I quoted Romans 10:13- For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And, he claimed that "whosoever" didn't mean what I thought it meant.
Well, the word "whosoever" is found 183 times in the King James Bible. And, from the context it looks like it means anyone. When I went to Webster's 1828 dictionary it said any one; any person whatever.
But, let us look at a different verse, shall we? II Peter 3:9- The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. In that verse "any" and "all" are used. I'm wondering if he thinks that those words don't mean what I think they mean?
Webster's dictionary says that "any" means some, an indefinite number, an indefinite quantity. And, "all" means everyone, or the whole number of particulars.
Ezekiel 3 speaks of a man who sins and dies in his sin that he suffers the consequences of his own actions, but if someone doesn't tell them they're sinning that someone is also held accountable. In Ezekiel 33, he goes on to say that a sinful man can turn from his sins and a righteous man can become wicked. It's not God forcing them to change!
James 1:13-14- Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
God is not going to force a man that is doing right to sin! He doesn't tempt us to sin. The world, the flesh, and the devil tempt us to sin. So, God isn't going to force someone to be righteous or wicked.
In Joshua 24:15, Joshua tells the children of Israel to choose who they were going to serve. They had the choice.
The man said that God hardened Pharaoh's heart in Exodus 6, and that Pharaoh had no choice in the matter. But, Pharaoh had known what the previous ruler had done. He had the chance to free the Jewish slaves when he took the position. He had already made up his mind that he wanted to keep them slaves. God only furthered his choice by giving him commands that He knew Pharaoh was too proud to obey. God hardened Pharaoh's heart because Pharaoh had ALREADY made the choice.
You have a choice on whether or not you accept Christ as your Savior. You have a choice as to whether or not you will live your life as a Christian telling others about God or for yourself. God will not force you to do what He wants of you!
Proverbs is full of verses that warn us not to choose the way of the wicked. Why include those warning if we didn't have a choice in the matter?
He then tried to use Romans 8:28- And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. He said that you have to be drawn by God, or called, and that you only think you chose after you were drawn by God.
Let's look at the context. This chapter is talking about us living through the power of the Spirit of God (Romans 8:1) and not living through the desires of the flesh (Romans 8:8); we are adopted into God's family (Romans 8:15) and we should act like it (Romans 8:17) though we don't look like it (Romans 8:19-21); we are waiting in hope for the redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:23); we are in the flesh so we don't know what we should pray for (Romans 8:26) so the Spirit of God inside of us prays to God for what we need (Romans 8:27); so we can know that everything we go through (Romans 8:28) is to help us become what God designed (Romans 8:30); so don't worry about what you are going through because God is not going to be there with you (Romans 8:35-39).
People look at predestinate and think it means the person- God predestinated the man to be saved or not. That's not what it's saying! It's the position that's predestinated. If you chose to accept Christ as your Savior then you will have the Holy Spirit placed inside you and you will never have to worry about what you go through because the end is a glorified body in heaven for all eternity!
If you marry a king, you are predestined to be a queen. The person? No, that choice wasn't made until the king made it! But, the position- whoever he chooses will become queen. But, the woman can turn down the proposal- she has a choice!
Don't take what anyone says for face value! Look up the verses; check out who is talking, to whom are they talking, and of what time are they speaking. The Bible has Old and New Testament. It has Jews, Gentiles, and the church of God. It has saved and lost sinners. And, it has different things to say to each of these people during different times in history!
II Timothy 2:15- Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
There are divisions in the Bible. You're going to have to study to get it right. But, the blessings that come along with this work are worth it!
