Dear Mga Igsoon,
Di pa ni human ang atong hisgot-hisgot, we still have many things to talk about. And I hope this is helpful to all of us.
For this topic, I still want to summarize that was said so far and everyone is still encourage to ask question.
1. I think no one will argue that Salvation is a gift and completed by Jesus alone and given to us free.
2. That the Father is the one that draws a person so Christ. and Holy Spirit open the spiritual eyes of the person to see Jesus as the the only Savior and Lord, and convicts the person of sin.
3. Kuya Eseng has a unique view that Salvation is not just a gift but also a Mystery, that we will be surprise whom we will see and will not see in Heaven. Its all depends on the giver as Ruby agreed.
May tanong ako kuya, and the rest didto sa mga gisulti ni Bobot.. Kuya is it possible that we will meet a very sincere Muslim who believe in the God of Abraham and with all his heart submit himself to God in heaven? How about Eglesia ni Cristo, Seventhday Adventist, Jehova's witness and others.
Here is the seemingly different views that need clarification:
1. Bobot had carry it further: "Saying yes to the gospel(The work of Christ), is the work of the Holy Spirit when he circumcised the heart of man being shared with the gospel. Even the acknowledgment, of sin is a product of a circumcised heart"
Question:
a. If saying yes or accepting Jesus (the Gospel) is the work of the Holy Spirit alone, would this mean that man has no choice but to say yes if the Holy Spirit choose to let him say yes?
2, I find this contradicting: "How much more making Jesus as our Lord and savior? We can not do that. The moment we will do that, salvation becomes a result of work. Instead we need to surrender to him and allow Jesus to be the Lord of our lives." - Is surrendering and allowing Jesus to be the Lord of our lives different from making Jesus as Lord and savior?
Glo and I have been discussing this for the last few days: Here are some of our discussion,
If indeed it is true that everything is God's Work, including the making of the decision of man to accept Jesus, there are very good implications in the way we bring the gospel to others:
1. It will bring us to our knees because no amount of effort in our part will work because unless God will work and will let that person choose Jesus nothing will happen.
2. It will keep us humble and totally dependent on God.
3. Since He is the one who did it all then all glory belongs to Him.
On the other side we can not help but ask:
1. Where is the parnership that God desired from men? his command to to believe, to submit, to accept, to obey to love, the command to go, to be holy, would this mean that in all of this man has no responsibility? It may swing to the other extreme, that we will not do anything because anyway its all the work of God.
Hala dili lang si Bobot ang mag share ani, Everybody get back to your Bible and search hehehehehe.
RG
