Umm, FK, we need to talk.
The verses from Isaiah don’t mean what you present them to mean.
The verses from Romans do not specify that only the elect are going to Heaven. And neither do the verses from Mark and John.
FK, you have given it a yeoman’s effort. I’ll give you points on it if you wish. You have been very persistent in trying to make sense out of nonsense. You have given all that you can in stating what the Reformed position is versus the reality of Scripture. But that dog don’t hunt.
If you’d like, I could show you where the Reformed position has gone wrong (starting with Genesis). Give up, give in and come back to God, my friend. Your compatriots are leading you down the garden path.
Perhaps I should not have used them as stand alones, I will grant you that. However the point is that God CHOOSES specific people for specific purposes all throughout the Bible. Why would such a pattern apply EXCEPT for the most important thing of all? That makes no sense. God chooses who will perform the tasks He wants done. One of those tasks is believing itself.
The verses from Romans do not specify that only the elect are going to Heaven. And neither do the verses from Mark and John.
That's a curious read. Who else do you suppose is going to Heaven besides the elect? I could see a far stretched reading of Romans and Mark being a subset, but not of John:
John 1:12-13 : 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. KJV
This specifically says "as many", not "more" or "less" or "some of" or some other unequal.
You have given all that you can in stating what the Reformed position is versus the reality of Scripture. But that dog don’t hunt.
Thank you for the compliment, but it's been no struggle at all. The dog is always hunting for an even deeper understanding based on a solidly scriptural framework. :)
If you’d like, I could show you where the Reformed position has gone wrong (starting with Genesis).
Sure, I would be happy to discuss it.
Give up, give in and come back to God, my friend. Your compatriots are leading you down the garden path.
All believers must give up, give in, and come to God. But for me, I'm afraid there is no "back". :) The God I know now is the same and only one I have ever known. I just know a lot more about Him now than I did before, and I am much closer to Him now. And THAT is in large part due to my compatriots, whom I thank God for every day. They have given me great insights into how the totality of scripture works together to reveal one coherent message, just as you spoke of earlier. They have truly been God's blessing to me.