.... and since you insist the Dead atheist PERFORMS this "good work" void of faith, void of the Holy Spirit, void of spiritual anything, void of God - with an inert God.... and this good work is the primary, first cause of his justification.... then that Dead Atheist is the Savior of himself, the Lord and Giver of Life to himself. No God. No Christ. No Incarnation. No Cross. No Resurrection. No Holy Spirit. Just the Dead justifying self and giving life to self.
This is how you insist on portraying the meaning of my words... They do not say what you insist they are saying... And it seems as if they will not convey their actual meanings to you anytime soon...
So let's try it this way:
Quote my specific words that you think say or mean "Void of God, the dead justify the dead..." Maybe we can work from there... I have told you three times now that God in not inert, that without Christ we can do nothing... And some short-circuiter in your brain keeps repeating the lie that I say God is inert... There is something I said that you interpret as meaning that God is inert, so please exhibit the integrity of saying "You said this, and it means you think God is inert..."
I will say this: God is not always manifest, and indeed He hides Himself from some for His Purposing... The fact that He remained hidden from me as an atheist does not mean he was not there working with me to some purpose of which you are unaware... And indeed of which I was unaware as an atheist... I was tried in the fires and storms of life and held to integrity and truth at any and all costs to the destruction of my life, OK? And this while denying God exists at all, and especially despising Christians and holding them in utter contempt... I did that for 36 years... It was only after I knew God that I remembered a little deal I had made with myself that carried me when I was 4-5 years old, to be truthful to myself no matter what when faced with people lying to one another... Which deal I promptly forgot, but kept...
Again, IF you'd allow the "Call" (as you put it) to be empowered by the Holy Spirit,
Did I not quote you Paul?
Have you EVER engaged that text?
Does that text somehow NOT say that it is GOD Who Calls,
and Who then later Justifies,
and then later Glorifies?
Have you short-circuited past that text too?
containing with it life/faith/Holy Spirit -
How could it not??? The Call IS of God and is UNTO repentance which is UNTO Justification, in that order...
then you would be on the same page as Lutherans (and thus be the target of the bold charge of heresy by the RCC).
THAT call is unto REPENTANCE...
AFTER repentance THEN comes Justification BY God...
And AFTER Justification, THEN comes Glorification BY God...
But you have - over and over again - ignored that
YOU are the one ignoring the Biblical Text of Romans 8:30
indicating that you do NOT hold to that.
I do hold to that, but man is not yet prepared for Justification prior to repentance...
For the third time now I say again, God is NEVER inert...
it's ALL up to the Dead Man who denies God exists,
who denies any Savior,
who denies God's mercy and grace,
who denies God's wisdom
and will
and Law -
All true - One denying all these can still repent from evil...
THAT is simply the condition we suffer in this fallen life of Good AND evil from the Garden's Tree of Knowledge...
one VOID of the Holy Spirit and spiritual life.
NEVER void...
But UNAWARE - Totally unaware...
You need to soften your broken heart, my Brother...
Make me right before making me wrong...
THEN make me wrong...
Arsenios