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Reformed
Guest
Excellent, I would agree. You would make a good Calvinist.
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onenow1
Guest
Quote= OneNow1 : Beautiful Quotes and so true, we could not even exist if God didn’t keep us in existance. But does this mean we have no intellect at all ?
Peace, OneNow1
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Reformed
Guest
Are we all born into this world spirituality dead? Who makes your spirtuality alive (new birth)?
Alive in Christ
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits [1] of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities [2] and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. [3] - Col 2
By Grace Through Faith
2:1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body [1] and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But [2] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2
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TriuneUnity
Guest
The contention of Calvinistic theology here, One, is not that we don’t have an intellect, but that our intellect is corrupted by the fall and will always reject, hate, and disobey God.
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Reformed
Guest
I never heard of Les Feldick. I embraced Calvinism about 12 years ago, and read quite a bit of Reformed work. I did a quick Google search on Les Feldick. I would not use Les Feldick to understand Calvinism. Pleae use the links from this site to understand Calvinism:
monergism.com/
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Reformed
Guest
By the continued ability to spirituality see and spirituality hear God over a liftetime, progressively growing in our affection of our Triune God. That’s my experience, but does not necesarily represent a Calvinist. I’m a Christian first, and a Calvinist a distant second… I am also a sinner in process…knowing in part.
If you are an elect, try running from God and see how miserable you will be in the world (fleshly desire). God sure does discipline His children for His own glory and His name sake…and of course, our good.
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Reformed
Guest
If someone was given spirituality eyes to see Jesus Christ as who He really is, wouldn’t everyone freely choose Christ in their new nature? The reason people do not freely choose Christ is the inability to see Jesus Christ as being desirable (spiritual blindness). Why do you think people do not come to Christ for reconcilation to God, and adoption to the family of God?
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Reformed
Guest
Hey, that’s pretty good… I never heard that before. I came up with a dog example since I own a Bassett Hound and a Chinese Crested dogs. If you own a dog, here is a experiment for you to illustrate that our nature not being free at all. We are in bondage to our sin nature, or we are slaves of righteousness with the new nature (Rom 6).
Put a plate of meat (steak, hamburger) next to a plate of vegetables in front of your hungry dog. Your dog is free to choose whatever dish he wants, but his canine nature will always choose the steak over the vegetables. It is the same with us. If we have been granted the new nature, we will always freely choose JesusChrist. If we still have the old nature, we will always run from the light and Christ. I believe John chapter 3 is amazing with these truths.
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Prodigal_Son1
Guest
Continually on these forums you have inferred that some Catholics are outside the elect, even though they have professed their faith in, love and devotion to Christ. I’m not really sure how you get to be the one to determine this. It seems to go against, “judge not lest ye be judged.”
Is it possible that a non-elect in their hope and desire for eternal salvation are following Christ’s teachings to the best of their ability and are actually blind to their predestinaton of eternal damnation?
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Reformed
Guest
I think you represent Calvinism very well. Maybe I need to read “The Bondage of the Will” by Martin Luther? I will order a copy right now at Amazon.
There goes the intellect advantage:
Christ the Wisdom and Power of God
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, [2] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being [3] might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him [4] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” - 1 Cor 1
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Reformed
Guest
That’s a good point. It is impossble for me or anyone else to know who are the elect of God. That is why the external church is visible, and the true church (converted and elect) is invisble and only known to God. I think the Magestrium knows that not all who profess Christ as a Catholic (or as a Protestant) will be in Heaven. I think we know the verses of Lord…Lord… and Christ said that I never knew you. Please consider linking the word “never knew” with “foreknew”. I think a growing affection for our Triune God is an excellent indication of election. Do we love God more than the idols of our heart, and the things of the world (progressively - spiritual journey)?
Romans 8:28-34
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, [1] for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
God’s Everlasting Love
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be [2] against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. [3]
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SyCarl
Guest
My dog would eat both.
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Reformed
Guest
That’s why there are Calvinists, Arminians, and Calminians. What do we call a 4 point Calvinist? The answer: an Arminian.
BTW… being a Calvinist or an Arminian does not determine if someone will be in Heaven.
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sandusky
Guest
Prodigal Son1:
Prodigal Son1:
Christ warns against judgment from a condemning Spirit and self-righteousness. He never warns against, but encourages discernment; how else would you have judged that the CC is true, while judging that other churches are not?
Prodigal Son1:
Yes; and the opposite is true as well: one who is elect may be struggling greatly in his faith and concerned that he is eternally damned, but he is not.
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MarcoPolo
Guest
According to Calvinism, once regeneration takes place, the elect person has perfect discernment of spirits, correct? He always chooses Christ in the face of good and evil? Because like the dog, he knows to reject bad food.
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MarcoPolo
Guest
I was saying that such that it is what the Calvinist believes, not me.
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MarcoPolo
Guest
You should have your girlfriend chime in here.
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Reformed
Guest
I believe most Calvinists would see Romans 7 to be a struggle after regeneration. The Christian life is a stuggle, pressing forward to our upward call in Christ Jesus through the power of the Spirit and the ministry of the Word. We all know in part my friend. God allows struggle, trials and suffering for our good.
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sandusky
Guest
Perfect discernment, right from the start? No. Always choosing Christ, and not one’s desires? No. Finally falling away from Christ to damnation? No.
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sandusky
Guest
It’s you who believes the statement you made in blue above; the Calvinist does not believe that the Spirit fills men apart from their consent.
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