No. He chose us. We did nothing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tj3
From The Formula of Concord --
2 Cor. 3, 5: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think
Anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God. Rom. 3, 12: They
Are together become unprofitable. John 8, 37: My Word hath no place in you.
John 1, 5: The darkness comprehendeth (or receiveth) it not [the light]. 1
Cor. 2, 14: The natural man receiveth not (or, as the Greek word properly
Signifies, grasps not, comprehends not, accepts not) the things of the
Spirit, that is, he is not capable of spiritual things; for they are
Foolishness unto him; neither can he know them. 13] Much less will he
Truly believe the Gospel, or assent thereto and regard it as truth. Rom. 8,
7: The carnal mind, or the mind of the natural man, is enmity against God;
For it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be. And, in a
Word, it remains eternally true what the Son of God says, John 15; 5:
Without Me ye can do nothing. And Paul, Phil. 2, 13: It is God which
Worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. 14] To all godly
Christians who feel and experience in their hearts a small spark or longing
For divine grace and eternal salvation this precious passage is very
Comforting; for they know that God has kindled in their hearts this
beginning of true godliness, and that He will further strengthen and help
Them in their great weakness to persevere in true faith unto the end.
24] But before man is enlightened, converted, regenerated, renewed, and
Drawn by the Holy Ghost, he can of himself and of his own natural powers
Begin, work, or concur in working in spiritual things and in his own
Conversion or regeneration just as little as a stone or a block or clay. For
Although he can control the outward members and hear the Gospel, and to a
Certain extent meditate upon it, also discourse concerning it, as is to be
Seen in the Pharisees and hypocrites, nevertheless he regards it as
Foolishness, and cannot believe it. And in this respect he acts even worse
Than a block, inasmuch as he is rebellious and hostile to God's will, unless
the Holy Ghost is efficacious in him, and kindles and works in him faith
and other virtues pleasing to God, and obedience.
25] Thirdly, in this manner, too, the Holy Scriptures ascribe conversion,
Faith in Christ, regeneration, renewal, and all that belongs to their
Efficacious beginning and completion, not to the human powers of the
Natural free will, neither entirely nor half, nor in any, even the least or
Most inconsiderable part, but in solidum, that is, entirely, solely, to the
divine working and the Holy Ghost, as also the Apology teaches.
26] Reason and free will are able to a certain extent to live an outwardly
Decent life; but to be born anew, and to obtain inwardly another heart,
Mind, and disposition, this only the Holy Ghost effects. He opens the
Understanding and heart to understand the Scriptures and to give heed to
The Word, as it is written Luke 24, 45: Then opened He their understanding
That they might understand the Scriptures. Also Acts 16, 14: Lydia heard
Us; whose heart the Lord opened that she attended unto the things which
Were spoken of Paul. He worketh in us both to will and to do of His own
Good pleasure, Phil. 2, 13. He gives repentance, Acts 5, 31; 2 Tim. 2, 25. He
Works faith, Phil. 1, 29: For unto you it is given, in behalf of Christ, not
Only to believe on Him. Eph. 2, 8: It is the gift of God. John 6, 29: This is
The work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent. He gives an
Understanding heart, seeing eyes, and hearing ears, Deut. 29, 4; Matt. 13,
15. He is a Spirit of regeneration and renewal, Titus 3, 5. 6. He takes away
The hard heart of stone, and gives a new tender heart of flesh, that we may
Walk in His commands, Ezek. 11, 19; Deut. 30, 6; Ps. 51, 10. He creates us
In Christ Jesus to good works, Eph. 2, 10, and makes us new creatures, 2
Cor. 5, 17; Gal. 6, 15. And, in short, Every good gift is of God, Jas. 1, 17. No
One can come to Christ unless the Father draw him, John 6, 44. No one
Knoweth the Father, save him to whom the Son will reveal Him, Matt. 11,
27. No one can call Christ Lord except by the Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. 12, 3.
Without Me, says Christ, ye can do nothing, John 15, 5. All our sufficiency
Is of God, 2 Cor. 3, 5.
40] In the Small Catechism of Dr. Luther it is thus written: I believe that I
cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or
come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me through the Gospel,
enlightened me with His gifts, and sanctified and kept me in the true
faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole
Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true
Faith, etc.
41] And in the explanation of the Second Petition of the Lord's Prayer the
following words occur: How is this, done? When our Heavenly Father gives
us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and live a
godly life, etc.
42] These testimonies state that by our own powers we cannot come to
Christ, but God must give us His Holy Ghost, by whom we are enlightened,
sanctified, and thus brought to Christ through faith, and kept with Him;
and no mention is made either of our will or cooperation.
