Ok team. We've been around the rosie plenty of times by now. I said in the beginning that this forum is not the way to debate this with a bunch of type in little boxes.
I know everyone is busy so I'm not really surprised that:
No one has dealt with why Adam sinned in the Garden without a sin nature.
No one has dealt with the passages that teach God is not willing that any should perish, the availability of salvation to all, etc.
No one has own up to the fact that Calvinism makes God the author of sin, which it does as I have illustrated.
No one has outlined the tenets of Calvinism. Everyone has simply claimed that I don't know what I am talking about.
That is fine. The point of this thread is that there are more than two options. Are we agreed on that yet? Or, do you still deny other believers the christian courtesy to distinguish themselves from you?
I will close with this, I found an interesting section in Millard Erickson's SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY pages 851-852 where he explains the fallacies of the doctrine of limited atonement.
Here is his quote:
"We find that some of the verses that teach a universal atonement simply cannot be ignored. Among the most impressive is 1 Timothy 4:10, which affirms that the living God is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe. Among the other texts that argue for the universiality of Christ's saving work and cannot be ignored are 1 John 2:2 and Isaiah 53:6. In addition, we must consider statements like 2 Peter 2:1, which affirms that for some for whom Christ died do perish.
To be sure, there are also those texts that speak of Christ's dying for his sheep and for the church. These texts, however, present no problem if we regard the universal passages as normative or determinative. Certainly if Christ died for the whole, there is no problem in asserting that he died for a specific part of the whole. To insist that those passages which focus on his dying for his people require the understanding that he died only for them and not for any others contradicts the universal passages.
WE CONCLUDE THAT THE HYPOTHESIS OF UNIVERSAL ATONEMENT IS ABLE TO ACCOUNT FOR THE LARGER SEGMENT OF THE BIBLICAL WITNESS WITH LESS DISTORTION THAN IS THE HYPOTHESIS OF LIMITED ATONEMENT.
The underlying issue here is the question of the efficacy of the atonement. Those who hold to limited atonement assume that if Christ died for someone, that person will actually be saved. By extension they reason that if Christ in fact died for all persons, all would come to salvation; hence the concept of universal atonement is viewed as leading to the universal salvation trap. The basic assumption here, however, IGNORES THE FACT THAT OUR INHERITING ETERNAL LIFE INVOLVES TWO SEPARATE FACTORS: AN OBJECTIVE FACTOR (CHRIST'S PROVISION OF SALVATION) AND A SUBJECTIVE FACTOR (OUR ACCEPTANCE OF THAT SALVATION.)
In the view of those who hold to unlimited atonement, there is the possibility that someone for whom salvation is available may fail to accept it. In the view of those who hold to limited atonement, however, there is no such possibility Although John Murray wrote of Redemption-Accomplished and Applied, in actuality he and others of his doctrinal persuasion COLLAPSE THE LATTER PART, THE APPLICATION, INTO THE ACCOMPLISHMENT. THIS LEADS IN TURN TO THE CONCEPTION THAT GOD REGENERATES THE ELECT PERSON WHO THEN AND THEREFORE BELIEVES.
Advocates of limited atonement face the somewhat akward situation of contending that while the atonement is sufficient to cover the sins of the nonelect, Christ did not die for them. It is as if God, in giving a dinner, prepared far more food than was needed, yet refused to consider the possibility of inviting additional guests. Advocates of unlimeted atonement, on the other hand, have no difficulty with the fact that Christ's death is sufficient for everyone, for, in their view, Christ died for all persons.
THE VIEW WE ARE ADOPTING HERE SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS ARMINIANISM. It is rather the MOST moderate form of Calvinism or, as some would term it, a MODIFICATION OF CALVINISM. It is the view that God logically decides to first provide salvation, then elects some to receive it........
.....Those who would construe this position as Arminianism should be reminded that what distinguishes Calvinism from Arminianism is not the view of the relationship betweent he decree to provide salvation and the decree to confer salvation on some and not on others. Rather, the decisive point is whether the decree of election is based solely on the free, sovereign choice of God himself (Calvinism) or based also in part upon his foreknowledge of merit and faith in the person elected. (Arminianism.)"
Erickson gets so close to the truth here and I am with him right up until the last part.
He totally deconstructs the fallacy of Limited Atonement which I applaud, but he is so accustomed to working within the theological constructs of the reformation he refuses to go all the way and call his position something other than Calvinism.
What he fails to recognize however is that whereas in Arminianism "the decree of election is based in part upon his foreknowledge of merit and faith in the person elected", the BIBLICAL position is that God's "decree of election" or rather God's choice was that whosoever should call upon the name of the Lord should be saved.
If there is individual election at all, it is in the sense that God foreknew NOT "merit" and "faith" of the person elected as in Arminianism, but the fact that man would respond in faith to the spoken word (after having been drawn by the Spirit through His Word), therefore entering the class of those whom God sovereignly chose to save. (whosoever should call upon the name of the Lord.)
That is BIBLICAL. No one has shown me where it isn't.
Now, Erickson IS a Calvinist and one of the greatest theologians of our time. He confirms many of the things I have been saying including that limited atonement leads to the belief that God regenerates prior to belief, yet you insist I don't understand Calvinism.
I do understand Calvinism, but I am not bound by the theological contructs of the reformation because I was saved reading the BIBLE with no Christian witness whatsoever. My "christian education" didn't come until two years after I was saved and had studied independantly.
When I went to bible college was the first time I started hearing this nonsense. Thank God I already had bible in my head before someone started redefining terms, taking verses out of context and linking unrelated concepts together.
Anyway, I'm not going around the bush anymore.
I am not the only one that holds my view. I just hope that there is enough here to motivate someone to further study to find the truth. You do not have to be EITHER Calvinist or Arminian, you can be a Biblicist, or a TRUTHICIST or a WORDIST or whatever you want to call yourself. How about Neithericist? Does that communicate that I am better than others? Maybe I'll try that.
Here is my personal entreaty to all of you Calvinists out there. I understand Calvinism dominated for hundreds of years, but Roman Catholocism dominated for twice that long. That doesn't make it right. Its over. Its no longer the best explanation for the scriptures that is available. That is why it is being CONSTANTLY modified and why VERY FEW IF ANY of you are 5 point Calvinists.
I predict in 25 years or less it will be totally passe. The trend is already there with Erickson, Moo, and others. Its just a matter of time. My opinion of course. Let's see if any of you remember 25 years from now.
So, thanks for the excercise and God bless. Enjoy your modified reformed position while it lasts.