Featured Another passage in which many struggle

That is not what the text says. It say "you" the believers at Thessalonic had from the "beginning" been chosen "TO salvation" not "because of salvation."

 

As I never tire of saying : Christ died for the Church, His Body,the Elect,the Sheep,the Called,His Bride, and many more designations signifying the very same folks. Christ did not die for,in the place of,in the stead of those in Hell and those going there.

Christ died for the Church which He bought with His own blood. He did not die for the Church AND everyone else.

 

...and I never tire of saying how wrong that position is.

 

Nobody said anything about "because of salvation". You are arguing against points not being made. This is called erecting strawmwen. I know what the text says. It says what it means, and means what it says. We are chosen THROUGH sanctification...work of the Spirit...and belief in the truth...faith. This is not debateable.

 

Lord knows I would not want to erect any strawmwen. That's kind of a twist on your favorite expression. :wavey:

 

The truth of this matter in this position is the belief that, "There is no saving power in the Gospel apart from the Holy Spirit determining it."

IOWs the power of the Holy Spirit must first be determined to be effective on the lucky specially pre-determined few, otherwise the Gospel does not have the power to save. The Gospel does not have the power to really save all...just a little power to save some.

Preachit Calvinist!!!

Couldn't prove this (L) by John 17, but can't wait to smokescreen into spreading their dark message! Of course they wouldn't dare reveal this "truth" in this matter of their theology when preaching the Gospel to others...or would they???



...and they wonder why their sick view is so strongly rejected!

 

II. Secondly, IN CHRIST JESUS THERE IS LIFE,
for he says: "Ye will not come to me that ye might have life." There is no life in God the Father for a sinner; there is no life in God the Spirit for a sinner apart from Jesus. The life of a sinner is in Christ. If you take the Father apart from the Son, though he loves his elect, and decrees that they shall live, yet life is only in his Son. If you take God the Spirit apart from Jesus Christ, though it is the Spirit that gives us spiritual life, yet it is life in Christ, life in the Son. We dare not, and cannot apply in the first place, either to God the Father, or to God the Holy Ghost for spiritual life. The first thing we are led to do when God brings us out of Egypt is to eat the Passover—the very first thing. The first means whereby we get life is by feeding upon the flesh and blood of the Son of God; living in him, trusting on him, believing in his grace and power. Our second thought was—there is life in Christ.

C.H. Spurgeon

Plain and simple we live because we eat.Those who refuse to eat don't live they are already condemned.

The words of Jesus and the words concerning Jesus our faith has Spirit and Life in them for the dead.

James 1:18
He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

 

I was unaware I had a favorite expression. You must have supernatural insight

 

Here is what you said:

3. We are chosen by the work of the Spirit (the gospel) and belief in its truth.

You are attributing the cause of being chosen to the work of the gospel by the Spirit. In other words, if a person believes the gospel FIRST then they are chosen by God SECOND as a consequence.

That is not what the text says or means. It says we are chosen "to salvation" and then salvation occurs "THROUGH" the sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth" AS THE CONSEQUENCE not as the cause. The cause is attributed to God choosing you to salvation FROM THE BEGINNING not FROM THE TIME OF THE GOSPEL WORK OF THE SPIRIT in you.

 

Yes exactly....

http://www.monergism.com/directory/link_category/Definite-Atonement/

The sin of Adam did not make the condemnation of all men merely possible; it was the ground of their actual condemnation. So the righteousness of Christ did not make the salvation of men merely possible, it secured the actual salvation of those for whom He wrought.”
~ Charles Hodge

Here is a concise exegetical defense of "particular redemption" in the book of John. Please follow the train of thought to the end. Jesus said, "All that the Father gives me will come to me" (John 6:37) - From this text we understand that all that the Father gives to the Son will believe in him. It does not read "some" of those given by the Father will believe but reads "all" of those the Father h as given the Son will believe. Note that it also teaches that the giving to the Son precedes their believing in Him. Lets make some other connections here .... Please notice how this text relates directly to a passage by the same author in John 17, the High Priestly prayer. Jesus uses the same language of "those the Father has given me" when he says "I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours" (John 17:9) So he makes a clear distinction of those He prays for and those He does not before going to the cross for them .... and of these same people in verse 19 Jesus prays "And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth." That is incredible ... He sanctifies Himself so those the Father has given him will also be sanctified ... and in verse 34 he establishes that he further is speaking not only of the immediate disciples but of others who the father has "given him" who hear their word. This exegetically demonstrates the truth of particular redemption, especially since Jesus is praying for all those the Father has given him just prior to going to the cross to sanctify them.
- John Hendryx

"Irresistible grace presupposes particular redemption. There is no such grace apart from Christ and His work. (Eph 1:3, 1 Pet. 1:3) Therefore, so-called four-point Calvinism is untenable."
John Hendryx

So-called four-point Calvinism fails the test of biblical Christocentricity and, as such, tends to view TULIP as an abstraction rather than centering on Christ. The TULIP only makes sense when Christ is found at its center. Consider the TULIP as a chiasm with the "L" at the top of the pyramid. All grace has its source in Jesus Christ, from whom all redemptive blessings flow. The other doctrines have no power apart from Christ.
John Hendryx

"Wherefore all theology, when separated from Christ, is not only vain and confused, but is also mad, deceitful, and spurious; for, though the philosophers sometimes utter excellent sayings, yet they have nothing but what is short-lived, and even mixed up with wicked and erroneous sentiments."
- John Calvin

The extent of the atonement is defined by the intent of the atonement.” (Matt 1:21; John 17:2,9, 24)
~Steven Lawson

And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.
Revelation 5:9-10

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham.
Hebrews 2:14-16

Let us remember, on the other hand, that while life is promised universally to all who believe in Christ, still faith is not common to all. For Christ is made known and held out to the view of all, but the elect alone are they whose eyes God opens, that they may seek him by faith. Here, too, is displayed a wonderful effect of faith; for by it we receive Christ such as he is given to us by the Father -- that is, as having freed us from the condemnation of eternal death, and made us heirs of eternal life, because, by the sacrifice of his death, he has atoned for our sins, that nothing may prevent God from acknowledging us as his sons. Since, therefore, faith embraces Christ, with the efficacy of his death and the fruit of his resurrection, we need not wonder if by it we obtain likewise the life of Christ.
John Calvin Commentary on John 3:16

The Arminians say, 'Christ died for all men.' Ask them what they mean by it. Did Christ die so as to secure the salvation of all men? They say, 'No, certainly not.' We ask them the next question: Did Christ die so as to secure the salvation of any man in particular? They answer 'No.' They are obliged to admit this, if they are consistent. They say, 'No; Christ has died that any man may be saved if ?' and then follow certain conditions of salvation. Now, who is it that limits the death of Christ? Why, you. You say that Christ did not die so as infallibly to secure the salvation of anybody. We beg your pardon, when you say we limit Christ's death; we say, 'No, my dear sir, it is you that do it.' We say Christ so died that he infallibly secured the salvation of a multitude that no man can number, who through Christ's death not only may be saved, but are saved, must be saved and cannot by any possibility run the hazard of being anything but saved. You are welcome to your atonement; you may keep it. We will never renounce ours for the sake of it.
Charles Spurgeon