psalms109:31 said:
What we must realize all scripture points to Jesus.
He is the one we depend on.
We search the scripture hoping that there is life in them, but it all points to Jesus.
He is the hope for the world not election.
Elected Jews shows that our hope does not lie on election, because the were cut out for unbelief, but our hope lies in God through Jesus.
One day we will lift up Jesus not election and He will draw all men to Himself.
Jesus is your hope trust in Him and you will not be disappointed.
When we look into the world we should be moved with compassion for them for they do have a hope and His name is Jesus.
No one is lifting up election here. Not the Calvinists, not me. Election is a doctrine we believe to be clearly taught by the Scriptures. You don't believe election is a doctrine taught by Scriptures. Fine.
We believe God elected a definite number of people, and that this too is clearly taught in Scriptures.
You don't believe that, fine again.
Either way, both of us believe Jesus is Savior, Lord, Creator, God, Redeemer, Mediator, the Lamb of Glory.
Either way, both of us believe that the Blood of the Lamb washes away all sin, washed away all sin, and will continue to wash away all sin of His people until such time when sin is no more, and all His are back in glory with Him where they truly belong.
It's fine to discuss Scripture, and hopefully we both learn from each other.
Sometimes the discussion gets all het up and cat-calling or the equivalent of it creeps in. That is not fine.
But what is way beyond
NOT FINE AT ALL is when someone hints that because the other believes this way then he is not saved, could not have been saved, and may never be saved at all, and then post Scripture to drive home that point, such as Gordon Slocum did.
I don't know if the Calvinists here believe that because one is Arminian one is hopelessly lost unless he becomes a Calvinist, but I don't think any of them think that way.
I certainly don't, because to me theology is earth-bound, that is, theology is something that stays on this fallen earth, and the theologies that abound and confuses others are there because of the enemy, Satan, whose sole purpose in existence is to deflect true worship from God to himself.
Therefore, it is my personal belief that when God foreknew and loved His people, He knew exactly where they will be, who they are, when they will be born, and what theology they will be holding to if at all, and guess what ?
It didn't matter to Him because saved them because He had mercy on them and He had mercy on them, and them only, because that is what He wanted, therefore He sent them a Savior, a kinsman redeemer, whom He caused to be born in due time, but whose blood was shed in eternity past before time.
And, yes, even Gordon Slocum might be one of His own.