What do you think of God?

[Marilyn C]

To God I do wonder some things He has done,
He loved only some and gave them His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for some,
And opened the life gate that some may go in.


To God be the Glory great things He has done,
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life and atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that ALL may go in.

What do you believe about God?

 

[Josheb]

Nice poem.

What I believe about God begins with His being more enormous and complex than I can fathom. God spoke creation into existence. You try that. Go ahead, give it a try. Start small, maybe try speaking a grain of sand or maybe even just a quark into existence. I used to think of the enormous force or power entailed in doing so but I suspect it was near effortless for the Creator. I, personally, like to emphasize the majesty and power of God. I am, in a moment, going out to meet with some brothers to discuss "Gentle and Lowly." I find the read challenging because the book emphasizes Jesus' compassion, servanthood, his ability to take on our burdens. Often have I noted the same guy who went to the cross silently will come back with a sword in his mouth, and I have vigorously argued for the Trinity with the simple observation if any ordinary human being possessed the kind of power attributed to Jesus we'd either cease to be an ordinary human or we'd literally burst. Think of a sunspot. Just one sunspot. The largest one we've measured is more than 300,000 miles long! Giant burst of flaming hydrogen and helium, 10,000 degrees (F). That is hot. Jesus contained that much power in his little finger's nail! He could speak and sunbursts would cease to occur.

But then I think about the power it takes to walk humbly in humiliation toward one's own death, to be the bearer of others' burdens, to be the unobligated, voluntary healer of brokenness in creation. I was recently asked by someone to be gentler and my first thought was not something I can post without breaking the forum's rules. I recently posted about how it pleased God to send His Son to die on our behalf, to crush him. What does it take to make a son sin? That's a noun, not a verb. What does it take to make a son sinful, sinfully sin. What does it take to willingly be crushed when you have the might to stop sunspots?

What will it take to stand before that God?

 

[3 Resurrections]

What do you believe about God?

I believe God has sons and not bastards (Hebrew 12:8).
I believe God has "wheat" and not "tares", which are to be burned up and consumed in judgment Matthew 13:40).
I believe God adopted and will bring "many sons unto glory" - not a few (Hebrews 2:10).
I believe God offers salvation to "all" without any distinction or "respect of persons" - not "all" without any exception (Acts 10:34-35).
I believe "the hearing ear and the seeing eye" to discern spiritual things are made by God and are given to those "many" whom He has chosen to adopt (Prov. 20:12). These with the "hearing ear and the seeing eye" are the ones that enter that "life gate" in the hymn you quoted.

 

[atpollard]

1. People are no darn good.
2. God does as He pleases and asks no man for permission.
3. Whatever the reason for those God chooses to save … it ain’t ‘cause we deserve it.
4. God finishes what God starts.

That’s what I believe based on the scripture I read and my empirical experience. [It turns out someone called those ideas something called the “Doctrines of Grace” long before I was born, so maybe my truths are closer the The Truth than I realized.]

 

[Eleanor]

To God I do wonder some things He has done,
He loved only some and gave them His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for some,
And opened the life gate that some may go in.


To God be the Glory great things He has done,
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life and atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that ALL may go in.

What do you believe about God?

I believe what the writers of the NT present.

 

[Soyeong]

To God I do wonder some things He has done,
He loved only some and gave them His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for some,
And opened the life gate that some may go in.


To God be the Glory great things He has done,
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life and atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that ALL may go in.

What do you believe about God?

What we believe about what God has done is the cause of what we believe about God. For example, believing that God has given wise laws is the cause of believing that God is wise, believing that God has given righteous laws is the cause of believing that God is righteous, believing that God has given burdensome laws is the cause of believing that God is burdensome, and so forth. It would be contradictory for someone to believe that God is wise while also believing that He gives unwise laws and so forth and if someone thinks that God is a wise God who gives wise laws, then they will voluntarily choose to follow them even if they don't think that they are obligated to do so.

 

[Carbon]

To God I do wonder some things He has done,
He loved only some and gave them His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for some,
And opened the life gate that some may go in.


To God be the Glory great things He has done,
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life and atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that ALL may go in.

What do you believe about God?

 

[Carbon]

To God I do wonder some things He has done,
He loved only some and gave them His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for some,
And opened the life gate that some may go in.

The God of the bible.

To God be the Glory great things He has done,
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life and atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that ALL may go in.

What do you believe about God?

god the failure.

 

[Marilyn C]

The God of the bible.

To God I do wonder some things He has done,
He loved only some and gave them His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for some,
And opened the life gate that some may go in.

Hi Carbon,

Thank you for addressing my thoughts there. So, for clarification do you see that if God enabled some people to glorify Him, then He could have enabled all to do that. Either way it seems to me that is the action of a Dictator who uses his power to have people glorify himself.

 

[Carbon]

Hi Carbon,

Hello

Thank you for addressing my thoughts there. So, for clarification do you see that if God enabled some people to glorify Him, then He could have enabled all to do that. Either way it seems to me that is the action of a Dictator who uses his power to have people glorify himself.

Enabled? I don't recognize that as bible language. Perhaps I haven't read that version yet?

I understand it as God, by grace regenerates some, so as new creatures with the gift of faith believe unto salvation. While others He just passes over, these are the reprobate. If free will in the natural man was present, they still wouldn't believe.

However, both the vessels of mercy and the vessels of wrath glorify God.

 

[prism]

Little Jack Horner

Little Jack Horner
Sat in the corner,
Eating a Christmas pie;
He put in his thumb,
And pulled out a plum,
And said, "What a good boy am I!"

 

[Marilyn C]

Hello

Enabled? I don't recognize that as bible language. Perhaps I haven't read that version yet?

I understand it as God, by grace regenerates some, so as new creatures with the gift of faith believe unto salvation. While others He just passes over, these are the reprobate. If free will in the natural man was present, they still wouldn't believe.

However, both the vessels of mercy and the vessels of wrath glorify God.

`Enable` - to make able, (to glorify God). `Regenerate` - to bring into a better state.

So, could you please give scriptures for that belief of some by grace God regenerates, and others He passes over?

 

[Carbon]

`Enable` - to make able, (to glorify God). `Regenerate` - to bring into a better state.

So, could you please give scriptures for that belief of some by grace God regenerates, and others He passes over?

Well, Eph 2:8 says such.

And if some are saved by grace, obviously some aren't.

 

[Marilyn C]

Well, Eph 2:8 says such.

And if some are saved by grace, obviously some aren't.

`For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. ` (Eph. 2: 8 & 9)

I agree, however it does not show that it was God`s choice to save some and not others. That scripture just reveals it is by God`s grace that those believers are saved and 1 Cor. 12: 18 reveals they are set in the Body of Christ.

 

[atpollard]

So, could you please give scriptures for that belief of some by grace God regenerates, and others He passes over?

Romans 9 [NKJV]

14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” 16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” 18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.​

​

19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” 20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?​

​

22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?​

All about God's right to choose one to bless and another for destruction.

• mercy vs harden (whom He wills)
• honor vs dishonor (vessels)
• wrath vs mercy (vessels)
• destruction vs glory (prepared for)

"Passes over" = "gave them up/over":

Romans 1:24, 26, 28 [NKJV]

24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,​

26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.​

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;​

 

[Eleanor]

`Enable` - to make able, (to glorify God). `Regenerate` - to bring into a better state.

So, could you please give scriptures for that belief of some by grace God regenerates, and others He passes over?

Ro 9:15-18.

 

[Carbon]

`

Did you read post #15 by @atpollard ? It’s really good and should help with an answer.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. ` (Eph. 2: 8 & 9)

I agree, however it does not show that it was God`s choice to save some and not others.

Marilyn, it don’t have to. Isn’t it obvious?

That scripture just reveals it is by God`s grace that those believers are saved and 1 Cor. 12: 18 reveals they are set in the Body of Christ.

 

[Marilyn C]

Romans 9 [NKJV]

14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” 16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” 18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.​

​

19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” 20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?​

​

22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?​

All about God's right to choose one to bless and another for destruction.

• mercy vs harden (whom He wills)
• honor vs dishonor (vessels)
• wrath vs mercy (vessels)
• destruction vs glory (prepared for)

"Passes over" = "gave them up/over":

Romans 1:24, 26, 28 [NKJV]

24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,​

26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.​

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;​

Hi atpollard,

Thank you for those scriptures and I can understand why you believe your view that God chooses some before hand and not others.

However, I do not believe that. I understand that God made Himself known to all men however, some did not give God the glory and thus, became fools and will receive God`s wrath.

`For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest to them, for God has shown it to them.

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. professing to be wise, they became fools.` (Rom. 1: 18 - 22)

This is the foundation of what Paul says further in Romans -

Rom. 9 is speaking of the Israelites, (v. 4) especially the children of the promise - Isaac, and not Ishmael, (v. 7) Then further God speaks of choosing Jacob and not Esau, (first-born) for the furtherance of God`s purpose in Israel.

Rom.15 (Ex. 33: 12 - 17) speaks of how Moses wanted God to be gracious to His people and for His presence to God with them. God replies that He "will be gracious to whom He will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy." And this is brought out in all Israel`s wandering and experiences as God leads them and protects them. Israel is His purpose and it is for that reason alone that He will show grace or mercy, and not according to man`s will in relation to God`s purpose for the nation of Israel.

Pharoah was given many opportunities to glorify God however, he didn`t and was thus the vessel to show God`s power. (v. 17)

v. 23 the vessels which were prepared beforehand by God to His glory. These are the purposes of God - the nation of Israel and the Body of Christ. The nation of Israel will be restored because it is God`s purpose and the Body of Christ are the `whosoever` will may come, because it is God`s purpose.

 

[Marilyn C]

Just a few more comments on Rom. 9: 15 when God was speaking to Moses, in relation to `His people, Israel. `(Ex. 33: 12 - 17)

`I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.` (Ex. 33: 19)

When God was telling Abraham of His purpose to make him a great nation, the son was of God`s promise, (Isaac) and was not to be of man`s will, (Ishmael). Then after Isaac married and had two sons, the first-born, Esau should have received the birthright however, he gave it away. Thus, it became - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the lineage.

All God does is in line with His purposes and not according to man - thus `I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious,` etc in line with HIS purposes and not of man`s volition.

 

[Manfred]

I agree, however it does not show that it was God`s choice to save some and not others. That scripture just reveals it is by God`s grace that those believers are saved and 1 Cor. 12: 18 reveals they are set in the Body of Christ.

Are you saying that only those who believe first are offered the gift of grace, and that they do not work for it, even though they do deserve it through the excellent choice of faith they made?
They have something to brag about. Being better than those who choose not to believe!