Who elected who?

[Totton Linnet]

Jesus said "you have not chosen Me, I have chosen you...."

I understand why Christians believe that it was themselves who decided for Christ, they made [they suppose] a "freewill" decision.

When Peter cried "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" Jesus answered and said "blessed are you Simon bar Jonah for flesh and blood did not reveal this unto you but My Father in heaven"

Now Peter did not know that the Father had revealed it unto him, there was no flash of lightening in the sky, no choir of angels, pealings of bells. God is so gentle in His dealings Peter thought it was his own thought.

It is the same thing Paul said that when we are saved the Holy Spirit comes into our heart crying "Abba Father"

Of course it is to us that God is Abba Father.

The apostles never speak about them as having made a decision for Christ, or they choosing Him. Always it is God hath chosen us

 

[chrysostom]

you have been chosen to test us

 

[meshak]

you have been chosen to test us

by who?

 

[serpentdove]

"Jesus said "you have not chosen Me, I have chosen you...." I understand why Christians believe that it was they, themselves who decided for Christ, they made [they suppose] a "freewill" decision."

Men have a will. God gave his children everything that they needed for good living (Gen. 2:16, 17). They rebelled against him (Gen. 3:6–12). If your kids go off the deep end, realize--it happened to the best parent ever, too.

No one naturally chooses God (Ro 3:11). He grants repentance (Ac 11:18). When the bible teaches to repent today, that is a good plan (2 Co 6:2). If one assumes he will have the ability to repent tomorrow, he may be sorely mistaken (Heb 12:16-17). God hated Esau for good reason--he could care less about spiritual things (Mal 1:3).

"...A man who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing." ~ Oscar Wilde, in Lady Windermere's Fan

"When Peter cried "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" Jesus answered and said "blessed are you Simon bar Jonah for flesh and blood did not reveal this unto you but My Father in heaven" Now Peter did not know that the Father had revealed it unto him, there was no flash of lightening in the sky, no choir of angels, pealings of bells. God is so gentle in His dealings Peter thought it was his own thought."

Peter understood spiritual things. In his naturalness, he never would have been able to grasp it.

"It is the same thing Paul said that when we are saved the Holy Spirit comes into our heart crying "Abba Father" Of course it is to us that God is Abba Father. The apostles never speak about them as having made a decision for Christ, or they choosing Him. Always it is God hath chosen us."

He chooses us. We must choose him back (Deut 4:29). You aren't a bump on a log. A response is required (Ps. 51:10–13).

The unbeliever and make-believer can't cry "Abba Father". :dizzy: They perpetrate the crimes (Eccl 10:2, Jn 10:10, Ga 5:19-21) which cause the Christian to cry Abba Father (Ga 5:22-23, 3 Jn 1:11).

 

[Totton Linnet]

Men have a will. God gave his children everything that they needed for good living (Gen. 2:16, 17). They rebelled against him (Gen. 3:6–12). If your kids go off the deep end, realize--it happened to the best parent ever, too.

No one naturally chooses God (Ro 3:11). He grants repentance (Ac 11:18). When the bible teaches to repent today, that is a good plan (2 Co 6:2). If one assumes he will have the ability to repent tomorrow, he may be sorely mistaken (Heb 12:16-17). God hated Esau for good reason--he could care less about spiritual things (Mal 1:3).

"...A man who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing." ~ Oscar Wilde, in Lady Windermere's Fan

Peter understood spiritual things. In his naturalness, he never would have been able to grasp it.

He chooses us. We must choose him back (Deut 4:29). You aren't a bump on a log. A response is required (Ps. 51:10–13).

The unbeliever and make-believer can't cry "Abba Father". :dizzy: They perpetrate the crimes (Eccl 10:2, Jn 10:10, Ga 5:19-21) which cause the Christian to cry Abba Father (Ga 5:22-23, 3 Jn 1:11).

What a muddle

We have today, tomorrow we might not, we had in the beginning, now not so much.

Peter couldn't but he did, Esau could have but he didn't

No one does, He grants repentance....

The fact is we have already chosen, we did not choose well.
We chose sin over righteousness
bondage over freedom
death over life.

The choice is made, this is our bed and we must lie upon it....the only hope we have is if God will have mercy and save us...and that He will.

We are not bumps on a log...what does that mean?

Did God consult you about something? did He akse your permission before He created you? ask you how many toes you would like?

God does as He pleases, it pleases Him to grant life and it pleases Him to grant repentance unto new life...He doesn't need your permission.

Paul says our condition before God came was that we were in bondage to the elementary spirits of the universe BONDAGE does not equate to freewill.

We DO have a will...but it is in bondage. We MUST sin, we MUST die.

Christ hath set us free.