gralanlinae
Member
God has all glory even before Creation of anything, including angels. It is all about God, and in God we find our purpose of existing - to know God and enjoy God forever. Adam and Eve elevated their position by choosing to do other than God's Will. But that wasn't their right, and in sinning we were cursed and creation in this Cosmos as well.Calvinism, Hyper-Calvinism & Arminianism ..by W.R. Downing, used by permission
Arminians teach that it is man, not God, who chooses in the matter of salvation. They maintain, in effect, that God elects those who elect Him. God ratifies the choices of men; His election is conditional. Calvinism, on the other hand, claims that election is unconditional. It is based on nothing “foreseen” in man. It is one hundred percent the work of God. The doctrine of election is part of the broader doctrine of God’s absolute sovereignty which was discussed in chapter two. There are several erroneous concepts concerning what Calvinism teaches regarding election. First, election is not salvation. Election precedes salvation. The Father has elected certain persons unto salvation in Christ from all eternity. Paul writes: “He [God] chose us [the elect saints] in Him [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him” (Ephesians 1:4). Election is an action that takes place supra-history, whereas salvation takes place in history. The latter occurs at the time an individual confesses Christ as Savior and Lord (Romans 10:9-10).
Second, election does not mean “to ratify” as in Arminianism; rather, it means “to select or choose out of”. Thus, when we speak of election in relation to God and salvation, we speak of that which God is doing, not man. God chooses His “elect.” All men are worthy of eternal death, but God elected a certain number unto salvation before the foundation of the world. Third, as alluded to above, God’s election is not due to His foresight or foreknowledge of whether or not certain men will choose Him. The Westminster Confession of Faith states: “Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions; yet hath He not decreed anything because He foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions.” 9 As we have already seen, the whole human race is guilty in Adam’s sin. All men are born dead in sin and incapable of doing anything that pleases God (Ephesians 2:1; Romans 8:7-8; Psalm 51:5; 58:3). They do not have the ability to choose God. He chooses them. Herein is a serious difference between Calvinism and Arminianism. According to the latter, God, in His divine foresight, looked down through the corridors of time and saw all of those who would choose salvation in Jesus Christ. Having this divine foreknowledge, He then ratified certain men’s choices of Him. Romans 8:29 is the classic passage which addresses the issue of God’s foreknowledge: “For those whom God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.” Is the Arminian understanding of foreknowledge in this verse that of Paul’s? Is the apostle merely speaking of divine prescience? Not at all! Verse twenty-eight, which precedes the verse under discussion, gives us the answer: “We know that in all things, God works for the good of those that love Him; those who have been called according to His purpose.” The whole order of salvation, as found in Romans 8:28-30, turns on the word “purpose” in verse twenty-eight. And it is God’s purpose, not man’s. This is of utmost significance.
I've explained predestination to some by saying that God the Father did not go out sowing his wild seed, hoping for children to be his family. That is humanly speaking, not God's character and he doesn't even permit that behavior in us.
Sometime we have to put things bluntly, for folks even like me, can get convinced of ideas that are not correct but we think are divinely revealed. The Lord have mercy.
If we had to dot all the "i"s and cross all the "t"s in order to be, grow, mature, and function no one could get there. That's why we need to experience the transforming of our mind, as we submit to being living sacrifices to God. That is what the Bible says is our true worship of God. Not attending services or gatherings, although those are needful.
It is all God's work, to, for, in, through Christ our Master, and we are members of His Body. If we function in Christ, we are being who we were created in the New Creation to be. Woo Hoo! And grooving together we will, through all Eternity. Whew. Mind blowing. Thanks be to God.
I'm really glad to be reading this post and thread.