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Thanks for responding to my question. The "whosoever" verses did not make a dent in their thinking. I also used John 13:32. They are stuck on this chapter on the Father drawing the people to Christ for salvation as their basis for predestination.
Now I am trying to look into the scripture to see why these people were not drawn.
Chette, I am following up on your "hint". Feel free to elaborate if you have the chance too.
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You did not pay attention to my post. God's Word says
every man is drawn to Christ. It does not say that every person who is drawn will be saved, it says that every person who gets saved was drawn to Christ.
You see, that is important. It is Jesus who saves us 100%. We cannot claim we have a good heart and that we chose Jesus. No, we are all ungodly, all wicked sinners. It is only when God's Word creates faith in the hearts of those who hear and believe God's Word that a person gets saved. If Jesus did not come to you first, you would have never gone to him.
And not to criticize Chette, because we are told to diligently study and rightly divide the Word, but you know, sometimes you just need to read the Bible and listen to what it says, and not worry all about these dispensations and all that stuff. Man, there are people that can explain all this theological stuff to you forward and backwards who do not believe God's Word one bit, and are not saved. God did not give us the Word to be intellectuals. God's Word is for every person, whether small or great, intellectual or simple. You do not need to attend a seminary to hear God's Word, be saved and serve the Lord.
Some people are so busy studying the Bible like it is a science, that they do not bother to actually listen to what God is saying, often in very simple and straightforward language. This intellectual stuff is nothing but
PRIDE plain and simple. I am not saying every one who diligently studies the Bible is on an ego trip, but sadly, many are.
2 Tim 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Matt 19:14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
You know what children have that adults do not have? Humility and simple child-like faith. They do not care if they are more intellectual than other children or adults. And they do not question God's Word, they hear it and believe. I forgot the exact numbers, but many years ago I read a study that showed that most Christians accepted Christ as a child, something like 90% or more. I myself was only 11 years old when I accepted Jesus. I am so glad that God was merciful and came after me when I was young. I have wondered that if I had not got saved then, would my heart have hardened against the Gospel as I got older?
I'll never know, but I thank the Lord for coming to me as a child. I couldn't care less about all this theological science, I just knew I was a sinner and that Jesus loved me and died for me, and that he would forgive me and save me from my sins if I would simply pray and ask him to. That was the greatest day of my life, nothing in my adulthood could possibly surpass it.