Still don't understand...

[BBAS 64]

Good Day Ref,

I have lurked on this thread for the last few days. I have not posted because I am leaning toward a Calvin veiw of this issue. I lack the knowledge on this issue that you have . I love to read your posts and maybe some day I will be able to learn much from you and others like you.

In the OP you made a statement:

"There is something that the Protestant community has strongly embraced since the 19th century that, to this day, continues to confuse me."

I agree with you on your assesment of this issue. My question is why is this so?


Thank You Much,

BBAS

 

[Boanerge]

The only exception I can see to this is the Catholic position, and that only partially. At least Catholic Christians claim that all the grace is purposed to accomplish is to bring the person to a position to be able to make a decision, either for or against. I believe this view seriously deprecates God's role in man's salvation and erroneously elevates man's decisions to a position of authority above God's immutable will.

Does free will remove God from the position of authority?

I am not sure how much this will help but i poured out my all to say that God is in control of everything. I do not believe that God came to force us. I also believe that God is able to handle human beings, that we don't have to be robots so that God's will can be accomplished. God is more than able to deal with spur of the moment changes and our imperfect choices. God Himself does not change and God Himself is perfect.

I believe that we make the right choice because the grace of God lead us to the right choice, and i believe we make the wrong choices because we disbelieve in the guidence of the Lord. How then do we believe? how then do we receive faith? is it by our decision? or is it by the grace of God?

God came to lead us out, if we are obedient then we will be lead out, if we are ignorant then we meet the same fate of the wicked.

God is 100% in control.

How then can God Win if He makes us lose on purpose? makes us ignore His Son? When we are the reason why He sent His Son? That wouldn't make sense. Ignorance then does not come from God, instead it comes from disobedience. How then can we be obedient? If God says "This is my Son believe in Him", and we choose not to believe in His son, then we are in disobedience. God didn't have to save us, but because He made a promise to Abraham, He will keep it. God does not break promises. But God will not save the wicked because it is Wickedness that He came to destroy.

 

[Boanerge]

10:26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

10:27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.

10:28 Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

10:29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

 

[reformedfan]

The fact that the dead in their sins are incapable of obeying the gospel apart from Christ does not make it less a command. Those that God is drawing, the elect, are enabled to respond. It is volitional, but it comes as a direct response to the work of the Spirit, I think. The work of the Spirit is effectual (duh, I'm sure you already knew that.)
Have you ever read Loraine Boettner's, "The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination"? He deals with this subject (and many others) admirably.
in Christ,
Reformedfan