Search results

I have not read through this entire thread so I apologize if I'm repeating something already said... as if repetition ever stopped a response here... :) There are three aspects of God's election. 1) God chose a remnant from Israel for the noble purpose of being his messengers so that His...

Agedman and ZRS, I'm simply attempting to address the manner of dealing with addiction from ones particular theological perspective. Some want to make that into a combative attack, but I assure that is not my intent. While clearly I prefer the non-Calvinistic perspective and thus hold to a...

Yes, thank you for objectively addressing the 'tendencies' without making it unnecessarily combative. Few here have that ability it seems. It is similar to the studies you see on those who tend to be more politically liberal and those who tend to be more politically conservative. Certain...

Psalms109, while your argument is one of pathos, your post does point to the lack of practicality of this dogma. This is why most Calvinists would never attempt to fully disclose some of these attributes of God until one comes to faith. I think they know that practically speaking most...

No, I accept what I believe is being revealed. I just believe that hatred in scripture doesn't always mean the same thing and its not necessarily the opposite of love...which is something most seem to agree upon. I agree. But would you agree that someone can be under God's wrath while still...

Ok, if you are going to be like that our discussion is over. Now, go hate your mother and father like Jesus says, after all that can't be taken any other way than what it says or you will be 'violating' the language. :rolleyes:

I think our disagreement here may be related to our lack of understanding the terms being debated. Hatred in scripture can be understood in different ways. For example, we are instructed in one instance to love our parents and honor them, but in another instance told we must hate them in our...

Once again you resort to unfounded and unsupported blanket accusations. Your representation of me is a misrepresentation and that has become the norm for your replies. If you are going to bring a charge, fine. I welcome it. But come with an actual argument otherwise this turns into a...

You are correct. My mistake. I've never heard someone actually say that God wanted his child to continue in a sinful addiction before...caught me off guard. :tear: I suggest he read up on reformed theology. Start with Piper's article on the two wills of God. This is what I'm more familiar...

:eek: I guess John Calvin and many Reformed believers are pagans because they affirm: 1. God loves sinners and 2. God hates sin While His salvific love is "different" for the elect in the Reformed tradition, it is NEVER denied as being love.

Are you implying that God loves that which He hates? Or could it be that God loves the sinner while hating the sin? I never suggested such. Instead I suggest we interpret the OT through the light of the Word revealed in the NT. I agree, yet it is you who seem to be making the case for two...

So, you affirm that God ordained something He didn't actually desire, right? How do you figure considering that God didn't ordain for him to resist and thus didn't grant him that which was needed to willingly resist?

Allow me to repeat this for those who apparently missed it: But when you believe that you can't repent or stop addictive behavior apart from God's decision for you to do so doesn't that affect the way you approach that addiction? Claiming you are responsible for your choices is fine. I...

And I notice all of them are quoted from the OT, prior to the fulfillment of revelation in Christ who clearly taught us to love our enemies and that God's love for sinners was the motivation of His sacrifice. Plus, as MacArthur wisely points out, "...the mainstream of Reformed theologians...

Let's look at this another way. Let suppose Joe Christian was a believer who was truly born again, however he was addicted to alcohol. He struggled his entire life with the addiction and eventually dies as a believer but still addicted and failing in this area of sin. 1. Did God WANT or...

Well, I did qualify it by saying that they would explain it "differently." But essentially and practically speaking what I've said is true of the Calvinistic system regardless of the various nuances employed to attempt to maintain some sense of human responsibility. The point is that a...

I have some personal experience in dealing with people of differing theological perspectives who are struggling with various sinful addictions (which we don't need to discuss in detail here). The topic of discussion is regarding how one might confront a personal addiction if they are of the...

We both have a doctrine of election, and both afford that question...just for different reasons.

The two aren't mutually exclusive. The Spirit is truth, the Spirit is the one who does the revealing. You can't separate revealed truth from the Spirit. In John 6, Jesus said, "The words that I speak to you are spirit and life." Words have power not because we speak them, but because they are...

zrs, First, allow me to say BRAVO! It is very rare to see someone objectively and fully attempt to understand and even 'voice' their opponent's views. I really appreciate that and even if we never agree on this subject my respect for you remains. In your explanation you did a good job...