So far so good.
If Calvinism's soteriological construct is true, then doctrine is superfluous, the bible is superfluous, Faith is superfluous and effectively everything is meaningless except God's decision to elect you to salvation or to let you ignorantly or otherwise die in your sins.
No, none of those things is superfluous because God uses them all in the salvation and sanctification of His elect. All of these things concern the implementation of God's decision to elect. In essence, when God decided to elect the deal was as good as done, but it still must be done within time. For comparison, you know that it was decided that Jesus would die on the cross long before it happened, nevertheless, it still HAD to happen, i.e. when He actually did it, it was not superfluous.
If Calvinism is correct in what it claims, then there is no such thing as Dangerous Doctrine. It is irrelevant. What do you care if people who are going to hell anyway are being taught doctrines that are true or doctrines that are false? If they hold to incorrect doctrines it is because God intended them to hold to those doctrines and you are kicking against the pricks by trying to correct their misconceptions.
From God's POV this is all correct, but since we are not given a list of the names of the elect, our POV is necessarily different. We are commanded to treat all men as if they were elect and witness to them. So, we do. Working on a "hopeless cause" because he is reprobate is never a waste because it is in obedience to God, and there is always a benefit to us, the believer. Regardless of the outcome, every single time we witness we get better at it, we become more fit to give a reason for the hope we have. That can never be a waste.
Plus, it makes no difference anyway (witnessing to an elect or reprobate) since when we do happen to witness to someone who happens to be elect we don't do any of the saving. Only God does. I take no credit or blame for the "results" of my witnessing. I take my satisfaction in obeying Him and leave everything else to Him. I am perfectly comfortable with God wanting me to witness to the elect and reprobate alike.
These same principles apply to the sanctification of other Christians. There are certain points of theology we are ordained to eventually "get", and others we will never understand. So, no amount of arguing is going to change anything THAT WAS ORDAINED. It might, though, help to grow another Christian in accordance with what WAS ordained. For example, it was not ordained that I came to faith as a Calvinist. However, it was ordained that at some later time I would become aware of Calvinism, here on FR, and that I would accept it. So it was definitely worthwhile to me that others were already debating these points on FR before I came along.
You honestly believe (as I do) that there are "dangerous doctrines". But in your construct how can they be "dangerous"? Who can possibly be harmed by them? You? Me?
Yes, with the limited information we have, we perceive dangerous doctrines. So, we argue against them in obedience to God. That's our job, and it is enough. God will use us in part to cause to happen what He has ordained to happen. Certain doctrines can be harmful either temporarily or permanently so in obedience to God we try to steer people away from them.
Maybe deep down you believe it, but in your Calvinistic construct, you don't. You can't. The elect are the elect and their salvation is not contingent upon them receiving correct teaching and the lost are lost no matter how much good doctrine they receive or how much good doctrine is taught to them or how many bible verses they've memorized or how much money they have given to the poor. They are lost so they are lost. Period. No hope. Hope is a mere illusion to both the elect and the lost. Sorry but my mind cannot wrap itself around those ideas. That is why I don't think I will ever be a Calvinist.
In the normal course being elected will necessarily entail that many things happen during the person's lifetime, including following correct doctrine. God is in control of all of it, and that gives me peace. You are right that Calvinists believe we cannot change anything with regard to God's will, but why is that such a bad thing?
I sense that you are bothered by the idea that there is no hope because things cannot be changed. But it should not bother you because that is not Calvinism and for these purposes there is ZERO difference between Calvinistic Divine Ordination and Arminian Divine Foreknowledge. That is to say, you agree that God is omniscient and already knows everyone who will come to Him and be in Heaven. In essence it's already done, and nothing can change what God already knows, right? So, your same concern would have to apply from that perspective. I don't see any difference.
However, this does not in any way mean hope is an illusion. Hope is real for us because we have limited information. Our entire human experience is real for us for the same reason. I'm sure most of us have asked why God bothers to get out of bed in the morning if He already knows what's going to happen that day. His reality is different from ours. In ours there is limited knowledge and so things like hope and faith and trust are possible and real. This is true in Calvinism and Arminianism.
On the one hand you cry that salvation is entirely monergistic and then in the next breath you speak of such contradictory nonsense as "dangerous doctrines" and the "necessity of saving faith".
These are not contradictory. Salvation is entirely monergistic. In the normal course, all of those who are "monergistically saved" will be given saving grace. During the sanctifications of those so saved, dangerous doctrines will come and go and in obedience we argue against them. We take rest in knowing that no matter how good or bad a debater we are, God is in full control of every outcome. Where is there contradiction?
FK: I became a Calvinist by coming to FR and reading the exact same arguments I am making now, so I sure do think it is worthwhile. :)
Then convince me. Oh wait, you can't, can you?
LOL! That's right, I can't. All I can do, in obedience to God, is to present the best case I can and God will do what He will, now or later. I can be patient. :)
FK, thank you for your well thought out reply. I think you did a pretty bang up job of putting your thoughts down on paper and answering to the best of your ability my own objections.
The problem as we all know it is that we see through a glass darkly. But someday, face to face.
Thanks again for the reply.
Marlowe
Excellent post, FK!
God uses the means in this world to do as he planned even if we don’t know how he plans on using them.