What type of Christian ["Calvinist"] are you?

[Hupomone10]

Are you serious ? Paul ? Moses ? David, Samuel ? Lydia ? Jacob ? Abraham ?

Thank you for these examples, for we have their stories in scripture to read.

Paul, after the great revelation of the Lord, was told "but rise, and enter the city, and it shall be told you what you must do." Afterward we have scripture showing us that he indeed made a decision to go: "And Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus."

Moses made a similar decision: "So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight--why the bush does not burn up."

Samuel, when called by the Lord, answered.

Lydia we are told that the Lord opened her eyes to respond, and she responded. A response is an act of the will, an act of the will is a decision.

Jacob: "Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will give me food to eat and garments to wear, and I return to my father's house in safety, then the LORD will be my God." Gen 28:20-21

Abraham: "Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you..." "So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him". Gen 12:1, 4.

You may think I am trying to glorify man's decision. I am not. I am merely trying to establish the fact that a decision of the will is behind every direction taken in life. Faith in Christ never glorifies Self, faith in Christ always glorifies God for it is opposite of faith in one's self. And that goes whether we call it a decision, choosing, receiving, accepting, or if we need to say "He invaded me and arrested me."

And my point is that this thing about a decision to trust Christ being wrong is a straw man.

Blessings,
H.

 

[JM]

Does cranky count?

 

[the particular baptist]

.

 

[the particular baptist]

Thank you for these examples, for we have their stories in scripture to read.

Paul, after the great revelation of the Lord, was told "but rise, and enter the city, and it shall be told you what you must do." Afterward we have scripture showing us that he indeed made a decision to go: "And Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus."

Moses made a similar decision: "So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight--why the bush does not burn up."

Samuel, when called by the Lord, answered.

Lydia we are told that the Lord opened her eyes to respond, and she responded. A response is an act of the will, an act of the will is a decision.

Jacob: "Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will give me food to eat and garments to wear, and I return to my father's house in safety, then the LORD will be my God." Gen 28:20-21

Abraham: "Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you..." "So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him". Gen 12:1, 4.

Interesting how we read scripture and arrive at polar opposite understanding.

You may think I am trying to glorify man's decision. I am not. I am merely trying to establish the fact that a decision of the will is behind every direction taken in life. Faith in Christ never glorifies Self, faith in Christ always glorifies God for it is opposite of faith in one's self. And that goes whether we call it a decision, choosing, receiving, accepting, or if we need to say "He invaded me and arrested me."

God so happens to disagree with you. John 1:13 Which were born, not of blood (by family like the jews thought), nor of the will of the flesh (creature religion, man made efforts to be religious), nor of the will of man (freewillism, decisions, decisions, decisions), but of God. John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth (free sovereign grace); the flesh profiteth nothing. (freewillism, human will, decisions)

And my point is that this thing about a decision to trust Christ being wrong is a straw man.

Not a straw man if God says its not and is the experience of every saint in the Bible, history, today.

In conclusion, we obviously disagree and will not likely bridge the gap. Proponents of human will and superstitious decisions (thats really what they are) see god as a beggar at the feet of the almighty human will. The experience of recipients of free sovereign grace teaches us otherwise. I am content to wait on the Day when we shall both find out. Spurgeon was wrong, we are not both right. Please do not take offense as none is intended. The best way i know to communicate is to be frank.

unsubscribing.

 

[Hupomone10]

Interesting how we read scripture and arrive at polar opposite understanding.



God so happens to disagree with you. John 1:13 Which were born, not of blood (by family like the jews thought), nor of the will of the flesh (creature religion, man made efforts to be religious), nor of the will of man (freewillism, decisions, decisions, decisions), but of God. John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth (free sovereign grace); the flesh profiteth nothing. (freewillism, human will, decisions)



Not a straw man if God says its not and is the experience of every saint in the Bible, history, today.

In conclusion, we obviously disagree and will not likely bridge the gap. Proponents of human will and superstitious decisions (thats really what they are) see god as a beggar at the feet of the almighty human will. The experience of recipients of free sovereign grace teaches us otherwise. I am content to wait on the Day when we shall both find out. Spurgeon was wrong, we are not both right. Please do not take offense as none is intended. The best way i know to communicate is to be frank.

unsubscribing.

I do not take offense brother. Funny; last night at work I was just thinking the same thing: I look forward to that Day and seeing more clearly.

Until then, I know I (my flesh) am my own worst enemy. We both see through a glass darkly, but then face to face with Him. Let us continue to stay in His Word and continue the journey of learning to listen to His Spirit.

God bless,
H.

 

[Jacqueline9423]

I'm both 6 and 7, if that's possible.

 

[Hupomone10]

God so happens to disagree with you. John 1:13 Which were born, not of blood (by family like the jews thought), nor of the will of the flesh (creature religion, man made efforts to be religious), nor of the will of man (freewillism, decisions, decisions, decisions), but of God.

If a decision to believe in Christ is "the will of man" and therefore not of God, then the decision to believe in election and in sovereign grace is "the will of man" also, and therefore not of God.

John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth (free sovereign grace); the flesh profiteth nothing. (freewillism, human will, decisions)

I believe the Spirit is the Holy Spirit, not a doctrine; therefore life comes from the Holy Spirit, not a doctrine called sovereign grace.

"the flesh" is not merely "decisions", nor is it "free will" turned into an "-ism"; otherwise the decision to trust Christ to do in me what I cannot do myself would be of the flesh. The decision to obey the admonition "walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh" would be of the flesh. To walk by the Spirit we would have to walk by the flesh, and we would be absolutely not able to live the holy Christian life.

It is indeed possible to live "the life that is Christ", and when we do it will be a life of decisions, but not decisions of Self will to trust in Self's resources, but decisions to trust Him who can do through us what we cannot do in ourselves. That is all Scripture is saying: you're gonna trust something; trust in Christ, not in self.

Everything we do in life is by decisions. We can help people see God's truth, or we can stand in the way. And when we stand in the way, it was a decision to do so.

Blessings to all,
H.