Why Do Some Christians Almost "hate" Concept of There being Election by GOD?

There is no need for apologies, I just did not know if you "interpreted" his intent correctly, for that matter I could have been wrong, (it has happened before).

 

That would be approximately analogous to you debating William Lane Craig. The result would be the same, one would come away completely embarrassed if for nothing other than the sheer intellectual debating skill of the apologist.

 

So in addition to those that you have posted before as to why those who don't accept calvinism you now add.

5. we may be cultists

6. we don't understand the Biblical languages

7. we've repeated "the big lie" so often we now believe it

8. We are not intellectually able to grasp it

9. We are too proud

Then you remind me that Scripture is correct as if i might not really accept the inerrancy of Scripture.

I'll kep on saying that many people don't accept Calvinism for none of these reasons. We do not accept it because we don't think it is taught in the Bible, period.

If it makes you feel better about your acceptance of Calvinism to keep believing that non-Calvinists are some kind of aberrant form of Christians, keep at it.

I'll keep on accepting you as a brother in Christ without trying to judge your intellect or spiritual life.

With this I end my foray into the Calvinism/Non-Calvinism debate.

 

B4L,did God elect you --or did you elect God?

 

Tom,

Maybe you can make a list about why you believe it to be error.If you have a careful understanding of scripture present your scriptural case.
Can you honestly say that some of these things I have posted are not so?
Just look at some posts on the BB.Some fall directly into one or another of the points offered.
I notice that I posted some....you change it to we.

 

In Calvins own hand taken from the golden booklet...."true humility means respect for others"

 

"How often, dear Brothers and Sisters, are you assailed, not only by the skeptic, but by our very profound doctrinal brethren? I know some very great doctrinal friends, who, because our experience may not tally with theirs, will sit down and say, “Ah, you don’t know the power of vital godliness.” And they will write very severe things against us and say that we don’t know the great secret, and don’t understand the inner life. You never need trouble yourself about these braggarts—let them talk on till they are finished." —Charles Spurgeon, "Simple But Sound"

 

Yes....Thats called In one ear & out the other......Profound wisdom from CHS. Praise God!

 

Yes,this dealt specifically with Keswick proponents -- the higher life folks.

 

No it isn't heretical [snipped] There is a doctrinal system that I don't like that is, at best close to heretical, though. Guess which one I'm talking about.

BTW, he was a very good preacher, one thing, he did understand hyperbole. [snipped]

 

Spurgeon continues:

"But if you do want to answer them, do it humbly by saying, “Well, you may be right and I may be mistaken, but yet I think I can say, ‘One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see.’” And I have known them to sometimes go to the length of saying if we don’t hold all their points of Doctrine and go the whole 18 ounces to the pound, as they do—if we are content with 16 and keep to God’s weights and God’s measures—“Ah, those people cannot be truly converted Christians, they are not so high in Doctrine as we are.” Well, we can answer them with this, “One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see.”"

But of course, this doesn't have any application to anybody here, since we aren't those high-doctrine "Keswick people".

 

"There are certain doctrinal brethren, good enough in their way, but still you can evidently see that the doctrine of election is a thing that they contend more for than the doctrine of the redemption of Christ; or if it be redemption, it is rather the speciality of redemption than the divine sacrifice itself. I love to preach the distinguishing grace of God, but I am far from thinking that some four or five points comprise all the truths which God has revealed." —Charles Spurgeon, "The Holy Spirit Glorifying Christ"

 

And I,more than many Calvinists here,have repeatedly emphasized that there is much more to Calvinism than the brief T.U.L.I.P. which didn't come out until 1913.

Calvinism is much more full-orbed --we believe in teaching/preaching the whole counsel of the Word of God.

 

Man ya go away for a couple of hours and come back and the whole thing has devolved into a shouting match. No surprises here...lol sorta normal by now

 

Election

You can say that both parties hate the others concept of election. I don't hate election and those who hate election hate the word of God.

I don't think it is ever hate that drives us, but love for our brother that drives us. That in their heart they truly believe that the other is in error and wants to use the scripture that convinced them to show them their error. Some do get frustrated that the other can't see it, it is right their in the word of God

 

The FACT is, very few Christians 'hate' the concept of God's election.

What most do not like is the theological conception of some regarding their view of the election process.

 

ewf,
you asked;

I have been a Reformed Baptist for 35 years. I was an unsaved RC, although I made communion and confirmation. We used a st.josephs missal rather than a bible...so no I had never read a bible as a catholic.I was living a completely ungodly life through college,, and actually started to read the bible to try and disprove it. I did not know the ot from the nt,I did not know how to look up a bible verse...did not know what the numbers where!
I thought cults like mormon and jw were all christian churches. I was completely naive.......But God who is rich in mercy saved me or I would have split hell wide open....
I am the last person that would have ever believed the bible, I was not seeking God..I was in complete rebellion and cursing at christians,when God showed me my sinfulness.
I know salvation is all of God because I never would have believed the bible.
I have always known as a believer that God has predestined all things as soon as I read eph 1....that was not even a question.
my first real exposure to theological instruction came when a friend told me about believers chapel in Dallas, that I could get free tapes.
Then I started listening to christian radio and,taping sermons every night.
That was about two years after God saved me.

 

"I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken"....and meant to put "sniping". Snipping is surely something we are encouraged to do when necessary, rather than quoting the whole message.

 

Amen and amen!