Posted on 05/19/2013 4:54:01 AM PDT by NYer
I’ll quote Luther....Away from me Satan, I have been baptized.
The objective v. the subjective. I’m more concerned with understanding Gods greatness than I am with my assurance. I don’t know why it’s such a big issue for you but I believe so it’s not such a big issue for me. The question is why do I believe? I believe because God has given me faith. Praise be to God.
re: “The question is why do I believe? I believe because God has given me faith. Praise be to God.?”
I think the question for the Calvinist is, not “why” do I believe, but “how do I know that I really do believe”? “How do you know you don’t just think you believe?”
The real question is, what do we base our confidence in regarding salvation - it is based on the promise of God’s Word. He said that if you repent, place your trust in Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection - you are saved. It is not “if you are one of the elect you’ll believe”, no, it is “for whoever believes in Him shall have everlasting life”. It is His promise. It is available to all who are willing to turn to Him.
I would direct you to Romans chapter 9 and Ephesians chapter 1. You’re welcome to your opinion but your argument could be turned against you. How do you know you’ve repented and placed your trust in him? What happens if you unplace your trust? How do you know you believe?
Armenians and Calvinists have argued this forever. I’m not going to change your mind and you won’t change mine so lets revel in the fact that we both believe in the triune God and his Son Jesus. If you ever become reformed, it won’t be because I reformed you. Enjoy Christ.
Blessings to you.
re: “Armenians and Calvinists have argued this forever. I’m not going to change your mind and you won’t change mine so lets revel in the fact that we both believe in the triune God and his Son Jesus.”
Agreed. I’m kind of in-between Armenian and Calvinist, but as you said, let’s rejoice that both of us know the Lord and will meet one day in God’s Heaven where we will see “not as through a glass darkly”, but clearly. God bless you as well.
Well said!
The point is not what God knows — obviously, everything, — but how to change your heart. For that, as a general proposition, knowledge is necessary. Why is that a far assumption? — unless you meant the physiological heart as the blood organ.
I disagree. I do not think knowledge is required for a change of heart, I believe God does it for us.
I still don’t see why the need to tell everyone how and what they believe.
Why do either of you feel the need to change the others mind?
I don’t feel a need to change minds but I do feel a need to provide a reason for the hope that is in me. Something scripture instructs me to do. Plus, I feel there is great benefit in understanding doctrine aright.
Good for you.
Ordinarily it is, although, of course, God points us toward knowledge also. For example, people choose to be firefighters, or monks, or bowling alley operators because they know something about firefighting, monasticism, or bowling.
The need to tell their story is indeed a characteristically Christian mindset. That is, I think because our religion is based on a historical event rather than on some speculation. Conversely, militant atheism has always been anti-Christian and therefore was directed primarily at the Christians. Hence the need that the Atheists feel to offer an alternative "story".
I can’t see religious beliefs to be like choosing a career path.
That’s probably why I don’t understand. Either mindset.
Religious belief is similar to any other intellectual attraction, such as in choosing what to do to make a living, in the sense that in both cases a degree of knowledge of the subject matter is needed.
I disagree
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