The article is correct when it quotes Al Mohler that "The moment someone begins to define God's [being or actions] biblically, that person is drawn to conclusions that are traditionally classified as Calvinist."
And as the author of this article says, it will be interesting to see if "during these hard times, more Christians searching for security will submit their wills to the austerely demanding God of their country's infancy."
Calvinists are confident that exactly as many as God has determined to submit their wills and lives to God will do so by the free gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
God is all holy; He is not the author of sin. But it is equally true that all things, including Satan, are under the hand, will and purpose of the Triune God. How could that not be true and God still be God? Satan is, after all, a created being.
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:
"All things."
Therefore the Christian who has been given God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ should boast only in the Lord, and not in anything in himself. Because salvation is of the Lord. Alone. And that is the true focal point of our confidence in His love -- that He loved us before we loved Him, "before we could do anything good or evil." (Romans 9:11.)
All that being true, then we are able to trust God when our lives are happy and likewise to trust Him when sadness prevails. Because it is ALL by God, for God, through God, one way or another, to bring His children to Him.
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." -- Romans 8:28
"All things."
Still waiting to hear the verse in scripture where we are given faith as the result of our regeneration (born again), not born again thru faith.
"38Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days." 40Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?" 41So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me." 43When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out." 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." 45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him..."
"3In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it..."
"in whom also having believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of the promise"
Thank you so much for sharing your insights, dear sister in Christ, and thank you for those beautiful Scriptures!
Amen & amen!!
And what a wonderful truth that has been sown into our hearts. I can trust Him no matter what happens.
Ephesians
1:22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,
:23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
2:1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
:2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—
:3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
:5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
:6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
:7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
:9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.