I know you're going back and forth with 3 different people at once but I don't really know how to respond to this when I agreed with your post.
There was no rejection of those clear scriptures. It's just that other scriptures show that those that hear and believe are the one's who have been supernaturally enlightened by the Holy Spirit. Other scriptures show that those that hear and believe are the elect and they were predestinated. You don't have to understand that. I personally think you can even reject that and still be a Christian. (Although a lot of Calvinists would disagree with me there.)
This is a theological discussion forum so we will discuss all the theology but I realize that most of us, and myself also, during my working days and days of raising a family were so busy that we don't have the time to go into this in such detail. So we hear the gospel, repent of our sins and try to do everything after that that we can understand as being God's will as taught to us when we go to church and read the Bible. That's it. And it is sufficient.
But if you do have the time and inclination to look at theology, what we call Calvinism does the best job of trying to explain these things in a systematic way. I do think that in the TULIP and in the WCF, there is an oversimplification of how the Holy Spirit works and how and when supernatural light and grace is resisted. I also think there is a disconnect between Calvinistic theology and Calvinistic preaching - even among high Calvinists like Owen and Edwards, not just Spurgeon. I've said before, they sound a lot like old fashioned "Hell, Fire and Brimstone" preachers to me.
I think the problems of men reside mostly in their mindset and will. I believe supernatural light works mostly at that level. So when I say the Holy Spirit changes your will, you envision being turned into a puppet and I envision you still doing what you want to do. We will look at the same scriptures and come up with different conclusions.
It's the same with predestination and determinism. I look at something being predestinated as coming about in spite of us all doing what we want without any violation of our wills. You look at it as string puppets being manipulated by God. So once again, the same scriptures will mean something completely different to you as they do to me.
Regarding the idea of how you "decide" to become a believer, I recommend the sermon "A Divine and Supernatural Light, Immediately Imparted to the Soul by the Spirit of God, Shown to be Both a Scriptural and Rational Doctrine", by Jonathan Edwards. Guess what it's about.
Apologies Dave. My mind was running on one track and so misread your post. Have to admit trying to deal with several posters at the same time is not the best way to do it. I find many of the posts on here are just a negative response with no reasons provided.
I do agree that those that have heard and believed in Christ Jesus and thus saved by the grace of God are the elect. But the question is not who were predestined but rather to what were they predestined?
I understand that you are of the view that Calvinism and the WCF make a good attempt to explain the bible. On that we do disagree as I see them coming from a biased point of view that they read into the scriptures. I have heard a few Calvinist preachers and what came to mind was a comment that I read about them. They may be Calvinist but they have to preach like an Arminian or no one would be saved by their preaching. What it comes down to is that they can not preach what their soteriology requires.
You say you consider yourself to be a moderate Calvinist. If you don’t mind could you expand on what that means to you. With all the views I have seen presented on BB trying to understand what ones means by Calvinist is like trying to nail jello to a wall.
I was told my grandfather was one of those "Hell, Fire and Brimstone" baptist preachers. He was called home before I had the chance to meet him.
Where you see people predestined to be saved I see the saved as being predestined to conforming to the image of the Son. As for the string puppets being manipulated by God it is the Calvinist theology {TULIP} that leads to that view. The HS will convict but does not coerce a person. God draws us to Himself with kindness and love not irresistible force.
Oh I know how and why I decided to trust in Christ Jesus. It seems some are waiting for that special feeling to wash over them as a splash of cool water but is that faith or just emotion? As the bible says “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” and in my case doing the hard work of study to see if what the bible said was true. According to Paul, faith is "being fully assured [convinced] that what God had promised, He was able also to perform" Romans 4:20-21
This is the same for everyone that trusts in Christ for their salvation, they must believe as no one can do it for them.
