Bill
Amen! Amen!
Tommy
I have agreed with a lot of your articles, and much appreciate your willingness to post many good things, but I can’t agree with the last part of your statement this time. I can’t find any context in which God would be glorified by not calling all his children, as he has me and you.
Zivie
Same as Cornelius... no one told him the good news but how come he was converted?
Sing
Tommy, it flatters me that a man of your stature reads the thoughts of a simple village preacher.
Let me see if I understand you correctly:
The last part of my statement reads, "not every elect have the gospel call administered to them." Since you can't agree with this statement, does it mean that you believe that every elect whom God has effectually called will ALSO have the gospel call? Do I understand you correctly?
You said, "I can’t find any context in which God would be glorified by not calling all his children, as he has me and you."
By "his children" I understand you to mean the elect whom He has effectually called to grace and salvation. I do believe each and every one of the elect will be effectually called and become God's children, each at God's appointed and accepted time. All the effectually called shall be glorified; their future glorification is so certain in God's divine purpose that it is considered a past completed action, Romans 8:30.
When you say, "by not calling all his children" I understand you as referring to their gospel call. If I'm right, my question is, how is God any less glorified when some of His children are not called out by the gospel?
How is God any less glorified when one of His elect is effectually called but died before he has the mental capacity to be called by the gospel?
If I follow your logic to its conclusion, it would be proper to say that God is not glorified unless all His children are soundly converted and become useful like, say, the apostle Paul.
There are God's children who lack the ABILITY to be called out by the gospel ministry, being not sentient; others do not have the OPPORTUNITY of the gospel ministry to call them out into the saving knowledge of their salvation by God's free grace in Jesus Christ. That's my feeble understanding.
Bill
And I agree completely with your understanding of the extent of the gospel call, Bro. Sing. God's glory is made full by His gracious redemption of every one of His elect children.
Tommy
Limited for time now, headed to work. In the short run, I will declare my belief in John 10:26-29.
Sing
"Same as Cornelius... no one told him the good news but how come he was converted?"
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Cornelius was REGENERATED before, and without hearing the gospel.
But he was most certainly CONVERTED through hearing the gospel through Apostle Peter.
Faith cometh by hearing... hearing the gospel preached by God-sent preachers. Room 10.
Life cometh by quickening... by the direct activity of God.
Marty
The call of regeneration is life; it is administered by the voice of the Son of God alone without additional mediators, it comes to every one of God's elect without exception, and it is always successful.
The call of the gospel is food; it is administered by preachers who are themselves sinners, who sometimes work together with the Holy Spirit, who teach some of God's elect, and have varying degrees of success as described in the parable of the sower.
Some of God's born-again elect are currently malnourished, for though God has generously provided for the sustenance of their souls, it is sometimes poorly administered, and sometimes poorly received unto fruit-bearing.
