The offer of Salvation is universal, but the application is only : "by Faith".

[Jesus_is_LORD]

The scripture never presents Salvation as an offer. Romans 5:15 says nothing about an offer of Salvation Rom 5:15

15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

The Gift by Grace wasn't offered, it has sovereignly abounded to many ! The word abounded is the word perisseuō and means:

"a thing comes in abundance, or overflows, unto one; something falls to the lot of one in large measure"

2 Cor 1:5

For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

Are you guys just splitting hairs on the words?

Seriously, listen please, everyone. @Jarhead0311 , @Brightfame52 , @Bethel .

I'm reading this back and forth and one side saying it is a gift, another side saying no it is an offer.

So what is a gift?
Does a gift have to be "offered"?
Don't you offer someone a gift, meaning, a gift can be rejected just as an offer can be rejected.

For example, If someone on the streets says I have an offer for you, and I say what is the offer? They say, I want to offer you $100 no strings attached.

Now compared that to if someone on the street says, I have a gift for you $100.

What is the difference???
I think you guys are just splitting hairs on the words.

The way I see it, ALL gifts have to be offered.

All gifts are offers, although all offers are not gifts(as some offers have strings attached).

 

[Jesus_is_LORD]

A gift has to be an offer because a gift cannot be forced.

All the word offer emphasizes for the sake of this discussion is an opportunity to use your freewill to receive what has been "offered".

The same applies to a gift. You must use your freewill to accept the gift given or some might say(offered) to you.

God does not force His love on us, we offers us His love as well as gives us the gift.

Remember Jesus and the rich man who Jesus said, sell all your things and follow me? Remember the man walked away because he was rich? Did Jesus chase Him and no, no you must accept my gift? No Jesus did not, the gift had already been offered when Jesus invited him to sell everything. The man declined the offer to sell everything and thus declined the gift of salvation as well.

Now do you all see it?

 

[Jarhead0311]

Are you guys just splitting hairs on the words?

Seriously, listen please, everyone. @Jarhead0311 , @Brightfame52 , @Bethel .

I'm reading this back and forth and one side saying it is a gift, another side saying no it is an offer.

So what is a gift?
Does a gift have to be "offered"?
Don't you offer someone a gift, meaning, a gift can be rejected just as an offer can be rejected.

For example, If someone on the streets says I have an offer for you, and I say what is the offer? They say, I want to offer you $100 no strings attached.

Now compared that to if someone on the street says, I have a gift for you $100.

What is the difference???
I think you guys are just splitting hairs on the words.

The way I see it, ALL gifts have to be offered.

All gifts are offers, although all offers are not gifts(as some offers have strings attached).

I don’t think it is splitting hairs when some believe their faith was gifted to them by God, which is not scriptural. God does not believe nor repent for us, and like Heb. 11:6 says those that come to God must believe that He is, and He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. Peace.

 

[Jarhead0311]

double post.

 

[Jesus_is_LORD]

I don’t think it is splitting hairs when some believe their faith was gifted to them by God, which is not scriptural. God does not believe nor repent for us, and like Heb. 11:6 says those that come to God must believe that He is, and He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. Peace.

I hear your concern about some believing that their faith has been gifted to them, yet the Bible clearly has many verses that speak and say one cannot come unless God draws them, and the Bible also says that we are each given a certain measure of faith.

This is how I see it. I see there is a divine tension. A tension between God doing it all in terms of Salvation, or predestining- with the tension of freewill and our responsibility to respond in faith.

I think this tension is healthy and does not need to be resolved. We are not God and we will not understand 100% the working of Salvation on this side of eternity.

So I comfortably accepting that I have a responsibility in terms of my response of faith, but I'm also comfortably resting in my eternal security in Christ, having been called.

This tension does not need resolution. The pull towards God being the author and finisher of our Salvation helps me have peace, and the pull towards my responsibility to respond in faith, helps me to work out my Salvation with fear and trembling and not get too complacent and take anything for granted.

The tension is fine with me. But I sense others are uncomfortable and believe l they feel that giving themselves responsibility takes away from God's work, while others are uncomfortable feeling that giving God all credit takes away from their responsibility.

I'm comfortable with the tension.

 

[Jarhead0311]

I hear your concern about some believing that their faith has been gifted to them, yet the Bible clearly has many verses that speak and say one cannot come unless God draws them, and the Bible also says that we are each given a certain measure of faith.

This is how I see it. I see there is a divine tension. A tension between God doing it all in terms of Salvation, or predestining- with the tension of freewill and our responsibility to respond in faith.

I think this tension is healthy and does not need to be resolved. We are not God and we will not understand 100% the working of Salvation on this side of eternity.

So I comfortably accepting that I have a responsibility in terms of my response of faith, but I'm also comfortably resting in my eternal security in Christ, having been called.

This tension does not need resolution. The pull towards God being the author and finisher of our Salvation helps me have peace, and the pull towards my responsibility to respond in faith, helps me to work out my Salvation with fear and trembling and not get too complacent and take anything for granted.

The tension is fine with me. But I sense others are uncomfortable and believe l they feel that giving themselves responsibility takes away from God's work, while others are uncomfortable feeling that giving God all credit takes away from their responsibility.

I'm comfortable with the tension.

Agreed God draws to His Son some accept some reject. According to scripture a measure of faith is given to those that believe.

Gal 3:22 - But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

 

[Jesus_is_LORD]

Agreed God draws to His Son some accept some reject. According to scripture a measure of faith is given to those that believe.

Gal 3:22 - But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

Amen preach.

 

[Bethel]

Bethel, you being from Israel ought to know that one's faith is worthless without the work

Your "body is dead because of sin"......And if you are born again, then your Spirit has Joined God's.
Your "works" are a fail, as God will never accept your works to accept you, as your works are just works.....nothing more.
You can be an unbeliever and do good works, and its just as irrelevant to God's Grace, as if you are born again and doing some good deeds.
A Christian is "justified by Faith"< yet, FAITH is not the Savior, ....... = GOD is the Savior and Christ is the means.
So, when you dont understand this, you will try to get God to accept you, based on your deeds.
This is Legalism, and Jude defines it as "the error of Cain".

Did you ever read Genesis, and discover that God kicked Cain out, because he was trying to be just like you?
He was trying to get God to accept Him, based on Works......... and God will only accept you THEN, just like NOW, based on BLOOD and DEATH of the Sacrifice, and you are neither,

 

[Bethel]

Agreed God draws to His Son some accept some reject. According to scripture a measure of faith is given to those that believe.

Gal 3:22 - But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

This verse does not say that God gives you faith.
It says that the PROMISE is given to you, if you have faith.
The "promise" is the Gift of God, that is Christ on the Cross.
He's the Promise that God provides as GRACE, to "as many as believe".

 

[brighthouse98]

Thanks for answering Bethel, I just wanted to see where you were at.

 

[Bethel]

Thanks for answering Bethel, I just wanted to see where you were at.

Salvation is a Gift.

"The Gift of Salvation".
What is it?
Its "the gift of Righteousness" being given to "all who believe", and the proof of real faith, is.........you become born again.
Being born again is the only real proof of being a Christian, as people fake fruit. They FAKE Christianity. They SPEAK "christinese", but they are not born again.
They talk about law, and works, and have no understanding of the CROSS, because they have not been there and met Jesus.
Their Gospel is...>"what i do".........and God's Gospel is "what Jesus did for you ".
They cannot understand this, because they have not been made a partaker of it.
Forums are filled with these people.
Pulpits are filled with these people.
Heaven will never be.

 

[Jarhead0311]

This verse does not say that God gives you faith.
It says that the PROMISE is given to you, if you have faith.
The "promise" is the Gift of God, that is Christ on the Cross.
He's the Promise that God provides as GRACE, to "as many as believe".

I have talked with Calvinist that use this verse to support their belief of unconditional election which is why I emphasized “to them that believe”.

Salvation is a Gift.

"The Gift of Salvation".
What is it?
Its "the gift of Righteousness" being given to "all who believe", and the proof of real faith, is.........you become born again.
Being born again is the only real proof of being a Christian, as people fake fruit. They FAKE Christianity. They SPEAK "christinese", but they are not born again.
They talk about law, and works, and have no understanding of the CROSS, because they have not been there and met Jesus.
Their Gospel is...>"what i do".........and God's Gospel is "what Jesus did for you ".
They cannot understand this, because they have not been made a partaker of it.
Forums are filled with these people.
Pulpits are filled with these people.
Heaven will never be.

Amen.

 

[Bob Carabbio]

I don’t think it is splitting hairs when some believe their faith was gifted to them by God, which is not scriptural.

Then handle Eph 2:8,9.

 

[Brightfame52]

Are you guys just splitting hairs on the words?

Seriously, listen please, everyone. @Jarhead0311 , @Brightfame52 , @Bethel .

I'm reading this back and forth and one side saying it is a gift, another side saying no it is an offer.

So what is a gift?
Does a gift have to be "offered"?
Don't you offer someone a gift, meaning, a gift can be rejected just as an offer can be rejected.

For example, If someone on the streets says I have an offer for you, and I say what is the offer? They say, I want to offer you $100 no strings attached.

Now compared that to if someone on the street says, I have a gift for you $100.

What is the difference???
I think you guys are just splitting hairs on the words.

The way I see it, ALL gifts have to be offered.

All gifts are offers, although all offers are not gifts(as some offers have strings attached).

Salvation isnt a offer. Thats not biblical. No a spiritual gift isnt offered, thats nonsense. Its given !

 

[brighthouse98]

Bethel, when a gift is given the person receiving that gift can do what they wish with it. I wonder if you read any of my scriptures I gave to you, so that you could see my point. One can judge others as they wish to, but I stopped doing that after Holy Spirit showed me these verses. (Rom 2:1-5) I do not believe the Lord put me here to judge others, rather I should tend to my own house to make sure there is no mud under it!!

LOL And to build up the body of Christ. When I became born again the very first scripture the Lord gave me as a foundation to my house was this (Romans 13:11-14) When people say they are born again, all I look for is the fruit of their claim, because Jesus says himself you shall know them, not by their claim of being saved but rather by the fruit they bear (Matt 7:15-23)

And what is that fruit?? Your work! Only the Lord and that person knows if they are a true believer, I look to encourage others in their faith, to cause a person to think, where are they as a disciple of the Lord? We must examine ourselves daily, I sure do! (2 Cor 13:5-8) If salvation is a given why would we ever have to examine ourselves?? But we do, which is our work or fruit for others to not only see but also learn from. Blessing.

 

[Brightfame52]

brighthouse

Bethel, when a gift is given the person receiving that gift can do what they wish with it.

Thats only in natural carnal things, not in Spiritual Salvation, God applies/imparts His Gifts for His Purpose. Im afraid you are thinking carnally friend.

 

[brighthouse98]

Brightfame Please show me chapter and verse where salvation is stamped on you like a tattoo and cannot be removed. lol Once saved always saved is not in the bible, ask Judas he had the same power Jesus gave the other disciple so people can say well he really was not saved, and you would be right!!! Neither were the other disciples!! In fact, they all left Jesus and went their own way!!(Matt 26:56)

So, if salvation cannot be removed by us, then Judas would also be forgiven, but he was not forgiven he betrayed the Lord, free will, he was not made to do it. (Matt 26:24-25) And so what happened to Judas?? Remember whether you like it or not Judas was not just a disciple he was an apostle! In fact, they drew lots to replace him. (Acts 1:15-17!!) and then Acts 1:24-26) Hope this helps you understand some truth.

 

[Jesus_is_LORD]

Salvation isnt a offer. Thats not biblical. No a spiritual gift isnt offered, thats nonsense. Its given !

Help me out please.

What is your definition of an "offer"?

what is your definition of a "gift"?

 

[Jesus_is_LORD]

Salvation isnt a offer. Thats not biblical. No a spiritual gift isnt offered, thats nonsense. Its given !

Words have certian connotations and you might hear a word and for you it means something for which you find it is not the best word to use to communicate a point in a sentence. I think you are stuck on the word offer and the connotations you have associated with that word.

The dictionary defines the word gift as:
noun: gift; plural noun: gifts
a thing given willingly to someone without payment; a present.
"a Christmas gift"


The dictionary defines the word offer as:
verb
verb:

1. present or proffer (something) for (someone) to accept or reject as so desired.
   "may I offer you a drink?"
   
   
   noun
   noun: offer; plural noun: offers
   an expression of readiness to do or give something if desired.
   "he had accepted Mallory's offer to buy him a drink"
   
   

 

[Jarhead0311]

Then handle Eph 2:8,9.

I did grace through faith is the gift obtained through faith.