Who is the 'monster'?
Preach Tony wrote:
The God found in Calvinism is very much a vicious monster. I say that with a clear conscience, because I don't believe Calvinism's God is the same God found in scripture.
Pastor DHK wrote:
But you make God into a cruel monster after the image of Calvin.
This forum is very much about identifying the God each side worships.
Each is earnestly contending for the faith which they believe was once delivered to the saints.
But let’s be perfectly honest: we are not debating side issues, peripheral issues, or non-salvific issues.
We are debating ‘Whose God is the true God?’
We are debating ‘How is one saved?’
We are debating ‘Is faith our gift to God or God’s gift to us?’
What we are debating has our eternal destinies in view.
In simple terms, our adversaries have summed up their view of the God we worship: a 'monster.'
Our view of their God: He is no God, but man’s divine puppet whose strings man pulls according to his alleged free-will choices.
Although the God of the Bible has stated emphatically,
I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images, our opponents claim their free-will decision is that which gives them the right to be chosen by God for salvation.
The praise for their holy and wise choice is theirs.
The glory of salvation is, therefore, shared with the Lord.
We, on the other hand, take no credit whatsoever for our saving faith or any other saving grace necessary unto our salvation.
We fully understand that He chose us first, loved us first and regenerated us while we were dead in sins and trespasses, when His hard and fast enemies.
Furthermore, unlike our Pelagian/Arminian/non-Cal friends we understand the meaning of ‘before the foundation of the world.’
This oft repeated phrase is one which declares God’s absolute Will of Decree whereby that which He decreed will certainly, infallibly come to pass in time exactly as He declared it should.
The primary use of this phrase references the election of certain sinners to salvation according to the counsel of His own will, not according to anything found in man.
Our adversaries deny this eternal truth, preferring instead to posit God a ‘monster.’
The thought that our Lord has the sovereign and absolute right to do that which He pleases is anathema in the minds of our antagonists.
But this is exactly what Scripture teaches.
When the Lord stated to Moses “I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy,” He was declaring His sovereign right to save those whom He chooses for mercy, while condemning those whom He does not choose.
Much like the U.S. President who has the authority to grant clemency to an offender, our Lord exercises this same right.
Unlike the clemency granted by the U.S. President, however, our Lord cannot turn a blind eye to justice.
For the guilty must be punished because His justice will not be denied.
In the case of the Elect whom He has granted merciful clemency, His justice was fulfilled in punishing His Son on the cross in their stead.
And let us not forget that our holy God has the right to refuse to grant clemency period.
Mercy is not something owed all men, let alone one man.
Those whom God has, for good, holy and wise reasons, refused mercy, will be condemned for their sins.
Had they never heard the Gospel or the name of Jesus, they will not be judged for that which they did not know.
Instead, they will be judged for that which they did know, yet failed to do.
CONCLUSION: God’s sovereignty, honor, holiness, righteousness, and glory are displayed in both the Elect and Reprobate.
In the Elect, mercy, to the praise of His glorious grace.
In the Reprobate, judgment, to the praise of His glorious justice.
Who is the monster?
That is for the reader to conclude.
never did address post #35.