I am sure ReformedSBC will post, but I thought this may keep you till she does.

YOU SAY [color:red] I believe that God gives a person to Christ when they humble themselves and repent when convicted by the Holy Spirit. This passage does not say that a person cannot resist the Holy Spirit's conviction.

But, HOW can they humble 'themselves' when they DO NOT even seek for God in the first place. Paul definitely did not seek for God, rather God stopped him FIRST, revealed Himself, and THEN and only then did he seek God and humble himself. God humbles man so he may then be humble. God first, than man--Rom 3:11 and of course you know that repentance is also a gift of grace (2 Tim 2:24-26).

YOU SAY [color:red] Stiff-necked--Acts 7:51

STIFFNECKED is here speaking of the unregenerate. ALL, as I pointed out above WILL NOT seek God, prior to God changing them by His grace. You simply picked out a beautiful verse that proves Calvinism (of course it is impossible not to [Linked Image]). We are all stiff-necked prior to conversion--again look at Paul....., God's elect will only resist until God reveals Himself to their spirit at which time they will be drawn away irresistibly to Christ. Every DEAD person resists LIFE, but true LIFE seeks after true LIFE.

YOU SAY: [color:red] Concerning the phrase, "and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out," some may take this to mean that no person can ever be cast out if they are a true believer, but this is not the meaning of this passage. What it means is that Christ will not reject a person that comes to Him, regardless of their race, gender or past sins.

Well you are assuming they can come of their own supposed free will. But can a man who IS DEAD come....Lazarus did not come [color:red]till called and neither will any other person. ...and by the way this is not Christ Equal RIghts Amendment...He calls whom He choose....and ONLY them.

YOU SAY: [color:red] And if you think, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day" is proof that a person must be chosen by God before he/she is saved, you are absolutely right. I too believe that a man cannot be saved unless God draws him first. And just as God's many promises of blessing to Israel (Deuteronomy 7:13, 30:16 ect...) were contingent on their obedience to the voice of God, so is the promise of the resurrection of the righteous. .

I think you need to do a word study on the word draw here. I believe you will find out it means far more than just a gentle tug:

helkoµ; a prim. vb.; to drag:— drag(1), dragged(2), draw(1), draws(1), drew(2), haul(1).
Thomas, Robert L., Th.D., General Editor, New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries, Updated Edition, (Anaheim, CA: Foundation Publications, Inc.) 1999, c1998.

or if you rather interpret it using another verse just above it:

John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

Only the ones FIRST given SHALL (no doubt about it) COME, and He will in NO WISE cast them out, for they are God's GIFT to Him.............

So in conclusion we know: God leads to faith all whom He plans to redeem. The redemption of the elect is certain. The Son promises acceptance to anyone who truly believes and to those and those alone God gives saving faith.

Reformed and Always Reforming,