<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
by Larry In election, God chooses completely without partiality. The dumb have the same chance as the smart; the rich the same as the poor...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
1. Allow me to explain, as I understand it, the Calvinistic/Reformed reform position in plain language.
Generally speaking, not
all men have the same opportunity to receive salvation since Christ did not intend to save all but only a certain few. As John 3:16 can be paraphrased: For God so loved only the elect (while all others he hates) that he gave his only begotten Son for only the elect. Therefore, whosoever from only and all of the elect that inevitably believes (which is actually all of them excluding none) in Him shall definitely not perish but have and never lose eternal life. For God did not send his Son to the elect to condemn the elect but that the elect and only the elect, (not "might" but) would definitely and without fail receive salvation through Him.
In other words, if there are two poor persons, one named Joe and the other Moe, and Joe is the elect but Moe is not then, though they are both poor, Joe is assured of salvation but Moe doesn't stand a chance. The choice to send Joe to heaven and Moe to hell was decided before the foundation of the world on the basis of God's own mysterious and inflexible reason for doing it and not on anything inherent within either person.
Now, Joe can witness to Moe and tell him that Jesus loves him and died on the Cross for him and desires him to be saved but it is all, in reality, a fiction - Joe is unconsciously speaking falsely because God had predetermined to pass over him, to deny him saving grace, to keep him in his sinful condition, and to continue His hatred towards him by sending him to hell forever.
However, according to the Reformed tradition, God is not unjust because He is in heaven and does what He pleases.
Though one may accuse such "plain language" as being sarcastic (which is not my intention), nevertheless, it correctly reflects the essence of the Reformed position. If anything stated above is incorrect, please advise and quote the exact phrase where the error is made.
2. Directly in reference to Larry's quote, one dumb person will have the same chance as the rich person but only if both are elect. The rich person, if not elect, will have no chance when compared to the dumb person who is elect. Neither the one who is dum nor the one who is rich will have any chance whatsoever if neither are elect.
Note: Acts 10:34,35 - "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respector of persons; But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." See also, Rom. 2:10f; Eph. 6:8f; Col 3:24f.
Peter states that God's judgement is without favoritism to anyone but based upon the persons attitude and actions towards Him, which is quite contrary to Larry's position. God is impartial in that each person's work is judged by one standard without being swayed or induced from judgement away from that standard as a result of what that person does.
With respect to grace, all are judged on the basis of their faith and faithfulness to the one standard: the Cross of Christ.
See:
[ February 13, 2002: Message edited by: Nelson ]