Hello Brother George,
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You wrote: I agree, with this caveat – “He certainly knew from eternity past who would {‘hear the word of the Gospel, and believe and’} exercise their “free will” to receive Christ and be placed “in Him,” but He knew this without imposing His will upon them.”
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Thank you for those clarifying words {‘
hear the word of the Gospel, and believe and’}. I have inserted them into my writing.
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You wrote: We cannot underestimate the important role the word of God plays in our salvation. We must first hear the Gospel; then we must believe in our hearts; and then we receive <> faith, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. The only thing we must DO to be saved is that - we must believe! [Acts 16:30-31] That is why I believe that believing (i.e. belief) is the “KEY” that unlocks the Calvinist “puzzle”, and places all of the pieces in regards to their “doctrine” in their proper place.
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I am so with you on this. Unfortunately, I have had the committed "Calvinist" tell me it is God who "chooses" for you to believe. If you are not the "elect" you have absolutely no choice in the matter, even when you hear the word of Gospel.
Quietism!