The problem I’ve always had with Calvinism/Reformed (TULIP) is the fact that God is a JUST God.
He is Sovereign so He has the authority, He has the power but is He justified in this picking and choosing?
Example: Is God then justified in allowing a child to come into the world born into poverty, to be abused by her father, forced into prostitution and drugs barely into her teens and then having her life ended by some sicko before she even reaches the age of 20.
At the end of this short and pitiful life she then stands before the God of the universe only to hear the words “Get thee from Me for I never CHOSE you!” Sorry but where’s the justification in this?
I believe in an eternal heaven and hell but I don’t believe the TULIP interpretation of scripture. We must understand that God is all knowing and that prior to the creation of the world there were decisions that were made which obviously affected the final results. Some decisions that come to my limited mind are how much interaction between God and man and when, Obviously that Jesus was to come and allow Himself to be crucified for our sins and finally who are the people God needed to Personally get involved with to bring about His ultimate plan (Paul comes to mind).
All this was to bring about the ideal outcome of maximizing those that would come to trust in the Lord. So when looked at in this fashion then yes God chose this direction earth would take and ultimately then God did (in a way) choose who would and who would not be saved but He didn’t do it by say these I will save and those I will not.
Maybe I’ve not explained myself well but to me it all boils down to justification.
Then you believe there are sinless immortal people in the world?
The T in Tulip came from the Council of Ephesus in the year 381. The doctrine of Pelagius had spread over the known world before that. His belief was that sin was only learned (not inherited) and therefore there could be sinless immortal people in the world (like Romulus and Remus, supposedly raised by a she-wolf).
So, I am assuming that you believe there are sinless immortals in the world?