Here we see the Calvinist argument coming in that we should NOT find in scripture a SEQUENCE where the PERSON does something that THEN results in salvation.
Who denies the sequences that salvation results from faith? I presume that is your point. It is what Calvinism also believes. So I am not sure who you are addressing here.
For evidence, I submit the Westminster Confession of Faith, which no one has ever accused of being Arminian. By this, you can see that Calvinists mst certainly do believe that one must believe in order to be saved.
WCF 7.3 Man, by his fall, having made himself uncapable of life by that covenant, the Lord was pleased to make a second,(1) commonly called the Covenant of Grace, whereby He freely offereth unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring of them faith in Him, that they may be saved;(2) and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto eternal life His Holy Spirit, to make them willing, and able to believe.(3)
WCF 11:2 Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification;(1)
WCF 13:3 The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls,
WCF 14:2 But the principal acts of saving faith are accepting, receiving, and resting upon Christ alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace.(5)
WCF 15:1 Repentance unto life is an evangelical grace,(1) the doctrine whereof is to be preached by every minister of the Gospel, as well as that of faith in Christ.(2)
Where upon Pastor Larry abandons the argument
What argument? Have you actually made one? Have you pointed out a distinction between you and Calvinists? Aside from misusing Rev 3:20, you haven't, so far as I can see.
It is left as an exercise for the reader - to note the obvious problem with that response.
It apparently isn't so obvious ... unless you have to be uninformed for it to be obvious.
It again stuns me how many of you with such great opposition to Calvinism don't know what you are talking about. There are good reasons to be uncomfortable with Calvinism. I at times struggle with some of them, but I have yet to find scriptural reason to abandon them. But at least object to the real reasons. Don't object to the stuff that people don't believe.
There are a few people here who do not believe in "duty faith," that you must believe to be saved. They believe you will be saved whether you beleive or not, or in fact that you are already saved, even if you have not yet believed. That, however, is not Calvinism. Most of them will not even claim to be Calvinists.
So Bob, why do you present continually, the idea that Calvinism says you are saved before you believe? Surely you know better by this time.