Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert Sanders
The salvation of God is free to those who
will do what is required to receive it.
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In other words... it is "free"... to those who
earn it?
I believe,
Romans 8:30
English Standard Version (ESV)
30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
It's an unbroken chain. God predestined His elect children in accordance to His love, will, and desire. And it is the elect whom He has called (
John 6:44), and justified in Christ Jesus (
Romans 5:1), and it is we who are glorified in Christ (
Ephesians 1:4).
When we begin to realize that God has a sovereign plan for mankind and that God intervened to save an elect body unto Himself and that God pursues, calls, chastens, and wrestles with that elect body to bring them to salvation... we'll truly understand what it means to be saved by grace alone. God isn't dependent upon us to pardon ourselves. No man can pardon himself. It takes the sovereign will of the one with authority to pardon. And he pardons whom He will.
Salvation is the work of God in us, His chosen. It isn't something we can earn by thought, word, or deed. We can even resist for a time... yet God's grace will overpower us and bring us to the end of our rebellion. Don't believe me? Ask Saul of Tarsus. He learned the hard way that "kicking against the pricks" (resisting God's saving power) only led to him being knocked off his horse and blinded by God.
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