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I'm not sure there is any such thing as "informed faith." That is, IMO, merely "intellectual agreement," which is not faith at all.
It actually doesn't matter. It really doesn't.
How much of this did Cornelius know?
Or the Philippian jailer? Look carefully at that situation. Had the Philippian jailer gotten a thorough discourse of Romans 9 before declaring, "What must I do to be saved?"
What I'm pointing out is the very real phenomenon of "enabled by the Father," by which persons say, "What must I do to be saved" without first having all those extraneous theological issues resolved.
If I am being enjoined to believe in the Calvin God then, no, it's not for me.
He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them."
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.
Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." -- John 6
So if God does turn out to be "the Calvinist God," do you have another option?
I don't know, nor does it matter for evangelism.
I don't know, nor does it matter for evangelism.
I am not a little astonished by this. You don't know and say that it doesn't matter? The doctrine (of the Calvinist) is clear - God chooses person A and not person B for reasons NOT based on whether they have done anything good or bad.
You are comfortable with such a God? That's quite a faith to have - that somehow, despite all that logic points to, you assume this God remains untainted?
That such a God does not consider this a huge elephant in the rooms so as to furnish us with an explanation is baffling.
Why would I assume there is any truth to scripture when the elephant in the room (that the doctrines of grace may be inferred from the bible) is crying out for an explanation?
Does Jesus's death and resurrection and the hope that it offers override all such anomalies for you?
No, it does not matter for evangelism.
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him
Evangelism only benefits those who are enabled by the Father. It's not necessary for me or you or anyone to have figured out out the spiritual mechanism of enablement, any more than it's necessary to have figured out the spiritual mechanism of salvation, for a person who is enabled to accept the gospel.
We only have to get out there and give them the gospel, and if they've been enabled they will accept it.
I don't know, nor does it matter for evangelism.
You believe in a God who may have raised Pharaoh up only for the purpose of having His might proclaimed to all the nations and that he was moulded to destruction, without any chance of mercy and salvation?
I believe in a God whose intent and judgments are righteous.
I don't know how He makes those judgments.
Nor do I need to know in order to carry out the mission He's given me.
But if you think you can't engage in the mission until you know everything God knows, then you're free to take a seat.
Thanks.
Just to be clear - do you tell unbelievers that Christ died for them?
Would you cite a scripture for this please?
Galatians 3:10ff.
There was time back in the 80s, in the days of more one-income families, when I sold life insurance. I always made sure never to have a sales discussion with just the husband, but always to get the husband and the wife at the same table so that both were listening.
That's because even though I spoke to both of them, and even directly to the husband, it was the wife my pitch was actually crafted for.
So I would ask a simple question of the husband: "Sir, if you were to die tonight, which of the household bills would stop?"
And then, after a moment, I'd see the wife's eyes widen. Both had ears, but often only one heard.
If you believe it possible that Christ may not have provided salvation for all men without exception (which you have implied by answering you didn't know regarding Esau et al), then it would be wrong to preach the gospel to all and sundry without an explicit caveat...but then, of course, you end up without any good news.
Do you use the words, as Paul did when speaking to unbelievers, 'Christ died for OUR sins'?
Not knowing if Jesus Christ provided for all means you don't know what the Gospel actually is.
You're working full time trying to tell me what I believe about Romans 9 without actually addressing the issue of whether Romans 9 was ever necessary before anyone could begin evangelizing the gospel. It appears that your intention is not to attend to the Lord's mission but just to win debates on debatable matters (see Romans 14).
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