[Dr. Eckleburg]

The assessment of God upon His creature was known to God before He made the creature. Otherwise, He's not God; He's some magnificent Geppetto who sends his creation out into the world and either forgets about him or can't keep track of him.

Regeneration, from a human perspective, is instantaneous. It is predicated upon nothing in man. It depends on the mind of God who ordained the elect from before the foundation of the world. We either possess Trinitarian faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, or we don't. There is no "spiritual limbo."

Sanctification takes a lifetime.

Why does one man exert his free will to "choose to believe" in Christ while another man exerts his free will to "refuse" Christ? What's the difference within the two men?

[fortheDeclaration]

The assessment of God upon His creature was known to God before He made the creature. Otherwise, He's not God; He's some magnificent Geppetto who sends his creation out into the world and either forgets about him or can't keep track of him. Regeneration, from a human perspective, is instantaneous. It is predicated upon nothing in man. It depends on the mind of God who ordained the elect from before the foundation of the world. We either possess Trinitarian faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, or we don't. There is no "spiritual limbo."

I know there is no 'spiritual limbo' because regeneration does not precede faith.

But in Calvinism it does and it a logical issue that you want to avoid, by emphazing now that it is instantaneous.

Something comes first in salvation either faith or regeneration and the time issue is irrevalant.

We know that salvation occurs in a moment in time.

Yet, logically there is an order, as you Calvinists are constantly harping on.

If your order were correct, the believer would be hovering between the dead Adam and the live Adam, alive yet not saved.

A person cannot be spiritually alive and not saved.

Your order of Regeneration preceding faith is simply a theological impossiblity that the Calvinists want to ignore.

Sanctification takes a lifetime.

Be careful, that sounds very Romanist!

Positional sanctification occurs at the moment of salvation, that is you are union with Christ.

Progressive Sanctification occurs during your Christian walk, this is where Rom.6:16 comes in, yielding to the Holy Spirit.

Finally, there is Ultimate Sanctification when we receive our Resurrection Bodies.

Thus, sanctification occurs in three stages, but salvation occurs in a moment,at the point of accepting Christ as one's savior.

The Holy Spirit then 'baptizes' you and brings you into Christ (1Cor.12)

Why does one man exert his free will to "choose to believe" in Christ while another man exerts his free will to "refuse" Christ? What's the difference within the two men?

Why does one Christian choose to grow up and others never do?

The issue is always what you desire, those who come to Christ desire the truth and those who don't, don't (Jn.3:19-21)

Remember that Christ is drawing all men to him (Jn.12)

Men must reject that drawing to be damned (Jn.16:9)

Also remember that faith is not a work (Rom.4:4-5)

And we are commanded to believe (Jn.6:29) but can claim no credit for doing so (Lk17:10)

Finally, I ordered the book, Swarm of locusts.