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.
AMEN, FK!
This forum has been a bountiful witness to Christ risen and has provided me with more instruction and Christian fellowship and confidence in His word and abiding love than I ever imagined possible on the internet.
For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?" -- Psalm 18:30-31"As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.