The Doctrines of Grace

  • Welcome to Christian Forums, a Christian Forum that recognizes that all Christians are a work in progress.

    You will need to register to be able to join in fellowship with Christians all over the world.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

KUWN

Active Member
Sep 13, 2024
634
206
43
69
Southeast
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
Literal interpretation method which is the method of interpretation you already claim to use.
Does not allow figurative interpretation, which you admitted is used in Revelation.

You are ignorant.
Study Biblical interpretation before accusing me of not knowing how to interpret Scripture.

I use the inductive method.
You are far off with your understanding. Your definition above is not in anyway correct. Literal interpretation DOES allow figurative, symbolic and other methods. It is literal because that is the first method (default) it considers before any other method. When Jesus says he is the door, obviously he does not literally mean he is a physical door. But this phrase doesn't make sense unless there is such a literal thing as a door.

In Rev 20 we are told that Jesus will reign 1,000 years on earth. Literal interpretation method will default to it meaning 1,000 years literal reign on earth. Other interpretive models may see 1,000 as a symbolic reign of a spiritually "long" period of time, like the reign of Christ now in heaven reigning from heaven over the Church. Dispensationalists accept the literal meaning of the 1,000 year Millennial reign of Christ.

I use the deductive model.
 

PinSeeker

Well-Known Member
Oct 4, 2021
3,369
846
113
Nashville
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
It's so pleasant to converse with you...
You know, you lose a lot of non-verbal communication (pretty much all of it, really) in this venue. What I said was not a disparagement of you personally at all. But that article I linked for you a while back you flatly refused to even scan, thus, your ignorance... you're ignoring some really good information that you might benefit from. But that's your prerogative, for sure.

Ad hominems...
None intended. Remember, perception is not always reality. <smile>

And you use a lot of ad hominems.
Like I said, none intended. Now you, on the other hand, in many of your previous posts (and this one too)... <smile>

Stop being a Calvinist if you don't like what they teach.
Hmmm, well regardless whether you stop being an Arminian, you should stop grossly mischaracterizing Calvinism (which is a typical tactic of Arminians). But those gross mischaracterizations are what is so abhorrent.

I'm going to break this up to try to make this a little more... weildy... <smile> Continued...
 
Last edited:

PinSeeker

Well-Known Member
Oct 4, 2021
3,369
846
113
Nashville
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
You'll have to prove this because I don't agree and neither does any other Christian EXCEPT for the reformed/calvinists.
Ahhh, so this was in response to my assertion that "the Bible, every time it mentions God's predestination, refers to people, not actions," right? Yes, okay, so that's a softball if there ever was one; let's go right back to Romans 8:29-30 (cited multiple times above) and Ephesians 1:5 and 1:11 (also cited multiple times above):
  • "...those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son... those whom He predestined He also called" (Romans 8:29-30; that Paul is referring to people being predestined here is irrefutable)
  • "...He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will... "In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him Who works all things according to the counsel of His will..." (Ephesians 1:5, 11; here also Paul is referring to people being predestined, and this too is irrefutable)
The only other place where predestination is mentioned is in Acts 4, and this one might on first glance appear to refer to events, but it again is referring to people, specifically, but their acting... doing something::
  • "...for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, Whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place" (Acts 4:27-28).
That last one should say to you again, as I have said before, that God's predestination does not trample on man's free will actions at all, but certainly uses those free will actions to accomplish His purposes, which takes us back to what Paul says in Romans 8:28, which is that "...for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."

So, that you don't agree is abundantly clear, but the "except for the reformed/calvinists" part of your assertion is untrue.

Continued below...
 

PinSeeker

Well-Known Member
Oct 4, 2021
3,369
846
113
Nashville
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
Wow. You sound like a mainline Christian!
A Christian is a Christian... <smile> So, yes, but, well, sometimes ~ sometimes ~ "mainline" is not such a good thing... <smile>

Come over to our side!
I am, on a lot of things... But regarding what we're talking about here... never. <smile> The fact is, Arminianism makes God's sovereignty subservient and even subordinate and dependent upon man's free will... which is contrary to Romans 9:14-18, as I said. And the ramifications of this are great: to put it very succinctly, it makes God's love and faithfulness and grace out to be far, far less than they are. Surely not the intention, but that's what it does.

Continued below...
 
Last edited:

PinSeeker

Well-Known Member
Oct 4, 2021
3,369
846
113
Nashville
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
If Jesus taught us LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION... WHY does God, who predestinates EVERYTHING...lead us into temptation?
I answered that question previously, but will again. God does not tempt, but rather tests; James is crystal clear on that. And God, by His Spirit, might lead us into temptation ~ to a place where we might be tempted ~ in order to test our faith. This is not, of course, because He thinks we may not have it, but so that He might prove ~ and we might prove to ourselves ~ that we do have it, and therefore be more assured... that He might actually grow... strengthen... our faith. This is what James says:
  • "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:2-4)
And just after that he says what I said above, basically:
  • "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire" (James 1:12-14).
And this brings us back to things like the following:
  • "Joseph said to (his brothers), 'Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today" (Genesis 50:19-20, emphasis mine).
  • "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts" (God, Isaiah 55:8-9, emphasis mine).
  • "...for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28, emphasis mine)
Continued below...
 
Last edited:

PinSeeker

Well-Known Member
Oct 4, 2021
3,369
846
113
Nashville
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
Schizophrenia rears its ugly head once again.
<eye roll> At least you spelled it right this time... LOL!

Sounding mainline again. Come on over Pin....plenty of room for you on this side of the isle.
We're together on most things, Gosh. You know that. But not these things we're discussing. But... you know... that's okay. <smile>

YOUR theology teaches that God predestinates everything.
Nope. See above.

You want to discuss Romans 9?
Well, I have been, and extensively, and over and over again... <smile>

When I spent over 30 minutes to speak about it seriously and to which YOU NEVER REPLIED....
I don't think you did, except to say it's about national Israel, which is actually true ~ and all it's individual members of course ~ but in a very different sense, which is what I expounded on extensively. In response, I referred you to what Paul says about who true Israel and true Jews... the Isreal of God, Jews of God... are in Romans 2:28-29:
  • "For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God."
Saying I never replied... now that's dishonesty. Or ignorance ~ ignoring what I said ~ on your part. Or both.

Leave Romans 9 for the experts Pin.
Ah, now there's a cop-out. <smile>

And it's the Calvinists who interpret Romans 9 in their very own way with which NO OTHER DENOMINATION AGREES.
Well, only the Arminian ones. <smile> Of which, yes, unfortunately, there are many, especially in the West.

It must bother you that only Calvinists interpret scripture their very own way. Or, at least, it should.
Not really, no. It's very much expected. Well, in that sense no, but in a different sense, yes. As I said above ~ which is very ironic, considering that the Arminian assertion is similar in a certain sense ~ Arminians inadvertently make God's love and faithfulness and grace out to be far, far less than they are.

Continued below:
 

PinSeeker

Well-Known Member
Oct 4, 2021
3,369
846
113
Nashville
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
I speak 3 languages...
Great! Irrelevant, but great! And... I don't... care. But yeah, good on ya! <smile>

See, you bring out the worst in me...
Ohhhh, blaming me for your own sin. Hmmmm...

Let's go over it Pin...
Sure, Gosh. I'm cutting off the "grace" part of your moniker, because you're apparently lacking in it...

CALVIN'S STATEMENTS IN GREEN...

"all these occurrences, prosperous as well as adverse, carnal sense will attribute to fortune.


The above is stating that our CARNAL UNDERSTANDING will attribute evil to LUCK...
Yes...

BUT....wait for it.... Calvin means something different....
Ohhhhhhh, he meant something different thannnnnnnnn what he actually saaaaaaaaaid/wrooooooote... Okay, well then was he lying? Or was he just stupid? LOL!

But whose has learned from the mouth of Christ that all the hairs of his head are numbered (Mt. 10:30), will look farther for the cause

The above is stating that those that believe that God counts every hair in our head will not accept LUCK...but will look further for the answer as to why things happen,,, They will look further for the CAUSE. Wait for it.. the cause will be God.
Fail. See above and below.

and hold that all events whatsoever are governed by the secret counsel of God

And there you have it.
ALL EVENTS WHATSOEVER ARE GOVERNED BY THE SECRET COUNSEL OF GOD.
Ah yes, 'governed.' Well, to govern, Gosh, can mean different things (emphasis added):

a) to exercise continuous sovereign authority over​
b) to actively manipulate (which in the case of God is to manage or utilize skillfully)​
c) to control, direct, or strongly influence the actions and conduct of; to exert a determining or guiding influence in or over​

All these things are very closely related, of course, but in any of these cases, neither God's exercising continuous sovereign authority over, nor His manipulating, nor His controlling, directing, or strongly influencing the actions and conduct of, nor His exerting a determining or guiding influence in or over either the elect or non-elect ~ or events ~ entails or insinuates His causing sin. John Calvin did not... and historical Calvinists do not... attribute sin in any way to God. The Arminian's accusations are empty.

To the rest of your post, this holds absolutely true.

Read it again Pin...and carefully.
I have, many times. But regarding what you say, I say exactly the same to you, Gosh.

If you don't like what it states
No, I don't like your ridiculous assertions about what it states. Because those assertions are themselves ridiculous. I don't really like ridiculous things. <smile>

Grace and peace to you.
 
Last edited:

GodsGrace

Well-Known Member
Aug 29, 2017
14,082
7,310
113
Tuscany
Faith
Christian
Country
Italy
You know, you lose a lot of non-verbal communication (pretty much all of it, really) in this venue. What I said was not a disparagement of you personally at all. But that article I linked for you a while back you flatly refused to even scan, thus, your ignorance... you're ignoring some really good information that you might benefit from. But that's your prerogative, for sure.


None intended. Remember, perception is not always reality. <smile>


Like I said, none intended. Now you, on the other hand, in many of your previous posts (and this one too)... <smile>


Hmmm, well regardless whether you stop being an Arminian, you should stop grossly mischaracterizing Calvinism (which is a typical tactic of Arminians). But those gross mischaracterizations are what is so abhorrent.

I'm going to break this up to try to make this a little more... weildy... <smile> Continued...
PROVE that I'm mischaracterizing calvinism.
IF you can.
 

PinSeeker

Well-Known Member
Oct 4, 2021
3,369
846
113
Nashville
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
2 Peter 1:20
We Christians ~ Calvinists and Arminians ~ have the prophetic Word more fully confirmed... by God through the work of His Spirit, yes, So, most certainly, no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation of natural things, but God's. It's His inerrant, infallible, Word, for sure.

Grace and peace to all.
 

PinSeeker

Well-Known Member
Oct 4, 2021
3,369
846
113
Nashville
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
PROVE that I'm mischaracterizing calvinism. IF you can
Oh, well, for the... I've lost count, so I'll exaggerate a bit here just to make a point... two hundred and thirty-seventh time? LOL!

Grace and peace to you.
 

GodsGrace

Well-Known Member
Aug 29, 2017
14,082
7,310
113
Tuscany
Faith
Christian
Country
Italy
Ahhh, so this was in response to my assertion that "the Bible, every time it mentions God's predestination, refers to people, not actions," right? Yes, okay, so that's a softball if there ever was one; let's go right back to Romans 8:29-30 (cited multiple times above) and Ephesians 1:5 and 1:11 (also cited multiple times above):
  • "...those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son..
Predestination is ALWAYS HOW or PURPOSE.
Those God FOREKNEW (NOT PREDESTINATED) He predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son.

HOW .... predestined to be conformed....

NOT WHO.
  • . those whom He predestined He also called" (Romans 8:29-30; that Paul is referring to people being predestined here is irrefutable)
God calls into being....
Those whom God FOREKNEW He CALLED into being like His Son.

Not even here is it referring to indivicuals.
Please show HOW it is, if you can.

  • "...He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ,

Again....HOW
God predestined us for ADOPTION AS SONS THROUGH JESUS.

Predestined for adoption...
A PURPOSE and a HOW.....NEVER A WHO.
  • according to the purpose of His will... "In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him Who works all things according to the counsel of His will..." (Ephesians 1:5, 11; here also Paul is referring to people being predestined, and this too is irrefutable)
Pin, everything Calvinist is refutable because calvinism is heretical.

According to the purpose of His will....

And WHAT IS the will of the Father?

1 Timothy 2:3-6
3This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
5For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
6who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.


The will of God is that all men come to know Him and be saved.
Not all will accept God's conditions.
Yes,,,there are CONDITIONS to being saved.

As you can see....Christ gave Himself as a ransom FOR ALL...so that ALL men will have the same opportunity to be saved,,,,
just as God wills.

THIS is a just system that a JUST God has put into place.

God does not sit in heaven picking, for NO REASON AT ALL, and choosing individuals who will go to heaven and those that will go to hell.
The Calvinist God is NOT the God of the bible.

The only other place where predestination is mentioned is in Acts 4, and this one might on first glance appear to refer to events, but it again is referring to people, specifically, but their acting... doing something::
  • "...for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, Whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place" (Acts 4:27-28).
Your going to bring up the crucifixion for support?
Can't do better than that?

OF COURSE the crucifixion had to happen...
that was the plan of God from the beginning when man fell in the Garden.

I went over the Edenic _Covenant with you and the Adamic Covenant too.
Again..no reply to that.
You must accept ALL of scripture...not just the parts you THINK support your deterministic theology.
That last one should say to you again, as I have said before, that God's predestination does not trample on man's free will actions at all, but certainly uses those free will actions to accomplish His purposes, which takes us back to what Paul says in Romans 8:28, which is that "...for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."
More double talk.
God doesn't do double talk.

God either predestinates everything as Calvinism teaches
or
Man has free will.

Can't be both.
Schizophrenia abound in reformed theology.
Mysteries abound in reformed theology.
So, that you don't agree is abundantly clear, but the "except for the reformed/calvinists" part of your assertion is untrue.

Continued below...
Pin....NO OTHER DENOMINATION AGREES WITH REFORMED THEOLOGY.

THIS is why it is a HERETICAL belief system.
Do you know what heretical means?
Look it up please.
 

GodsGrace

Well-Known Member
Aug 29, 2017
14,082
7,310
113
Tuscany
Faith
Christian
Country
Italy
We Christians ~ Calvinists and Arminians ~ have the prophetic Word more fully confirmed... by God through the work of His Spirit, yes, So, most certainly, no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation of natural things, but God's. It's His inerrant, infallible, Word, for sure.

Grace and peace to all.
Calvin had his very own interpretation....
begun by a gnostic Christian from the 5th century that spent
10 years in a gnostic sect called Manechaeism.

Check it out.
 

GodsGrace

Well-Known Member
Aug 29, 2017
14,082
7,310
113
Tuscany
Faith
Christian
Country
Italy
Oh, well, for the... I've lost count, so I'll exaggerate a bit here just to make a point... two hundred and thirty-seventh time? LOL!

Grace and peace to you.
Doesn't sound like proof Pin.

Prove I mischaracterize Calvin or stop saying it.
 

GodsGrace

Well-Known Member
Aug 29, 2017
14,082
7,310
113
Tuscany
Faith
Christian
Country
Italy
Oh, well, for the... I've lost count, so I'll exaggerate a bit here just to make a point... two hundred and thirty-seventh time? LOL!

Grace and peace to you.
Hope you reread what I posted from the Institutes.
Maybe a 2nd reading with my explanation will help you to understand
what Calvin believed and wrote.

Or
Maybe you don't LIKE what he wrote...
Unfortunately his is the belief system you follow.
You should accept it.

If you want to be reformed....
be reformed.
 

BreadOfLife

Well-Known Member
Jan 2, 2017
21,653
3,590
113
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
Right,
Revelation 5:8,
- and when he took the scroll the four living creatures and twenty four elders fell down before the lamb
The lamb not a literal lamb.

The 24 elders not literal elders of the church on earth.
The four creatures. Not literal creatures.

- Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls of incense,
which are the prayers of Gods people
The harp is not a literal harp.

The golden bowls are not literal golden bowls.
The prayers of Gods people are the living saints. Not dead saints.
WHO said these were “real” examples??? I explicitly stated that these are SYMBOILS.

It was YOU who said that they were “FICTITIOUS” . . .

BreadofLife, this is your proof text for praying to the dead and the dead praying for the living.
Ummm – I DID provide Scripture for asking those in Heaven for intercession (Rev. 5:8)
You have given no Scriptural evidence for the catholic doctrine of praying to dead people.

The Bible only teaches we are to pray to God.
Let’s start with the one about my “not “having given you ay Scriptural evidence. For
I absolutely posted 2 Macc. 12:42-46 as explicit evidence of this.

As for the Bible teaching that we “only pray to God” this is complete nonsense . . .

Your false claim It USED to be based on your total ignorance of the word “Pray”.
However – you can no longer claim ignorance because I showed you the complete definition of this word. I showed you that “Pray” simply means to ASK, to PETITION, to ENTREAT. The fact that you reject this fact is on YOU . . .

Paul said to the sailors on his ship:
Acts 27:34 - KJV

"Wherefore I PRAY you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you".

Ummmm, is Paul guilty of “violating” Scripture??
 

BreadOfLife

Well-Known Member
Jan 2, 2017
21,653
3,590
113
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
You have given no Scriptural evidence so far.
Gee – another LIE. What a surprise . . .

You need to repent for all of your blatant violations of God’s Commandment against bearing FALSE witness (Exod. 20:16).

Ad hominem
No ad “ad hominem” here.

Ummm, you LIED, and I exposed it.
Calling you a “liar” would be ad hominem . . .
 

GodsGrace

Well-Known Member
Aug 29, 2017
14,082
7,310
113
Tuscany
Faith
Christian
Country
Italy
WHO said these were “real” examples??? I explicitly stated that these are SYMBOILS.

It was YOU who said that they were “FICTITIOUS” . . .

Ummm – I DID provide Scripture for asking those in Heaven for intercession
(Rev. 5:8)

Let’s start with the one about my “not “having given you ay Scriptural evidence. For
I absolutely posted 2 Macc. 12:42-46 as explicit evidence of this.

As for the Bible teaching that we “only pray to God” this is complete nonsense . . .

Your false claim It USED to be based on your total ignorance of the word “Pray”.
However – you can no longer claim ignorance because I showed you the complete definition of this word. I showed you that “Pray” simply means to ASK, to PETITION, to ENTREAT. The fact that you reject this fact is on YOU . . .

Paul said to the sailors on his ship:
Acts 27:34 - KJV

"Wherefore I PRAY you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you".

Ummmm, is Paul guilty of “violating” Scripture??
Bread....it doesn't matter what PRAY means.
The dead will not hear you because they are not omnipresent.
And please don't tell me they're not dead - you must surely know our soul is eternal.

And Macabees....
Even the Jews did not put Macabees into their Tanak because, apparently, they didn't believe it was inspired.

And even the CC teaches that obscure verses should not be used for doctrine.

Could you post some ECFs that stated that we should pray to the dead?
I can't find any - this doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
 

PinSeeker

Well-Known Member
Oct 4, 2021
3,369
846
113
Nashville
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
Predestination is ALWAYS HOW or PURPOSE.
Nope. I'm not going into detail again, because I have several times.

Those God FOREKNEW (NOT PREDESTINATED)
Both. Those those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son... And those whom he predestined he also called..." These are Paul's exact words. God did all these things, GodsGrace. And nobody else had anything to do with it, nor did anything happen that caused Him to decide to do all these things.

He predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son. HOW .... predestined to be conformed....
Absolutely not; it's obviously why, not "how." They were predestined ~ their destiny was declared... the result was determined... God's purpose for those people was set... long before they even lived ~ to be conformed to the image of His Son.

Those whom God FOREKNEW He CALLED into being like His Son.
Which is synonymous with fore-loved. And we love because He first loved us. But wait... thse are not Paul's exact words. He says, "those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified." Don't change the order of what Paul (really God) said, GodsGrace. Or leave anything out. And ~ yet again ~ "those He foreknew" is a group of folks less than the whole of mankind, so he cannot possibly mean "foreknew" in the mere sense of cognitive knowledge beforehand, as I said, because in that sense, He foreknew every thing and every one before it ever was.

Not even here is it referring to individuals.
Absolutely it is, and corporately... each one making up the whole.

Please show HOW it is, if you can.
Well, like I said, for the two hundred and thirty-seventh... now thirty-eighth... time... Over and over and over again.

Again....HOW
God predestined us for ADOPTION AS SONS THROUGH JESUS.
This is not "how," GodsGrace, it's for what; He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus. The only "how" is because God decided it would be so. And then you could apply the "how" as by the working of the Holy Spirit. Goodness gracious.

I really don't want to see you try to wriggle out of something you can't get out of or away from, but so be it.

...everything Calvinist is refutable because calvinism is heretical.
Some want to think that, sure. <smile> But just look at the brief string above here. Can you not see the wooden-headedness of what you are saying? Goodness gracious. You might as well say, "I don't really have a nose on my face, but a tail."

The will of God is that all men come to know Him and be saved.
And here we go again with this... His desire is this. He would much rather that be the case than what will be the case. But that will not be the case; there will be some who... well, you know. Neither one of us believes in universalism, that all people will be saved, so obviously that is not His purpose, else it would be the case. So ~ yet again ~ if that is His will, then why doesn't it happen? Because nothing can thwart God's purposes. Nothing can thwart God's purposes.

Not all will accept God's conditions.
Ah, well, not all will meet God's standard, which is perfection... sinlessness... holiness. But some will be redeemed, and therefore be clothed with the righteousness of Christ, while others will not.

Yes,,,there are CONDITIONS to being saved.
No, there are responsibilities once one is saved. If there were conditions for man to be saved and man had to meet those conditions, then salvation would not be due to God's grace, but to man's merit... as Paul says, grace would not be grace.

As you can see....Christ gave Himself as a ransom FOR ALL...so that ALL men will have the same opportunity to be saved,,,,
Agree... to here, and here only.

God does not sit in heaven picking, for NO REASON AT ALL...
Agree; God's choices are not arbitrary, and all are according to His own glory.

, and choosing individuals who will go to heaven and those that will go to hell.
He chooses some for Himself, a remnant. And as Paul says, God has every right to make some for noble use and some for common use..

Your going to bring up the crucifixion for support? Can't do better than that?
What are you even talking about here? Do you even know?

OF COURSE the crucifixion had to happen... that was the plan of God from the beginning when man fell in the Garden.
I mean sure, yes, but all I did was say that was the only place anywhere else in Scripture aside from Romans 8 and Ephesians 1 is predestination ever mentioned. Goodness gracious.

I went over the Edenic _Covenant with you and the Adamic Covenant too. Again..no reply to that.
The covenant of life, yes. Renewed with Noah. Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. I don't remember the point you were trying to make, to be honest. I doubt that I didn't reply, but probably just not the way you wanted me to. <smile>

God either predestinates everything as Calvinism teaches
or
Man has free will.
God predestinates certain people to be conformed to the image of His son. And, man has free will. As I have said countless times, the issue is not really the will ~ or whether it is free or not ~ but the state of the heart... who (or Who) he or she is of, and therefore who (or Who) his or her father (or Father) is, which determines whose (or Whose) will he or she does.

Can't be both.
Yes it can... absolutely it can. Really... well, now this will probably make you mad... <chuckles>... There is a sense in which man's will is free, but there is also a sense in which man's will is never free. To the latter, all we have to do is look at Paul's words in Romans 6 and see that any man, at any one time, is either a slave to unrighteousness or a slave to righteousness. Every man is originally the former, and many remain so.

Do you know what heretical means?
Yes, and you're grossly misapplying it.

Grace and peace to you.
 

PinSeeker

Well-Known Member
Oct 4, 2021
3,369
846
113
Nashville
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
Hope you reread what I posted from the Institutes.
I did. And I hope you read my explanation, refuting your silly one. <smile>

If you want to be reformed.... be reformed.
Oh, well thanks! <smile> And if you want to hold on to your false impressions of Reformed theology ~ which means formed again, in the sense that it came out of restoring Christianity and Christ's Church back to its apostolic roots (from the abuses propagated by the Roman Catholics) ~ then... well, hold on to 'em. I mean I would exort you not, but you're certainly your own person. With... a free will... <smile>

Grace and peace to you.