As mentioned in the introduction, I have been been discussing the differences between Calvinism and Provisionalism with a fellow blogger. One particular response grabbed my attention and I am trying to understand his position, by referring to his proof texts and logic.
This is the third portion of his response (in red), along with the corresponding verses he referred to. I shall seek to comment on the verses and find his argument within the verses he has provided.
God gave to the man Jesus the spirit without limit. God doesn’t give faith to everyone because He doesn’t want to according to Romans 9:16 John 1:12-13.
My friend is telling me that God doesn’t want to give faith to everyone, according to Romans 9:16 (dealt with last post) and the current set of verses being considered.
So lets take a look to see if this set of verses gives support to the claim that God doesn’t give faith to everyone, because He doesn’t want to.
First, let’s read the passage.
John 1:12-13 – But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
It seems the ability to believe is not addressed in this passage, but simply stated as a condition. The result of the belief is that the one believing receives the right to become a child of God. I suppose I could state that the order of salvation is addressed in this verse, in that belief comes before the right to become children of God, but this isn’t my friends intent with this verse, so I will move on.
I think he is referring to the last three clauses in the verse, to speak of where the belief comes from, but that doesn’t seem all that clear in my opinion.
It seems the “being born” is the action being defined in this passage, in that the “being born” is an act of God. It seems to be a stretch to consider the “believing in His name” as being the object of the action.
So if one believes in His name, the believing one acquires the right to become a child of God. It is the result of the faith exercised in the name of the Messiah, that God provides the life, or in other words, “the birth” of a child of God.
Does the faith of the believing one perform the action of becoming a child of God, of being born? No. The action of being born is sourced, or found, in the will of God, not in any other agency.
One more time for a bit of clarity – The faith allows the believing one to acquire the right to become a child of God. God provides the birth upon the faith that is directed to the Messiah.
This passage doesn’t seem to address the topic my friend is seeking to prove, that God doesn’t give faith to everyone, because He doesn’t want to. As a matter of fact, it seems to be an open invitation to any who would trust in His name.
I do hope you will continue with me as I seek to understand the verses he supplies and if the verses he supplied support his argument of fatalism/determinism which he speaks of.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.
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After re-reading what you wrote on your post, I think, I understand, that you are stating that receiving Christ is a self generated acceptance of Christ and this self generated receiving of Christ causes God to regenerate your spirit bringing forth your becoming a spirit filled child of God.
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What is self generated acceptance?
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Self
a person’s essential being that distinguishes them from others, especially considered as the object of introspection or reflexive action:
self-pollinate; self-fertilize: (self generate)
Generated – cause (something, especially an emotion or situation) to arise or come about: (generate a belief, a faith an acceptance or receiving of Christ)
In others words your acceptance, faith or receiving of Christ had its origin within your ability to generate it as a special ability within yourself; since not all believe
Consequently, Your faith was not predestinated and caused by and given by God
John 3:27 would have to ignored
John answered and said, A man is able to receive nothing if it is not given to him from Heaven.
If this verse is taken literally, the receiving of Christ is a gift; but according to what you have written the verse would have to be ignored so you could glory in your decision for Christ and ignore the Gospel that salvation is based on the atoning shed blood and His imputed righteousness alone without any effort from those chosen from before the foundation of the world.
God determined all things from before the foundation of the world; therefore : making all things “ deterministic” according to the counsel of His will according to purpose.
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John 1:10-13 KJ3
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, yet the world did not know Him.
11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave authority to become children of God, to the ones believing into His name,
13 who were generated not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but were generated of God.
Considering the Bible quote:
“The faith allows the believing one to acquire the right to become a child of God. God provides the birth upon the faith that is directed to the Messiah.”
In John 1:10
……. “Yet the world did not know Him”
Why didn’t the world know Him?
Why didn’t His kin according to the flesh know Him?
Why and How did these persons that received Him know Him?
John 3:26
And they came to John and said to him, Teacher, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have witnessed, behold, this One baptizes, and all are coming to Him.
Note : “ all are coming to Him”
John 3:27
John answered and said, A man is able to receive nothing if it is not given to him from Heaven.
Note: John says they can’t come unless given from Heaven
Note: if a person reads John 3:27, what can they deduct? Doesn’t it sound like no one can receive Him (Christ) unless it is given? It appears the coming and receiving Him are part of the same prerequisite “given”
It appears in John 1:12 that this receiving was also given according to John 3:27
But as many as received Him, to them He gave authority to become children of God, to the ones believing into His name
A man is able to receive nothing if it is not given to him from heaven. So, no one can receive Him in John 1:12 unless it is given from Heaven because the world does not know Him
Consequently, the receiving Him in John 1:12 is also given and generated of God and not by the will of man.
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