I have read and heard the arguments concerning Calvinism vs Arminianism. First of all, I think it is all to easy to read too much into things and create inaccurate interpretations when it comes reading the works of man in any form. Different people can read the same poem or hear the same song and walk away with completely different interpretations of what the author was trying to say, in the same way I believe people can misinterpret the authors of the Bible. A friend of mine described to me how a kid in his class at his college made a observation that a poem they were studying was about Aliens. He was not being serious, but he was able to create an interpretation from the written words that could almost convince you that the author in fact was talking about aliens, if you didn't know any better that is. My point being that I believe there comes a time when we need to stop trying to dig so deep and take a step back and really look at the bigger picture from a practical perspective. I don't think God seeks to be complicated. You shouldn't have to be a bible scholar in order to understand how God works, so when something as important as the process of our salvation becomes so complicated that you feel like you need a whole semester to explain it someone, then you might consider the fact that you might be reading too much into it. Keep in mind that although the Bible proclaims the truth, it was written by men... inspired men, but men nonetheless, and men can be impassioned writers and there are obvious moments in the Bible when what is said can't be taken too literally. That being said let me state what I have come to be believe and I would love to hear any feedback from either side. I believe that God created the world as an exercise in love. To me love is not a warm fuzzy feeling but a decision. We can hate or we can love and we choose one or the other given any situation. I believe we have free will, I believe we had it from the beginning. I don't see how a mutual loving relationship is possible without both parties have the ability to choose to hate or love the other. If someone gave you a love potion and told you that you could give it to anyone you wanted and they would instantly fall in love with you and their love would never change no matter what, then what is special about that? You programed them just like you would a machine to act like you wanted it to. I find it much more impressive and meaningful when someone who as free control over their thoughts and actions chooses me to spend their life with over everyone else in the world.. not only that but 50 years later to know that they are still with me despite the fact that they could have decided at any point during that time to stop loving me and leave. That is pretty incredible. That's what I want, and I think that is what God seeks. He wants people to choose him over the temptations of the world, because that is what makes the relationship real. We are not a bunch of robots that receive different programming according to some preworld picking and choosing. I think the meaning of life is love. I believe Love is a decision, not fuzzy feeling or a programming. I don't think we are made incapable of coming to God. I think we have free will and we choose him or we don't and if we do, he forgives us for our sins, and those are the sins that are washed away by Jesus' sacrifice so that we can then enter the Kingdom of God. Is it too hard to fathom that the sin that Jesus took upon himself was a culmination of everyone who has and will decide they want to enter the kingdom of God, and so is washed clean? If you don't except God you die with your sin and it leads you to eternal darkness. You accept God's invitation and he takes your sin away and gives it to his son for disposal, so to speak.
Also, my belief on losing salvation is that we are capable of straying from God, even James makes mention of this... James 5:19-20 "My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. " Several years ago I was devout in my faith, and was in a wonderful dialogue with God. Just a few years ago, I got caught up with the wrong people and I stopped talking to God completely. I was a alcoholic that made no effort to sustain any sort of personal relationship with God. Never mind how I allowed myself to get there. My question is this. Could I have really considered myself a Christian then? Sure I believed in God and that Jesus died on the Cross, but remember what James says in chapter 2 particularly verse 19.
14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder."
I flat out denied God. Yes, I did follow him whole heatedly before. I really was a follower of Christ then. Yes, I let my environment take control which eventually led me to slowly slip away from God. Yes, later I missed being with God and returned, when I realized how empty I had become with out him. I believe I was separated from God. I can't think of any reason why anyone could consider me a Christian at that point. If so... then how? I really was a believer prior but completely lost control thereafter. I was an unrepentive sinner. Yet someone going by the rules of Calvinism would claim that I really wasn't a believer before. I guess I was just faking. I must have been pretty good because I even fooled myself. Or perhaps I was still worthy of salvation as I consistently ignored God and partook willingly in self devastating sin without regret. Who are we to say that if somewhere in the Bible or elsewhere for that matter it talks about someone falling from Grace, that they never were real believers in the first place? Are the chosen also judges of faith? I think believing that somehow you are spiritually invincible once you except Christ is foolish. I think once you experience Christ it is difficult to allow yourself to separate from him... but not impossible. So I am sorry for getting long winded, but when God calls for everyone to repent, (Acts 17:30), and Jesus weeps over Jerusalem says things like "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." Matthew 23:37: I can't understand why A.) God would make salvation so complicated. and B.) Why he would make it impossible for us to do on our own. Just doesn't make sense.
Also, my belief on losing salvation is that we are capable of straying from God, even James makes mention of this... James 5:19-20 "My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. " Several years ago I was devout in my faith, and was in a wonderful dialogue with God. Just a few years ago, I got caught up with the wrong people and I stopped talking to God completely. I was a alcoholic that made no effort to sustain any sort of personal relationship with God. Never mind how I allowed myself to get there. My question is this. Could I have really considered myself a Christian then? Sure I believed in God and that Jesus died on the Cross, but remember what James says in chapter 2 particularly verse 19.
14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder."
I flat out denied God. Yes, I did follow him whole heatedly before. I really was a follower of Christ then. Yes, I let my environment take control which eventually led me to slowly slip away from God. Yes, later I missed being with God and returned, when I realized how empty I had become with out him. I believe I was separated from God. I can't think of any reason why anyone could consider me a Christian at that point. If so... then how? I really was a believer prior but completely lost control thereafter. I was an unrepentive sinner. Yet someone going by the rules of Calvinism would claim that I really wasn't a believer before. I guess I was just faking. I must have been pretty good because I even fooled myself. Or perhaps I was still worthy of salvation as I consistently ignored God and partook willingly in self devastating sin without regret. Who are we to say that if somewhere in the Bible or elsewhere for that matter it talks about someone falling from Grace, that they never were real believers in the first place? Are the chosen also judges of faith? I think believing that somehow you are spiritually invincible once you except Christ is foolish. I think once you experience Christ it is difficult to allow yourself to separate from him... but not impossible. So I am sorry for getting long winded, but when God calls for everyone to repent, (Acts 17:30), and Jesus weeps over Jerusalem says things like "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." Matthew 23:37: I can't understand why A.) God would make salvation so complicated. and B.) Why he would make it impossible for us to do on our own. Just doesn't make sense.
