“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” - John 6:44.
Okay. So how does this verse prove pre-faith spiritual rebirth?
"Oh, but don't you see? God has to 'draw him.'"
Yes, this is absolutely true. God does draw us. Just like when Jesus said that He would draw ALL men to Himself in John 12:32.
"Draw" does not equal "Regeneration."
"Quickeneth" does not equal "Regeneration."
Regeneration = Regeneration
Spiritual rebirth occurs after faith.
Ephesians 1:13 "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,"
Sunday, January 31, 2010
T stands for "Terribly Deluded."
I find the Calvinist persuasion of total depravity intriguing…
Men are so dead in trespasses in sins that God must regenerate them in order for them to believe.
So were all the OT prophets, priests, patriarchs, and kings regenerate? How were they able to respond to God? What about John the Baptist, Simeon, and Cornelius?
Didn’t Jesus tell Nicodemus, “You must be born again”?
Didn’t Jesus say that though John the Baptist was the greatest prophet, the least in the Kingdom was greater than he (Luke 7)?
Thus, John was outside of the Kingdom, yet was able to respond to God (John 1:33).
The idea that God must regenerate us in order for us to respond to Him – to believe in Him – is wrong.
Men are so dead in trespasses in sins that God must regenerate them in order for them to believe.
So were all the OT prophets, priests, patriarchs, and kings regenerate? How were they able to respond to God? What about John the Baptist, Simeon, and Cornelius?
Didn’t Jesus tell Nicodemus, “You must be born again”?
Didn’t Jesus say that though John the Baptist was the greatest prophet, the least in the Kingdom was greater than he (Luke 7)?
Thus, John was outside of the Kingdom, yet was able to respond to God (John 1:33).
The idea that God must regenerate us in order for us to respond to Him – to believe in Him – is wrong.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Stop Hitting Yourself.
Have you ever seen a bully grab someone's hand and start smacking the same person's head with their own hand while saying, "Stop hitting yourself, stop hitting yourself..." While the bully seems to get great pleasure from such an event, it's pretty frustrating and humiliating for the other kid. I mean the kid is powerless to stop the event from happening, yet the bully is mocking him by telling him to "stop hitting himself."
What a wicked thing to do - tell someone to stop hitting themselves, when knowing full well they are unable to do anything about it.
Interestingly, the god of Calvinism would tell all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30) knowing full well that this is impossible for the majority of them to do.
"You whom I've appointed for hell - REPENT. You whom I've hated before the creation of the world - REPENT. You whom I will never regenerate - REPENT."
It seems like the bully and the god of Calvinism have a lot in common.
"Stop hitting yourself. Stop hitting yourself. Why are you hitting yourself? Can't you stop hitting yourself..."
What a wicked thing to do - tell someone to stop hitting themselves, when knowing full well they are unable to do anything about it.
Interestingly, the god of Calvinism would tell all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30) knowing full well that this is impossible for the majority of them to do.
"You whom I've appointed for hell - REPENT. You whom I've hated before the creation of the world - REPENT. You whom I will never regenerate - REPENT."
It seems like the bully and the god of Calvinism have a lot in common.
"Stop hitting yourself. Stop hitting yourself. Why are you hitting yourself? Can't you stop hitting yourself..."
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Is God's will resistable?
Why would Jesus teach us to pray, "Father, Thy will be done..," if His will was already going to be accomplished in every single situation?
What if my father says to me, "Son, here is what I want you to tell me, 'Dad, I want you to be certain to breathe today.'" Wouldn't that be a most ignorant statement and complete waste of time? Why would our father tell us to ask him to do something that was clearly going to occur?
Likewise, why would God in the flesh ask us to pray to Him that His will would be done if no other option was possible of happening?
It's ludicrous.
God's will does not happen in every situation.
What if my father says to me, "Son, here is what I want you to tell me, 'Dad, I want you to be certain to breathe today.'" Wouldn't that be a most ignorant statement and complete waste of time? Why would our father tell us to ask him to do something that was clearly going to occur?
Likewise, why would God in the flesh ask us to pray to Him that His will would be done if no other option was possible of happening?
It's ludicrous.
God's will does not happen in every situation.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Ordained for hell?!!
If God, according to reformed doctrine, ordains someone for either eternity in heaven or eternity in hell, according to His "good pleasure," then why do we see so many contrary passages in scripture?
Ezekiel 18:23 & 32
"23 Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked," declares the Lord GOD, "rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?
"32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord GOD. "Therefore, repent and live."
Ezekiel 33:11
"Say to them, 'As I live!' declares the Lord GOD, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked..."
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
Also, I don't see how the reformed position can avoid double-predestination considering one of their most oft used verses supporting unconditional election is Romans 9:13.
Ezekiel 18:23 & 32
"23 Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked," declares the Lord GOD, "rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?
"32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord GOD. "Therefore, repent and live."
Ezekiel 33:11
"Say to them, 'As I live!' declares the Lord GOD, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked..."
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
Also, I don't see how the reformed position can avoid double-predestination considering one of their most oft used verses supporting unconditional election is Romans 9:13.
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