Featured Who are, "Those thou hast given to me..."

here is another word for that kind of activity.... "Disingenuous"

 

I agree with you on the dislike of altar calls, or 37 verses of "Just as I am". But I also respect that at times, some pastors sense the spirit is leading them to open an public invitation to acknowledge and profess Christ.

 

Now you are playing word games. Calvin used the words "evils", "evil minds", "reprobate", "corrupt affections", "error", etc... Calvin is absolutely speaking of sin and sinners.

Calvin didn't say men willingly commit error, he says they are "dragged headlong into error", he said the "internal affections" (he is speaking of the desire to sin here) are ruled by God, and that God "works the very will" in the hearts of these "reprobate characters" to make them willing to perform the works they do.

Play your word games, you know as well as I do that Calvin was speaking of sin.

 

Dave... but isn't all life a public invitation to acknowledge and profess Christ? Isn't that whats called the Great Commission? To profess Christ to the world that He is our Lord & Savior.

In some cases, it will not be easy & we will be harassed & scorned & made fun of. I was at a church on the Jersey shore on a public boardwalk & I witnessed 1st hand several young men who walked in & began cat calling & yelling profanities at the pastor & the people in service. I expect to see that much more in the years to come. But the Pastor stood his ground & displayed why he represents Christ. Thats what I call a true profession of Faith (in persecution). What a witness my eyes beheld that day....what an example of a true Christian that man was.

 

you speaking of this quote of Calvin?

"Hence you see that Satan is not only " a lying spirit in the mouth of all the prophets," at the express command of God, but also that his impostures so ensnare the reprobate, that, being utterly deprived of their reason, they are, of necessity, dragged headlong into error."

 

Yes it is, but sometimes even "man created traditions" can be comforting and used by God to touch peoples lives. At my church, we do not have altar calls or invitations, something I like. Most at my church who wish to make public their relationship with God do so in most cases through small groups and their leaders as well as meeting with our pastor and staff. I myself made my profession of faith and relationship publicly through an invitation in our Church in Germany. It was, at the time, an accepted tradition, a very pleasant memory for me. At this point in my life, I much prefer to discuss matters with individuals and appreciate when they articulate where they are with respect to God.

 

Calvinists say God is sovereign which is code for God predestines everything, including sin. In defense of this hogwash, they offer shuck and jive, such as charging non-Calvinists with blaming God for our sinful choices. No, that again would be Calvinism's doctrine of total spiritual inability, where fallen men are only able to sin.

 

can ANYTHING ever happen that either God did not cause to occur, or else allowed it to happen? is he ever caught "blind sided, how did that happen?"

 

Exodus 4 clearly shows us that Moses did not think that all was determined!
No QF, Moses was an Open Theist! ;-)

 

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

 

Why are you stating my view, God causes or allows whatsoever comes to pass, as if that was your view. The Calvinist view is that God predestines whatsoever comes to pass.

Is God ever blind sided? No.

Calvinism says God knows the future exhaustively, and therefore the future is fixed, closed, settled and predetermined. It is simply a mystery how this does not make God the author of sin.

Some Arminians say God knows the future exhaustively, yet this does not fix, settle or predetermine the future choices of people. It is simply a mystery how this is accomplished.

 

Did Moses say men were unable to seek God and strive to live righteously? A Calvinist would say yes and cite Genesis 6:5, attributing it in support of total spiritual inability. However, if you simply read down to verse 6:8 you find a person in this fallen condition, Noah, who found favor in the eyes of the Lord. So even though every intent of the thoughts of Noah's heart was continually evil, he managed at times to seek the righteousness of God. Somehow God saw righteousness in Noah.

 

Solomon say men were unable to seek God and strive to live righteously. A Calvinist would say yes and cite Ecclesiastes 93, attributing it in support of total spiritually inability. However, if you simply read the prior verse (9:2) you find that some men do strive to live righteously.

In summary, Calvinism misrepresents passage after passage, claiming what is not actually in the text, as being in the text.

 

Actually , many cals see God BOTH directly causing, and allowing for other decisions to happen, ALL under His direct control though!

Are people allowed to do things, make choices that either God did not see happening, or else had no control over?

 

No....Pharoah was the only open theist there......it did not work out well for him.