Ephesians 1 makes it clear we are chosen to do good works.
My wife, who used to be a hard-core Baptist Arminian, has now “converted” to Calvinism so to speak solely based upon Jesus’ prayer at the Garden. He prays for the elect, not the entire world.
I used to agree with you here and was repulsed by Calvinism. But, in reality....once you truly “get” it.....it brings you to your knees because you realize how unworthy you are and how gracious God is.
We aren’t mere robots....we still do EXACTLY what we want. To say otherwise is a misunderstanding of Calvinism. Yes, God may have tugged at our heart via the Holy Spirit to come to him, but we weren’t dragged against our will....he wanted to do so.
At the same time, those who sin do so because they WANT to do it. By no means does this make God the author of evil just because he passes some over.
“My wife, who used to be a hard-core Baptist Arminian, has now “converted” to Calvinism so to speak solely based upon Jesus’ prayer at the Garden. He prays for the elect, not the entire world.”
Illogical. Jesus also prays at one point for just Peter - does that mean only Peter is loved and saved?
Of COURSE Jesus spent time praying specifically for his followers, current and future. That has NOTHING to do with a list of names, with the ‘Happy List’ of names he loves and will save irresistibly, and the ‘Unhappy List’ of names he has chosen to damn for his pleasure.
“Yes, God may have tugged at our heart via the Holy Spirit to come to him, but we weren’t dragged against our will...”
Scripture says God desires for ALL to repent, and that he commands “all men everywhere” to do so. That some - the large majority - reject him is without doubt, but it is also without doubt that he commands us to repent and believe.
To command someone to do what you know is impossible for them is both stupid and malicious...speaking as a former military officer. And while some military officers are both, God is neither!
Why is it so hard for Calvinists to believe that God is sincere? That when he says he loves the world so much that he gave his only begotten son, that anyone who believes shall not perish - that God MEANS it?! What perversion turns the hundreds of statements about our being required to believe into mocking of our inability? If God saves people based on names on a list, why doesn’t it say so in scripture - just once? Explicitly, as in “For you are saved by grace thru election...”!