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You say, "Any time you would like to discuss the Scriptures...," you really mean that "If you differ from me, I'll ignore, not respond to and flat out reject any of your Scripture references and castigate you in the process." This thread, thanks to you, has devolved into "profane and vain babblings" (2Ti. 2:15-21) and has become totally unprofitable.

You have been shown Scripture after Scripture which you reject calling the poster a heretic. Yet you do not even understand what "elect" is according to the plain words of Scripture. FYI it ain't "elect to salvation," it is "elect to service" to ALL who believe. A sixth grader can figure this out without adding words to what God plainly and clearly tells us.

Throughout the Bible, man has free will to either accept or reject God and His provision for salvation. (For example see Deut. 30:19; 1Cor. 8:9; Gal. 5:13; 1Cor. 7:39; Amos 3:3 as a starter.) And yet you maintain that man does not have free will. It actually takes a bigger God to allow this freedom of thought and will by man that He created than you purport. In fact, this is the highest form of sovereignty.

A good example is comparing the sovereignty of Nebuchadnezzar with that of Darius in Daniel. Calvinism places God in the Darius type of sovereignty, which actually boxes Him in. The Calvinistic view of God's sovereignty essentially states that every thing was planned out by God before the world began and nothing can change that plan. This is referred to as "fatalism," which is akin to how the Islamic religion views things.

If you openly look at the Scriptures without out the Calvinist blinders, you will even find that predestination refers to the predetermined goal that God has for every believer. In other words, the Bible is clear that God doesn't predetermine who will be saved. He has great plans for those who are saved, with the saved ultimately becoming "conformed to the image of Christ."

A prime example is found in Romans 9:22-24 where Paul makes an application of what he stated in earlier verses. Predestinarians interpret this passage as meaning God chooses in advance who will receive wrath/destruction and who will receive mercy/glory. What Paul IS saying is that God determines what will become of those deserving wrath and what will become of those deserving mercy. Someone put it that it is like God has established two clubs, the "wrath club" and the "mercy club." The "benefits" of belonging to either club has been determined and stated by God, but membership is open to "whoever" wants to join. Thank God that He made it possible for a person to go from the wrath club to the mercy club by faith in Jesus Christ, but not the other way. Then they become "vessels of mercy" which God has predetermined to be "prepared unto glory." (Ro. 9:23) "Even us, whom He hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles." (Ro. 9:24) Grace and peace.

Well, the word means "elect", "select" or "chosen" and is used about 15 times from Romans to Revelations. I don't know how any of these verses could be construed "elected for service".

Rom 8:33 Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies;

Rom 11:7 What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened;

1Co 1:28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are,

Col 3:12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;

2Th 2:13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

Tit 1:1 Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,

1Pe 1:1-2 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, ...

Well, you get the picture.

You say, "Any time you would like to discuss the Scriptures...," you really mean that "If you differ from me, I'll ignore, not respond to and flat out reject any of your Scripture references and castigate you in the process." This thread, thanks to you, has devolved into "profane and vain babblings" (2Ti. 2:15-21) and has become totally unprofitable. You have been shown Scripture after Scripture which you reject calling the poster a heretic. Yet you do not even understand what "elect" is according to the plain words of Scripture. FYI it ain't "elect to salvation," it is "elect to service" to ALL who believe. A sixth grader can figure this out without adding words to what God plainly and clearly tells us. Throughout the Bible, man has free will to either accept or reject God and His provision for salvation. (For example see Deut. 30:19; 1Cor. 8:9; Gal. 5:13; 1Cor. 7:39; Amos 3:3 as a starter.) And yet you maintain that man does not have free will.... et cetera., et cetera.

Whack that Straw Man!! Whack 'im, hard!!

Real impressive how you accuse me of "not responding to and flat out rejecting any of (our) Scripture references" and of "maintaining that man does not have free will". Quite damning stuff, except that it's a flat-out Lie.

Here's the Truth, just to refresh your memory: I have consistently agreed that Man DOES have Free Will, and have completely accepted all Scriptures presented in support of that argument. Let me say that again, and I'll type slowly so maybe you'll get it: I - do - not - "maintain - that - man - does - not - have - free - will". Nor do I reject any of the Scriptures advanced to demonstrate that point. Do you get it, YET?

Now, let's review: What I HAVE consistently maintained, and for which I HAVE presented a mountain of Scriptural Evidence to which neither of you have responded even once, is the Fact that the Bible ALSO teaches us just exactly WHAT a Spiritually-Dead Man WILL DO with his Free Will, each and every time he is offered a choice:

While a Man remains Spiritually-Dead, he will ALWAYS AND ONLY use his Free Will to REJECT GOD. Thus saith the Scriptures:

LAW 1.) The Spiritually Dead are born wicked. (Genesis 8:21; Psalms 58:3)
LAW 2.) All humanely-benevolent works of the Spiritually Dead are considered by God to be unclean filthiness. (Isaiah 64:6)
LAW 3.) As long as he is Spiritually Dead, the Unregenerate Man never freely wills the action of Righteous Good. (Jeremiah 13:23)
LAW 4.) As long as they are Spiritually Dead, the hearts of Unregenerate Men are only and always set upon the doing of evil. (Ecclesiastes 8:11)
LAW 5.) As long as they are Spiritually Dead, the hearts of Unregenerate Men are spiritually insane. (Ecclesiastes 9:3)
LAW 6.) As long as they are Spiritually Dead, the hearts of Unregenerate Men always despise the Light of Grace. (John 3:19)
LAW 7.) As long as they are Spiritually Dead, the hearts of Unregenerate Men always reject the ministrations of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 7:51)
LAW 8.) As long as they are Spiritually Dead, the hearts of Unregenerate Men NEVER Seek God. (Romans 3:10-11)
LAW 9.) As long as they are Spiritually Dead, the hearts of Unregenerate Men NEVER will any action whatsoever of Righteous Good. (Romans 3:12)
LAW 10.) As long as they are Spiritually Dead, it is defined as BIBLICALLY-IMPOSSIBLE that the Unregenerate Man should ever will any Righteous Good. (Romans 7:18)
LAW 11.) As long as they are Spiritually Dead, the hearts of Unregenerate Men NEVER perform any God-pleasing Action of Will whatsoever. (Romans 8:5-8)
Law 12.) As long as they are Spiritually Dead, the hearts of Unregenerate Men are utterly incapable of knowing, understanding, or believing any Spiritual Truth. (1 Corinthians 2:14)

Once the nature of Spiritual Death is correctly understood according to the teachings of Scripture, it becomes clearly evident that it is Biblically-impermissible to teach that Unregenerate men "respond to" and "choose God" prior to God's own monergistic Regeneration of their dead spirits.

And God regenerates whomsoever He will, according to His own Election.