“What is “significant” is how close you are to the perspective of Rome and our Roman Catholic FRiends on this thread.”
Christian truth is not defined by how close or how far one is from Catholic doctrine, but how close or far one is from the Scriptures.
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“The reason for this similarity is because Arminianism and Romanism are cut from the same humanist cloth.”
One could also say that Calvinism and Manichaeism are cut from the same cloth.
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“However Scripture is clear that no man is capable of pleasing God unless and until he has been reborn by the Holy Spirit.”
Look at this carefully...
“There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. “
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“and instead believe that man must work to become righteous enough to obey the commandments of God and then God elects him to salvation. “
That is absolutely not what I believe. I believe God offers salvation to all men through Christ and, to those who are willing to receive Him, He grants the Holy Spirit by faith whereby they are able to fulfill the righteousness of the Law and live a life which is pleasing in God’s sight.
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“Regeneration precedes faith. God elects and only then do men repent, worship and rejoice.”
Not so...
“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed (FAITH)in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit (REGENERATION),”
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“And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father” — John 6:65
The rest of the story...
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw ALL MEN unto me.”
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“As for your fear that God is the author of sin, put your mind at ease. The Trinity is a mystery and yet it makes sense to me and I embrace it with imperfect knowledge but complete faith.”
Reminds me of....
“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!”
No amount of fuzzy thinking or claims of “mystery” can get around the fact that Calvinism requires God to be the author of sin.
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“God ordains all things that come to pass (how could He not and still be God?) and yet God is not the author of sin. God is all holy.”
You are saying here that God is the author of ALL things and yet He is not the author of sin. This is a unavoidable contradiction. Either one is true or the other. Not both.
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“Mercifully, the fact that all the world and everything in it is under the perfect control of a God who loves us should give Christians courage because when He says nothing can destroy us nor take us from Him, He means it.”
And when He warns us that we could be cut off... does He mean that also?
“do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear.
For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. “
Respectfully I submit that you can’t just pick and choose what you went to take comfort in.
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." -- Colossians 1:16-17"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
whereby they (men) are able to fulfill the righteousness of the Law
This error is EXACTLY where Arminianism leads you -- to presuming man, even with the Holy Spirit, can fulfill the law. That is a teaching straight from Rome who says the Holy Spirit leads only the institution of the the Roman church hierarchy which then gives men the tools it needs (sacraments) to fulfill the law, justify themselves and earn salvation
And thus we see Arminians carrying the water for Rome by helping to obliterate the true definition of justification. Men are NOT saved by an infused righteousness which becomes their own. Men are not saved by obeying the law. Men are saved by Christ's righteousness and Christ's obedience alone, mercifully imputed to the sinner by God's will alone. "When we were yet sinners, God died for us." Christ fulfilled the law and in so doing He has approached the throne of God's justice and taken on our punishment and paid for our sins by His good work on the cross which then permits God to acquit His sheep of their transgressions.
Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." -- Titus 3:5-7"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;