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A CALVINIST CONSTRUCT

These definitions are all either offered by calvinists on this thread or are condensations of definitions on this site recommended by JerryM: Calvinist Tulip Definition Site recommended by Jerry

T - - Total Depravity means that Natural Man is totally sinful and does not ever WANT in his own spirit to know Christ.

U - - Unconditional Election means that God has elected for His own glory, in accordance with His own will and without regard for the merit of those elected, some for salvation and some to be left in their sins.

L - - Limited Atonement means that Christ died specifically and only for the sins of those who would ever truly believe in Him.

I - - Irresistible Grace means that the elect are incapable of resisting the Holy Spirit's inward call to repentance and salvation.

P - - Perseverance of the Saints means that all those who are truly saved will certainly be brought to heaven and to glorification and will never be lost.

The Five Basic Arminian Objections to Calvinism

These Arminian definitions are found in the Wycliffe Dictionary of Theology and are condensed in that work by a Calvinist, Roger Nicole(Gordon Divinity School). I will take some liberties with them for the sake of clarification. They are the views of Jacob Hermann (Armin) a former student of Calvin who came to doubt Calvin's theology.

1. - - God elects only on the basis of foreseen faith and condemns only on the basis of resistance to grace.

2. - - Christ provided a universal opportunity by dying for all men and for every man such that ALL those who turn to him as true repentant believers are saved.

3. - - Man is so depraved that foreplanned divine intervention and preceding divine grace are necessary to bring about faith or any good deed.

4. - - According to the foreplanning of God, man was created with the ability to resist Divine Grace.

5. - - It is not certain that all who are truly regenerate will necessarily persevere in the faith.

Total Depravity means that Natural Man is totally sinful and does not ever WANT in his own spirit to know Christ.

OrthodoxPresbyetrian,

This is a honest question regarding the Calvinist view of Total Depravity. If man is totally sinful and never wants to know Christ, is he then totally evil, vile, corrupt (insert really bad adjectives here) - then does that put unregenerated man on the level with Satan and his minions?

If not, why not, and

If so, could they be redeemed, even if we "know" they won't?

This isn't a set up. I have no snappy retort (or unsnappy retort for that matter), but if we retain none of the image of God, and no ability to choose other than evil, would this then put us on that level?

"Thus the questions about assurance resolve themselves into that of the knowledge of our relationship to God. To an Arminian, who denies election and the perseverance of the saints, the knowledge of our present reconciliation to God might bring with it no assurance of final salvation; for; according to him, we may be in reconciliation today, and out of it tomorrow; but to a Calvinist there can be no such separation. He who is once reconciled is reconciled for ever; and the knowledge of filial relationship just now is the assurance of eternal salvation. Indeed, apart from... God's electing love---there can be no such thing as assurance. It becomes an impossibility."

"By nature we have no peace; "there is no peace to the wicked." Man craves peace; longs for it. God has made it for us; presents... it(Christ/Gospel)---to us."