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There is no annihilation...just cessation. One cannot have their spirit annihilated if they never had one to begin with......No one is born of the spirit without faith...
MAN IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS OWN ACTIONS
but God holds us accountable anyway.
The idea that it wouldn't be "right" for God to hold us accountable for what we could not help but do or not do, is an erroneous ethical opinion that is rendered irrelevant by the fact that we always, without exception, choose in the direction of the strongest influence; the strongest influence consisting of the reasons why we perceive any particular choice to be preferable.
Now, connecting that truth to our belief in universal salvation, I believe that God will eventually fit every unique individual into His master plan in a positive way that necessitates their unique temporary involvement in evil and suffering that will enable God to manifest, and glorify, and magnify the many facets of His character in a way that uniquely involves that person, and everyone else involved in that person’s life too.
Then, after God has finished using evil and suffering for the reasons why He allowed them to temporarily exist, He will eradicate them from existence.
THE PURPOSE OF EVIL – A.P. Adams evil.html
I believe that God has both the ability and the intention to save all creatures from everything from which they need to be saved, and He will not fail to do so.
Everything HAS to happen the way that it does, including all of our efforts to assist, or prevent it from happening.
I believe that God's determination, within the wise counsel of His DECRETIVE will which is that which MUST occur, to eventually rid all of creation from suffering and death, will in every case, overcome the strongest will that is temporarily opposed to God's PRECEPTIVE will which is what His creatures OUGHT to do, e.g. THE GOLDEN RULE.
MAN IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS OWN ACTIONS
Here is a snippet from James Coram's exposition on the subject.
"Man is never responsible and cannot ever become responsible for any of his actions at any time. The recognition of this fact depends solely upon one’s ability to think sensibly and fairly. It does not depend upon a personal conviction that the Scriptures are the Word of God, much less upon any judgment that our exegesis thereof is correct. Indeed, even if both of these were to be rejected, it would still remain true that man is not responsible and that free will is a foolish myth. Unless we have a secret fondness for myths (at least when it comes to this subject), we will be grateful to see them exposed and disproved."
There is no annihilation...just cessation. One cannot have their spirit annihilated if they never had one to begin with......No one is born of the spirit without faith...
"Death is only temporary, although the Spirit never dies!" All humanity comes forward, after a brief cessation. No one is born of the Spirit, until they die; living or not.
MAN IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS OWN ACTIONS
but God holds us accountable anyway.
Another riddle from rodgertutt
You are wrong, and right. Man is accountable for his actions, as is he is responsible. God has given man the freedom of choice. The Bible urges man to "choose," and to "come unto me," and "open the door"Josh. 24: 15; Matt. 11: 28; Rev. 3: 20. Adam and Eve were given the ability to choose to obey or not to obey God Gen. 2: 17; 3: 1-6. The "curses" of the scriptures were based on the Jew's freedom to choose and moral agency:"But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God...that all these curses shall come upon thee..." Deut. 28: 15-20, 45. Jesus said to those who were spiritually doomed, "ye would not!" Matt. 23:37....mind the reader the same verb and tense for God's desire of 1 Tim 2:4-6. Man is responsible for his own actions. Since man has the freedom to obey or to not obey God, does not overpower the will of man, man is responsible for his own actions. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die," said Ezek. 18:20. Sin, as such, is not inherited. "The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son." The prophet further states, "...the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him" Ezek. 18:20, Matt. 18:3-6; 19:13-15.
As we extend into the New Testament showing the freedom of choice is that of belonging to man, the book of Acts abounds with examples of the sinner being urged to come to God. At the very outset we read, "And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized..." Acts 2:40, 41.
I agree with Eusebius in the post before this one, who said
"If our acts are not free then we are not responsible for our acts since they had to occur.
If our acts are free then we are not responsible since they are free from causality.
In both cases, mankind is not responsible. The Bible never says mankind is responsible."
God's desire, ability, and determination to save all will include successfully influencing the human will.
"Who will have all men be saved" 1Timothy 2:4
"I will do all my pleasure" Isaiah 46:10
Both God's pleasure (desire) and His will is to save all men.
Sooner or later, God will do just that.
First the first fruits of election, the remnant chosen by grace out of each generation will be saved.
Then all of the non-elect later.
It's like James Coram said in CHOICE AND DEITY part 16 (link above)
"Man is never responsible and cannot ever become responsible for any of his actions at any time. The recognition of this fact depends solely upon one’s ability to think sensibly and fairly. It does not depend upon a personal conviction that the Scriptures are the Word of God, much less upon any judgment that our exegesis thereof is correct. Indeed, even if both of these were to be rejected, it would still remain true that man is not responsible and that free will is a foolish myth. Unless we have a secret fondness for myths (at least when it comes to this subject), we will be grateful to see them exposed and disproved."
Last edited by rodgertutt; 11-09-2010 at 07:40 AM..
Reason: spelling
That is what the Bible is called...Old and New Testaments...which are covenants....covenants and testaments are synonomous...
Yes I do...why Jesus had to die...so that theynow can be saved....no one was "saved" beforeChristfor their faith. Understand?
Now they can.....come....knock on the door.....they can "believe" and have "eternal life" too.
I believe He already did
If you believe that God desires all people to be saved, and you believe the word of God accomplishes what God desires, than how can you say that you don't believe all people will be saved?
You cant say that you believe that the word of God accomplishes Gods desire, that is to say all people saved, if all people are not and never will be saved. You do realize that don't you?
If it is Gods desire that are people are saved, and the word of God came into the world to accomplish Gods desire, and yet you teach and believe that most(many) people are not and never will be saved, then you are teaching and believing that Christ failed to accomplish his mission to achieve the purpose for which God sent him, which is to accomplish Gods desire that all people be saved.
If our acts are not free then we are not responsible for our acts since they had to occur.
If our acts are free then we are not responsible since they are free from causality.
In both cases, mankind is not responsible. The Bible never says mankind is responsible.
Its plain and simple ... If anyone is responsible for the fact that they are sinners and unbelievers and damned, then it is necessarily true that those who believe and are saved are responsible for the fact that they are saved.
If people deserve to be damned, then those who are saved must deserve to be saved.
They teach hat God offers us the opportunity to save ourselves. It is co-savior theology ...
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God WILL HAVE all men be saved.
Man is not responsible for his own actions
