In talking with some Arminians on this board, I have noticed they consistently state that God has purposely placed His will in subordination under man's will.
They claim this is God's will, which is to be unable to change the heart of men without man's full consent. They claim that any overriding of man's will is tantamount to enslaving humans and making them puppets of God.
This castrates God's Sovereignty and makes God a mere advisor and places each man as the sovereign ruler of his/her own dominion.
Why would a Christian want God to be so small?
Simple, they haven't studied the bible, or don't believe it, one or the other. Scripture is clear throughout that all things that come to pass are ordained by God, even the foolishness of men, the Ostrich who forgets it's eggs, and the false teachers.
How they miss this is either 1. Ignorance of the full Revelation God has given us. 2. Unregenerate so that they cannot see and hear. 3. Are so bogged down in their traditions and human philosophy that they make a god out of their own imagining.
God is very bold in the statements He makes of Himself from Genesis to Revelation, if we are to honor God, we are to learn His word as the most important thing in our lives, believe it whether it makes sense to our fallen senses or not, and not speak, teach or debate until we have done this.
There is a reason that the most trained in Scripture, those with Doctorates, real Doctorates, and the greats of the faith from Augustine to Luther, Calvin to Knox, and on all up to our present time where Reformed. Today we live in a post-biblical/pagan world, a world where mans reason, traditions come first, and where God's word is mocked.
God has said if you are rich, He is the reason why. If you are poor, He is the reason why. Where you live, who you are, God says are determined by Him, as are the days of our lives. God says He either saves rebels or leaves them in perdition, God says even something seemingly insignificant such as the outcome of the roll of the dice is from Him. Even our words, God says do not come from us, but from Him "A mans thoughts are his, but every word spoke is of the Lord". God says the weather, animals, catastrophes are all from Him, nothing is outside His providence, He even said "Who creates evil, is it not I says the Lord".
This is fact, I don't care if you disagree aside from the fact that you may be reprobate, God has said it in His word so it's settled whether I believe it or not. If any of this is confusing, fine, just get off the board, pray to the Lord for eyes and ears and STUDY. You'll most likely, if you are like the average Reformed person see the indisputable fact of what God claims for Himself, perhaps be confused, perhaps be troubled, even the greatest philosopher in American history, Jonathan Edwards was very troubled until the Lord showed Him the full Revelation, and as he said "It at once all seemed to me so beautiful and brilliant". Just give it time, remember I fought Reformed theology, but I couldn't fight God's word, I took it on faith, I truly think when you do that, you honor Him, and He gives you more.
Today I look at Armenian theology and do not see Christianity, I've just debated the topic too long, it's a form of Roman Catholicism. Did you know the hinge on which the Reformation took place? Penance? Lords Supper? No, it was free will, Luther, in his debates with Erasmus congratulated his Roman Catholic foe on understanding the main point of Luther wishing to Reform the Roman Church, they believed in free will, while Scripture teaches that free will does not exist. If you believe in free will you are on Romes side, not the Reformers, never forget that.
