Replies

If he must repent and believe BEFORE he is saved, then his salvation is not a gift; it is earned, right?

No, it is a gift. Faith Is given as a Gift so the elect MAY believe.

This little except says that salvation is an unearned gift from God, predestined before the foundations of the universe for each elite individual, and there is nothing that anyone can do to change the status to salvation from damnation in any way whatsoever. Or the opposite. Once determined for salvation, the Reformed belief is that one cannot be damned.

You missed this in chapt 3 Section VI "Wherefore they who are elected being fallen in Adam are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ by his Spirit working in due season"

Christ gives us the FAITH as a gift and we believe. Christ gave me the FAITH TO believe.

Chapt 14:1 The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word, by which also, and by the administration of the sacraments, and prayer, it is increased and strengthened

Therefore, changing churches, as Kosta alluded to, has no effect on Reformed salvation. Your move away from the Catholic Church has no effect and is, ultimately, entirely useless from a Reformed point of view.

I agree, I never said it DID have an effect. I just said what was the point in staying.

Should the early Christians in Rome have continued to frequent the pagan temples and pray to the Roman Gods?

Very good, just looking for your definitions here.

So. God MAKES you believe? And once you believe, you CANNOT be damned? No matter what you do?

Praying to the pagan gods? Under Reformed belief, there would be no negative effect, would there? Therefore, it should not matter if a self identified Reformed elect prays to pagan gods, or no gods at all, right?

Here's the thing. If the Reformed elite cannot influence their salvation no matter what they do, then they are responsible for doing nothing. They can fornicate a thousand times a day and not influence their salvation whatsoever. They can rape and murder and cause widescale human misery and their status is never capable of changing. What reason do they to behave in a civilized, Christian manner? None.

If the Reformed reprobate cannot influence their salvation no matter what they do, then they are responsible for doing nothing. They can be a Mother Teresa and daily save thousands of suffering people from dying; they can alleviate world hunger and bring the peace of God to the world and their status is never capable of changing. What reason do they to behave in a civilized, Christian manner? None.

Well?