Not All Are Saved By Faith, Some Will SEE, So “Faith” Is Not Needed.

 Dear Stacy,
You are right, we are saved by faith… that is, we who are saved in this era. Not all are saved by faith. Some are to be saved by sight. For example Paul was saved by sight, his experience on the road to Damascus was not a “salvation by faith” experience… you can read about it in Acts. In this day and age, an age of Grace, God saves by faith and it’s a special salvation. Do you remember that “God is the savior of all, especially of believers”??? At this moment in time, believers get a special salvation not reserved for others.
Not all are saved by faith… Paul, when he was Saul, was not… he bowed the knee and confessed in a rather non-freewill kind-of-way…. blinded, humiliated, helpless, plenty of “force”. And yet, he was saved. We might say his was a “special” salvation. Certainly different that how I came into the way.
Regarding my example of gifts that cannot be rejected, the KINSMAN REDEEMER is a perfectly scriptural example. And should be a lesson to all, that your acceptance of your redemption is a MUST… not because your acceptance redeems you, for you’ve already been redeemed by your KIN, whether you accept it or not, your acceptance merely grows on you as you get use to your new life as one who has been redeemed. Your acceptance didn’t redeem you, your KINSMAN redeemed you, without even speaking to you… he redeemed you while you were in dire straights… locked up… in debt… a slave… When you are handed over by the guard to the KINSMAN REDEEMER… you are astonished…. in a state of disbelief… confused… what’s going on here… And little by little realize you’ve been redeemed… and you “believe”… and your belief matches the reality of what your KIN has done.

Kinsman Redeemer story: see Ruth and Boaz. (SEE THIS ARTICLE.)
If the nearest kin does not redeem, his name is shamed.
If he does redeem, his name is honored.

FROM PHILLIPPIANS CHAPTER TWO:
9 Wherefore, also, God highly exalts Him, and graces Him with the name that is above every name,
10 that in the name of Jesus every knee should be bowing, celestial and terrestrial and subterranean,
11 and every tongue should be acclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord, for the glory of God, the Father.

Keep in mind Stacy, that no one can redeem himself. It is up to our elder kinsman to redeem us. Acceptance comes after we’ve already been redeemed.