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JimfromOhio

I am happlily married with 5 kids. I am an accoutant and worked in an accounting field for over 25 years. I like to make a habit of writing down whenever I have deep thoughts about God (so I won't forget). I really into Reformed Theology that is connected to Presbyterian Church in America.

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Location: Columbus, Ohio, United States

I enjoy having deep thoughts about God and put down what I actually think about (so I won't forget).

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Jesus died for ALL but only few will enter Heaven

Christ did died for all. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." 1 Peter 3:17-22 It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. Man is a responsible moral agent, though he is also divinely controlled; man is divinely controlled, though he is also a responsible moral agent. J.I. Packer In efficacious grace we are not merely passive, nor yet does God do some and we do the rest. But God does all, and we do all. God produces all, we act all. For that is what produces, viz. our own acts. God is the only proper author and fountain; we only are the proper actors. We are in different respects, wholly passive and wholly active. Jonathan Edwards The Bible clearly teaches that no one has true "freewill" except God Himself. God is in control and He will allow us to have freewill only if its according to His will. God KNEW Adam and Eve will sin so He did gave them a free will to sin. We have to understand that God controls everything including our freewill. The "freewill" is always subject to God's sovereignty and His divine freewill. God let's each of us chose whether they will be obedient to Him or not according to His will. The key is that God is ALWAYS in control even in our own freewill. Those of us given the free gift of faith, we have escaped eternal punishment that we rightly deserved because of the mercy and grace of God, and we should be eternally grateful. Christ's atonement which is the actual work, for whoever believe. We believe this is limited to those who believe and were chosen by God, whereas the Arminian side of it would say that everybody’s sins have been paid for. To me Arminian believes that Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of people who don’t believe. That’s the problem I am having because if your sins are paid for already by Jesus and you go to hell, then that’s double jeopardy. It is TRUE that Christ died on the Cross for EVERYONE !! The atonement basically means whoever Believe in Christ will not perish and those who do not believe in Christ will NOT get the benefit of Christ's atonement. Christ's purpose to die for everyone but the atonement is only limited to those who accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. You cannot lose salvation. HOWEVER, there is a possibility that a person was never saved in the first place. Salvation for Eternal Life is Guaranteed and here are my references: Romans 2:29 (NIV) No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God. 2 Corinthians 3:3(NIV) You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Christ through His death and resurrection, every legal hindrance has been met and satisfied. There is nothing that can keep me from assurance except my own faith. Its not about thinking our way into salvation or to reason our way into salvation. The only way to get in is to believe Him with my heart which is sealed by the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 1:22 set His seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Ephesians 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit. Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." Never saved in the first place.... DEEP THOUGHTS A person can look back at the time of accepting Christ and think about his/her heart at the time. God meets you in your heart daily. Was his/her heart pure with the Holy Spirit or was his/her mind thinking like a Christian? How does a person make sure that his/her heart is bearing fruits from the Holy Spirit rather than works. Human society is built upon a balance of personal interests. Selfish personal interest is the motive behind all sinners conduct. As a Christian, I still can have sinful desires, foolish desires, proud desires and at the same time, have godly desires. How can I distinguish my desires? Sinners (even though I am saved) I am not basically good without Christ in me because I live in body that carries sin and my struggle will be in the core of my heart. Obviously, my human heart is very selfish. My heart is the source of my emotions, thoughts and motives. My heart is the place of conscience. My heart is the part of my being where I desire, deliberate, and decide. I just have to know what God wants and if I don't glorify correctly, my spiritual actions will be worthless.