Which is it?
God wills that all be saved and the atonement was for the sins of the world (man has no free will)
Or
God wills that only a certain chosen number of people be saved and the atonement for only the sins of those whom he made 'believe' and the rest of the world has no chance because God willed them none.
(Man has no free will)
Neither.
God desires all to be saved; Jesus died for all - there is atonement available for the DEAD, lifeless, incapable-of-anything sinners.
God gives faith. That faith apprehends that gift and thus receives the blessngs of that: the dead are given life (".... we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and GIVER of life.") The DEAD do not do anything.... God gives life.
Nowhere does the Bible state that dead, lifeless, fallen atheistic sinners void of God can give themselves life.
Nowhere does the Bible state that dead, lifeless, fallen, atheists void of anything from God can give themselves faith.
Nowhere does the Bible say anything about the Dead having will toward God.
The Bible says that God's grace and faith are the free gifts of God, not because of anything the dead unregenerate does.
Andrew...
Since God desires all to be Saved, and Jesus made atonement for all, why aren't all saved? Well, the only answer the Bible gives is beca8se they don't have faith. But that doesn't really answer the question since faith TOO is the Gift of God, the act of God. No one can even say the words "Jesus is Lord."
Here's what the Bible says: The DEAD are dead. They can and will do NOTHING spiritual and NOTHING to save themselves (meaning, they can't save themselves - 100% or 0,0000001%). The dead never give themselves life.... the dead cannot save themselves. They need to be RESCUED. They need to be GIVEN life. And only God... ONLY God... God ONLY can do this. And this is done via the SAVIOR (not offerer, not helper, not inspirer but The SAVIOR) - by HIS life, HIS death and HIS resurrection (providing life for all) which is applied to us via the divine GIFT of faith.
God loves all.
God desires all to be saved. And ONLY Jesus can do that; He is all-suffient. And that atonement has been made for all (objective justification)
God conveys that to the invididaul via the divine gift of faith (subjective justification)
God alone saves.
Sola Gratia - Solus Christus - Sola Fide, Soli Deo Gloria
But not all are saved. Indeed wide is the door that leads not to heaven...
Okay.... then.... it is reasonable to ask, why aren't all saved.... what's the answer?
1. One could theorize that the Bible is wrong when it says Jesus died for all, God loves all, God desires all to be saved.... actually, it's only a few, just some, and one can know who that "some" is. Logical... makes sense.... it's just very unbiblical. Indeed, it destroys Christianity.
2. One could theorize that the Bible is wrong when it says Jesus is the Savior, actually He saves no one (nor can He), is the Offerer - he earned a gift and offers it to all, some freely take it, some freely reject it - each then is responsible for their own destiny and salvation, each saves self by what he takes or doesn't take. Logical... makes sense.... it's just very unbiblical. Indeed, it destroys Christianity.
3. One could theorize that the Bible is wrong when it says our works don't save us, actually it's a joint effort - Jesus doing His works for us, and we doing our works for Him; he's part savior and we are part savior; don't worry if he did his part just do your part and then you can pat yourself on the back when you enter those pearly gates cuz you added the works you had to add. Logical... makes sense.... it's just very unbiblical, indeed, it destroys Christianity.
Jesus is not PART Savior (the part that doesn't save anyone) and self is not PART Savior (the part that actually saves). Jesus is the Savior. Jesus does the saving. If you are saved, it's because of Jesus. "Soli Deo Gloria" (or as Reformed Baptists like to say, "You GOT saved.") So, why aren't all saved.
What is the answer? Sorry, the Bible never says. And for 1500 years, all Christians accepted that the Bible doesn't say. Luther put it this way (and I'm paraphrasing!) "Shut up and get off your ________ and DO what God commanded you as a Christian to do! GO! Baptize! Teach! Love! Stop wondering whether God is doing His job and you do yours!"
Arminianist and Calvinists have FOUGHT for 500 years because each "side" appointed itself to ANSWER their question (and insist God agrees with them an apologize for not clearly saying so in the Bible). BOTH have a logical, reasonable answer that makes a lot of sense to them, but as their enemy proves, is very unbiblical and dangerous and undermines the very heart of Christianity.
This bothers some but my brother, we just don't have the answer. Except this: I must GO and baptize and teach and love. And let God be God. HOW He performs His miracle of life.... HOW He does the metamorphasis.... HOW, we just don't know. WHY some have life and others don't, we just can't determine. Luther said, "Humility is the foundation of all sound theology." The teacher of my doctrine class said this, "Heresy is never the result of saying too little, it's the result of saying too much." Or as my Greek Orthodox friend was apt to say "The problem with too much Western theology is the unwillingness to shut up."
Maybe something there helps.
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