It's been about a year since I've visited this forum and not much has changed.. Most notably, I see the Calvinists are still mean spirited. Never could understand that. And I have yet to see a Calvinist in this forum present himself otherwise.
Accusations continue to be flung toward those who don't hold to the same belief system.. some totally unfounded such as being accused of serving a God, ie "an impotent god", other than the God of those who hold to Calvinism, even though Paul tells us, as Believers, that there is "One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and IN YOU ALL." ...and then some to the point of questioning the salvation of those Believer's, who, by default, are labeled "Arminian" for not being "Calvinist", accusing them of having "hearts of stone", even though Peter tells us, as Believers, that God, who knows our hearts, purifies our hearts by faith.
Reading about the subject of "pride" here, I think the following statement is a form of pride in itself...
"The arguments that oppose these Reformed/Calvinist men here on the CDFF Biblical forum come from a group who between them do not have a single pastoral credential or earned degree in the study of theology."
One can boast all they want about their education and those who come to the same conclusion in study, but if that's what you fall on as the guide to judge whether a person is prideful when they disagree with you, then your standards are off base. Heck, Einstein was a genius without education.. God judges the hearts of men... not by the amount of years they spend in a university nor by the degrees to which they hold, but by their obedience to Him. Neither is He going to judge us for not following those who have a higher education. Pride is never seen as a good thing in the Bible, and as far as I know it is associated with those not walking with the Lord. Not only are you judging a person based on what you think is pride in them, and according to your standard of education, but you are also judging their relationship with Christ because of it. And you base it on their lack of education, spelling and grammar errors, and disagreement between you and your educated Calvinist list. And because of that disagreement, this somehow proves to you that your "...point has now been formally demonstrated and proven by the responses."
I think what I find most sad since reading some of these threads so far is the following statement...
"...the poor Arminian has no gospel � no good news at all. His gospel is a sham and a shame and leaves a poor sinner hopeless and helpless."
I do not consider myself an Arminian; that is your claim to those who disagree with Calvinism. But I can tell you that as a Born-Again Believer in Christ, I have a Gospel.. I have Good News, and neither of those "leaves a poor sinner hopeless and helpless." My Gospel is the gospel of Christ... the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes. To be truthful, I find it more hopeless to tell the poor sinner that while Christ died for the ungodly, He might not have died for him; that he may not have the opportunity for eternal life, thereby condemning him to eternal damnation. After all, that is what Calvinism teaches and its followers believe. Where is the good news in that? You cannot preach certain Scriptures without making yourself a liar based on your beliefs because those Scriptures are not intended for the unelect.. An example would be... "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." The Calvinist cannot, with all honesty preach that verse to the hopeless sinner and without doubt believe it applies to him, because he can't know whether that hopeless sinner is one of the elect, one of those sinners that Christ came into the world to save. Where is the Gospel of salvation in that? Where is the assurance of what you're preaching? Where is the assurance for the poor hopeless and helpless sinner found in your Gospel and Good News?
2 Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the acknowledging of him that hath called us unto glory and virtue.
4 Whereby most great and precious promises are given unto us, that by them ye should be partakers of the divine nature, in that ye flee the corruption, which is in the world through lust.
5 Therefore give even all diligence thereunto: join moreover virtue with your faith: and with virtue, knowledge:
6 And with knowledge, temperance: and with temperance, patience: and with patience, godliness:
7 And with godliness, brotherly kindness: and with brotherly kindness, love.
8 For if these things be among you, and abound, they will make you that ye neither shall be idle, nor unfruitful in the acknowledging of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 For he that hath not these things, is blind, and cannot see far off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
