Reply to Jesusfan,
Why do you refer to these falsehoods of Calvinism as "biblical truths" without offering a single supporting scripture? When I say they are false, I include the scriptures that so demonstrate, at least in my eyes.
Here is what I wrote, and you ignored:There is a spectrum of belief as far as the meaning of "enabled." Cals say "irresistible grace", Arms say prevenient grace, and some non cal/arms say revealing grace provides the opportunity to choose, but does not supernaturally alter the core capability of some fallen men, the last three soils of Matthew 13.
God does grant the means to receive the gospel to men who hear the gospel with understanding. Some "learn" and some "don't. But God's system allows folks to harden themselves so they cannot understand, i.e. the first soil of Matthew 13, and scripture tells us of God's intervention to harden some hearts which precluded "receiving" the gospel, i.e. Romans 11, not to mention Judas in John 6.
So yes, we cannot be reconciled unless God allows it first. But it is in the mechanism of the "allowing" that Cals and Arms, and non Cal/Arms differ.
God has not given all people the gift of revealing grace, some have been conceived and died without hearing or understanding the gospel. And even some who live "innocently" (i.e. do not harden their hearts by the practice of sin) to an age where most people know right from wrong, some are feeble minded and cannot grasp the gospel. I believe God treats all these justly.
How do we know that most but not all can "freely" receive the gospel. Because that is the gospel of Christ. For God so loved mankind that He gave His one of a kind Son, so that whoever from among mankind, believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 is inclusive, and presents the offer of salvation to the world of fallen mankind.
So you do NOT hold to the Biblical truth that God must enable us to be able to respond by faith and receive jesus Christ?
that somehow all of us have within us at birth the means to hear and believe in Jesus by JUST having the Gospel presented to us?
Doesn't that once again make us the Ultimate basis/source of our salavtion, as we are stll "good enough" to reply in ourselves to God?
Why do you refer to these falsehoods of Calvinism as "biblical truths" without offering a single supporting scripture? When I say they are false, I include the scriptures that so demonstrate, at least in my eyes.
Here is what I wrote, and you ignored:There is a spectrum of belief as far as the meaning of "enabled." Cals say "irresistible grace", Arms say prevenient grace, and some non cal/arms say revealing grace provides the opportunity to choose, but does not supernaturally alter the core capability of some fallen men, the last three soils of Matthew 13.
God does grant the means to receive the gospel to men who hear the gospel with understanding. Some "learn" and some "don't. But God's system allows folks to harden themselves so they cannot understand, i.e. the first soil of Matthew 13, and scripture tells us of God's intervention to harden some hearts which precluded "receiving" the gospel, i.e. Romans 11, not to mention Judas in John 6.
So yes, we cannot be reconciled unless God allows it first. But it is in the mechanism of the "allowing" that Cals and Arms, and non Cal/Arms differ.
God has not given all people the gift of revealing grace, some have been conceived and died without hearing or understanding the gospel. And even some who live "innocently" (i.e. do not harden their hearts by the practice of sin) to an age where most people know right from wrong, some are feeble minded and cannot grasp the gospel. I believe God treats all these justly.
How do we know that most but not all can "freely" receive the gospel. Because that is the gospel of Christ. For God so loved mankind that He gave His one of a kind Son, so that whoever from among mankind, believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 is inclusive, and presents the offer of salvation to the world of fallen mankind.