[P-Marlowe]

I am familiar with the range of answers to your question but none of them satisfy me biblically.

I have the same problem with Calvinism. While the strident Calvinists seem to have all the answers, none of them are biblically satisfactory.

I opt rather to entrust the answer to God, Who is sovereign, loving and just. Whatever the answer, it will conform to His character.

Agreed, but the description of God under the definitions of Calvinism shows a God who is soverign to the exclusion of being loving and just; a god who created most of mankind for the sole purpose of burning them in hell for eternity merely for the good pleasure of his will. Sorry but that is out of character for the God of the Bible. I am certain it is out of character for the God you worship as well.

[drstevej]

First, remember that I am not a double predestinarian.

Second, Paul in Romans 9 expected you to conclude God is unjust. Dr. SL Johnson used to tell us, "Men when you preach the gospel, if people don't say that you are presenting doctrine that makes God seem unjust, then you probably aren't preaching Paul's gospel!"

[Polycarp]

Sorry but that is out of character for the God of the Bible. I am certain it is out of character for the God you worship as well.

Cool! I finally agree wholeheartedly with you on somethin' !

;-)

[Law]

The concept of free will permeates the Bible.

No. The concept of responsible will permeates the Bible. "Free will" is a philosopher's construct, wonderful for escalated disputations (as we see in this thread) but only theoretically connected to the real world. Even God doesn't have free will in the usual sense of the term (the ability to choose A or not A without compulsion) because God cannot choose anything (e.g. injustice) against his nature.

Man is the same: we can't choose something contrary to our nature. When we are spiritually "dead in sin," for example, our nature precludes choosing spiritual life. Choice, or will, in this sense becomes possible only after God regenerates the dead man. Then, because of our new nature, we can "choose" salvation.