[White Mountain]

Now, I am sure you have many disagreements with Andrew's thesis, but it does reflect a line of reasoning that I have often seen in your posts:

1. Bible Truth is presented: God is always fair and just.
2. John Calvin's interpretations are then presented as though they were on a par with Bible truth: God has predestined some to eternal life without regard to any merit on their part, and has likewise predestined others to eternal damnation, specifically with regard to moral demerit on their part -- God withholds from the latter the grace to repent -- the rest of TULIP -- etc.
3. The regenerate reader's common sense says this is horribly unfair and unjust.
4. "Who are you, O man, to talk back to God?" (Romans 9:20), in which Holy Scripture is used to imply that the reader is questioning #1 (the justice of God) and to demand therefore that the reader must instead question #3 (his/her common sense), when in fact it is #2 (the erroneous logic and conclusions of Mr. Calvin) that must be called into question.

If the reader accedes to the demand that he must doubt his God-given common sense and faculties of reason, the tendency is to let the person presenting this line of reasoning do his thinking for him, something that I would advise against.

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

Bible Truth is presented: God is always fair and just.
John Calvin's interpretations are then presented as though they were on a par with Bible truth: God has predestined some to eternal life without regard to any merit on their part, and has likewise predestined others to eternal damnation, specifically with regard to moral demerit on their part -- God withholds from the latter the grace to repent -- the rest of TULIP -- etc.
The regenerate reader's common sense says this is horribly unfair and unjust.

(codicil -- even the regenerate's "common sense" must be progressively sanctified to acknowledge the absolute sovereignty of God. As Man's natural state is Rebellion against God, his Mind must be renewed by the Holy Spirit.

Those who reject the truth of God's Sovereignty are either insufficiently-sanctified, or, [what is more often the case], unregenerate in the first place).

"Who are you, O man, to talk back to God?" (Romans 9:20), in which Holy Scripture is used to imply that the reader is questioning #1 (the justice of God) and to demand therefore that the reader must instead question #3 (his/her common sense), when in fact it is #2 (the erroneous logic and conclusions of Mr. Calvin) that must be called into question.

The sanctified mind does not answer back against the absolute sovereignty of God -- as Paul affirms.

• God predestines some to Salvation without regard to their merits.
• God predestines the rest to Damnation with specific regard to their moral demerits.

This is the teaching of Scripture, which the regenerate, sanctified Mind accepts.