Calvinism and Unbelieving Loved Ones

I like the way the Reformed/Calvinist try to "sugar-coat" their doctrines, so as to give the impression, that they are based on the Teachings of the Holy Bible!

"doctrines of grace"? According to some English dictionaries, the word "grace" can mean, "kind, pleasent", which no doubt is Who the God of the Holy Bible is. However, lets take a couple of the Five points, which go much together, the "U and L". Exactly HOW does these two as defined by Reformed/Calvinist, mean in ANY way, to the hell-bound, lost sinner, that it is because of God's GRACE, that's right, God's KINDNESS, that Jesus Christ did NOT "choose you for salvation", or did He "die for your sins" on the cross??? He is KIND to you, because He has made sure that YOU cannot ever be saved??? THIS, is how the God of the Holy Bible is taught by warped, anti-Bible, Reformed/Calvinist, "theology"!!!

The Bible VERY clearly says in the Words of God Incarnate Himself, the Highest Authority, "God LOVES THE HUMAN RACE VERY MUCH, that He sent His One and Only Son, to Die on the cross for this COMPLETE fallen race, that, WHOSOEVER, were to believe in Jesus Christ as their personal saviour, should not be eternally lost, but will live in heaven FOREVER". My version of John 3:16.

GLORY BE TO THE TRULY WONDERFUL SAVIOUR!!! What a GREAT and EXCITING Gospel (GOOD NEWS) Message indeed!!! THIS, my friends, IS the Heart of Almighty God!!!

But, then, we have the Reformed/Calvinist, who, MOAN about God's salvation, like the Prophet Jonah, who COMPLAINED to God, "This change of plans greatly upset Jonah (a Calvinist), and he became very angry. So he complained (as do the Reformed/Calvinist) to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God (Who wants to forgive and save the whole world), slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love (towards the human race). You are eager to turn back from destroying people (the whole world). Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.(because what You did is NOT my "theology")" (Jonah 4:1-3)

 

see my response in #41

 

My friend, that is quite a testimony.
I'd like you to consider posting it over here to share with others who may read it and glorify God for His grace to you:

Prayer Requests & Praise

If that's not the correct section, I'm sure that the mods will move it to a more appropriate place.

 

Two things. Grace Biblically simply means unmerited favor.

"Whosoever" is not in the original Greek. It's present tense and actually means believing ones.

 

really, this is your "theology" and NOT what the Greek says! Here is what John Calvin, the person that "Calvinists" pretend to follow, said:

"That whosoever believeth on him may not perish. It is a remarkable commendation of faith, that it frees us from everlasting destruction. For he intended expressly to state that, though we appear to have been born to death, undoubted deliverance is offered to us by the faith of Christ; and, therefore, that we ought not to fear death, which otherwise hangs over us. And he has employed the universal term whosoever, both to invite all indiscriminately to partake of life, and to cut off every excuse from unbelievers. Such is also the import of the term World, which he formerly used; for though nothing will be found inthe world that is worthy of the favor of God, yet he shows himself to be reconciled to the whole world, when he invites all men without exception to the faith of Christ, which is nothing else than an entrance into life."

There you have it!

 

Caricatures, Strawmen,and emotional rants born out of frustration cannot lead to truth.
Scripture is the only path given by God.
The confessional churches present the truth that strawmen cannot defeat.

 

The OP has asked the thread not be derailed by discussion or debate about theology. I will honor his request.

peace to you

 

The OP has requested the thread not be derailed by discussion or debate of theology. I will honor his request.

peace to you

 

where is the "derail"? what I have written is in line with the OP

 

I agree, Craig.

To me, that is what this whole "Calvinism" vs "Arminianism" discussion is about...
Do man's actions, beliefs, efforts, etc. merit God's favor, or is He uninfluenced by our efforts to gain it?

Again I agree.
I see the word used in places like John 3:16 and many others as being " πιστεύω", transliterated as "pisteuō" and meaning:

1. to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in
   1. of the thing believed
   2. to credit, have confidence
2. in a moral or religious reference
   1. used in the NT of the conviction and trust to which a man is impelled by a certain inner and higher prerogative and law of soul
      
      
   2. to trust in Jesus or God as able to aid either in obtaining or in doing something: saving faith
      
      
   3. mere acknowledgment of some fact or event: intellectual faith
3. to entrust a thing to one, i.e. his fidelity
   1. to be intrusted with a thing

I.E. "those that believe".

 

As will I from this point on.

 

I don’t disagree, but I’ll honor his request nevertheless. He doesn’t want discussion or debate on theology.

peace to you

 

Grace = Unmerited favor
Grace = God giving you what you do not deserve.

 

Your answer is found here. Read it and decide if you think God is cruel.
Romans 9:6-24 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?

 

Thanks for your revealing post. No need to feel like we did not do our part well enough, God either chose or did not choose those to which Calvinists witness. Never mind Matthew 23:13 and the impact witnesses may have on entering the kingdom.
It is true, some have hardened their hearts such that they cannot understand the gospel, but as for the others, sometimes it takes cultivating, planting, watering, repetitively before the person comes to their senses.

 

Great post Dave. Nice to meet you.

 

Again, the term "whosoever" is not present in the Greek. Quoting Calvin will not change that fact.

 

The Greek has it "πᾶς", which also has the meaning "totality", as in Acts 2:21, "“And it shall be that everyone who shall call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” The KJV is a Reformed version of the Bible, and its translators saw it fit to render the Greek "whosoever" in John 3:16, which is the teaching of the Bible! If, as it does in John 3:16, the Greek τον κοσμον, is, the entire human race, then it is expected that the πᾶς is rightly rendered as "whosoever" as the invitation is open to the entire human race! There is NO objection in the Greek, contextually, to readering πᾶς by WHOSOEVER, only to the Reformed/Calvinist, for theological purposes!

 

True, but NOT only to some "elect" (elite) few and some would have us believe!

 

May I suggest starting a thread?
It seems to me that the discussion between you and @SavedByGrace is essentially about what God's grace really consists of.

May God bless both of you in this.