ENGAGING CULTURE

I really love that people are talking on this site. I didn’t want any of you who just read the posts but don’t keep track of comments to miss the debate that is raging under the “Spiritual Child Abuse” post.

Anticalvinism Says:

Isn’t salvation a choice? Whether or not to accept Jesus Christ. It is our choice in the end.

Teresa Says:

Anticalvinism,
You believe that man, born with a desire to sin, will choose Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior…Why would he do that when his heart lies with his sin? Christianity is a complete change in not only what a person does, but who a person is. Sinners usually do not believe that there is anything wrong with their lifestyle, especially those who live moral, upstanding lives.

God must first change something in the life of sinner for him to choose to accept Him. The Holy Spirit opens his eyes to the fact that he is a sinner, and allows him to see the glory of God. Upon seeing the glory of God, the sinner recognizes his need for a Savior, Jesus, and thus chooses salvation. I believe that once you see the glory of God you will not be able to turn away from it. God is that awesome, and you will be saved.

Anticalvinism Says:

I agree with you that man is born with a desire to sin. For example, if a man, who is lost in sin, separated from Christ, attends a worship service. During that service, a message is preached on the sufficiency of Christ to save the lost. In the course of that message, the Holy Spirit begins to deal with the heart of that lost man. The Holy Spirit reveals to him that is separatedven from Christ. Then, during the invitation, this man asks for forgiveness, and asks Jesus Christ to come into his life to save him.

Is this man not saved? His eyes were opened to the fact he was a sinner and he invited Christ to save him. I believe this is what you referred to above.

These two have made some great points: that men are spiritually dead in their sins, that salvation changes not just the actions but the nature of a person, that God must change a person before salvation can take place, that the glory and grace of God is so attractive none can turn away, and that only Christ is sufficient to save the lost. Excellent points, but none answered the question, “Is salvation a choice?”

My answer to the original question posed, “Isn’t salvation a choice?” is… “NO!”

says, “Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!”

says “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”

says “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”

Why did he choose them? Was it because they sought after God? says “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.” That would appear to be a, “no.”

Was it because they were better or had done anything to deserve it? says “Though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of his call— she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” Again, I think the answer has to be, “no.”

So, why does God choose some? We saw it in , “In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” His purpose for choosing some to be His is that praise would be given to His glory and grace.

So how do people get saved? says, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” I think (because of ) you could say, “No one will want to come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

shows a beautiful picture of the spiritual “heart transplant” that is what salvation is all about. “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” and I love verse 32 of that same chapter, “It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord God; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel.” So God is the author and perfecter of our salvation and he does it NOT FOR MY SAKE! In other words, he doesn’t do it at my prompting and direction. I don’t say, “Okay, God I’ve enjoyed my life of sin enough and now I want you to cleanse me of my sins and save me.” It is God’s choice.

I think God’s choosing and acting in salvation is most beautifully pictured in the raising of Lazarus from the dead in . Lazarus is clearly dead, just as we in our sins are dead and are incapable of resurrecting ourselves. Jesus had them remove the stone, this could be a picture of the removing of the stone heart that was described in Ezekiel. At this point Lazarus is still stone cold stinking dead. But that all changes when Jesus calls him. The word of Jesus created life in Lazarus, just as the word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit creates life in those who are spiritually stone cold dead. And I don’t believe that Lazarus made a decision.

When Teresa is trying to wake me up to do something for the baby, I, either consciously or subconsciously, decide whether to do what she said or continue to lie in bed. But I believe when Jesus spoke life into Lazarus’ lifeless heart he didn’t have a decision to make. He irresistibly obeyed and followed the voice of his master.

says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” If choosing God was something a sinner had done, he could boast “I chose God.” But just as a dead man cannot choose to raise himself from the dead, neither can a sinner choose to do anything but sin.

Salvation is all of God. It is part of his nature. And that may seem unfair or unjust of God, but says, “Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”

God is totally sovereign in his decrees and his actions and none can force or stay his hand. But he does all that he pleases. That is what it means to be God. And who are we to criticize the potter when we are just the clay.