> General Discussions
"You are not of my sheep"
Extol:
Hi Hopeful,
Have you listened to Ray's Feb. 2008 audio "Foundational Truths"? I would highly recommend it. You can listen to it here http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,8256.0.html , or you can find it on YouTube. Kat also has the written transcript if you would prefer to read it: http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,6452.0.html.
I've listened to Foundational Truths at least two dozen times. It's awesome! 8) Ray does a wonderful job explaining the two most important truths of Scripture (God is sovereign, and will save all mankind), and he does it in an easy-to-understand way that makes you say "Wow why didn't I see that before?!" In addition to this, he explains a simple way to detect and refute all of the non-Scriptural fiddle-faddle one hears. I will sum up the strategy for you here:
He starts with four important verses about the truth of Scripture:
1.God does not lie (Titus 1:2)
2.Thy word is truth (John 17:17)
3.The Scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35)
4.All Scripture is given by inspiration of God (2 Tim. 2:16)
**Always keep these verses in mind when reading the Scriptures**
Now, take a verse that says God will save everyone, such as 1 Timothy 2:4, which says God will have all men be saved, or 2 Peter 3:9, which says God wills that NOBODY perish, and ALL come to repentance. Read them with the four verses above in mind: These Scriptures are truths. They cannot be broken. They are given by inspiration of God, and they must come to pass, or else God is a liar, and we know that GOD DOES NOT LIE.
And if these Scriptures are true---God will have all men be saved, God wills that nobody perish---then there can not be any Scripture that contradicts them. If there is a Scripture that says GOD WILL SAVE ALL, then no verse can possibly say otherwise, even if it might sound like it with our English hells and forevers and eternals. So, when you read a verse like "you are not my sheep", no matter what you think it means when you first read it, ALWAYS REMEMBER: It cannot contradict the hundreds of verses declaring the salvation of all.
And there are no verses that contradict these declarations of God's beautiful plan. Look again at 1 Tim. 2:4 and 2 Peter 3:9, and think about what the opposites might be: God will not have all men be saved. God wills that some will perish, and only some will repent. Do we have any verses that say that? NO. Is there a verse that says God will NOT save all? NO. Is there a verse that says God's will will not come to pass? NO! Is there a verse that says Jesus Christ is NOT the Saviour of the world, or is Saviour of only part of the world? NO.
So, which one are you going to believe? The verse that IS there (God will save all) or the one that is NOT there (God will not save all) ? No-brainer! 8) As daywalker said, if the Scriptures don't say it, then don't believe it!
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[*] Previous page
Go to full version