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Do Calvinists believe man has free will after salvation?

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Thomas Memorial Hospital was named in memory of a South Charleston resident and West Virginia's first congressional Medal of Honor recipient, Marine Corps Sergeant Herbert J. Thomas Jr., who died in World War II by covering a grenade with his own body that had bounced off a tree and thus saving his fellow soldiers.

This was an excerpt from the previous link...

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Inspector Javert

Active Member
If someone puts a gun to your face and demands your wallet, you'll hand it over.
False.
No, I won't.
Under no conditions whatsoever, would I surrender my wallet,
but, I spent years as an anti-terrorism security chief....
So, I give absolutely NOTHING.

I would watch you and your whole family be murdered in cold blood, but, I'd give a criminal nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Granted, Brothet, you don't desire to lose your money, but you'd desire to live
I have 0.0% desire to live.

To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

I care less than nothing for my own earthly existence.
I know where I'm going when I die.

Do you?
moreso than having your face blown off and still losing your wallet...
I give criminals absolutely nothing.

They are afraid of death.....
I'm not.
Are you?
Your money or your kids?
What matters for my kids is their eternity, not some stupid limited earthly existence which is paltry, pale, temporary and full of pain in a sin-sick world. Is this something I care that they experience??

In the World of the Scriptures....
What matters is Eternity...

Not the sin-sick world you think I want my kids to live in.

I don't know what horrors you wish you children to experience, but, it's all the same to me, if my children escape this sin-sick world and be reunited with their redeemer, the first-fruits of the resurrection and belay their chances of dealing with violence and horror and criminality.

You see.....

I actually BELIEVE the Bible......

So, I'm not addicted to planet Earth.

If you are...
Well, that's you, but you don't speak for myself or my children.
You don't want to lose either, but your money you'd give up in lieu of your kids...
My greatest and most passionate will for my children......

is that they DIE.....

You may love this sin-sick world and desire your children to suffer in torment with it, but, I don't.

I know a redeemer who promises them eternity in perfect fellowship with our father....

You don't seem to understand that.

Put that in your Calvinist pipe and smoke it.

I know these are hypotheticals, but I hope you understand my points I made...
They are crap hypotheticals which are faithless and don't apply to me.

I KNOW who my redeemer is, and my GREATEST hope is that my children meet him....
I'm not a Calvinist who shares your false ideas about Original Sin.... (a false doctrine)....but, I do read the Bible....and I have no interest in my children inhabiting the sin-sick world you seem to love and want your children to inhabit.

Planet Terra-firma can go to gehenna....my friend......it will anyway.

If that's not something Calvinists like yourself are capable of understanding, than, I'd like to introduce to you the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Neither the Apostle Paul nor myself are or were addicted to this planet...
It's gonna burn in fire and ash.....

Even if there WERE no God, this planet and it's inhabitants are doomed.
The entire physical Universe will either burn out and suffer a slow heat-death and come to naught, or, there is a redeemer who cares about us and died on the cross to give us eternal life.

My concerns are for my children's (I have 5 of them) ETERNAL life.

How many do you have?
Are you afraid of death on this Earth?.....you appear to be.
I'm not.

My Theology appears to be far more freeing than yours.
I don't care if all five of my children die tomorrow, in fact, I'd prefer it....

I love them, but, I KNOW where they are going.
This sin-sick planet can rot...........
I love my children enough not to want them here.
 
I was being civil towards you and I got this? What did I say for you to post in this manner? I could understand if I had been a jerk towards you, but this was uncalled for. Oh well...

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Inspector Javert

Active Member
I was being civil towards you and I got this?
Absolutely.

I was neither rude, cruel nor insulting to you.
I just challenged your fear of death.

You are a Calvinist, and you fear death.

I'm not a Calvinist, and I don't.

I wasn't mean or rude to you.
I answered you by denying every premise in your post.

I love you brother, but, I don't fear death.....or the death of my children.

You do.
That's not my problem.
What did I say for you to post in this manner?
You asked me questions.
I answered them.

Those are hard answers for you to accept, but, that isn't me being vicious towards you....
It's me denying your premises...

You fear death...
I don't.

If your Calvinism suffers on that account, that's none of my affair.
I could understand if I had been a jerk towards you, but this was uncalled for.
What crime did I commit towards you?

Did I call you a fat meany-head???
Did I say I hate you and you can rot like a turnip???

What crime, exactly, did I commit towards you?

I'm not afraid of death..
I'm not afraid of my children dying.

I explained that.

You appear not to have an explanation for how or why that's possible..

That's not my problem and doesn't constitute any error or meanness on my part.

If you don't know how to deal with a person like myself, than just admit it....

But, I've not in the least bit been mean to you.

I love you brother....but....

Maybe there are more things in this world than your Philosophy has dreamed of.

I know you've spent the last year or two having your butt kissed in the "DOG HOUSE"....

But, does it escape your mind that there are others who don't agree with you????

"Preacher 4 Truth" is a fanatical weirdo, my friend.....

He's hardly a voice of reason.

I gave you an honest assessment and it challenged your pre-suppositions.
I was honest and kind to you.

If I don't fit the mold of the theories you've constructed, that's not my fault.

I'm being honest with you. I've never been mean, and I won't. It isn't my fault if I disagree with you......
Maybe you don't have the entire Universe figured out yet..........

It's at least possible isn't it??
 

Rippon

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Under no conditions whatsoever, would I surrender my wallet,
That's rather dumb inspector. It reminds me of the Jack Benny radio skit. A hold-up guy says to the tightwad Benny:"Your money or your life." After an interminal silence the criminal repeats his demand and asks why Benny didn't respond. Benny says "I'm thinking about it."

but, I spent years as an anti-terrorism security chief....
What's in your wallet, nat'l secrity secrets?

I would watch you and your whole family be murdered in cold blood, but, I'd give a criminal nothing.

Absolutely nothing.
Then you are worse than a criminal and a quite a heartless "Christian".
I'm not a Calvinist who shares your false ideas about Original Sin.... (a false doctrine)
....but, I do read the Bible.
You don't believe in original sin, yet you claim to read your Bible. The two thoughts are mutually exclusive.

Even if there were no God, this planet and it's inhabitants are doomed.
Why would you even suggest such a wicked thought "Even if there were no God'?
My Theology appears to be far more freeing than yours.
Your theology doesn't reflect Jesus.
I don't care if all five of my children die tomorrow, in fact, I'd prefer it....
How positively revolting.
I love my children enough not to want them here.
Now THAT is sending red flags up all over the place...especially since you brag a bunch about your military background.
 

Rippon

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
I was neither rude, cruel nor insulting to you.
Of course you were. Are you that blind to your condition?
You are a Calvinist, and you fear death.
Calvinists aren't as dumb as a box of rocks either.

We don't fear death. But in common sense situations you go for the extremities.
I wasn't mean or rude to you.
Don't try to deny the obvious.

I'm not afraid of my children dying.

I explained that.
And it was pretty much a stupid explanation. Are you holed-up in a mountain cabin by any chance?
I've not in the least bit been mean to you.
Dah Nile ain't just a river in Egypt.
 

Inspector Javert

Active Member
That's rather dumb inspector. It reminds me of the Jack Benny radio skit. A hold-up guy says to the tightwad Benny:"Your money or your life." After an interminal silence the criminal repeats his demand and asks why Benny didn't respond. Benny says "I'm thinking about it."
Except that.....
Real life isn't a Jack Benny radio skit.

You seem to think it is.

If you do,.....
Than, you're an idiot.
What's in your wallet, nat'l secrity secrets?
I won't tell you what's in my wallet.
You apparently would, and your cowardice in the face of threats isn't my affair....
You'd wuss-up....
I wouldn't.
That's the difference between you and me.
Then you are worse than a criminal and a quite a heartless "Christian".
Your heart skips a beat.....
at the notion of Jean Cauvin murdering people in cold blood for differing with him on minor points of theology.........

For you to call anyone "heartless" is laughable, and stupid.
You don't believe in original sin, yet you claim to read your Bible. The two thoughts are mutually exclusive.
You have a twisted and murderous mind which worships the murderous Jean Cauvin...

You couldn't understand it if I explained it to you.

I won't try.
Why would you even suggest such a wicked thought "Even if there were no God'?
I don't "suggest" it....you genious....
What I was actually saying (if you weren't too stupid to understand it) is that his philosophy would fail "EVEN IF!!!" there were no God...
Don't you get that?

Are you too hot for burning heretics that you can't understand that?

Are you too blood-thirsty to understand that certain philosophies fail whether there be a God or not??

Here was the point, genius....
In Christian Theology, Christ will return to judge the quick and the dead...right???
Can you understand that????

Maybe, maybe not.


But, even "IF" there were no God, it's still true that the entire physical Universe will suffer a complete melt-down and a slow and ultimate heat-death which will destroy the Earth....

This planet will die, whether you believe the Bible or not....
Even non-Theists know that...
That was my point.

You may be too stupid to have grasped that....
But, I put nothing past your inability to comprehend.
Your theology doesn't reflect Jesus.
Coming from you, that is a compliment.
How positively revolting.
Again, thank you....

As, I know that, (only considering the propositions you express on this board)
You would murder Christians by the millions if you had the chance if they only rejected your Theological presuppositions about Determinism.

I HOPE you are disgusted by me..

Because I hold everything in your sick mind as perverse and evil.
Now THAT is sending red flags up all over the place
I hope every word I say sends up red flags in your mind.
You worship a murderer and violent heretic.

I pray to God we are NEVER in agreement.
...especially since you brag a bunch about your military background
You are a liar..
You lie.

You are a LIAR!!!!!

You are the KING of wasting countless hours of researching everyone else's posts from decades before and quoting them...

I defy you.

I DARE you.....

To find me "bragging" about a military background....


Do it punk....

Find it.

Go back DECADES into my posts to find that....and I'll concede your point....

I DARE you punk....
You've got nothing...

You are a liar.
 
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McCree79

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
....I would watch you and your whole family be murdered in cold blood, but, I'd give a criminal nothing.....

What love you have.

....I don't know what horrors you wish you children to experience, but, it's all the same to me, if my children escape this sin-sick world and be reunited with their redeemer, the first-fruits of the resurrection and belay their chances of dealing with violence and horror and criminality......

....My greatest and most passionate will for my children......

is that they DIE.....

.....You may love this sin-sick world and desire your children to suffer in torment with it, but, I don't.....

....I don't care if all five of my children die tomorrow, in fact, I'd prefer it....

.....I love my children enough not to want them here.

You sound like someone who is about to murder his children. Your thought process is disturbing. Yes, we should take comfort in knowing where our loved ones are going. Your "passionate will" is death???? Really? I would think your "passionate will" would be for them to share the gospel, share the love of God, bring glory to his name.....your "passionate will" seems to be one of apathy of human life and laziness.
 

Rippon

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
you're an idiot.
And your post gets worse from that point on.
at the notion of Jean Cauvin murdering people in cold blood for differing with him on minor points of theology.........
Man, you are as obsessed as Rebel is. Humble yourself and get thee to a library.
You have a twisted and murderous mind which worships the murderous Jean Cauvin...
Sunday is coming. Do you present a different attitude in church?
Are you too hot for burning heretics that you can't understand that?
What accounts for your rage and lies or raging lies?

But, even if there were no God, it's still true that the entire physical Universe will suffer a complete melt-down and a slow and ultimate heat-death which will destroy the Earth....
There is no "what if' so it's best not to sound like an anti-theist.
You may be too stupid to have grasped that....
But, I put nothing past your inability to comprehend.
You're really turning on the charm now.
You would murder Christians by the millions if you had the chance if they only rejected your Theological presuppositions about Determinism.
What is wrong with you? You have serious issues. You are unhinged.
Because I hold everything in your sick mind as perverse and evil.
With that attitude I hope you don't manage people.
I defy you.
Do it punk....

you punk....
You've got nothing...
I picture you with a cigar clenched between your teeth, your temples pulsating, nostrils flaring. Check your blood pressure Inspector Clouseau.
 

Inspector Javert

Active Member
What love you have.
It's not about "love" genius....

It's that the criminals and terrorists always want MORE!!!!
They will kill anyone they hold captive or are bargaining with whether you concede to their demands or not.

You can NEVER acceded to the demands of criminals, once you do......
than future criminals will repeat it OVER, an OVER, and OVER, and OVER...

I am trained as a Federal hostage negotiator.... if you concede any points for a hostage....
The REST WILL DIE it's the only leverage they have....

Once they have no leverage....

They back down................usually....(if they're reasonable).

That's been proved over and over, and thank GOD that you were never a hostage negotiator in those situations....because MORE people will die if you concede to their demands.

It DOESN'T work.
 

BrotherJoseph

Well-Known Member
Brother,

Jesus often gave a question back when asked a question because He wanted His audience to go away, to use their own God given mind gifted from the beginning of creation with sense, reason and intellect – human volition, by which they will genuinely be held responsible for the condition of our hearts. Jesus wanted us to stop and think about our perception of God and question our own doctrinal beliefs about God’s Nature and what His plans are.

My questions are posed in order to draw out the truth in your argument by directing you to examine the substance of your claim, or IOWs the reasoning behind your claim by which you draw your conclusion. In this case you must first deal with the origin of sin and the “Problem Of Evil” for your premise of God being the “first cause of all causes” to stand as true.

Your interpretations, which I will submit are merely designed to conform to systematic doctrines of Calvinism/Determinism are meaningless unless YOU FIRST address the origins of sin/evil regarding your question.

So IOWs as for answering your question it must first be broken down, which the first premise poses (supposedly supported by the scripture you gave) that God is the first causes of all causes, which by any rational critical thinking skills must include evil and thereby carry down to the last details of the sins of man (by which I countered your interpretation by comparing scripture to scripture) is where I began.

In consideration of the Nature of God I can without a doubt tell you that your first premise is false. As to your second premise, which you should probably understand is already doomed to come to a false conclusion considering your first premise, the first cause of evil was man with the help of Satan, which was made possible through the divine design of God’s creatures to have the free will/human volition to disobey God – by which each and every one will “genuinely be held responsible” for being the “cause” of except for the grace of our Loving Creator who provided the Way of salvation for ALL who love and believe the truth with that precious gift of a mind to all mankind to have the ability to reason through human volition/free will.

With that these scriptures come to mind:

(Rom 1:16) For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

(Rom 1:17) For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

(Rom 1:18) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

(Rom 1:19) Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

(Rom 1:20) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

(Rom 1:21) Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

(Rom 1:22) Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,


Brother, I consider creation a genuine loving gift to all men which includes the ability to understand God's Omnibenevolent Nature to hold true with His design of human volitional creatures while His other attributes of Omnipotence and Omniscience do also hold true...and I m thankful for it.


Brother Benjamin,

In your reply above, you said my premise is false, but again did not answer my question. Therefore, as you stated that my premise that God is the first cause of all causes to be false, please answer my question that I now pose a third time. If God is not the first cause of all causes, who is? Is it Satan, man, something else, or do you believe in effects that have no causes? If the latter, please give an example. Please do not evade the question. I posed my question first, thus in the interest of debate, please answer my question, then as I previously stated, I will be happy to answer your questions with no evasion. Thanks.
 
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McCree79

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
It's not about "love" genius....

But it is about love......

Mt 22:36-39 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

I also was not referring to the job, but your cold attitude towards the situation. Especially the individual you replied to.
 
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McCree79

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
It is my sincerest and greatest desire, that you find me, and my posts more and more unpalatable.

The more YOU personally disagree with me, the closer I am to Christ.

You measure your walk with Christ by how much Rippon disagrees with you? If you truly believe Rippon to be in error....

2 Timothy 2:25
"correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth"

Ephesians 4:2
"with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."


I picture you bathing in the blood of Christians.

What does this accomplish other than attempt to provoke a brother to anger?
 
I was neither rude, cruel nor insulting to you.

Yes you was.

I just challenged your fear of death.

You are a Calvinist, and you fear death.

I have a desire to go and be with the Lord, yes. That is with my soul. In my flesh, I desire to live as long as the good Lord sees fit to allow me.

I'm not a Calvinist, and I don't.

Good for you.

I wasn't mean or rude to you.

Yes you was.

I answered you by denying every premise in your post.

You have every right to. But not in the manner in which you did. If I had been nasty towards you at first, then yes. But I digress...

I love you brother, but, I don't fear death.....or the death of my children.

This is a scary thought...

[quote[You do.
That's not my problem.[/quote]

I am not scared of death, but I am in no means in a hurry to find it either...

You asked me questions.
I answered them.

Yes you did, in a rude manner...

Those are hard answers for you to accept, but, that isn't me being vicious towards you....
It's me denying your premises...

Again, you have every right to disagree with me or anyone else, but not the right in being rude in doing so...

You fear death...
I don't.

Done answered it...

If your Calvinism suffers on that account, that's none of my affair.

Calvinism has nothing to do with my suffering from anything.

What crime did I commit towards you?

Did I call you a fat meany-head???
Did I say I hate you and you can rot like a turnip???

What crime, exactly, did I commit towards you?

I'm not afraid of death..
I'm not afraid of my children dying.

You stated 'I actually BELIEVE the bible...'like I don't?

I explained that.

Yes you did, in a rude manner...

You appear not to have an explanation for how or why that's possible..

That's not my problem and doesn't constitute any error or meanness on my part.

If you don't know how to deal with a person like myself, than just admit it....

But, I've not in the least bit been mean to you.

I love you brother....but....

Maybe there are more things in this world than your Philosophy has dreamed of.

I know you've spent the last year or two having your butt kissed in the "DOG HOUSE"....

But, does it escape your mind that there are others who don't agree with you????

"Preacher 4 Truth" is a fanatical weirdo, my friend.....

He's hardly a voice of reason.

He knows more about the bible than you'll ever know....

I gave you an honest assessment and it challenged your pre-suppositions.
I was honest and kind to you.

If I don't fit the mold of the theories you've constructed, that's not my fault.

I'm being honest with you. I've never been mean, and I won't. It isn't my fault if I disagree with you......
Maybe you don't have the entire Universe figured out yet..........

It's at least possible isn't it??


Go down to your local courthouse and tell all around you don't care if all five of your children die tomorrow, in fact, you'd prefer it....& you love your children enough not to want them here... and see how quick CPS is busting down your doors.

My wife and I can't have kids, and we own a pug that we love to pieces. And I do not welcome her death. I hope I can keep her until she's 30 healthy years old...
 
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Rippon

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter

Hmm...Well, according to the remarks of some reviewers Mr. Rives got some things wrong. He said that Calvin wrote no Christian commentary before he published the Institutes. Wrong. He published "Psychopannychia" in 1534.
Rives claimed that Calvin left no inkling of what led him to Christ. Wrong again. He left two accounts. If you are ignorant of that then how may other uninformed thoughts do you have about his life? If I was in the States I'd get that book through an inter-library loan and check out all the false statements contained therein.

Meanwhile, there are many honest Church historians who differ quite markedly with Mr. Rives, among them:
Bruce Gordon, Alister McGrath, J.I. Packer, Joel Beeke, J.T. McNeil, T.H.L. Parker, Robert Godfrey, C.H. Irwin, Otto Scott, R.C. Red, Bernard Cottret, Jean Cadier, Williston Walker, Sinclair Ferguson, B.B. Warfield, Basil Hall, Jean-Daniel Benoit, Francois Wendel, Philip Vollmer, Philip Schaff and Paul Henry.

There are many more
you worship a vile murderer.
If you can't say anything nice...
Well maybe your mom never taught you that one.
except to a moron

you idiot....
May I suggest that you acquire some Christian friends?

SNIP
 
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Rippon

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Inspector J. : After you're banned don't even think about coming back on the BB with a new identity.
 

BrotherJoseph

Well-Known Member
Is God the first cause of the sinful acts of man??? (Seems your reasoning meant to uphold Calvinism/Determinism is flawed. ;) )

By whose will does sin happen, or IOWs what is first cause of the temptation to sin?

Is man’s will to sin free/volitional or has this choice been predetermined by God?

By your conclusion above: Is it then your interpretation of Proverbs 16:33 that God "controls" man's decisions to make him sin??? Is that what you are implying here?!

(Jas 1:13) Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

Brother Benjamin,

God's will is the first cause of all causes. This is scriptural and also logical. This is because God is the only thing that does not have a cause as He alone is eternal and created all things. "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." (John 1:3)
Ephesians 1:11 tells us, "him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:", therefore His will is the first cause of all causes.

Sin is carried out as a result of secondary causes. The secondary causes of sin are two different created creatures. # 1 is Satan, as it is written, "...the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:" (Ephesians 2:2). The other secondary cause of sin is man's evil flesh, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing" (Romans 7:18). Any good that is carried out by a regenerated child of God per scripture is a result solely of God working directly through his children by God's will, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13)

God willing that sin come into existence does not make God the author of sin. Please permit me to explain. An act alone does not constitute sin, but the righteousness or unrighteousness of an act is determined by the motive prompting the act. If a physician causes his fellowman great pain and suffering and even death by the amputation of a limb in an effort to do him good, no one would condemn that physician of wrong doing; but if he causes him pain or suffering or death by amputating a limb in malice and with an intention of doing him harm, that physician is guilty of wrong. God has a holy and sinless motive in all that He does, in all that He causes to be done and in all that He allows to be done, and intends that each thing done shall redound to the praise of that holy and exalted purpose, and so it matters not how sinful and vile the act may be when performed by man with a corrupt motive, God’s motive and purpose in the act being most holy He is not and can not be chargeable with sin; and yet the very same act which He has appointed to issue in His praise and redound to His glory is a vile transgression on the part of the one who performed it, as his design was evil.

To illustrate, when God sent the king of Assyria against Israel with the charge God declares “I dispatch him against a people who anger me, to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets.” (Isaiah 10:6), God continues, “But this is not what he (the king of Assyria) intends,
this is not what he has in mind; his purpose is to destroy, to put an end to many nations”. (Isaiah 10:7) The wickedness was not put in the heart of the king by God’s decree, but it was already there. But God then states, “Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed His whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. For he saith, by the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom...” (Isaiah 10:12-13) Read the entire 10th chapter of Isaiah. This wicked king did the very thing God determined, but he was not moved in the least to do it by God’s decree; he was entirely ignorant of that, but was actuated by an evil motive to cut off and destroy, thus God punished him for this! Thus we see that an act does not determine if something is sin, but the motive prompting the act, thus God can will that sin exist, but not be the author of sin.

God directly predetermined to do all acts of good on this earth and he predetermined that others would do all the acts of evil on this earth, but he has uses these evil acts to produce a greater good- Take for example, the crucifixion of Christ, the most evil act of mankind ever-was of God's predetermined plan according to scripture. "And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!" (Luke 22:22) Also, "26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. (Acts 4:26-28) and finally, "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain" (Acts 2:23). He used these acts to bruise his Son, make him Sin, thus redeeming his people so they can live with and in him for all of eternity. This is the greatest act of love this world has or ever will see. Yet we also see those who did these acts are declared to be done by "wicked hands", therefore they are not excused by God in their actions even though it was used to fulfill God's purpose (these wicked men acted from their evil motives and were ignorant of God's Holy purposes He had in the whole matter).

Thus, through the crucifixion we see how God can predestinate the most evil act history has ever see, but at the same time have it about to His glory by accomplishing mercy, redemption, forgiveness, grace, justification, etc. Therefore, if He can do this with the most wicked act man has ever known, He can, and certainly does so for all lessor acts of evil, yet cannot be charged with being the "author of sin" as His motives behind his predestination/predetermination of events are always holy and just. I hope this long rambling reply has answered your questions and that you will now answer my question of, "Is God's will the first cause of all causes, if not, what is?"

God bless,

Brother Joe
 
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Rebel

Active Member
And your post gets worse from that point on.

Man, you are as obsessed as Rebel is. Humble yourself and get thee to a library.

Sunday is coming. Do you present a different attitude in church?

What accounts for your rage and lies or raging lies?


There is no "what if' so it's best not to sound like an anti-theist.

You're really turning on the charm now.

What is wrong with you? You have serious issues. You are unhinged.

With that attitude I hope you don't manage people.

I picture you with a cigar clenched between your teeth, your temples pulsating, nostrils flaring. Check your blood pressure Inspector Clouseau.

Stop insulting me in responding to others. You are seriously disturbed. Anyone can see who has the problem. With all your exaltation of Calvin, I wonder if you can even see Jesus. While pretending to be a Baptist, maybe you should ponder what would have happened to you had you lived in Calvin's Geneva while holding Baptist views: You would have ended up looking like a strip of bacon.
 

Benjamin

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Brother Benjamin,

In your reply above, you said my premise is false, but again did not answer my question. Therefore, as you stated that my premise that God is the first cause of all causes to be false, please answer my question that I now pose a third time. If God is not the first cause of all causes, who is? Is it Satan, man, something else, or do you believe in effects that have no causes? If the latter, please give an example. Please do not evade the question. I posed my question first, thus in the interest of debate, please answer my question, then as I previously stated, I will be happy to answer your questions with no evasion. Thanks.

Perhaps you have not read my reply very carefully because I not only answered your question but I broke down your “argument” (BTW, that is what your question is, an attempt to prove a claim by providing reason for accepting it. The claim that is supported is called the conclusion to the argument and claims providing the support are called the premises. Those issues are what I focus on in a debate. It seems that you are ignoring that I have addressed them but that won't make them go away. ;) ) into its premises while clearly addressing the first premise – “God is the first cause of all causes” - Again, to begin with the first premise I explained:

“My questions are posed in order to draw out the truth in your argument by directing you to examine the substance of your claim, or IOWs the reasoning behind your claim by which you draw your conclusion. In this case you must first deal with the origin of sin and the “Problem Of Evil” for your premise of God being the “first cause of all causes” to stand as true.”

You apparently are countering with the reasoning in the post below that God is the cause of all evil but somehow cannot be responsible for the evil because He is Holy. Let’s examine your reasoning further which I contend unavoidably equates into Hard Determinism and logically presents God as the author of (responsible for) sin:

1) Necessarily God has fore determined (is the first cause of) everything that will happen
2) God has determined (caused) X
3) Therefore it is necessary that X will happen

X = man’s choices
X = evil

The above is a simple logical truth and clearly demonstrates your first premise (and counter argument) to be false. Why? Because your reasoning unavoidably concludes that God is responsible for evil happening.

If you are truly interested in debate then you will have to at least acknowledge that I have been addressing your arguments and stop with the suggestions that I have evaded them.

I even explained that I began “answering your question” by breaking your argument down:

“So IOWs as for answering your question it must first be broken down, which the first premise poses (supposedly supported by the scripture you gave) that God is the first causes of all causes, which by any rational critical thinking skills must include evil and thereby carry down to the last details of the sins of man (by which I countered your interpretation by comparing scripture to scripture) is where I began.”

God cannot be responsible for evil, (unless you would like to go down the road of Theological Fatalism), so as for the first premise of your argument which concludes that “God is the first cause of all causes” I contend that such cannot be true because it would logically make God the author of evil. Therefore, after a previous explanation that you would have to include evil within those causes I gave you this answer:

“In consideration of the Nature of God I can without a doubt tell you that your first premise is false.”

Just in case, to make it perfectly clear that I have answered your “question” – Premise #1: NO, God is NOT the first cause of all causes. He logically cannot be any more than He can make a rock bigger than He can lift.

Now, for the second part of your “question” – Premise #2: What/who is the cause? Simply put man is held responsible in truth for being the cause of evil. But, again, I already clearly answered this in length also:

“As to your second premise, which you should probably understand is already doomed to come to a false conclusion considering your first premise, the first cause of evil was man with the help of Satan, which was made possible through the divine design of God’s creatures to have the free will/human volition to disobey God – by which each and every one will “genuinely be held responsible” for being the “cause” of except for the grace of our Loving Creator who provided the Way of salvation for ALL who love and believe the truth with that precious gift of a mind to all mankind to have the ability to reason through human volition/free will.”

BTW, it appears that below you are attempting to proclaim a compatibilist view as if the responsibility for the cause of an action can be both true and not true. My friend, Determinism and Human Volition are logically mutually exclusive and God’s judgment in the matter of the responsibility for the cause will be in truth. From the beginning God’s creation was “very good” and He had designed men with free will/human volition, the nature of God is without evil OF ANY KIND, all His ways are judgment and you should rest assured that this judgment over the responsibility for the cause of evil is done in truth:

(Deu 32:4) He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
 

Rippon

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Stop insulting me in responding to others.
You and IJ are cut from the same cloth. Tell me now, if you think a comparison between you two is warranted or not. I have a little test for you. It will make you feel a bit awkward. But give it a go. Do you endorse everything IJ said about me? If the answer is a resounding YES, then the comparison between you two is certainly warranted. If, on the other hand, you think he went too far --then openly admit it. The choice is yours.
With all your exaltation of Calvin, I wonder if....
Yeah, that about settles the matter. You an IJ are two peas from the same ole' pod.
While pretending to be a Baptist,
There is no pretense that you are a rebel to the Protestant Faith.
 
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