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Calvinism, explained.
- Thread starter GillDouglas
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I did mention the fall of Adam and Eve. Are you telling me that Adam had no choice?
Then why did God tell Cain to be careful? Gen 4:7: "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it." Why would God tells this to Cain if Cain had no choice but to do evil and be condemned for it?
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Sure Cain had a choice, but Cain's actions shows Cain's choices are evil since Cain was of Satan. Cain could really not do anything good and neither could anyone else. Since Cain's offering was rejected by God in his offering of worship, this rejection was of God, God was not going to aid Cain, preserve Cain from doing harm.
Abel was blessed and Cain was cursed.
Cain had no respect for God's judgement, did not honor God. Cain in defiance of God's judgment on the land produced fruits when God told them it would produce thorns and thistles.
So the ground is cursed by God, Man's efforts are in play here against God. Working the cursed ground and offering that back to God as an offering of worship is an insult. Like saying God you cursed this ground, but look what I can do with it.
Genesis 3, the curse said
“Cursed is the ground for your sake;
In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life.
18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.
Genesis 4
Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
I believe the Holy Spirit restrains those who are His, they are not allowed to just do whatever. All things are of God worked by Him for their good. Not so with those who are not of Him, they are of Satan. Fact is God's judgement against them is restrained by God until they fill up the measure of their sins.
God does not aid the children of the devil nor does he aid angels. But he does aid the people of faith who are those who call upon the Lord to save them, Cain did not do that. Cain shows he continually rejects God which shows he does not listen or hearken to God and that just proves Cain was of Satan, those who are of God listen-hearken to God.
John 8
47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”
Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
Cain completely rejects God, Cain is angry against God, Cain's face looks away from God. Cain is plotting a murder. But even before that, Cain shows by his choices he disagrees with God's judgment. Cain is an adversary of God.
If your not with Him you are against Him.
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nobdysfool
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Given that God knows our choices before we make them, God can order things so that His will is accomplished, no matter what our choices are. Besides, your will is not as free as you want to think it is. Your choices are based on your desires (whatever they might be), and usually chosen in such a way as to avoid pain, and seek pleasure. Sometimes it can be a choice between levels of pain, or levels of pleasure, and there can be other factors that go into the choosing, but only God has a truly free will.
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Thursday
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So according to Calvinists, God is too weak to give man free will.
Unfortunately for your dogma, the bible teaches us that our eternal destiny depends on the choices we make.
Romans 2
6God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”7To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.6
Gal 6
7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Luke 12:47
47"And that slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes,48but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.
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