Hi Carl,
Thank you for your response. I appreciate the opportunity to continue this discussion respectfully and seriously, because the stakes are high and the character of God is at the center of it.
You are starting to reason like those who advocate UR.
That is an inaccurate comparison. I am not denying final judgment, nor am I saying that everyone will be saved. Scripture clearly warns of serious consequences for those who reject the truth (John 3:36, 2 Thessalonians 1:8–9). What I am doing is defending the consistency of God's justice and love. God offers salvation genuinely to all (Titus 2:11, John 12:32, 2 Peter 3:9), and people are condemned because they reject that offer (John 3:19). That is not Universalism. It is holding to what Scripture says plainly.
To compare that position with Universal Reconciliation confuses the matter. I reject the idea that all will be saved. But I also reject the idea that people are condemned because of Unconditional Election or because God chose not to elect them. In Calvinism, God predestines certain individuals to salvation while withholding it from others, and then judges the non-elect not because they rejected Christ, but because He chose not to elect them. That is not justice. It is not only partiality. It is an arbitrary selection of some to be saved while the rest are left without a real opportunity. That picture is not compatible with a God who is righteous, loving, and impartial. The term "Unconditional Election" only confirms the randomness of it. That portrayal does more to distort God's character than it does to defend His glory.
First off Scripture is understood primarily by revelation not reason
That is a false dichotomy. Revelation and reason are not enemies. God gave us minds to use and repeatedly calls His people to reason together (Isaiah 1:18, Acts 17:2, 2 Thessalonians 2:17). Paul reasoned in the synagogues. Jesus reasoned with the Pharisees. Scripture tells us to meditate, test, and prove what is good. Revelation is from God, but understanding that revelation requires thought, reflection, and seeking (Proverbs 2:3–5). Even James 3:17 speaks of wisdom as something that can be discussed and reasoned about.
Second - it is inappropriate to dialogue by belittlement, it doesn't strengthen your case.
Fair enough. I acknowledge that tone is important in dialogue, and if my wording came off as harsh, I will take responsibility for that. But sharpness in exposing error is not always inappropriate. Paul rebuked Peter to his face. Jesus used strong words when truth was at stake. Still, my aim is not personal insult but to challenge dangerous doctrines. If you are truly offended, I will speak more carefully, but the strength of conviction remains.
Third God doesn't choose on foreknowledge of what we will do in this life. He chooses on the basis of relationship not works - otherwise Peter would not reach His short list having cursed lied and denied Him 3 times.
Scripture says otherwise. Romans 8:29 says, “Whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate.” 1 Peter 1:2 says we are “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.” That foreknowledge is not just God looking into the future passively. It is God knowing us in relational terms, but it still involves seeing what we will do. He knows those who are His because He knows who will respond to His grace. Your example of Peter proves the point. Peter denied Christ, yes, but he repented. Judas also failed but did not repent. God’s foreknowledge includes our response, not our perfection. Election in Scripture is not unconditional in the Calvinistic sense. It is grounded in God’s knowledge of our faith, not in arbitrary selection.
Fourth you continue to turn His choice into our choice putting man at the centre of the salvation process. This is tantamount to blasphemy.
Recognizing that God gives man a real choice does not put man at the center. It puts God's love and justice on full display. A God who gives man a real opportunity to respond is more glorious than a God who controls everything like a puppet master. God initiates. God provides. God convicts. But God does not force. The decision to believe or reject is ours, and God holds us accountable precisely because we are responsible for that choice. If God made the choice for us, the judgment would be a farce. The very existence of commands, invitations, and warnings throughout Scripture proves that man must choose.
Fifth I tend not to play the argue the verse game with folks intrenched in a theology.
That is a way to avoid dealing with the evidence. We all have theology, including you. The question is whether our theology aligns with Scripture. If you are unwilling to engage with verses that challenge your system, then your theology has become a filter that blocks truth rather than a tool that helps understand it. Truth welcomes examination. If your beliefs are solid, they should stand up under scrutiny. If they are not, then Scripture must be allowed to correct them.
Sixth folks generally learn systematic theology from a human teacher rather than the Holy Spirit otherwise the myriad of theologies would not exist.
That may be true in some cases, but it is not universally true. The Holy Spirit guides believers into all truth, but He does not bypass the mind or the body of Christ. Teachers are a gift from God (Ephesians 4:11). The problem is not theology but bad theology. The early church had doctrine and defended it. Paul told Timothy to rightly divide the word of truth and to teach faithful men who would teach others. The answer to bad theology is not no theology, but biblical theology. And when a doctrine causes people to misrepresent God’s character, it must be challenged.
Seventh folks confuse the place of the will in regeneration with the matter of being born again, which is by Grace alone.
Salvation is absolutely by grace. But grace is not coercion. John 1:12 says that those who receive Christ are given power to become sons of God. Faith is the means by which that grace is received. Regeneration follows belief. Otherwise, people are born again before they believe, which is not what the Bible teaches. Scripture presents the new birth as following belief, not preceding it.
Yes, salvation is by grace. But grace is not merely a label for a one-time event. In Scripture, grace is both the beginning and the continuing power of the believer’s walk. It is not static or mechanical. It teaches, empowers, and expects a response.
Scripture warns against receiving grace in vain, falling from grace, setting aside grace, and coming short of it (2 Corinthians 6:1; Galatians 5:4; Galatians 2:21; Hebrews 12:15). If grace were an automatic guarantee disconnected from how we respond to it over time, these warnings would be meaningless.
Grace does not merely excuse sin. It transforms us. It establishes a new path and equips us to walk in it. Acts 13:43 says we are to continue in grace. Romans 5:21 says grace reigns through righteousness. This is not an optional phase of Christian living. It is grace doing its full work.
So regeneration is not the end. It is the beginning of a life governed by grace. If someone claims to be saved by grace but does not continue in it or grow in obedience, they are misrepresenting what biblical grace is.
Final Thought:
Carl, I say this respectfully but seriously. The God revealed in Scripture is both just and loving. He does not arbitrarily exclude people from salvation. He does not create billions with no opportunity to respond to Him. If you truly believe that only those He arbitrarily chooses can be saved, then you have to redefine the plain meaning of verses like 2 Peter 3:9 and John 3:16. Calvinism may appear logically consistent on paper, but it breaks down morally, biblically, and relationally. I urge you to examine what that system implies about God's character.
I hope this helps.
Blessings to you in the name of Jesus Christ,
Sincerely,
A Bible Highlighter.
