[OneVike]

It has been awhile, but I thought I would also ping my old list to a response I gave to Greetings_Puny_Humans, in comment #13

My response includes Old and New Testament Scriptures from God, that proves He gave us free will.

As a well studied and faithful follower of Christ, I wholeheartedly reject John Calvin's reformed theology teaching. I consider it not only wrong, but dangerous to teach. Especially to those young Christians who have yet progress to meat.

We all are sinners, and even after we come to Christ, we continue to sin on a daily basis. Just as Peter sinned, and Paul who admittedly sinned after coming to Christ. Without the blood shed on the Cross we would all be lost for eternity.

When a young Christian sins by stumbling and falling, as all new Christians do on a more regular basis than the more mature Christian does, they will begin to believe they are not chosen by God, or else they would not sin. That is what happens to many young Christians who come to faith under the Calvinist teachings. They figure they are not chosen and then walk away.

I have learned that today's hyper Calvinists will not be swayed by any logical explanation given. They will just reply to all arguments based on Scripture by finding Scripture they are convinced will deny what Christ meant when He told Nicodemus, "whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life".

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

“I have learned that today’s hyper Calvinists will not be swayed by any logical explanation given.”

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I am not a hyper-Calvinist, so maybe you should try giving a logical explanation instead of assuming that none would work if you did give one.

[P-Marlowe]

I wholeheartedly reject John Calvin's reformed theology teaching.

John Calvin taught a lot of stuff. To wholeheartedly reject what he taught is to dismiss everything he wrote. For instance have you read The Institutes? Do you reject it all?

Have you read the Westminster Confession? Are there parts of it you agree with or do you reject it all?

I have learned that today's hyper Calvinists will not be swayed by any logical explanation given

Can you distinguish the difference between an ordinary run of the mill Calvinist and a "hyper Calvinist"?

Are there any on this thread that you would number among the latter?

[Just mythoughts]

Some are given ‘free will’, Paul most certainly was not given ‘free will’. Saul was doing his free will and he sure did not ask for Heavenly direction on his trip to Damascus. Yet he was interrupted in doing his free will and wrote extensively regarding those predestined from before ‘the foundation’ (means the overthrow - casting down) of the world (or as Peter calls it the world/age that was, IIPeter 3)

Did not Christ say many are called but few are chosen? There can be only one explanation as to why two times it was Written that God hated Esau and Jacob He loved. Their souls/spirits existed before they were placed in flesh body at conception.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I’ve become convinced of a “Calminian” God. Free will entry; guaranteed salvation. And how God implements this, which is a paradox but not any kind of self contradiction, is one of His secrets.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you so much for sharing your views, dear OneVike!

On the Free Will v Predestination debate, I usually only contribute one point as follows:

Scriptures contain both Prophecy (predestination) and Commandments (free will) - therefore, both are true.

The Law of the Excluded Middle (either/or) does not apply to the Creator of that logic.

[LibreOuMort]

John 1:11-13 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 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:
Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Amen, brother. May the grace of God continue to fill you as you take His message of love and redemption to a world in dire need of Him.

[HarleyD]

As a well studied and faithful follower of Christ, I wholeheartedly reject John Calvin's reformed theology teaching. I consider it not only wrong, but dangerous to teach.

While I appreciate your opinion, it is not a truly Protestant view. It is a Catholic view. People who say they are "well studied" should understand what they are saying. I did not get my views from Calvin. And, shocking as this might sound, Calvin didn't get his views from himself. Like Calvin, I went back and studied Augustine's writings and history. It was Augustine who convinced me about God sovereignty and election-not Calvin. Free will is the heresy Augustine fought against. In fact, I still haven't had much chance to read Calvin's writings. And I do not find Augustine's writings "dangerous".

...That is what happens to many young Christians who come to faith under the Calvinist teachings. They figure they are not chosen and then walk away.

I can't speak for all Calvinists because there are not many that I personally know. Many at this site knows that I came to my Reformed views within the last four or five years based upon what others pointed out to me. I'm not sure how one can decide that they are not "chosen". It would seem to me that that would be something that only a person internally could answer. And if they came to the conclusion that they were not chosen and walked away, then isn't that what John tells us,

1Jn_2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

I have learned that today's hyper Calvinists will not be swayed by any logical explanation given. They will just reply to all arguments based on Scripture ...

LOL!!! We certainly can't let scripture get in our way.