Feel free to show where Sproul "ridiculed" the notion that "God saved you because you put your trust and faith in Christ when you answered the summons of the gospel."
Ultimately his answer is that he doesn't know. But he does reveal something at the end which is quite telling. He reveals that there is something (something not revealed) in a person that God uses for a determinate choice.
No, actually, that's NOT what he is saying. If you look at the rest of the paragraph preceding this final statement, his point is essentially one for infralapsarian predestination over supralapsarian predestination. Sproul is an infralapsarian...he believes that the decree of election was made in the context of the Fall. You are distorting his words in saying he advocates conditional election.
So in essence Sproul recognizes the gospel, and then rejects it as too simplistic. Instead he delves deeper and then where does he end up? Confused.
He's not the one confused, Marlowe. And I should think you would be more careful with your choice of words as to Sproul's approach to the Gospel, unless of course your intent is to challenge Sproul's salvation.
He referenced it as simplistic and only true "on the surface." IMO that is ridicule of those who would respond so "simplistically". He should have stated that it is true, period. But he only referenced it as true "on the surface."
IMO, his intent was to show that those who hold firmly that position are not deep thinkers like he is.