What is a non-calvinist SBC church?

You can see why I as an Arminian would not go for the saved being the ones that lose their free will.

Also - as an Arminian I don't think we have free will inherently - but rather it is the supernatural "drawing of all mankind unto God" John 12:32 that creates it.

Man is always free to renounce obedience - but is not always free to accept salvation. At some point unpardonable sin of 1John 5 cancels that option because the heart no longer responds to the drawing of the Holy Spirit.

In Christ,

Bob

 

Bob, John 12:32 is an interesting but tough text:

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”

You used this text to say that the supernatural drawing creates free will for all men. That interpretation would fit in nicely with John 6:44 where no one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him. The text, however, does not mention free will; it only says that all men would be drawn to Jesus in some sense. You and I agree that all men so far have not heard the gospel. Only some of them have heard the gospel. So the drawing here does not refer to a gospel presentation up until now. It seems to me that there would be no point in giving all men free will if there was no gospel presentation available to all men. Most people are inclined toward sin rather than in a neutral, freewill state. (Five-point Calvinists believe that “all men” refers to all the elect, but I think they are reading something into the text that is not there.) The “lifting up” clearly refers to the crucifixion, as John explained in 12:33. Everyone agrees that the drawing refers to something that would happen after the crucifixion. I honestly have not made up my mind about the drawing. Let me suggest something and see what others think about it. Could the drawing refer to what will happen at His Second Coming? Notice the reference to the crucifixion and “every eye” in Revelation 1:7: “BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen.” Let me know what you folks think.