The Free Gift of Salvation

[Originalist]

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

So much for the free gift...

So the fact that God requires repentance somehow means salvation is not a free gift?

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Originalist

So the fact that God requires repentance somehow means salvation is not a free gift?

God brings one to repentance.

Romans 2:4
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

No man can be saved as they please. The Father must first draw them,

John 6:44
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him:

Without this drawing... one can go through all the motions and still be damned where they stand. Why do so many come to the altars and never receive the Holy Ghost in spite of their "repenting" and "pleading"? It's because either God has not chosen them... or it is not their time. The Father draws whom He has chosen as He so desires.

God leads those whom He has chosen as part of His elect children to repentance. Ask Saul of Tarsus. Saul was well on his way to Damascus to persecute the church when Jesus knocked him off his horse, rebuked him, and blinded him. Leaving Saul helpless, Jesus told Saul to seek out Ananias in order to know what he must do next. To make a long story short, Saul became Paul, he who was called to preach the gospel from his mother's womb. Had God not brought Saul to repentance and left him to his own free will... Saul would have continued on to Damascus to persecute Christians.

God knows exactly when and how to bring an elect child to repentance. And the elect are chosen before the foundation of the world, simply by God's grace, in accordance to His own sovereign will and purpose. And in this... God alone is glorified. His unmerited mercy and grace is fully demonstrated in His elect. Because while they were yet sinners, He loved them and chose them. Not on account of anything in them or anything they would do. For if God had not elected them and moved upon them, they'd never have turned to God of their own accord.

[LUKE2447]

Is this free?

Mat 18:23 "Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.
Mat 18:24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
Mat 18:25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.
Mat 18:26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.'
Mat 18:27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.
Mat 18:28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, 'Pay what you owe.'
Mat 18:29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.'
Mat 18:30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.
Mat 18:31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place.
Mat 18:32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.
Mat 18:33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?'
Mat 18:34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.
Mat 18:35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by LUKE2447

Is this free?

Mat 18:23 "Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.
Mat 18:24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
Mat 18:25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.
Mat 18:26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.'
Mat 18:27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.
Mat 18:28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, 'Pay what you owe.'
Mat 18:29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.'
Mat 18:30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.
Mat 18:31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place.
Mat 18:32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.
Mat 18:33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?'
Mat 18:34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.
Mat 18:35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."

I'm not sure if I understand where you are coming from. This passage is about forgiveness, not free will. Can you elaborate?

[Aquila]

Sometimes things are better understood if taken step by step.

Here is a VERY important question regarding this subject:

Can a person approach God and receive salvation without the Father drawing them first?

The biblical answer to this question will begin our journey in the right direction. I answer: No. A man cannot approach God and receive salvation unless the Father draws him first.

John 6:44
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him:

Therefore, biblically speaking, salvation is predicated upon God's choosing to draw the soul. Salvation isn't predicated upon the soul's efforts as it relates to approaching God. In fact, a person can choose of their own free will to go to church, go through the motions of being a Christian, go to Bible college, attend seminary, and even take up the profession of being a pastor and prolific Christian author. ... and still not be saved.

[Michael The Disciple]

Originally Posted by Aquila

God brings one to repentance.

Romans 2:4
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

No man can be saved as they please. The Father must first draw them,

John 6:44
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him:

Without this drawing... one can go through all the motions and still be damned where they stand. Why do so many come to the altars and never receive the Holy Ghost in spite of their "repenting" and "pleading"? It's because either God has not chosen them... or it is not their time. The Father draws whom He has chosen as He so desires.

God leads those whom He has chosen as part of His elect children to repentance. Ask Saul of Tarsus. Saul was well on his way to Damascus to persecute the church when Jesus knocked him off his horse, rebuked him, and blinded him. Leaving Saul helpless, Jesus told Saul to seek out Ananias in order to know what he must do next. To make a long story short, Saul became Paul, he who was called to preach the gospel from his mother's womb. Had God not brought Saul to repentance and left him to his own free will... Saul would have continued on to Damascus to persecute Christians.

God knows exactly when and how to bring an elect child to repentance. And the elect are chosen before the foundation of the world, simply by God's grace, in accordance to His own sovereign will and purpose. And in this... God alone is glorified. His unmerited mercy and grace is fully demonstrated in His elect. Because while they were yet sinners, He loved them and chose them. Not on account of anything in them or anything they would do. For if God had not elected them and moved upon them, they'd never have turned to God of their own accord.

[LUKE2447]

Originally Posted by Aquila

I'm not sure if I understand where you are coming from. This passage is about forgiveness, not free will. Can you elaborate?

The point was to salvation being free. People throw around the word free to varying degrees. Does this parable suggest free like many that push free?

[LUKE2447]

Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple

smh

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by LUKE2447

The point was to salvation being free. People throw around the word free to varying degrees. Does this parable suggest free like many that push free?

I look at it like this. God chose Saul. It was God's will to turn Saul to Paul and use him to preach the Gospel. And God chose Saul from before the foundation of the world. God chose Saul in accordance to His sovereign purpose and grace, He didn't choose Saul on account of anything Saul might or might not do, because God knew what He'd have Saul do. And so God invaded Saul's life, knocking him off his horse, and smote him with blindness to bring him to his knees. The cost was Saul's surrender to the sovereign will of God in all things. Did Saul do anything to cause God to choose him? Nope. Thus, Saul's salvation was absolutely free and predicated upon God's sovereign grace. All it truly cost Saul was absolute surrender to God's will and grace. In this, Saul became Paul.