Yes, nevertheless God commands that you teach the whole counsel of God. (both the duty of men and the bondage of the will)
Joh 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
The Literal Translation reads this verse as.
"Jesus answered them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Everyone practicing sin is a slave of sin."
Do you preach that those who are practicing sin are slaves to it?
God commands that you preach the word. If you simply believe it and preach it(without explaining it away), you shall do well. But, if you can't preach it, because it doesn't fit your theology... you preaching is not God honoring.
For example, just read this verse to people. Just read it (without explaining it away).
2Pe 2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
Do you tell men that they are in bondage to sin? Ho does a slave free himself? How can a slave free himself from his corruption when he is in bondage to it?
Rom 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Rom 3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
To make a right decision, choice, or believing on Jesus... you have to be seeking God in the immediate act or affection. If it pleases God it has to include Faith. Hebrews 11:6 speaks of Faith as diligently seeking God. If their decision, choice, or believing is an act of seeking God, why do the scriptures teach that there is none that seeketh after God?
"None" means what it says and it covers every natural man born into this world. Do you teach and preach that? If you just believed and taught the scripture (without explaining it away) you shall do well.
You can't apart from the mercy of God. (Mercy that God is not obligated to give to anyone. Nevertheless he dearly loves His children, His mercy upon them is everlasting, and it is new every morning. Call unto Him, and He will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
May this scripture be the prayer burning in your heart, and you shall do well.
Psa 119:124 Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercy, and teach me thy statutes.
I hate my sin. I don't hate the decrees of God. I hate my sin, I don't hate God. I love rightousnes and hate iniquity.
The word "regret" is only a part of the description of hating sin. Even Mormons and Catholics regret some of their sin (for selfish motives of coarse). A wonderful example is the thief on the cross. God decreed that he should be a thief and put on the cross. When the thief believed and had affection towards Jesus, His heart naturally hated his sin... and he loathed himself with godly sorrow. (to define biblical repentance)
However, God would have never been glorified in saving a horrific thief on a cross (by His power and mercy), if the man wasn't a thief put on the cross.
Therefore, when I look at my past sins. I rejoice in that God decreed it (because His mercy has delivered me and set me free from my sin, and He is glorified therein.)
However, I do not rejoice in my sin. God doesn't rejoice in sin, why should I?
God is not angry with His decrees. God decreed that sin should be in His plan. But, God does not love or rejoice in sin. He rejoices in His dealings with sin. You have to understand that the whole purpose of His decree is so that He might be glorified therein.
The analytical literal translation reads Romans 9 as thus:
Rom 9:19 You will say then to me, "Why does He still find fault? For who has [ever] stood up against [or, resisted] His purpose?"
Rom 9:20 But rather, O human, who are _you_, the one answering back to God? The thing formed will not say to the one having formed [it], "Why did you make me like this?" will it?
Rom 9:21 The potter has [the] right [over] the clay to make out of the same lump on the one hand one vessel to honor, on the other hand one to dishonor, does he not?
Rom 9:22 So [what] if God, desiring to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath having been prepared for destruction,
Rom 9:23 and so that He should make known the riches of His glory on vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,
Rom 9:24 even us whom He called not only from Jews, _but_ also from Gentiles?
When you preach, open your bible and read that to sinners. Just read it and believe it (without explaining it away) and you shall do well.
If sin is not rebellion against the Sovereign God, then sin is the Sovereign plan of God, in which case, God prefers sin over righteousness in every instance that it occurs, since God could have decreed righteousness instead of sin, yet chose to decree sin over righteousness. So God prefers sin over righteousness in every instance that it occurs.
God will be glorified in either case. Whether we repent or not. He will either be glorified in demonstrating His mercy on you or He will be glorified in demonstrating His wrath upon you.
God delights in mercy and He also is well please to magnify His law by demonstrating His wrath. Both of these glorious attributes of God have been demonstrated and magnified at the Cross of Christ. God poured out His wrath upon His Son Jesus who was stricken for the transgression of His people. God the Father demonstrated His mercy by giving us His Son. God the Son demonstrated His mercy by giving His life a ransom for many and laying down His life for the sheep.
How would God demonstrate any of these attributes if He did not decree sin? Is not God powerful enough to decree it not? Or, is your concept of God a power limited little god who can't do what he pleases.
Jer 32:27 Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?
God says, "I am God, and there is none like me." God has declared the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done. His counsel shall stand and He will do all His pleasure.
Isa 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
Isa 46:11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
(1.) If it is God's pleasure that all men should be saved, why does He not perform it and appoint it for all? Shall he not do all His pleasure?
(2.) If it is God's desire for all men (universally throughout all eternity) to be saved, why does He not purpose it and do it?
If you want to rejoice in your sin you can if you so desire. I don't want you to, it grieves me that you rejoice in an open-theistic God who is limited by man. Rather, you should mourn over this folly.
http://openairoutreach.proboards52.com/index.cgi
Nevertheless, I rejoice in what God has decreed, because He will be glorified in it. (whether you mourn or rejoice)
Mat 22:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.
God's ways are past finding out and His judgments are unsearchable.
Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor?
Rom 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen.
All things are:
(1.) For Him
(2.) Through Him
(3.) To Him
Job 6:24 Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.
Psa 71:2 Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.
Psa 80:7 Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
Psa 143:8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
Psa 66:12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.
Psa 78:13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as a heap.
Job 12:24 He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.
2Ch 10:15 So the king hearkened not unto the people: for the cause was of God, that the LORD might perform his word, which he spoke by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
Job 23:13 But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
Job 23:14 For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.
I have some questions for you Jesse? Can you answer them?
Rom 9:19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
Rom 9:20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
(1.) Can God's will of forming us and making us be resisted?
Rom 9:21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?
(2.) Can God's will of making one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor be resisted?
Rom 9:22 What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
(3.) Can God's will to show His wrath, and to make his power known on vessels of wrath fitted to destruction be resisted?
Rom 9:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
(4.) Can God's will to make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy (which he had afore prepared unto glory) be resisted?
Rom 9:24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
Rom 9:25 As he saith also in Hosea, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
Rom 9:26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
Rom 9:27 Isaiah also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
Rom 9:28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
Rom 9:29 And as Isaiah said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodom, and been made like unto Gomorrah.
God bless you! -Abraham
