Jim,
We need to break it on down man. We need to stop beating around the bush and tell it like it is.
Are you saying God wants some folks to go to hell? Are you saying it is his will that some people could not even be saved if they wanted to be saved?
God has two wills.
1. Perfect will.
2. Permissive will
I think God wants everyone to be saved and go to heaven. Christ died for all. However God knows most folks will end up in hell. That is not his perfect will. My main issue with the Calvinist is they do not believe in God permissive will. I believe God will let someone go to hell in his permissive but not perfect will. If anyone goes to hell they go to hell out of God's perfect will.
I myself have been out of God's perfect will. I have not lived as well as I should have at times. I smoked for about 2 years after I was saved. That was not God's perfect will. He let me do it, but it was not his perfect will. It was God's permissive will that I smoked. I did stop smoking, God helped me stop. He did not make me stop. God lets man have lots of freedom inside of his permissive will. I often am out of God's perfect will. As is everyone else. That is why I have to ask for Gods forgiveness often. We all are the same.
Salvation is the same way. God wanted me to be saved. That was his perfect will for me to be saved. If I had not chose to be saved God would have let me go to hell. It was all on me. He gave me everything I needed to be saved but I had to accept it.
Atlas
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