Ramping up cornelius, and now this is the modis operandi. I don't think so. But I think God the Father teaches every man who comes to Christ (because Jesus said so) and it doesn't seem surprising that there would be some form of godliness in them.
When you say you are in the free-will camp, what is your belief on free-will. Do you believe in absolute libertarian free-will?
When we say we are reformed we are always reforming, by the Word of God, to be conformed to His image and in our beliefs. So yes, I am open to change my position based on Scripture and plain reason.
BUt watch out for this type snare: RB -- "But I think God the Father teaches every man who comes to Christ (because Jesus said so) and it doesn't seem surprising that there would be some form of godliness in them."
See, by saying this, RB is saying that the "elect" have some "merit" that God would choose them but they can't say it is "merit."
And they certainly can't say there is anything in man, even if God put it there, that let's MAN make a "regenerational decision" though prayers heard in heaven and good works known to God would prove the contrary!
Oh. and changing their minds?
I been around long enough to know that the changing's got to be on your side which, when you do as I did, still gets you nowhere.
These guys drop out of "common ground" threads as soon as they see they are cornered.
Not sure what you mean by absolute libertarian free will. Briefly stated, my understanding is that we are free to choose to obey God or not. While the Spirit may draw us, we still have the freedom to say "No, MY will be done."
I feel like I'm trying to nail Jello to the wall - okay, so are you saying that folks who are as yet unregenerate are Godly? What happened to the unregenerate can't make any move toward God? What am I missing?
It brought the natural death upon all mankind and the natural and spiritual on himself. I do not believe infants have sin that causes them to be subject to the second death. The soul that sinneth shall die, if born dead, then it could not die.
You know, it says where there is no law, sin is not imputed and I have always believed but hard to explain, than when one reaches that age, he doesn't then go out in sin, but becomes accountable for all he has ever done.
Does that make sense to you?
Absolutely.
Whether we use faith we are born with, or are given...it's still ours, meaning the calvinistic argument that we hinge our own salvation is a moot point either way.
Whether I cut down a tree using my chainsaw, or my neighbors, I'm still the one cutting it down.
This is not what decisional regeneration is. DR is the belief that there is a process man does to cause one to be born of God. It is simply contrary to Scripture.