Age of Accountability

[Osage Bluestem]

"Willing to Believe" was one of the books I read. RC Sproul.

Willing to believe honestly was simple, boring, and poorly written. It's basically about on par with a newsweek article.

I encourage you to read a real book on reformed theology. Try The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination by Loraine Boettner:



Amazon.com: Reformed Doctrine of Predestination (9780875521121): Loraine Boettner: Books

That's a real book. It's well written, thorough, easy to understand, a great overview of the doctrine and it is a solid defense of any objections one may encounter.

 

[Skala]

Hupo:

So you deny that God gives grace to fallen men in different varieties?

God gave Hitler sunshine, rain, the breath in his lungs, a family, and good health.
But he didn't give him saving grace.

God allows some men to be born in poverty, disease ridden and starving to death (3rd world countries)? While he also at the same time allows some to be born in the USA, middle, or upper class, with plenty of food, family and comfort.

Clearly, God blesses men in different ways, as He sees fit. I would recommend you check out AW Pink's The Sovereignty of God

http://www.reformed.org/books/pink/index.html

 

[PrincetonGuy]

It appears to me that no one contributing to this thread believes Calvin’s soteriology regarding infants who die. It also appears to me that some of the contributors to this thread have their own, personal and distorted view of the Reformed Theology taught in our Baptist churches and seminaries. Indeed, one contributor suggested that Loraine Boettner’s book, The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, is a good source to learn the Reformed theology taught in our Baptist churches and seminaries! Let us not confuse the Reformed theology taught by Presbyterians with the Reformed theology taught by Baptists!

Moreover, among Reformed Baptists there are major differences in their Reformed beliefs. For example, Dr. Thomas R. Schreiner (SBTS – The School of Theology – Thomas R. Schreiner), who has already been mentioned in this thread, teaches a Reformed view of the Perseverance of the Saints that is so different from what most Reformed Baptists believe that some of them consider him to be a false teacher! (See especially The Race Set Before Us by Thomas R. Schreiner and Ardel B. Caneday). Furthermore, his teaching regarding the doctrine of Total Depravity is markedly different from the teaching of nearly all other Reformed Baptists. (See especially his commentary on Romans in the Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament Series).

Reading one or two books by Reformed theologians is not at all an adequate means to learn Reformed Baptist theology, but rather one must read the writings by the full spectrum of Reformed Baptists and study the reasons for the differences between them and the reasons for the difference between Reformed Baptist theology and Reformed Presbyterian theology.

 

[AndOne]

Moreover, among Reformed Baptists there are major differences in their Reformed beliefs. For example, Dr. Thomas R. Schreiner (SBTS – The School of Theology – Thomas R. Schreiner), who has already been mentioned in this thread, teaches a Reformed view of the Perseverance of the Saints that is so different from what most Reformed Baptists believe that some of them consider him to be a false teacher!

Not true...

 

[Hammster]

Not true...

If you can't beat 'em, malign an marginalize 'em.

 

[AndOne]

If you can't beat 'em, malign an marginalize 'em.

yep - saying SBTS isn't Calvinist is like saying Liberty isn't Arminian...

 

[Fencerguy]

Hupo:

So you deny that God gives grace to fallen men in different varieties?

God gave Hitler sunshine, rain, the breath in his lungs, a family, and good health.
But he didn't give him saving grace.

God allows some men to be born in poverty, disease ridden and starving to death (3rd world countries)? While he also at the same time allows some to be born in the USA, middle, or upper class, with plenty of food, family and comfort.

Clearly, God blesses men in different ways, as He sees fit. I would recommend you check out AW Pink's The Sovereignty of God

The Sovereignty of God

I was always under the impression that the Grace that God offers is the same to everyone....Does God not wish for everyone to be saved? Is God--the definition of love--somehow conditional in His dispensation of Grace? That does not sound much like the God I worship......?

 

[Hammster]

I was always under the impression that the Grace that God offers is the same to everyone....Does God not wish for everyone to be saved? Is God--the definition of love--somehow conditional in His dispensation of Grace? That does not sound much like the God I worship......?

What do you think God's grace accomplishes?

 

[Fencerguy]

What do you think God's grace accomplishes?

Isn't God's grace what allows us to escape the punishment that we deserve (hell)?
Isn't grace the gift of God that allows us to have a relationship with Him? This is what i was taught growing up...

 

[Hammster]

Isn't God's grace what allows us to escape the punishment that we deserve (hell)?
Isn't grace the gift of God that allows us to have a relationship with Him? This is what i was taught growing up...

Okay, let's say you are correct. Why isn't everyone saved?

 

[Hupomone10]

From the post we were critical of, though, you only through up emotional arguments against Calvinism. That's why you got the responses that you did. If you know what Calvinism teaches, and yet give false information, what does that say?

What false information did I give? Are you referring to my comments on Skala's quote? I commented on his quote.

Ok, used it as a launching pad.

 

[Fencerguy]

Okay, let's say you are correct. Why isn't everyone saved?

Just because the grace is offered doesn't mean that everyone accepts it....


If God is the definition of love, why isn't everyone elect?

 

[Hammster]

Just because the grace is offered doesn't mean that everyone accepts it....

If God is the definition of love, why isn't everyone elect?

Is it a gift or an offer?

 

[Fencerguy]

Is it a gift or an offer?

is there a difference? Don't you offer a gift?

 

[Hammster]

is there a difference? Don't you offer a gift?

No, you give a gift. But let's say that you're right. How is grace offered? Does Gid ask if someone would like grace to believe?

 

[Fencerguy]

No, you give a gift. But let's say that you're right. How is grace offered? Does Gid ask if someone would like grace to believe?

Definition of Give:
Give - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Definition of Offer:
Offer - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

These words are verrrry similar.....

Grace is offered by Jesus death and subsequent resurrection; that was the mechanism for offering grace...

I didn't know that grace allowed someone to believe......? I thought someone just...believed, and accepted the grace

 

[Hammster]

Definition of Give:
Give - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Definition of Offer:
Offer - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

These words are verrrry similar.....

Grace is offered by Jesus death and subsequent resurrection; that was the mechanism for offering grace...

I didn't know that grace allowed someone to believe......? I thought someone just...believed, and accepted the grace

Well, anything spiritual cannot be discerned in the flesh. And you cannot please God in the flesh. So something must happen before we will believe.

 

[Fencerguy]

Well, anything spiritual cannot be discerned in the flesh. And you cannot please God in the flesh. So something must happen before we will believe.

If nothing spiritual can be discerned in the flesh, why are there so many religions in the world? There sure are a lot of people out there that are discerning spiritual things...

What must happen before we believe is we must hear about the Truth, for how can they believe who have not heard?

 

[Hammster]

If nothing spiritual can be discerned in the flesh, why are there so many religions in the world? There sure are a lot of people out there that are discerning spiritual things...

What must happen before we believe is we must hear about the Truth, for how can they believe who have not heard?

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 2 Cie 2:14

 

[Fencerguy]

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 2 Cie 2:14

So.....it's only the things of God that we are unable to discern? It's a wonder that faith in God survived at all...