… because they are spiritually discerned.”
Greek Verb: δέχεται (dechetai, present middle indicative of δέχομαι, “to accept”).
Greek Verb: ἀνακρίνεται (anakrinetai, present passive indicative of ἀνακρίνω, “to discern”).
DITTO.
EVERY Christian understands that the natural man does not understand scripture.
So?
As you stated in a verse above...it's the Holy Spirit that helps us to understand scripture.
Ephesians 1:13: “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.”
Greek Verb: πιστεύσαντες (pisteusantes, aorist active participle of πιστεύω, “to believe”).
Greek Verb: ἐσφραγίσθητε (esphragisthēte, aorist passive indicative of σφραγίζω, “to seal”).
Thanks for not supporting Calvinism.
And proving it is wrong with scripture.
WHEN WE HEARD....this is how one is saved. Faith comes by hearing,,,and hearing THE WORD OF GOD.
THEN we believed in Him......calvinism teaches that we have to be saved first and THEN beleive. Thanks for the verse proving this wrong.
Ephesians 2:8: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”
Greek Verb: πίστεως (pisteōs, noun from πιστεύω, “faith”).
Greek Verb: σεσῳσμένοι (sesōsmenoi, perfect passive participle of σῴζω, “to save”).
DITTO.
This is not a calvinist verse. If so, please connect the dots.
It also proves, once again. that we must have FAITH FIRST,,,, and THEN we are saved.
Thanks again for a verse that disproves calvinism.
2 Corinthians 1:22: “[God] who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”
Greek Verb: σφραγισάμενος (sphragisamenos, aorist middle participle of σφραγίζω, “to seal”).
Greek Verb: δούς accorded to δίδωμι (didōmi, “to give”).
God promised us the Holy Spirit. Nothing calvinist about this.
Jesus said it was good that He go away so the comforter could come.
1 Thessalonians 1:5: “Because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.”
Greek Verb: ἐγενήθη (egenēthē, aorist passive indicative of γίνομαι, “to become/come”).
Greek Verb: πνεύματι (pneumati, “Spirit,” linked to gospel’s power).
Why does reformed/calvinist theology need the gospel?
It doesn't.
There is NO GOSPEL in reformed theology.
It is unnecessary since in that theology it will be God to choose the saved and the damned.
No good news in the calvinist gospel.
Titus 3:5: “He saved us… by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”
Greek Verb: ἔσωσεν (esōsen, aorist active indicative of σῴζω, “to save”).
Greek Verb: ἀνακαινώσεως (anakainōseōs, noun from ἀνακαινόω, “renewal”).
Interesting.
In reformed/calvinist theology,,,,it is believed that we are REGENERATED FIRST
and then
WE ARE WASHED AND SAVED.
Another failure on your part.
1 Peter 1:12: “Things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.”
Greek Verb: εὐαγγελισαμένων (euangelisamenōn, aorist middle participle of εὐαγγελίζω, “to preach good news”).
Greek Verb: ἀπεσταλμένῳ (apestalmenō, perfect passive participle of ἀποστέλλω, “to send”).
Replied to just above.
Ezekiel 36:27 (LXX): “And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes.”
Greek Verb: δώσω (dōsō, future active indicative of δίδωμι, “to give”).
Greek Verb: ποιήσω (poiēsō, future active indicative of ποιέω, “to cause/make”).
Yes sir.
God certainly puts a new spirit in us.
He gives us a new heart of flesh and takes away the one of stone.
Difference is that mainline Christianity believes that MAN CHOOSES to be saved, chooses to follow Jesus,
and thus his heart will be changed.
No IRRESISTIBLE GRACE in mainline Christianity.
Man chooses to become saved...
God gives to him a new fleshly heart.
Joel 2:28 (LXX 3:1): “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.”
Greek Verb: ἐκχεῶ (ekcheō, future active indicative of ἐκχέω, “to pour out”).
I can give you the context on these verses.
J.
No context needed.
Your verses do NOT support the reformed/calvinist theology you apparently think they do.
You could try again with different verses.
But
Neither will they support calvinism...
because calvinism is UNBIBLICAL and thus not supported by scripture.
