Firstly, thank you for sharing with us your study on Calvinism Brother George. It was a blessing to read, and most edifying.
I have a few questions I wish to ask, though I don't mean to add any more work to this otherwise long study.
A friend of mine recently sent me this website on Calvanism and why the five points are Biblical. I still haven't done much research into beyond taking note that their doctrine is not derived from the Perfect Word of God.
But here are a few highlights that I have questions on.
Quote:
The totality of our rebellion is seen in Romans 3:9-10 and 18. "I have already charged that all men, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin, as it is written: None is righteous, no not one; no one seeks for God....There is no fear of God before their eyes."
It is a myth that man in his natural state is genuinely seeking God. Men do seek God. But they do not seek him for who he is. They seek him in a pinch as one who might preserve them from death or enhance their worldly enjoyments. Apart from conversion, no one comes to the light of God.
Some do come to the light. But listen to what John 3:20-21 says about them. "Every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God."
Yes there are those who come to the light—namely those whose deeds are the work of God. "Wrought in God" means worked by God. Apart from this gracious work of God all men hate the light of God and will not come to him lest their evil be exposed—this is total rebellion. "No one seeks for God...There is no fear of God before their eyes!"
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So they are stating we are in total rebellion and nothing about us is in line with God (before salvation) correct, because any "good" thing we do is wrought in God, and if we are Wrought in God we must be saved? Seems a little circular to me.
Quote:
Man's inability to submit to God and do good is total.
Picking up on the term "flesh" above (man apart from the grace of God) we find Paul declaring it to be totally enslaved to rebellion. Romans 8:7-8 says, "For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, indeed it cannot; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God."
The "mind of the flesh" is the mind of man apart from the indwelling Spirit of God ("You are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God really dwells in you," Romans 8:9). So natural man has a mindset that does not and cannot submit to God. Man cannot reform himself.
Ephesians 2:1 says that we Christians were all once "dead in trespasses and sins." The point of deadness is that we were incapable of any life with God. Our hearts were like a stone toward God (Ephesians 4:18; Ezekiel 36:26). Our hearts were blind and incapable of seeing the glory of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4-6). We were totally unable to reform ourselves.
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And that, well that part went over my head.
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceL...ism/#Depravity
Is the site my friend sent me though.
I thought at the very least it might be good for your study to get other Calvanisitic views on their doctrine.