Why Pray, Arminian?

Why not?

So more can perish?

Is this not one and the same? It is to the Calvinist position. I'm thinking that some here are arguing against something that they are in fact practicing, but because of all the "bumper-sticker" preaching they've heard, they don't even understand what it is that they are saying or believing!

 

You have this exactly wrong...

Archangel said very clearly that men resist God until God regenerates them.

At that point, the man comes WILLINGLY to God, for He has seen or tasted a portion of the glory and grace of God, and doing so will indeed cause one to both WANT and RECEIVE God.

Why, after all the times it has been explained do you return back to a false view of Calvinism?

 

You can use the words willingly all you want (and even capitalize them!), but it doesn't change the fact that you are still talking about God forcing man to choose Himself.

Luke, you can use the word choice you want all you want, but it still doesn't change the fact that you believe God forces man to make a particular choice.

If I had the ability to change your heart so that you would fall in love with a horse, and then you choose to marry that horse, does that make it a free choice or yours?

 

Actually, we are not. But you are INDEED forcing the conversation in a way that is patently untrue.

God tells us in the SAME Word that we both use that He DRAWS men unto Himself. In particular, He DRAWS the ELECT. How is "drawing" the same as "forcing" when in fact the men who are elect, and are drawn by God come WILLINGLY?

 

If this is so then it is only because God has forced a change of man's "wants". Which is still not freedom or choice.

 

Because God commands us to. Same answer you gave as a Calvinist.

 

yeah, you're right.
God shoulda just left man alone, sit down at His throne, tweedle with His thumb and watch helpless man choose his god and then say the god he chose is the true god, and then have fun by telling man in the Bible: can the Ethiopian change his skin, and the leopard his spots ? then may ye do good, which are accustomed to evil.

He should get lessons from today's liberals everywhere and learn a thing or two about tolerance and liberalism.

 

Buy, as Luke2427 asked, why?

Also, if citing God's command works for an Arminian, why does it not work for a Calvinist. We are seldom given that benefit of the doubt.

 

LOL. Yeah you're right that is exactly what I had in mind! (Please do read in the intended mocking tone of this response.)

 

I've got no problem doing what God commands. "Because God commands it" is a perfectly acceptable answer for an Arminian or Calvinist in my book. Now a better question might have been, "what does an Arminian or Calvinist hope to gain through prayer?"

"The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." So I would say yes.

Actually in point of fact I don't. I believe God draws all people in terms of the Holy Spirit working on the heart of a man. But I do believe that this is resistible, and that there is no guarantee that the Holy Spirit may knock on the door of an unsaved persons heart again. Why does God give some many opportunities and others perhaps only one? I don't know. That I leave as the sovereignty of God. So when I pray for a lost person I am praying for God to graciously give them another opportunity to receive Him. Whether that will happen or not only God knows, but I pray for it because I have been commanded to pray.

 

I see how Satan can divide us and cause hate. Two camps, both think they are true, and the other false. All the while baiting us to keep our eyes off Jesus and on men. God forgive us and bless us with your wisdom.:godisgood:

 

Nope. Nice try though. God's desire is for all men to be saved. I think that's in the Bible somewhere. And He extends opportunity for all men to be saved. Many will not accept these opportunities and some may have only one opportunity. Why this is so is unknown to us. I would never say one's chances of salvation increase or decrease based on prayer. I pray because God commands me to pray. However, there does seem to be Scriptural evidence of prayer affecting God's actions.

No, the number one factor is whether the sinner receives that which Christ has offered.

 

No Luke, many are in Hell saying, "Why didn't I take what God offered to me?"

 

God called us to love. Here we bite and scratch, judge salvation on beliefs, we don't edify. It's all for the sake of being right instead of giving insight.:love2: