Quote:
Originally Posted by Aquila
I felt the need to present this.
We read something interesting in Scripture... 2 Peter 1:10
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall... If election is entirely an act of God and is predetermined from eternity past... How does one "make their calling and election sure"?
Only the Arminian perspective truly answers this. The answer is... the believer makes their calling and election sure through the following: giving all diligence
adding to faith virtue
to virtue knowledge
to knowledge temperance
to temperance patience
to patience godliness
to godliness brotherly kindness
to brotherly kindness love By abiding in these things, as one abides in Christ, one makes their calling and election sure. Notice... it isn't by keeping the law. It is essentially through the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit. love
joy
peace
forbearance
kindness
goodness
faithfulness
gentleness
self-control Instead of focusing on law that teaches what not to do... we are to live by attitudes and behaviors that we are supposed to do in the name of Christ. Be loving, joyful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled.
This is what God desires to see in our lives. Not law keeping. |
Interesting: here are my thoughts:
Man is called by God to repent. He can believe and repent, or believe and NOT repent.
If the man believes and repents, he is empowered to obey; that is, led to the waters of
baptism in the NAME of Jesus, and then to the PROMISE of eternal life.
If man does not repent, but still believes, he allows himself to be deceived, and his
unbelief will be manifest when the Lord proclaims:
"I never knew you...".
As for
Pet 1:10, it corresponds to
Rom. 12:1-2. It is the empowering by the
Holy Spirit to bring our minds and bodies into subjection to the Lord Jesus.