tdidymas
Active member
Paul said this. Was he pleasing God or not?
And you didn't answer my question. All you did was quote the scriptures I cited. Can you explain how Paul said he walks in the flesh? And does he please God or not?
And you didn't answer my question. All you did was quote the scriptures I cited. Can you explain how Paul said he walks in the flesh? And does he please God or not?
PeanutGallery
Well-known member
Was Paul sinless? Y/N
How do you know that?
1Jn 2:29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
Were there no people in the OT who practiced righteousness?
How do I know Cornelius and Lydia were not regenerated?
they were not yet saved
regeneration saves
Titus 3:5 (KJV 1900) — 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Ephesians 2:5 (KJV 1900) — 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved
How do I know old testament saints were not regenerated
It was a future promise
Ezekiel 36:22–27 (KJV 1900) — 22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. 23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. 24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. 25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Jeremiah 31:27–34 (KJV 1900) — 27 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, That I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah With the seed of man, and with the seed of beast. 28 And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, To pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, And to destroy, and to afflict; So will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the LORD. 29 In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, And the children’s teeth are set on edge. 30 But every one shall die for his own iniquity: Every man that eateth the sour grape, His teeth shall be set on edge. 31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, That I will make a new covenant With the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers In the day that I took them by the hand To bring them out of the land of Egypt; Which my covenant they brake, Although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, And write it in their hearts; And will be their God, And they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: For they shall all know me, From the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: For I will forgive their iniquity, And I will remember their sin no more.
fulfilled in the new covenant having awaited the glorification of Christ by means of the Spirit who Jesus would send
John 7:38–39 (KJV 1900) — 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
I don't see regeneration as being saved. It is a step.
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
The word "see" means to be aware, behold, consider, look (on), perceive, see, be sure, tell, understand
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation.
It seems to me by Hebrews 11, that these people saw the kingdom of God.
Heb 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.
Rom_8:8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
How did Enoch please God if he was merely in the flesh?
Heb 11:10 For he (Abraham) was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
Could that be the Kingdom of God?
Heb 11:16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
Could that be the New Jerusalem?
Read the verses
Titus 3:5 (KJV 1900) — 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Regeneration is how we are saved
Eph 2:5 is similar
Ephesians 2:5 (KJV 1900) — 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved
where quickening (regeneration) is equated to being saved by grace
As for the kingdom jesus announced it was at hand
"at hand"
King James Version 21 results in 21 verses
Matt 3:2
And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matt 4:17
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matt 10:7
And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matt 26:18
And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.
Matt 26:45
Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Matt 26:46
Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.
Mark 1:15
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Luke 21:31
So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
Actually in such contexts it means to experience
How do you think that help your position though?
as for the kingdom John/Jesus announced it was at hand
Matt 3:2
And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matt 4:17
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matt 10:7
And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mark 1:15
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Luke 21:31
So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
Our Lord's God
Well-known member
You don't see having new life in Christ as being saved?
tdidymas
Active member
No one but Christ was ever without sin. But then, what's your point, and why don't you answer my questions?
tdidymas
Active member
Faith is the incidental, not the cause.
The process is simultaneous. "After ward" is your words, not mine. Logical precedence does not mean chronologically prior.
"Faith cometh by hearing..."
"He who has ears let him hear"
"No one seeks for God"
So, the unregenerate doesn't seek for God, and doesn't have ears to hear.
God must make a person have ears to hear before they can hear the gospel and believe.
Therefore, AT LEAST God makes a person spiritual and gives revelation, so God is making a person hear the gospel and believe.
Do you agree?
Nope Faith precedes salvation which is by regeneration as previously shown
John 20:31 (KJV 1900) — 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
1 Corinthians 1:21 (KJV 1900) — 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
Acts 16:30–31 (KJV 1900) — 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
seeks for God
2 Chronicles 11:16 (AV) — 16 And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers.
2 Chronicles 15:2 (AV) — 2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.
2 Chronicles 19:3 (AV) — 3 Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God.
2 Chronicles 20:3 (AV) — 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
2 Chronicles 20:4 (AV) — 4 And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
2 Chronicles 30:19 (AV) — 19 That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.
2 Chronicles 34:3 (AV) — 3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.
Ezra 6:21 (AV) — 21 And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the LORD God of Israel, did eat,
Ezra 7:10 (AV) — 10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.
Isaiah 58:2 (AV) — 2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
Acts 15:17 (AV) — 17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
Acts 17:26–27 (AV) — 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
Hebrews 11:6 (AV) — 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Psalm 9:10 (AV) — 10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
Zephaniah 2:3 (AV) — 3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger.
and already showed men capable of believing
Men needed to be hardened so they could not believe
John 12:40 —KJV
“He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.”
had men not hardened themselves in time they could have believed
Acts 28:27 —KJV
“For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”
Jesus spoke to men in parables to prevent their understanding
Matt. 13:10–14 —KJV
“And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:”
None of this makes any sense if man had no capacity for belief
tdidymas
Active member
No one said man has NO CAPACITY for belief, so your statement is a straw man. The fact is, by himself apart from the grace of God raising up his spirit in Christ, he DOES NOT believe UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS.
"With the heart man believes unto righteousness" - NT belief is RIGHTEOUS belief, so faith in Christ is the pipe through which flows the Spirit of God making one righteous. "Righteousness OF GOD which COMES by faith in Jesus Christ". Righteousness comes by faith, therefore the "pipe" which is faith comes from God.
"He begat us by the word of truth." We are BORN AGAIN by the word of God (not by an unregenerate faith) - 1 Pet. 1:23
And regenerate faith BY WHICH the righteousness of God COMES (from God) to the individual comes AFTER the gospel is heard, not before. Therefore, the word of God drives the faith. So God has to raise up a person's spirit in order for FAITH UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS to be exercised, resulting in obedience to the gospel (Eph. 2:5). Therefore it is ALL GOD performing it.
So then your idea that the faith of an unregenerate man can believe in the way the NT describes is untenable. I get the idea that you don't acknowledge that the faith of pagans is different than the faith of Christians, because you're talking about faith of unregenerate people, which is based on natural reasoning. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit" - therefore, one must be MADE SPIRITUAL (by God) before one can receive the gospel. Natural reasoning which results in a natural person deciding to "believe" something doesn't cut the mustard. Real faith in Christ is a spiritual matter which God has control of. John 1:13 "who are born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN, but OF GOD."
Here is the sequence of the process:
1. An individual comes into existence and experiences life, but is HELPLESS to believe in Christ resulting in righteousness. Rom. 5:6
(he is helpless by virtue of not wanting to believe due to the bondage of the sin nature and held captive to the devil)
2. God brings him His word of the gospel message.
3. God opens the ears to hear it - that is, MAKES him a spiritual person to pay attention, while God reveals the truth about Himself.
4. This is the act of God raising up that person to life and seating him in the heavenly places in Christ. Now that individual is a spiritual person able to understand the gospel and receives it (from God, not from his natural reasoning). This is being born again (Eph. 2:5).
5. This person now believes and begins to obey the message, which results in justification and righteousness in the sight of God.
So it's ALL OF GOD. It's ALL His gift.
Um many of your peers say otherwise
righteousness is by faith
One is not made righteous before he believes
rather one believes and is made righteous
We are born again by belief in the word of God
once again the ability to believe and be saved is evident here
Men were hardened so they could not believe
John 12:40 —KJV
“He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.”
It is clear not being hardened they could have believed and been saved
had men not hardened themselves they could have believed
Acts 28:27 —KJV
“For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”
and again be saved
Nope
Belief comes before regeneration
Colossians 2:12–13 (KJV 1900) — 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
first in verse 12 men are raised spiritually through faith - a spiritual resurrection refers to regeneration
then in verse 13 being quickened that is being regenerated is preceded by remission of sin.
remission of sin requires faith and repentance
so again faith precedes regeneration
as well as
John 20:31 (KJV 1900) — 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
where the order is (read), believe, receive life (regeneration is the impartation of Life)
as here also
John 5:25 (KJV 1900) — 25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
The spiritual dead hear that is believe and are made alive (regeneration)
Not according to many scripturers already cited
It's funny other Calvinists have argued the opposite
but you just ignored the parable of the sower where the word was received with joy
and they who received fell away
Here is Matt Slick stating man cannot receive spiritual truth
It's around the 22 min mark
Around the 26 mark it is noted that on Carm it is stated the unregenerate cannot understand spiritual things. Matt repudiates that and promises to rewrite the Carm article and note man cannot receive spiritual truth but he can understand some spiritual truth
JD Martin likewise in his Debate with Wayne Mcgrew adopts the same position
G
guest1
Guest
Thanks for the video confirmation ?
You are welcome
There is also a video of Waynge Mcgrew debating JD Martin who voiced the same opinion
tdidymas
Active member
Like I said, I don't care what other people say, I care what the Bible says. Salvation is all of grace, not grace plus man's reasoning. I'm not talking about reasoning, I'm talking about what God does to a person's spirit, according to how I read scripture.
tdidymas
Active member
No verse of scripture says that. Belief is NOT the cause of being born again. There is no power in belief. The power of regeneration and salvation is in God alone.
The command to believe, such as "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved" is an accommodation that appeals to man's reasoning. Yet God is the one who gifts a person with faith. Such commands are designed to get a person to consider the value of the good news and appeal to God for salvation. So if a person does that, he already believes, and therefore faith in him originated from the Spirit, not from the man's reasoning. There are many scriptures in both the OT and NT that are accommodations.
But many places say WHO it is that God saves - those WHO believe. Such as 1 John 5:1 "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God" Notice it say "is born" - not "will be". This is a statement of identity, not a statement of process. So among those who believe, there is no one who believes who is not (or not yet) born of God, since it says "everyone."
I disagree with your interpretation. It says nothing about faith preceding.
No, all these scriptures are accommodations from man's viewpoint, in order to get peoples' attention. There are many such accommodations in both the OT and NT. It is not a technical explanation of what happens in the spiritual realm.
For example, John 20:31 - John is appealing to the reader's interest. So we have to ask questions to see what God is actually doing:
1. Why does the reader have any interest at all, unless God is actually drawing that person? This is calling of the kind wherein God predestined the person to life. (Rom. 8:29-30). But God does not draw everyone, as is obvious from many NT scriptures.
2. Why does the person believe what John wrote, unless God has caused him to receive it?
3. Why does the person understand with his spirit if he is dead in sin? The sin nature is an obstacle so strong that a natural person cannot overcome it. People dead in sin are the unregenerate ones that Paul calls "the natural man" in 1 Cor. 2:14. Those people cannot understand the gospel. This doesn't mean they cannot cognitively acknowledge it. It means they can't value it. Therefore, God has to bring their spirit to life so that they can understand it. (Eph. 2:5)
I'm not addressing John 5:25 because I've already said that is about resurrection. I'm not going to argue with you on this.
I disagree with your assessment.
The word received does not equal born again. Unregenerate people have a concept of God and eternal punishment, and can reason that the gospel may be a good thing. Thus "received with joy". But only those born again can endure, because their mind is set on the Spirit. Those who fall away have their minds set on the flesh. They love the comforts of this life more than citizenship in God's kingdom.
But those born again are born of God (John 1:13), not of natural reasoning.
I can see that you have a prejudice against "Calvinists" in that you prejudge me as one, even though I never said I was, and that you project what "other Calvinists" say on my words. Is it possible you can learn that I care about what the Bible says, not what other people say?
Theo1689
Well-known member
Actually, the verb "is born" is in the "perfect" tense (present form of "to be", with the past participle "born"), and refers to a completed PAST action with enduring effects continuing in the present. This is contrasted with "believes", which is present tense.
Now, if John didn't want to suggest that regeneration precedes faith, he could have put both verbs in the past tense, or both in the perfect tense, or both in the present tense, or if he truly believed fait preceded regeneration, he could have put "believes" in the perfect tense, and "is being born" in the present tense. Instead, he uses the verb tense which cause the MOST conflict with what Arminians want to believe.
You have not been reading
1 Corinthians 4:15 (KJV 1900) — 15 For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
Paul begot the Corinthian through the gospel
Here is how
1 Corinthians 15:1–11 (KJV 1900) — 1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
add to that
1 Peter 1:18–23 (KJV 1900) — 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. 22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
and
James 1:18 (KJV 1900) — 18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
and it is not by unbelief for
Hebrews 4:2 (KJV 1900) — 2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
So we are regenerated through faith in the gospel
There are no verses which state faith is a gift God irresistibly gives to some but withholds from others
Faith is man response to spiritual truth
Romans 10:17 (KJV 1900) — 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Additionally how can what requires an act of your will be given you
John in his epistle is extolling the marks of one born again he believes Jeesus is the Christ. He is not speaking about how one comes to faith
This may be seen throughout 1John
1 John 3:9
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
1 John 4:7
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
1 John 5:1
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
1 John 5:4
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
1 John 5:18
We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
Well you are flat out wrong on John 5:25
there were no physical resurrections in Jesus day
It is the spiritually dead spoken of
further in John 20:31
One believes before one has life
John 20:31 (KJV 1900) — 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
The very opposite of what you stated
and as for Eph 2:5
Ephesians 2:5 (KJV 1900) — 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved
it says nothing at all about being made alive so as to believe
Rather it associates being made alive - regeneration with being saved by grace
We know however that is through faith
Ephesians 2:8 (KJV 1900) — 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
regarding which I think it was you who commented on the word through (gr-dia)
Its gloss is through, because of, by
It is in the genitive case
III. of means, instrument, agency: by means of, through, with.
1. w. gen. of the thing:—a. to denote means or instrument
William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature : A Translation and Adaption of the Fourth Revised and Augmented Edition of Walter Bauer’s Griechisch-Deutsches Worterbuch Zu Den Schrift En Des Neuen Testaments Und Der Ubrigen Urchristlichen Literatur (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979), 180.
III. of the Means or Instrument by which anything is effected; because what is done by means of a person or thing seems to pass as it were through the same
Joseph Henry Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Being Grimm’s Wilke's Clavis Novi Testamenti (New York: Harper & Brothers., 1889), 133.
4. dia (διά, 1223), “by, by means of,” when followed by the genitive case, is instrumental, e.g., 2 Pet. 3:6, RV, “by which means” (KJV, “whereby”).
W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996), 398.
Excuse me but I believe you stated I was misrepresenting Calvinism and called my claim a strawman
It was not and you were wrong on this
But now you are confounding salvation and faith
they are not the same
God saves
man believes
God does not believe for anyone
they are two different things not to be confounded as one
Acts 16:30–31 (KJV 1900) — 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
it is what must I do to be saved
The answer is not nothing just wait for God to give you faith
no its (you) believe on the lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved