Do you really think I haven't read about synergism. I have. Synergism is a false man made teaching that is not grounded in scripture.
I don't mean to sound rude, really, I'm trying to say this in the most gentle tone possible (though there is no "tone" on the net), you're knowledge of synergism is very lacking and Calvinistic biased. You really don't seem to understand synergism at all because the things you've accused me of and assume I am teaching is not what synergism teaches. So, either it's that you didn't understand the theology behind it (a lot of people warp the true teaching of it or don't understand it themselves), or you were reading pelagian theology hidden under the name of synergism. However, none of the things you've accused synergists of is even close to accurate, so whatever it is, I suggest re-learning it with an open mind to another interpretation of scripture. Honestly, I see why some people are Calvinists, and I also see why people are Arminians.
God's sheep will follow him. All of those are examples of who the sheep are not people who were once sheep who lost their sheephood.
I agree with the first part, but disagree with the second part. There are many examples in the Bible of people who fell from their faith. And I think Jesus taught clearly that there are those who are found, then lost.
If a person was elected to salvation by God, was regenerated by the work of the Holy Spirit, repented and placed his faith in Christ, he is saved. He may sin from time to time, but God will not let him unelect himself.
I don't believe God will let someone unelect himself, I believe God won't accept those who choose to depart from the faith because if Christians deny Him, He will deny them, and the old testament reveals that those who were counted as righteous will be credited as unrighteous if they return to their filth, which is also consistent in many new testament teachings.
God who is love, loves his elect and hates the reprobate. He must hate that which is contrary to love and the reprobate is contrary to love. They are evil. The bible never once says that God loves everyone who ever lived. He does indeed give a well meant offer to all who hear the gospel message, those who accept it are the saved, those who reject it are not. It is a blessing to the elect and a curse to the reprobate.
Okay. So, what you're saying is that you are not evil? Are you saying that you were not once ungodly? The Bible teaches me that when we were ungodly, Christ died for us. So either God loves a select ungodly people, or He loves the world. I do agree that He is opposed to those who are not saved, that is, those who persistently reject the truth and end up in Hell. But only after God persistently called them and they refused -- whether by a preacher or by conscience. Because He is not willing that any should perish. Simply, I agree with you. But I believe that God loves the world collectively or else we are stating that God is a God of partiality.
The synergistic view is false. Salvation is of the Lord not of a decision made by man. If you include yourself as an agent that effects the plans of God you are clearly going against scripture because the scriptures are emphatically clear that salvation is by grace dependent upon the will of God not of man.
Okay, this is where I speak of the misunderstanding. The synergist view believe sthat salvation is dependent upon the grace of God but that God has provided grace to all men. That is why He is the Savior of all men, especially those who believe. In other words, Christ's death on the cross provided grace for all men to be capable of being saved, but will only save those who have faith. Christ initiated our salvation by grace on the cross, and it will be completed by grace. When Christ died on the cross He drew all men unto Himself -- not just some.
Now, before you say, "That's works based." It's not. Let me give you a biblical example and show you what you are essentially saying. When Peter was walking on water, did Peter walk on water by himself? Or was it Christ who enabled him to walk on water? But how was Peter capable to walk on water? By trusting Christ. Peter couldn't claim, "I walked on water all by myself, I did it all by myself, look at me, I'm so amazing," because Peter didn't walk on water by himself. Christ enabled him to walk on water THROUGH faith. But what happened when Peter turned from Christ? He started drowning. Then Peter cried out to Christ and Christ saved Him, again. Did Peter save himself for crying out to Christ? No. Christ saved Him through his crying out. But when Peter trusted himself, he began to perish. Which, coincidentally, sounds very similar to what Paul said about the Galatians who were trying to trust themselves for salvation, that they had been severed from Christ (which happened to Peter -- He was trusting Christ, stopped and was severed, then cried out and Christ saved Peter again).
Do you see what you are doing? You are making an assumption that the synergistic view says we are saved by faith. But the synergistic view doesn't say that. It says we are saved by grace through faith. Let me give another analogy.
If I jump out of an airplane with a parachute and pull the parachute and land safely. Did I save myself for pulling the parachute? Or was I saved by the parachute? I didn't save myself. I was saved by the parachute through pulling the whatever you pull (lol -- gotta love my ignorance) to eject the parachute. In other words, by grace (the parachute) through faith (the whatever you pull).
Now, again, consider if someone gave me 100 dollar bills. Can I brag that I got myself the 100 dollar bill for accepting it? No. Someone gave me it, but I must accept it. I was given a dollar bill (grace) and I received it (through faith). But if I give the dollar bill back (remove my faith) then I know longer have 100 dollars (grace).
Man isn't their savior. Christ is. We aren't saved by faith. We're saved by grace... but through faith. If we no longer channel faith, how can we have grace? It's like asking how can we hold water (grace) without a cup (faith). When Paul speaks of shipwrecking their faith, people no longer have the cup to hold the water.
However, I don't believe you're a Calvinist either. I believe you just believe in OSAS because you keep emphasizing the necessity of repentance and faith. But a Calvinist believes that when Christ died He redeemed only His elect and faith and repentance are not necessities to receive grace. That is, they believe you are regenerated BEFORE you even have faith, but that faith is only evidence of your redemption. IN other words, faith isn't necessary... it's only a fruit.
I believe in reality, we believe the same thing, but the semantics are different. Except you just believe that those who fall away were never saved. I really don't think it matters what comes first the chicken or the egg. I think it just matters that one doesn't fall away, whatever the case.
God bless you brother.
