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Man's Role in Salvation
- Thread starter gmm4j
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- Apr 5, 2007
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If God chose to allow man to play an important role in salvation, then you'd be correct.
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Hey Hammster,
I think even Behe's boy would agree that God does, in fact, allow men to play an important role in salvation.
1. Jesus, fully-God and fully-man, had to be a man in order to pay the penalty for man. Jesus our salvation was a man.
2. God inspired men to write the infallible Holy Scriptures, which reveal the gospel.
3. God performed miracles through the apostles (men) so men would see the power of God and believe.
And,
4. God uses men to bring the gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation, to the world.
Romans 10:14-15
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
I think we can all agree that God has chosen to allow men to be messengers of the good news of salvation? So, simply stated, God has indeed allowed men to play an important role in salvation. Men are conveyers of the gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation...
Does God then receive less glory by involving man in this capacity? God could have saved men without them having to hear the gospel message. He could have used angels to bring the message. Or, He could have used donkeys, but He chose to involve man. And, by doing so, He doesnt receive any less glory. Isaiah 42:8 is true! He gets all the glory even when He chooses to involve man.
I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.
Likewise, if God chose to involve man in salvation in the sense that He elects and saves men based upon their belief in Christ, then He would receive no less glory.
Acts 16:30-31
Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved
John 3:18
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
So, the 4th way God involves men in salvation is through a persons faith. In order for salvation to be specifically applied to an individual, the person must believe.
This is not the Spirit making the person believe, but it is the God-given ability God has given to all men. So, yes, salvation is all of God, but God has chosen to involve man in the process. (God came as a man, God inspired men to write Scripture, God enables men to witness, God has given men the ability to believe, and this is all only possible because He has provided the work of salvation in the man Christ Jesus for men to believe in).
It is time for bed.
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Shulamite
My Bridegroom suffered this for ME
God could raise up children for Himself out of rocks, He doesn't NEED us in order to accomplish anything for Him. He chooses and ordains us to co-labor with Him in His work (which is an amazing thing and humbling), even though He doesn't need us to.
There are direct instances all through history where God directly drew someone to Himself by the Power of His Spirit being the ONLY means. The thief on the cross is one of many examples. The Father directly drew this thief to Jesus and now He is our brother in Christ. Many on their death beds who never heard the gospel will hear the Spirit draw them for the first time. Muslims in other nations give testimony of having the Lord draw them directly. God chooses to use us and give us the joy in co-laboring with Him. He doesn't have to.
To say that He needs our help to get the Gospel out is in error. Where were we when He laid the foundation of the earth? Surely we were there? Surely He needed our assistance? No (Job).
God has graciously chosen to use us in being His witnesses. He gives us the joy in making us co-laborers in spreading the Gospel.
There are direct instances all through history where God directly drew someone to Himself by the Power of His Spirit being the ONLY means. The thief on the cross is one of many examples. The Father directly drew this thief to Jesus and now He is our brother in Christ. Many on their death beds who never heard the gospel will hear the Spirit draw them for the first time. Muslims in other nations give testimony of having the Lord draw them directly. God chooses to use us and give us the joy in co-laboring with Him. He doesn't have to.
To say that He needs our help to get the Gospel out is in error. Where were we when He laid the foundation of the earth? Surely we were there? Surely He needed our assistance? No (Job).
God has graciously chosen to use us in being His witnesses. He gives us the joy in making us co-laborers in spreading the Gospel.
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- Apr 5, 2007
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- Apr 5, 2007
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Okay, I see what you're getting at. Yes, God does use man as a means to proclaiming the Gospel. And He does so because it pleases Him to do so. But man isn't necessary.
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themuzicman
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Jesus said that we had to work for the bread that leads to eternal life. That sounds important (John 6:27)
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themuzicman
Senior Member
Absolutely. First, our need for salvation comes from our own failing. We sin, falling short of the glory of God and putting us under His judgment, making it impossible for us to be justified by God by our own merit.
Second, faith cannot save unless God first makes justification possible by faith (Rom 3:25, 5:18). And this is the far greater work in our salvation, in that God came to earth as a human and was put to death by the very ones He created and loves.
And finally, God's glory is greatest when, after we sin and reject Him and He comes and suffers at our hands to make a way for us to be justified, that we then turn and place our faith in Him to receive justification freely. There is no greater glory than God drawing those who he loves who rejected Him, so that they freely return to Him.
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As we give God the praise, credit, and thanks--it does not change the fact that we are involved in turning from wickedness to righteousness. As we were giving God the praise, credit, and thanks it would not be right to deny we had a part to play.
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- Apr 5, 2007
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Time to upgrade and get one with siri...
I do. But it doesn't do punctuation very well. Maybe once I learn to maneuver a 47 foot vessel in high seas I'll be better at this.
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