Churchwork
12-20-2009, 02:55 PM
We know the Scriptures say that God will have mercy upon whom He has mercy and that none seek after God. Someone fleshly may perceive these sayings to mean Total depravity then fall down the rabbit hole of Calvinism through this mistaken assumption and either as a Christian lose his rewards for the millennium, or as a non-Christian cling to a false salvation by refusing to repent and believe in Christ to be regenerated, because the idol of Total depravity says he can't, so he won't. This is often called a selfish salvation where you get to assume you are regenerated without prior repentance and faith. It doesn't matter if you think you have a good excuse. The fact is you did not repent and believe in Christ to be regenerated. The evil spirit simulated or produced a facsimile of God's saving grace, and you bought it, hook line and sinker with an emotional impetus, prideful idea, or desirous action that stimulated your flesh, but left your spirit as unregenerated as before.
Now then, we also know God said He desires that none should perish which demands He provide sufficient grace to all so His desire and actions meet in harmony. Can a person be Totally depraved and yet God provide sufficient grace to all to have the opportunity to be saved, pass over none and not have to irresistibly impose salvation on anyone? I have never seen anyone who calls himself a Calvinist allow for this, so there is something in the word Total depravity the Calvinist means more than just our need for God's grace to draw us or allow to draw back unto perdition.
This is why I advocate not using the phrase Total depravity. We are partially depraved. We are fallen, but not so far that none of us can freely by the grace of God obtain the gift of repentance and faith to believe on Him to be regenerated. Hence, to have mercy upon whom He has mercy is to indicate God's distribution of mercy as sufficient. And none seek after God indicates man's willfulness which all wilfully resist; hence, the need for God's sufficient enabling grace. Amen.
Thank God the meaning of sufficiency by Calvinism is false; that is, sufficiency doesn't mean God always saves those He provides grace to. Not at all. Sufficiency is not necessity to be saved, but sufficiency to enable the free-will to be truly free to have the choice. Praise the Lord!
James White, I know you read this. Stop hiding from me. Join me in Chat. Let's discuss your unsalvation (http://biblocality.com/forums/chat/) and need for repentance and faith BEFORE regeneration for a true relationship with Jesus Christ as He would have you, if you were willing. What I freely received, I freely give to you. No book sales, no funding for public debates, and no money collected from the pews. Just the truth so that you may be saved by grace through faith to be a child of God and a member of the body of Christ like that Baptist ex-Calvinist (Calvinist for 26 years (http://biblocality.com/forums/content.php?105-Ex-Calvinist-said-He-was-Born-again-after-being-a-Calvinist-for-26-Years)). He said on video he was born-again for the first time in his life after repenting of Calvinism. Finally, you can let go of this pride that you exuded all these years, exalting yourself over others with--thinking you were irresistibly selected and they were not, nor given the opportunity to even be saved. What love is this? If this is evil for man to behave this way then certainly for God also, since His standards are not lower than ours.
Thank the Lord for this discernment! Amen.
Now then, we also know God said He desires that none should perish which demands He provide sufficient grace to all so His desire and actions meet in harmony. Can a person be Totally depraved and yet God provide sufficient grace to all to have the opportunity to be saved, pass over none and not have to irresistibly impose salvation on anyone? I have never seen anyone who calls himself a Calvinist allow for this, so there is something in the word Total depravity the Calvinist means more than just our need for God's grace to draw us or allow to draw back unto perdition.
This is why I advocate not using the phrase Total depravity. We are partially depraved. We are fallen, but not so far that none of us can freely by the grace of God obtain the gift of repentance and faith to believe on Him to be regenerated. Hence, to have mercy upon whom He has mercy is to indicate God's distribution of mercy as sufficient. And none seek after God indicates man's willfulness which all wilfully resist; hence, the need for God's sufficient enabling grace. Amen.
Thank God the meaning of sufficiency by Calvinism is false; that is, sufficiency doesn't mean God always saves those He provides grace to. Not at all. Sufficiency is not necessity to be saved, but sufficiency to enable the free-will to be truly free to have the choice. Praise the Lord!
James White, I know you read this. Stop hiding from me. Join me in Chat. Let's discuss your unsalvation (http://biblocality.com/forums/chat/) and need for repentance and faith BEFORE regeneration for a true relationship with Jesus Christ as He would have you, if you were willing. What I freely received, I freely give to you. No book sales, no funding for public debates, and no money collected from the pews. Just the truth so that you may be saved by grace through faith to be a child of God and a member of the body of Christ like that Baptist ex-Calvinist (Calvinist for 26 years (http://biblocality.com/forums/content.php?105-Ex-Calvinist-said-He-was-Born-again-after-being-a-Calvinist-for-26-Years)). He said on video he was born-again for the first time in his life after repenting of Calvinism. Finally, you can let go of this pride that you exuded all these years, exalting yourself over others with--thinking you were irresistibly selected and they were not, nor given the opportunity to even be saved. What love is this? If this is evil for man to behave this way then certainly for God also, since His standards are not lower than ours.
Thank the Lord for this discernment! Amen.