This is the very thing which always plagued me the most!
You see, if you were chosen by God before the foundations of the earth, you WILL come to Christ at some point in your life! In contrast, all the evangelism in the world will have no effect on the non- elect, known in the scriptures as the wicked!
Yes, of course, this is a “Bible-based theology” yet the Bible only applies to God’s actual people – the ones who follow Him, yet to follow someone is to know that person, and not just all about Him! This is what Satan does, he mimics’ the “things of God”, as he cannot actually produce them.
Systematic theologies are Satan’s invention, that’s right, what better way to attack and lead astray the ecclesia of God than to counterfeit the real thing which is only found by abiding in Christ! They are the sons of God who are led of the Spirit of God, also, lean not to your own understanding is also scriptural, but for only the Lord’s actual followers, and it doesn’t matter how well someone has learned up scripture and doctrines in their head!
In fact, Bible-based churches nearly always will just confuse and stumble an actual disciple of Christ, as they are taught by people normally of the spirit of Antichrist; those who started with us yet will not be conformed to his image by crucifixion of the old man. Normally the broad roader; the ones who started in regeneration, but took the wide way of the world is doing “church” instead. moving towards their own justification (of which there is none) they will dry up and die spiritually, and with a head full of theology! Or there are the ones who cannot, nor ever could follow Christ, (false believers) as they have never known Him, and were not elected to begin with. This is why Paul said he was in peril by false believers!
Towards the end of time the scripture teaches that only a scatter few (a remnant) are only really God’s elect people, and out of these, the majority choose the comfort of this world, rather than to actually follow Christ!
It is most convenient to teach Bible-based doctrines which give comfort to the masses of brethren – who have left their first love (like in Galatians), and turned to fables rather than remaining in the Truth – who is Jesus Christ himself! Just go online today and read the description listed on the doctrines of most any “church”; if they are Bible based, most will cherry pick the scriptures teaching things like covenant theology. They have nursery schools and youth groups teaching proper Bible, normally to most who will never come to Christ; yet could argue the chrome off a bumper using the Bible!
These type of brethren are wall to wall nowadays, as man orchestrated institutions of learning (accredited by the world) crank out those with a form of Godliness, but not the power thereof – from such turn away the Bible teaches! I could go on and on belaboring the point, yet it is of no use, as the natural mind (understanding) receives not the things of God! 1 John 4 is very specific about testing the spirits, but if you have not the spirit of Christ, you cannot know or even discern a difference in people or what spirit they are of, unless of course it is blatantly obvious they practice wickedness. Yet amazingly today, there are also many churches who will accept the most grievous of sinful lifestyles as this is what Satan does to try to destroy the name of the Lord, and His testimony to the world.
Come out of Her my people, and you will not be partaker’s in her plagues (blows) as the scripture warns in Revelations. It is no coincidence that the mother of Harlots sits upon the 7 hills – rivers of Rome, and her daughters (who are female) because they follow another than Jesus Christ himself (BY SPIRIT) not just by doctrines or even sound doctrine.
But the academic church loves to quote 2 Timothy 2:15 – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Well, firstly it is speaking about a workman (as in doing the Lord’s work) – and not just an academic; and to rightly divide the word of truth, one needs The Spirit of Truth (Jesus Christ) to lead the individual in the meaning of the scriptures. If you operate independent of Him, at best you are out of fellowship with God, and in sin, and you cannot be expected to rightly divide any particular passage of the Bible!
Yet this is what false brethren do – they operate independently of the Lord. This is why the scripture says that without Christ, you can do nothing! But never mind that scripture if one is capable of moving in their own strength, and that’s what man’s church systems continually do!
I will have NO part in moving independently of my Lord in serving the world or people of the world unless directed to do so, and then and only then, will I be sent forth in power and in Truth. Satan’s world today follows a doctrine of all-inclusiveness in churches, but the disciple must follow a doctrine of exclusiveness only to Christ who dwells within him.