Replies

******None of which proves totally depraved, double predestination or irresistible grace.****

Man is spiritually dead. Because of the fall, man has become spiritually dead, blind and deaf to the things of God and is therefore unable of himself to choose spiritual good and determine his own destiny.

C. Scriptural Support for the Reformed Position

1. The fall has resulted in spiritual death to all men.

Gen.2:16 - Gen.2:17 (NKJ)

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;17 “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Romans.5:12 - Romans.5:12 (NKJ)

12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned

Eph.2:1 - Eph.2:3 (NKJ)

1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

Col.2:13 - Col.2:13 (NKJ)

13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,

2. Fallen man is now blind and deaf to spiritual truth.

Gen.6:5 - Gen.6:5 (NKJ)

5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Gen.8:21 - Gen.8:21 (NKJ)

21 And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.

Ecc.9:3 - Ecc.9:3 (NKJ)

3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

Jer.17:9 - Jer.17:9 (NKJ)

9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?

Mark.7:21 - Mark.7:23 (NKJ)

21 “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,22 “thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.23 “All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

3.Fallen man is now under the control of Satan and in bondage to sin

John.8:44 - John.8:44 (NKJ)

44 “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

Eph.2:1 - Eph.2:2 (NKJ)

2Tim.2:25 - 2Tim.2:26 (NKJ)

25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

1John.3:10 - 1John.3:10 (NKJ)

10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

1John.5:19 - 1John.5:19 (NKJ)

19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

Rom.6:20 - Rom.6:20 (NKJ)

20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

Titus.3:3 - Titus.3:3 (NKJ)

3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

4. Fallen man, left in his dead state, is totally unable to repent, to believe the gospel, or to come to Christ.

John.6:44 - John.6:44 (NKJ)

44 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. [Note: The word here translated draws is translated as drags in other passages, such as John 21:11, Acts 21:30, and Acts 16:19.]

John.6:65 - John.6:65 (NKJ)

65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”

Rom.3:9 - Rom.3:12 (NKJ)

9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.10 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one;11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”

Rom.8:7 - Rom.8:8 (NKJ)

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

1Cor.2:14 - 1Cor.2:14 (NKJ)

14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Reformed Position: The Holy Spirit regenerates every one of God’s chosen people, enabling them to believe. The Holy Spirit graciously regenerates every one of God’s chosen people, creating within them a new heart and enabling them to freely and willingly believe in Christ as Savior and Lord. The New Birth precedes and makes possible Saving Faith. Life gives Faith.

C.Scriptural Support for the Reformed Position:

1. Every one whom the Father has chosen and for whom Christ died, will certainly experience the application of that salvation by the Holy Spirit.

John.6:37 - John.6:37 (NKJ)

37 “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.

John 6:44 - John 6:44 (NKJ)

44 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 10:16 - John 10:16 (NKJ)

16 “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

Rom.8:28 - Rom.8:30 (NKJ)

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Rom.8:32 - Rom.8:32 (NKJ)

32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

1Cor.6:11 - 1Cor.6:11 (NKJ)

11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

1Cor.12:3 - 1Cor.12:3 (NKJ)

3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

2Cor.3:6- 2Cor.3:6 (NKJ)

6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

2Cor.3:17 - 2Cor.3:18 (NKJ)

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Eph.1:3 - Eph.1:4 (NKJ)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,

Eph.1:7 - Eph.1:7 (NKJ)

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

Eph.1:13 - Eph.1:14 (NKJ)

13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

1Pet.1:2 - 1Pet.1:2 (NKJ)

2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

Double predestination is not a doctrine of Calvinism ... many hold the single predestination viewpoint