There are plenty of scriptures that tell us that God predestines His elect from before the Foundations. If no logical conclusion can then be drawn about the reprobate, then in Catholicism more or less of the actual elect will enter Heaven. It would mean there is no such thing as an unchangeable Book of Life. This is a completely different definition of who the elect even are than what we find in scripture.
In the field of predestination, God does not consider our merits before predestination. If otherwise, this could be considered an earning of heaven.
I see that as working backwards to repair an untenable position. If God predestines the elect, whether He looks at their merits or not, then that simply leaves the other group left.
Calvin mistakenly thought that God would work in the same way on reprobation. That God would NOT VIEW DEMERITS when considering reprobation. Thus, to Calvin, God, for "his own good pleasure", 'blindly' or 'randomly' condemns men to hell!
God has no need to look through the crystal ball at demerits. He decided to whom He was going to give saving grace at the beginning. He already knew "generally" what was going to happen to all those not receiving saving grace. It was over right then, without doing a sin by sin comparison based on the crystal ball.
However, this ignores key Scripture verses - God desires all men to be saved. There is no such parallel verse in the other direction, thus, reprobation and predestination CANNOT be parallel or analogous in all aspects.
We disagree on whether God is a colossal failure. For a parallel verse there are plenty. For example:
John 12:48 : There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.
This must mean that God desires all the reprobate to not be saved. We know THAT because God always had within His full power the ability to save them. Yet He chose not to.
Yes, the elect were chosen from before time. And throughout, Paul tells us that the elect are those who first come to Christ, who have received forgiveness, who are part of the community, etc.. Nothing about eternal glory. Although it is assumed that the Christian will persevere - Paul certainly wants to exhort us to do just that - there is no guarantee that the individual will REMAIN. Paul tells us this in Galatians, Ephesians, Hebrews, and 1 Corinthians in very explicit terms!
As to the "book of life", it appears that names can be blotted out. That is what Scriptures say.
I see that as working backwards to repair an untenable position. If God predestines the elect, whether He looks at their merits or not, then that simply leaves the other group left.
God works the other way around "first". God desires all men to be saved. Thus, He "starts" with saving every man without viewing merit. However, after viewing WHO will reject and refuse His graces (viewing the demerits), God reprobates those people, leaving the predestined to be saved and fulfill God's desire. He does this WITHOUT forcing the individual to accept Him. That would be WORSE than hell.
God has no need to look through the crystal ball at demerits. He decided to whom He was going to give saving grace at the beginning. He already knew "generally" what was going to happen to all those not receiving saving grace. It was over right then, without doing a sin by sin comparison based on the crystal ball.
Yes, He decided to save all men "initially". God does not reprobate anyone without seeing their evil. Can you point me to any Scriptures that tell us otherwise? That would make God a liar, FK.
We disagree on whether God is a colossal failure.
It is your opinion that God is a failure because He allows men to choose to be evil. That is your paradigm that cannot understand that God would condescend to mankind, although Jesus Christ did nothing BUT condescend...
John 12:48 : There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.
That seems to prove my point, not yours. The Judge gives sentence to the one who rejects Christ, not arbitrarily chosen people. The Judge doesn't already give judgment "before" the rejection. This is another example of God seeing demerits FIRST.
This must mean that God desires all the reprobate to not be saved. We know THAT because God always had within His full power the ability to save them. Yet He chose not to.
That means nothing of the sort. It means that God is just and if man desires it enough, He will give them what they desire. This is what God's wrath is - to leave man in their perverted desires, if that is what they want despite revelation.
Regards