While I respect your viewpoint, I will never be a Calvinist and hold to this viewpoint. Predestination and election are profound theological ideas that I believe lies beyond our very finite minds. In the end I want everyone to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What happens between God and the hearer is God’s work in cooperation with the will of man. But always by grace and not of man’s effort or works.
It is noteworthy that you reject two doctrines by name, predestination and election, that are taught explicitly in scripture (see Rom 9). If we are not meant to understand them, why does God teach them? We may not have comprehensive understanding, but to dismiss them so cavalierly is wrong. You say you want everyone to hear the gospel, as do I. I'm going to publish another essay in the next week or two that shows how these doctrines lead to more evangelism, not less. In either case, don't dismiss doctrines because you don't like them. Submit to God's word and believe God in the doctrines that are difficult.
You imply, or declare I reject predestination and election? I certainly do not. Ephesians 1 makes it pretty clear for me. I just don’t hold to your idea or interpretation of it - that God chooses who to save or reject. His foreknowledge is certainly involved and again exceeds our puny little brains to fully comprehend. For me a secondary issue, and one I will not stand and die on any hill for.
Great job explaining election. I loved your comparison to Jesus only raising Lazarus from the dead.
While I respect your viewpoint, I will never be a Calvinist and hold to this viewpoint. Predestination and election are profound theological ideas that I believe lies beyond our very finite minds. In the end I want everyone to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What happens between God and the hearer is God’s work in cooperation with the will of man. But always by grace and not of man’s effort or works.
It is noteworthy that you reject two doctrines by name, predestination and election, that are taught explicitly in scripture (see Rom 9). If we are not meant to understand them, why does God teach them? We may not have comprehensive understanding, but to dismiss them so cavalierly is wrong. You say you want everyone to hear the gospel, as do I. I'm going to publish another essay in the next week or two that shows how these doctrines lead to more evangelism, not less. In either case, don't dismiss doctrines because you don't like them. Submit to God's word and believe God in the doctrines that are difficult.
You imply, or declare I reject predestination and election? I certainly do not. Ephesians 1 makes it pretty clear for me. I just don’t hold to your idea or interpretation of it - that God chooses who to save or reject. His foreknowledge is certainly involved and again exceeds our puny little brains to fully comprehend. For me a secondary issue, and one I will not stand and die on any hill for.