Sure, by again, we need to address why some fail to cooperate and others succeed. It comes from faith, and this is the crux of our disconnect: You say faith is self-mainfested, I say it's a gift from God. You say man chooses, I say God chooses:
Grace is the gift from God that enables us to have faith. Faith does not precede grace. God bestows grace on all who seek Him.
In the context of believers, this is true (see Romans 2:10-11). Obviously if you are "chosen" by God, you receive God's favor, if not, then you don't. This is easily seen in parables regarding the separating of the sheep and the goats; wheat and tares. Why was Israel chosen by God and other nations weren't? Why was Noah chosen to survive, but the rest of the world wasn't? The point is, God's lack of favoritism creates equality in the family of God. As believers, rich or poor, we are loved equally immensely by our Creator.
Sure, by again, we need to address why some fail to cooperate and others succeed. It comes from faith, and this is the crux of our disconnect: You say faith is self-mainfested, I say it's a gift from God. You say man chooses, I say God chooses:
Romans 9:15-16
About Romans 9:15-16
Consider verse 22
“What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?”
Romans 9:22 NASB
Paul has not finished his message in chapter 9.
“For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness
to everyone who believes. For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: " DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, ' WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?' (that is, to bring Christ down), or ' WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)." But what does it say? " THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART "-that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
For the Scripture says, " WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for " WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, " HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!" However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, " LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?"
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have; " THEIR VOICE HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD." But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says, "I WILL MAKE YOU JEALOUS BY THAT WHICH IS NOT A NATION, BY A NATION WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING WILL I ANGER YOU." And Isaiah is very bold and says, "I WAS FOUND BY THOSE WHO DID NOT SEEK ME, I BECAME MANIFEST TO THOSE WHO DID NOT ASK FOR ME."
But as for Israel He says, " ALL THE DAY LONG I HAVE STRETCHED OUT MY HANDS TO A DISOBEDIENT AND OBSTINATE PEOPLE."”
Romans 10:3-21 NASB
God has stretched out His hands to a disobedient obstinate people. Is God stretching out His hands to people He hasn’t elected knowing that they are in total depravity and are incapable of repentance? That wouldn’t make any sense unless they were capable of repenting but were choosing of their own free will to be stubborn. But according to the doctrine of election a person cannot resist grace. So if Calvin was correct either these people have been elected by God and are residing grace or they have not been elected by God and yet God is expecting them to repent while they are incapable of doing so. Either way Calvin’s doctrines aren’t making any sense here.
