I'm neither a Calvinist nor an Arminian. I am a Christian who Believes exactly what the Bible says.
I believe that God is changeless, eternal, and irresistible, and I believe that God can change His mind (repent) and be resisted, it just depends on how you look at it in any given situation. I believe these two realities do logically coexist in Scripture, though not in our capacity of thought or reasoning. I oppose the divisive nature of Theological Circles that break apart what God has united as one in the body of Christ.
I believe that God is changeless, eternal, and irresistible, and I believe that God can change His mind (repent) and be resisted, it just depends on how you look at it in any given situation. I believe these two realities do logically coexist in Scripture, though not in our capacity of thought or reasoning. I oppose the divisive nature of Theological Circles that break apart what God has united as one in the body of Christ.
To my Calvinist or Arminian Friends, I plead for a thorough study of the following Biblical Facts.
Calvinists Assert: God cannot CHANGE His MIND or WORD, & by the Nature of Godhood He is CHANGELESS (Malachi 3:6, James 1:17, Ecclesiastes 3:14, Numbers 23:19, 1 Samuel 15:29, Hebrews 6:17-18, Titus 1:2, Romans 11:29); God’s WILL or DESIRE cannot be RESISTED (Revelation 17:16-17, Deuteronomy 2:30, Isaiah 14:24-27, Isaiah 46:10-11, Job 23:13, Acts 4:28, Ephesians 1:11, Jude 1:4, Romans 9:1-23).
Arminians Assert: God can CHANGE His MIND or WORD, & God’s WILL or DESIRE can be RESISTED (Exodus 32:10, 14; Num. 14:11-12, 30, 34; Num. 16:21-22, Num. 16:45,Ezek. 20:8-9, Ezek. 20:13-14, Ezek. 20:21-22, Deut. 32:26-27, Deut. 9:4-8, Jer. 15:6, Jer. 6:11, Micah 7:18-19, Exodus 33:5, Hosea 11:8, Jeremiah 36:3,36:7, Ezekiel 12:3, Zephaniah 3:5-7, Isaiah 5:1-5, Ezekiel 18:32, 18:23, Lamentations 3:33, 36, Luke 20:13, Luke 19:41-44, Luke 13:34-35, Luke 13:6-9,Matthew 21:37, Luke 20:13, Isaiah 63:8, Psalm 81:10-16, Zephaniah 3:7).
Arminians Assert: God can CHANGE His MIND or WORD, & God’s WILL or DESIRE can be RESISTED (Exodus 32:10, 14; Num. 14:11-12, 30, 34; Num. 16:21-22, Num. 16:45,Ezek. 20:8-9, Ezek. 20:13-14, Ezek. 20:21-22, Deut. 32:26-27, Deut. 9:4-8, Jer. 15:6, Jer. 6:11, Micah 7:18-19, Exodus 33:5, Hosea 11:8, Jeremiah 36:3,36:7, Ezekiel 12:3, Zephaniah 3:5-7, Isaiah 5:1-5, Ezekiel 18:32, 18:23, Lamentations 3:33, 36, Luke 20:13, Luke 19:41-44, Luke 13:34-35, Luke 13:6-9,Matthew 21:37, Luke 20:13, Isaiah 63:8, Psalm 81:10-16, Zephaniah 3:7).
Various Divine Repentances | Lesser Matters: Moses called alone & then with Aaron (Ex. 4:1-14); Divine claim of the firstborn & then the Levites (Ex. 13:2, 15-16, Num. 3:12).
Critical Divine Repentances | Weightier Matters (Life/Death): Moses’ life (Ex. 4:24); Jonah’s life (Jonah 1:3, 12; Ps. 88:7, 16-17; Jonah 2:2-3, 9); Nineveh’s livelihood (Jonah 3:4, 9-10, 4:2); Hezekiah’s life (Isa. 38:1-6); Ahab’s posterity (1 Kings 21:19-21, 27-29); a Priestly Covenant (Ex. 29:9, 40:15, 1 Sam. 2:29-36, 1 Kings 2:27); a Kingly Covenant (1 Sam. 9:16, 10:1-10, 11:6, 15, Heb. 11:33-34, 1 Sam. 12:14-15, 20-25, 13:1, 13-14, 14:47-48, 15:1, 11, 23, 28-29, 35, 16:1, 13-14); Nations & Kingdoms (Jer. 18:7-11).
The Abrahamic Covenant | The Salvation of the Exodus Generation: Spoken to Abraham (Gen. 15:13-16, 18-21); Remembered (Ex. 2:24, 3:8); the Word (Ex. 3:17); the Promise (Ex. 12:25); the Oath (Ex. 13:5, 13:11); Sonship (Hos. 11:1); the Church (Acts 7:38, Ex. 19:17, Amos 4:12, Ex. 6:7-8 [2 Cor. 6:16], Ex. 19:4-5 [1 Pet. 2:9], Ps. 114:1-7, Ps. 68:15-20 [Eph. 4:8]); Belief (Ex. 4:29-31, 12:23-28); Note: those things called “the Gospel” are those which are explicitly named in identification with Christ in the New Testament. Faith in Passover (the Gospel of Sacrifice): Ex. 12:23-28, Heb. 11:28, 1 Cor. 5:7; Faith in the Red Sea Crossing (the Gospel of the Spirit’s Baptism): Ex. 14:30-31, 15:1-2, 13, Ps. 106:8-12, 1 Cor. 10:1-2, Heb. 11:29; the Manna (the Gospel of the Imperishable Life of Christ): Jn. 6:32-33, 35, 1 Cor. 10:3, Neh. 9:20; Water from the Rock (the Gospel of Living Water): Ps. 78:15-16, 105:41, 107:35, Ex. 17:6, Deut. 8:15 Neh. 9:15 (Isa. 48:21, 41:18; Rev. 21:6), 1 Cor. 10:4, John 4:10, 13-14, 7:38, Jer. 2:13; Saved (Ps. 106:8, 10, Ex. 15:1-2, 13, Isa. 63:7-14, Jude 1:5); Bride/Holiness (Jer. 2:2-3); Wholly Right Seed (Jer. 1:2, 21-22, 2:21, 11:16-17); People/Portion/Inheritance/No-Strange-god (Deut. 32:7-14); Indwelt & Among-dwelt by the Spirit (Lev. 26:12, Deut. 23:14, Isa. 63:15, Hag. 2:5, 2 Cor. 6:16, 1 Cor. 10:3-4, 9, 1 Pet. 1:11); Forgiven (Num. 14:19, Ps. 78:38).
The Fall of the Exodus Generation: Broken Promise/Oath (Num. 14:34, Num. 14:30, Heb. 4:1; Principle: Ezek. 16:59, 17:18-19).
Progressive Provocations Leading to a Reprobation: When God thought, decided, or moved to annihilate and then repented...until reprobation (Exodus 32:10-14, Ex. 33:11-34:9, Deut. 9:6-29 [Ex. 17:8-16]; Psalm 106:23 [Num. 11:1-3, 33-35, 12:13]; Numbers 14:11-21; Num. 16:21-22; Num. 16:45-50).
Explicit Applications of the Exodus Generation to NT Christians: What happened to them can happen to us (1 Cor. 10:1-13, Jude 1:5, Heb. 2:1-4, 3:1-4:11, 10:26-31, 12:18-29). Remember, only those with whom God was not well-pleased perished in the wilderness (1 Cor. 10:5-6): the lustful (1 Cor. 10:6), the idolaters (1 Cor. 10:7), the fornicators (1 Cor. 10:8), the tempters (1 Cor. 10:9), the murmurers (1 Cor. 10:10), and such like men. The Judgments that “the Glory of God” executed by divine plague to the vanquishing of idolaters (Ex. 32:25-29), complainers (Num. 11:1-3), lustful men (Num. 11:33-35), rebels (Num. 14:26-35), proud men (Num. 16-17), and such like, were the same judgments that were in operation from thenceforth in every generation of Israel that was keeping God’s instituted rules of holiness. In the Wilderness, only those who didn’t continue to savingly believe in God suffered death at the judgment of God (1 Cor. 10:5, Jude 1:5, Hebrews 4:1 [see the wider context in Hebrews 3:7-4:11])! Even so, approaching the prospect of inheriting the Promised Land so as to become the Church in the Civilization, only those who were not perfect (seeking and serving God with wholeness of heart) were to be slain (they were forbidden inheritance in the Promised Land: Num. 32:12, 14:24, Deut. 1:36, Heb. 4:1, Prov. 2:21, Deut. 4:1-10, Num. 15:22-31). Hereby, the doctrine of inheriting and inhabiting the Promised Land unfolds!
The Argument of the Book of Hebrews: Greater Salvation & therefore Greater Condemnation, rather than the Impossibility of Condemnation (Heb. 2:1-4, Heb. 3:1-4:11, Heb. 5:11-6:12, Heb. 10:19-39, Heb. 12:15-29).
Critical Divine Repentances | Weightier Matters (Life/Death): Moses’ life (Ex. 4:24); Jonah’s life (Jonah 1:3, 12; Ps. 88:7, 16-17; Jonah 2:2-3, 9); Nineveh’s livelihood (Jonah 3:4, 9-10, 4:2); Hezekiah’s life (Isa. 38:1-6); Ahab’s posterity (1 Kings 21:19-21, 27-29); a Priestly Covenant (Ex. 29:9, 40:15, 1 Sam. 2:29-36, 1 Kings 2:27); a Kingly Covenant (1 Sam. 9:16, 10:1-10, 11:6, 15, Heb. 11:33-34, 1 Sam. 12:14-15, 20-25, 13:1, 13-14, 14:47-48, 15:1, 11, 23, 28-29, 35, 16:1, 13-14); Nations & Kingdoms (Jer. 18:7-11).
The Abrahamic Covenant | The Salvation of the Exodus Generation: Spoken to Abraham (Gen. 15:13-16, 18-21); Remembered (Ex. 2:24, 3:8); the Word (Ex. 3:17); the Promise (Ex. 12:25); the Oath (Ex. 13:5, 13:11); Sonship (Hos. 11:1); the Church (Acts 7:38, Ex. 19:17, Amos 4:12, Ex. 6:7-8 [2 Cor. 6:16], Ex. 19:4-5 [1 Pet. 2:9], Ps. 114:1-7, Ps. 68:15-20 [Eph. 4:8]); Belief (Ex. 4:29-31, 12:23-28); Note: those things called “the Gospel” are those which are explicitly named in identification with Christ in the New Testament. Faith in Passover (the Gospel of Sacrifice): Ex. 12:23-28, Heb. 11:28, 1 Cor. 5:7; Faith in the Red Sea Crossing (the Gospel of the Spirit’s Baptism): Ex. 14:30-31, 15:1-2, 13, Ps. 106:8-12, 1 Cor. 10:1-2, Heb. 11:29; the Manna (the Gospel of the Imperishable Life of Christ): Jn. 6:32-33, 35, 1 Cor. 10:3, Neh. 9:20; Water from the Rock (the Gospel of Living Water): Ps. 78:15-16, 105:41, 107:35, Ex. 17:6, Deut. 8:15 Neh. 9:15 (Isa. 48:21, 41:18; Rev. 21:6), 1 Cor. 10:4, John 4:10, 13-14, 7:38, Jer. 2:13; Saved (Ps. 106:8, 10, Ex. 15:1-2, 13, Isa. 63:7-14, Jude 1:5); Bride/Holiness (Jer. 2:2-3); Wholly Right Seed (Jer. 1:2, 21-22, 2:21, 11:16-17); People/Portion/Inheritance/No-Strange-god (Deut. 32:7-14); Indwelt & Among-dwelt by the Spirit (Lev. 26:12, Deut. 23:14, Isa. 63:15, Hag. 2:5, 2 Cor. 6:16, 1 Cor. 10:3-4, 9, 1 Pet. 1:11); Forgiven (Num. 14:19, Ps. 78:38).
The Fall of the Exodus Generation: Broken Promise/Oath (Num. 14:34, Num. 14:30, Heb. 4:1; Principle: Ezek. 16:59, 17:18-19).
Progressive Provocations Leading to a Reprobation: When God thought, decided, or moved to annihilate and then repented...until reprobation (Exodus 32:10-14, Ex. 33:11-34:9, Deut. 9:6-29 [Ex. 17:8-16]; Psalm 106:23 [Num. 11:1-3, 33-35, 12:13]; Numbers 14:11-21; Num. 16:21-22; Num. 16:45-50).
Explicit Applications of the Exodus Generation to NT Christians: What happened to them can happen to us (1 Cor. 10:1-13, Jude 1:5, Heb. 2:1-4, 3:1-4:11, 10:26-31, 12:18-29). Remember, only those with whom God was not well-pleased perished in the wilderness (1 Cor. 10:5-6): the lustful (1 Cor. 10:6), the idolaters (1 Cor. 10:7), the fornicators (1 Cor. 10:8), the tempters (1 Cor. 10:9), the murmurers (1 Cor. 10:10), and such like men. The Judgments that “the Glory of God” executed by divine plague to the vanquishing of idolaters (Ex. 32:25-29), complainers (Num. 11:1-3), lustful men (Num. 11:33-35), rebels (Num. 14:26-35), proud men (Num. 16-17), and such like, were the same judgments that were in operation from thenceforth in every generation of Israel that was keeping God’s instituted rules of holiness. In the Wilderness, only those who didn’t continue to savingly believe in God suffered death at the judgment of God (1 Cor. 10:5, Jude 1:5, Hebrews 4:1 [see the wider context in Hebrews 3:7-4:11])! Even so, approaching the prospect of inheriting the Promised Land so as to become the Church in the Civilization, only those who were not perfect (seeking and serving God with wholeness of heart) were to be slain (they were forbidden inheritance in the Promised Land: Num. 32:12, 14:24, Deut. 1:36, Heb. 4:1, Prov. 2:21, Deut. 4:1-10, Num. 15:22-31). Hereby, the doctrine of inheriting and inhabiting the Promised Land unfolds!
The Argument of the Book of Hebrews: Greater Salvation & therefore Greater Condemnation, rather than the Impossibility of Condemnation (Heb. 2:1-4, Heb. 3:1-4:11, Heb. 5:11-6:12, Heb. 10:19-39, Heb. 12:15-29).
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