My Stance and Does God Want Everyone Saved

You do have a good point on liking a paradox too much. I will have to reflect on that part of what I am doing because I agree it is inconsistent.

Although, you guys have done little to show the verses are misinterpreted exegetically. Except, you do have the Arminian understanding of 2 Peter 3 nullified since it could easily be the Calvinist understanding.

 

Ok, I must admit that Limited Atonement makes a lot of sense. Especially given John 6. I am being confronted with my understanding of scripture' s entire narrative and metanarrative. I will write more when I wrap my mind around what I understand and why and possible scriptural options.

 

Ruminating and study has brought some conclusions to test with you all.

After a lot of study, I arrive at why I am predisposed towards synergism.

First a hard truth. God does not desire all to be saved equally, if His purpose is to save all. This is incontrovertible given scriptures like Matthew 11:23. He will have mercy and compassion on whom He wants.

1. God tempts no one. This is another near-show stopper to me. God made the serpent and did not tempt him or Eve or Adam. He did not program them to fail like computer programs, because that is to author sin and slyly tempt.

Thus, if there is ultimate responsibility in man, angel, and the serpent for sin and God does not tempt anyone nor program them to fail on His accord, there must be choice somewhere in the system. This choice is what makes us responsible.

2. I cannot make sense of God if He chose to be a passive victim of history. He suffered so much with man, Israel, and the world. Why would He do that to Himself? Why be longsuffering? Why regret making man and judge the pre-ancient world with the Flood? When the whole show is predetermined, why such emotional vaccillation and pain in the Prophets, if everything was chosen by Him?

3. Why make covenants? God wills they be broken if fully in charge. So, why make them and from His end break them by pre-ordaining sin?

I have a lot more to reflect on or research.

Now, God could make children of wrath. But why do it this way we call history? It makes no sense to me. God looks deceptive.

Still God's character to me is now scary to my modern sensibilities. Romans 9 makes sure of that. I now worship a God Who has utter sovereign choice. My problems are now not about personal morality or how I want God to be but biblical. Who authored sin?

The real problem is while Limited Atonement makes systematic theology reasonable. It breaks my understanding of the Old testament. My biblical studies is in tatters and needs to be understood through my systematic theology. A scary proposition to me. I came out of liberal Christianity that does something similar when it comes to interpreting the bible in light of theology.

 

My bigger problem is the question that historically splits the Rebaptisers like us. Who authored sin? You have dissolved my personal concern to incorrectly "defend" God's character except for this question of authoring sin.

 

BTW where did the Arminians of the last thread go?

 

I guess I read Acts 2:23 differently.

Acts 2:23 NASB
23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.

God delivered Jesus into the hands of his enemies and used their sin, yes. Where did their sin originate? Where does sin originate originally?

 

I am watching the R.C. Sproul message right now.

Romans 9 is clear God derives something from children of wrath.

22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,

In this case it is the knowledge of the riches of His glory upon children of mercy.

I will get back, I am very odd now it seems, theodicy was a favorite of mine at a liberal seminary. I'll explain my thinking after the R.C. Sproul message.