• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

  • CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.

On Accepting all the Doctrines of Grace

singlecandle

Newbie
Feb 27, 2013
238
17
✟22,948.00
Faith
Calvinist
Marital Status
Single
In the WCF, Chapter III, no. 3

III. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life, and others foreordained to everlasting death.

Is it common for one to struggle with this part of the confession-
to not understand why all are not chosen? Coming from a former
Armenian's perspective, does it not take some time to accept?
 

Epiphoskei

Senior Veteran
Jul 7, 2007
6,854
689
✟33,057.00
Country
United States
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Married
It's very common. It's virtually impossible as long as one holds to the idea that everyone deserves a chance to be saved. Of course, if we were still in a state where we could deserve any good thing, we wouldn't need saving, but treating fallen men like sympathetic characters is a systemic problem in that theology.
 
Upvote 0

St_Worm2

Simul Justus et Peccator
Site Supporter
Jan 28, 2002
28,290
45,833
69
✟3,166,010.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Calvinist
Marital Status
Married

Hi SC, I agree, it is very common.

Of course, in Election, the only difference between the Reformed and the Arminian views is who (or Who) does the choosing, right? For the Calvinist, why God chooses some and not all is a mystery.

On the other hand, according to Arminianism, ALL are said to be able to choose, or choose to refuse, God's gracious offer of salvation. The Arminian reason for the fact that only some will choose eternal bliss in Heaven, while most will choose everlasting pain and suffering in Hell, has never been made clear to me. If we have all been given those two choices, why would any rational person freely choose "door #2" ..

This is the very question that drove me nuts when I believed what Arminians do. I would always find myself thinking, "why me and not my neighbor"? It was this question that made it easy for me to embrace Calvinism when it was finally presented to me in a coherent manner (which I pretty much credit RC Sproul's little book called "Chosen By God" with, a book, interestingly enough, that I picked up by accident in my church's book store).

Obviously, considering the subject of this thread, if you've not read that book, you should do so (IMHO). I can promise you that you won't be able to put it down ..

Yours and His,
David

"As many as had been appointed
to eternal life believed"
Acts 13:48b
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0