Calvinism: A declaration that God is unjust and that his Son is a failure

[Robert Pate]

How can anyone possibly believe that God condemns people to hell before they are born? As if that was not bad enough, then believe that Jesus only atoned for some sins, but not all sins. If you don't see anything wrong these Calvinist beliefs, then you are as spiritually dead as they are. To believe such terrible things about God and his Son Jesus Christ is to sentence yourself to hell. Not only do Calvinist declare that God is unjust and that Jesus is a failure. They boldly stand by their blasphemous doctrine and condemn anyone that does not agree with them.

Who are the elect?

God chose prophets, patriarch's, the nation of Israel, Jesus Christ and apostles for one reason. They were chosen to make known to the world the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no election without a purpose. The Jewish nation of Israel was chosen by God to be the oratoraters of the Gospel. But what did they do? They killed the one that was the Gospel. They by their own free wills rejected the "King of Glory" and murdered him. Jesus came into his own and his own received him not, John 1:11. How did Jesus respond to this?

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets and stone them that are sent unto you, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings and YOU WOULD NOT" Matthew 23:37.

Did these murdering Jews have a free will? of course they did. Did they by their own free wills reject Christ and his Gospel? of course they did. They rejected him then and they reject him today."You would not". Even after all of the miracles and good things that Jesus did they would not believe in him, instead they murdered him by their own free wills. If this is not proof that man has a free will I don't know what is. The rejection of Jesus Christ as their Messiah is a classic example that man has a free will. Not all rejected him, many believed in him and became born again Christians.

 

[Charles94]

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets and stone them that are sent unto you, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings and YOU WOULD NOT" John{sic} 23:37.

Actually, this verse is in Matthew. You bungle this interpretation as you bungle so many others, by missing the context.

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, YOU that kill the prophets and stone them that are sent unto you, how often would I have gathered ****YOUR CHILDREN**** together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings and YOU would not!"

YOU...kill the prophets. YOU...would not. Presumably because you hate the scriptures, you willfully change the middle object (your perverted version says that “I would have gathered (you) together...”) so that it seems like Jesus wishes to gather the same ones who kill the prophets and who would not... but that's not what the passage actually says. Rather, Jesus is condemning the Jewish Temple leadership in this chapter.

Matt23:13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.

These Jewish leaders were responsible before God for teaching and shepherding His flock. Jesus is condemning the Temple leadership for failing to do their job and as a consequence, He ordained the destruction of the Temple (Matt23:38). But make no mistake, despite the arrogant disobedience of the religious leaders, their “children” whom they were responsible to teach – such as the “tax collectors and prostitutes” - were entering the kingdom of God ahead of them. (Matt21:31) Jesus was not failing to bring His sheep safely in.

Did these murdering Jews have a free will? of course they did. Did they by their own free wills reject Christ and his Gospel? of course they did. They rejected him then and they reject him today."You would not". Even after all of the miracles and good things that Jesus did they would not believe in him, instead they murdered him by their own free wills. If this is not proof that man has a free will I don't know what is. The rejection of Jesus Christ as their Messiah is a classic example that man has a free will.

You say it's finally proof of “free will” that these Jewish leaders would put Jesus up for trial despite His goodness. The scriptures say you are a liar:

Mark 15:28So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with the transgressors.”

You say it's finally proof of “free will” that these Jewish leaders would murder Jesus. The scriptures say you are a liar:

Isa53:8He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

Isaiah called it 700 years or so beforehand. Their disobedience was written in stone long before they were born.

1Pet2:7-8 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

It's jarring when those who claim to be spiritual leaders are sinful and rebel against God, sure – but Peter reminds his readers not to panic, as their disobedience was “appointed” all along (alternatively, it's “what they were destined for” or “part of the plan.”)

Prov16:4The Lord has made all for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.
(or more bluntly from the NASB: “The LORD has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil.”

And again, the Jesus of the Bible (whom you deny), claims there was no "free" will:

Matt20:17-19 Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.” (Also, in John3:14.)

So right before the verse you quote as teaching this supposed "free" will, Jesus tells the disciples what the Jewish leaders will certainly do, as if they are not free in any real sense to do otherwise. THIS is the real Jesus, whom you continue to reject.

 

[Charles94]

About this so-called "free" will. It's not something you get from the bible, it comes from human philosophy - you reject Jesus and foolishly choose to serve Aristotle.

So it's important to understand that Calvinists do break the link between ability and responsibility. (or as Martin Luther put it, "An imperative does not imply an indicative.") But sure, human philosophy teaches that if I don't have the ability to fly, then you would be wrong to try to hold me responsible for not flying. If I'm not capable of A, then you can't reasonably ask me to do A. It works reasonably well for human interactions.

You surely see this principle implied by many noncalvinist teachers who point to God’s commands (e.g. “I set before you life and death…choose life…” or “Repent and believe!”) as evidence that we are “free to choose” and therefore must have the capacity to obey. Wouldn't God be evil according to this human philosophy if He demanded the impossible?

Oddly enough, biblical commands such as “Be perfect” and “Love God with ALL your heart…” are never chosen as examples by non-calvinists…because they more clearly demonstrate our inability. If we fail to keep one part of the law, we are guilty of breaking it completely. (Jam2:10) What man born of a human father can claim that he is truly capable of meeting this standard?

If you are witnessing to a nonbeliever and trying to explain to them that they need Jesus what would you tell them? That they are a sinner because they've broken God's law? Yet they could throw the principle above back at you and argue that a "good" God could never require the impossible and demand perfect obedience in the first place...but I digress...

Which is all to say that calvinists believe that we remain responsible for our choices even if we could never have chosen otherwise. When Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him 3 times, Jesus was certain. Peter was not "free" in any real sense to do otherwise. His denials in the future were as certain as anything he'd done in the past. Yet Peter was still responsible and was right to weep bitterly over his sin (Luke22:62) rather than deny responsibility as you seem to suggest would be more appropriate.

You run into the same kind of issue when reading about Pharaoh. The first thing God tells Moses is that Pharaoh will not let the people go until God opens up a can. (Exod3:19-20) The story becomes even more problematic because God isn't gentle and loving toward Pharaoh, but rather hardens him in his opposition…and claims to have raised him up in the first place because his opposition would allow God to display His power. Just kinda "lucky" that God was able to establish the Passover/Lord's Supper through Pharaoh's obstinance? Or if God intended Pharaoh's opposition all along, does that excuse Pharaoh? Of course not.

Rom9:17-20 For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth." Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.

You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?" But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?”...

God did not wait to see what the Jewish leaders would do of their own "free will" - the Bible teaches that He intended that His Son suffer as a result of perjury and be killed unjustly…so does that excuse those who participated in His murder or did they need to repent as many of them did when confronted with Peter's preaching?

Acts2:23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death...

Isa53:10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief...

C.S. Lewis leaned too far on his pagan training and concluded that God understands time less clearly than we do. Lewis taught, “In a sense, God does not know your action till you have done it." OTOH, David was inspired by the Holy Spirit to deny that sort of nonsense:

Psa139:16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them..

David knew God held and ordained his future - all of it, including his sin - and took comfort in that. But it was never an excuse for his sin.

So why is that principle of human philosophy at the foundation of your reasoning rather than scripture? Free-willers and hyper-calvinists agree on that point - so free will-types argue that we must have the ability to choose otherwise or else we are just puppets and not responsible – and hyper-calvinists say that since the bible teaches that men don't have the ability to choose otherwise, there's no need to bother with mission work that calls men to repentance and obedience. But it's the same root issue IMO. Something to be wary of, as it leads you away from the God of the Bible.

 

[Robert Pate]

Actually, this verse is in Matthew. You bungle this interpretation as you bungle so many others, by missing the context.

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, YOU that kill the prophets and stone them that are sent unto you, how often would I have gathered ****YOUR CHILDREN**** together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings and YOU would not!"

YOU...kill the prophets. YOU...would not. Presumably because you hate the scriptures, you willfully change the middle object (your perverted version says that “I would have gathered (you) together...”) so that it seems like Jesus wishes to gather the same ones who kill the prophets and who would not... but that's not what the passage actually says. Rather, Jesus is condemning the Jewish Temple leadership in this chapter.

Matt23:13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.

These Jewish leaders were responsible before God for teaching and shepherding His flock. Jesus is condemning the Temple leadership for failing to do their job and as a consequence, He ordained the destruction of the Temple (Matt23:38). But make no mistake, despite the arrogant disobedience of the religious leaders, their “children” whom they were responsible to teach – such as the “tax collectors and prostitutes” - were entering the kingdom of God ahead of them. (Matt21:31) Jesus was not failing to bring His sheep safely in.



You say it's finally proof of “free will” that these Jewish leaders would put Jesus up for trial despite His goodness. The scriptures say you are a liar:

Mark 15:28So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with the transgressors.”

You say it's finally proof of “free will” that these Jewish leaders would murder Jesus. The scriptures say you are a liar:

Isa53:8He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

Isaiah called it 700 years or so beforehand. Their disobedience was written in stone long before they were born.

1Pet2:7-8 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

It's jarring when those who claim to be spiritual leaders are sinful and rebel against God, sure – but Peter reminds his readers not to panic, as their disobedience was “appointed” all along (alternatively, it's “what they were destined for” or “part of the plan.”)

Prov16:4The Lord has made all for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.
(or more bluntly from the NASB: “The LORD has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil.”

And again, the Jesus of the Bible (whom you deny), claims there was no "free" will:

Matt20:17-19 Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.” (Also, in John3:14.)

So right before the verse you quote as teaching this supposed "free" will, Jesus tells the disciples what the Jewish leaders will certainly do, as if they are not free in any real sense to do otherwise. THIS is the real Jesus, whom you continue to reject.

Everyone has a free will. It would not be possible to function in life without the ability to make choices and decisions. What do you think that you are a puppet and God is pulling your strings? Your post is insulting to common sense. I don't reject Jesus as you falsely accuse me of doing. I fully and completely accept the Jesus of the Bible. It is the Jesus of Calvinism that is a false Jesus that cannot atone for the sins of the world. You arguments are baseless and indicate that you are lost.

 

[Robert Pate]

About this so-called "free" will. It's not something you get from the bible, it comes from human philosophy - you reject Jesus and foolishly choose to serve Aristotle.

So it's important to understand that Calvinists do break the link between ability and responsibility. (or as Martin Luther put it, "An imperative does not imply an indicative.") But sure, human philosophy teaches that if I don't have the ability to fly, then you would be wrong to try to hold me responsible for not flying. If I'm not capable of A, then you can't reasonably ask me to do A. It works reasonably well for human interactions.

You surely see this principle implied by many noncalvinist teachers who point to God’s commands (e.g. “I set before you life and death…choose life…” or “Repent and believe!”) as evidence that we are “free to choose” and therefore must have the capacity to obey. Wouldn't God be evil according to this human philosophy if He demanded the impossible?

Oddly enough, biblical commands such as “Be perfect” and “Love God with ALL your heart…” are never chosen as examples by non-calvinists…because they more clearly demonstrate our inability. If we fail to keep one part of the law, we are guilty of breaking it completely. (Jam2:10) What man born of a human father can claim that he is truly capable of meeting this standard?

If you are witnessing to a nonbeliever and trying to explain to them that they need Jesus what would you tell them? That they are a sinner because they've broken God's law? Yet they could throw the principle above back at you and argue that a "good" God could never require the impossible and demand perfect obedience in the first place...but I digress...

Which is all to say that calvinists believe that we remain responsible for our choices even if we could never have chosen otherwise. When Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him 3 times, Jesus was certain. Peter was not "free" in any real sense to do otherwise. His denials in the future were as certain as anything he'd done in the past. Yet Peter was still responsible and was right to weep bitterly over his sin (Luke22:62) rather than deny responsibility as you seem to suggest would be more appropriate.

You run into the same kind of issue when reading about Pharaoh. The first thing God tells Moses is that Pharaoh will not let the people go until God opens up a can. (Exod3:19-20) The story becomes even more problematic because God isn't gentle and loving toward Pharaoh, but rather hardens him in his opposition…and claims to have raised him up in the first place because his opposition would allow God to display His power. Just kinda "lucky" that God was able to establish the Passover/Lord's Supper through Pharaoh's obstinance? Or if God intended Pharaoh's opposition all along, does that excuse Pharaoh? Of course not.

Rom9:17-20 For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth." Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.

You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?" But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?”...

God did not wait to see what the Jewish leaders would do of their own "free will" - the Bible teaches that He intended that His Son suffer as a result of perjury and be killed unjustly…so does that excuse those who participated in His murder or did they need to repent as many of them did when confronted with Peter's preaching?

Acts2:23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death...

Isa53:10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief...

C.S. Lewis leaned too far on his pagan training and concluded that God understands time less clearly than we do. Lewis taught, “In a sense, God does not know your action till you have done it." OTOH, David was inspired by the Holy Spirit to deny that sort of nonsense:

Psa139:16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them..

David knew God held and ordained his future - all of it, including his sin - and took comfort in that. But it was never an excuse for his sin.

So why is that principle of human philosophy at the foundation of your reasoning rather than scripture? Free-willers and hyper-calvinists agree on that point - so free will-types argue that we must have the ability to choose otherwise or else we are just puppets and not responsible – and hyper-calvinists say that since the bible teaches that men don't have the ability to choose otherwise, there's no need to bother with mission work that calls men to repentance and obedience. But it's the same root issue IMO. Something to be wary of, as it leads you away from the God of the Bible.

Did God ordain David's adulterous affair with Bathsheba? To teach that God ordained David's sin is blasphemy and tells me that there is a lot wrong with your theology. Jesus commanded the apostles to go into all of the world and preach the Gospel to everyone. Why did he tell them to do that if people cannot hear believe and choose to be saved? Calvinism is an evangelism killer. Why proclaim the Gospel to the lost if everything has already been decided? God did not harden Pharaohs heart. Pharaohs heart was already hard. God simply used him for his glory. God is just, kind and merciful and is not willing that any should perish, 2 Peter 3:9.

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

Robert Pate's Evasiveness

Robert Pate's Evasiveness

Everyone has a free will. It would not be possible to function in life without the ability to make choices and decisions. What do you think that you are a puppet and God is pulling your strings? Your post is insulting to common sense. I don't reject Jesus as you falsely accuse me of doing. I fully and completely accept the Jesus of the Bible. It is the Jesus of Calvinism that is a false Jesus that cannot atone for the sins of the world. You arguments are baseless and indicate that you are lost.

Did God ordain David's adulterous affair with Bathsheba? To teach that God ordained David's sin is blasphemy and tells me that there is a lot wrong with your theology. Jesus commanded the apostles to go into all of the world and preach the Gospel to everyone. Why did he tell them to do that if people cannot hear believe and choose to be saved? Calvinism is an evangelism killer. Why proclaim the Gospel to the lost if everything has already been decided? God did not harden Pharaohs heart. Pharaohs heart was already hard. God simply used him for his glory. God is just, kind and merciful and is not willing that any should perish, 2 Peter 3:9.

Robert,

When will you actually interact with your interlocutor's substantive responses to your "articles" instead of just posting these streams of consciousness? Do you actually understand how to form an argument and defend it? You certainly understand how to be evasive and shield yourself from actual examination of your numerous erroneous assumptions.

Robert, you are the living embodiment of the man Peter was speaking to in 1 Peter 3:15. When will you actually take Peter's counsel?

AMR

 

[Robert Pate]

Robert,

When will you actually interact with your interlocutor's substantive responses to your "articles" instead of just posting these streams of consciousness? Do you actually understand how to form an argument and defend it? You certainly understand how to be evasive and shield yourself from actual examination of your numerous erroneous assumptions.

Robert, you are the living embodiment of the man Peter was speaking to in 1 Peter 3:15. When will you actually take Peter's counsel?

AMR

You and many others think that by your numerous words that you have the truth. "We can't refute him with scripture, so let's bombard him with words". It is not that complicated. Christ and his Gospel are simple truths. But when you religionist get through with it no one can understand it.

 

[God's Truth]

Actually, this verse is in Matthew. You bungle this interpretation as you bungle so many others, by missing the context.

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, YOU that kill the prophets and stone them that are sent unto you, how often would I have gathered ****YOUR CHILDREN**** together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings and YOU would not!"

YOU...kill the prophets. YOU...would not. Presumably because you hate the scriptures, you willfully change the middle object (your perverted version says that “I would have gathered (you) together...”) so that it seems like Jesus wishes to gather the same ones who kill the prophets and who would not... but that's not what the passage actually says. Rather, Jesus is condemning the Jewish Temple leadership in this chapter.

Matt23:13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.

These Jewish leaders were responsible before God for teaching and shepherding His flock. Jesus is condemning the Temple leadership for failing to do their job and as a consequence, He ordained the destruction of the Temple (Matt23:38). But make no mistake, despite the arrogant disobedience of the religious leaders, their “children” whom they were responsible to teach – such as the “tax collectors and prostitutes” - were entering the kingdom of God ahead of them. (Matt21:31) Jesus was not failing to bring His sheep safely in.



You say it's finally proof of “free will” that these Jewish leaders would put Jesus up for trial despite His goodness. The scriptures say you are a liar:

Mark 15:28So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with the transgressors.”

You say it's finally proof of “free will” that these Jewish leaders would murder Jesus. The scriptures say you are a liar:

Isa53:8He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

Isaiah called it 700 years or so beforehand. Their disobedience was written in stone long before they were born.

1Pet2:7-8 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

It's jarring when those who claim to be spiritual leaders are sinful and rebel against God, sure – but Peter reminds his readers not to panic, as their disobedience was “appointed” all along (alternatively, it's “what they were destined for” or “part of the plan.”)

Prov16:4The Lord has made all for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.
(or more bluntly from the NASB: “The LORD has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil.”

And again, the Jesus of the Bible (whom you deny), claims there was no "free" will:

Matt20:17-19 Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.” (Also, in John3:14.)

So right before the verse you quote as teaching this supposed "free" will, Jesus tells the disciples what the Jewish leaders will certainly do, as if they are not free in any real sense to do otherwise. THIS is the real Jesus, whom you continue to reject.

We do have free will and you misused those scriptures.

Just because God knew that the leaders would have him killed does not mean he made them do that.

 

[God's Truth]

If you are witnessing to a nonbeliever and trying to explain to them that they need Jesus what would you tell them? That they are a sinner because they've broken God's law? Yet they could throw the principle above back at you and argue that a "good" God could never require the impossible and demand perfect obedience in the first place...but I digress...

That might be a good argument against Robert Pate’s false doctrines, because he teaches no one can obey.
Good job making a fool out of Robert Pate’s false doctrines!

 

[God's Truth]

Which is all to say that calvinists believe that we remain responsible for our choices even if we could never have chosen otherwise. When Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him 3 times, Jesus was certain. Peter was not "free" in any real sense to do otherwise. His denials in the future were as certain as anything he'd done in the past. Yet Peter was still responsible and was right to weep bitterly over his sin (Luke22:62) rather than deny responsibility as you seem to suggest would be more appropriate.

Peter denied Jesus because he was afraid of the Jews and what they would do to him for standing up for Jesus.
How do you ever get that God made Peter deny him?

 

[God's Truth]

You run into the same kind of issue when reading about Pharaoh. The first thing God tells Moses is that Pharaoh will not let the people go until God opens up a can. (Exod3:19-20) The story becomes even more problematic because God isn't gentle and loving toward Pharaoh, but rather hardens him in his opposition…and claims to have raised him up in the first place because his opposition would allow God to display His power. Just kinda "lucky" that God was able to establish the Passover/Lord's Supper through Pharaoh's obstinance? Or if God intended Pharaoh's opposition all along, does that excuse Pharaoh? Of course not.

God having to harden Pharaoh proves your whole denomination wrong, for why would God ever need to harden someone who does NOT have free will as you say they do not?

Why would God have need to harden a person if they could not believe and obey unless God made them believe and obey?!

 

[God's Truth]

About this so-called "free" will. It's not something you get from the bible, it comes from human philosophy - you reject Jesus and foolishly choose to serve Aristotle.

So it's important to understand that Calvinists do break the link between ability and responsibility. (or as Martin Luther put it, "An imperative does not imply an indicative.") But sure, human philosophy teaches that if I don't have the ability to fly, then you would be wrong to try to hold me responsible for not flying. If I'm not capable of A, then you can't reasonably ask me to do A. It works reasonably well for human interactions.

You surely see this principle implied by many noncalvinist teachers who point to God’s commands (e.g. “I set before you life and death…choose life…” or “Repent and believe!”) as evidence that we are “free to choose” and therefore must have the capacity to obey. Wouldn't God be evil according to this human philosophy if He demanded the impossible?

Oddly enough, biblical commands such as “Be perfect” and “Love God with ALL your heart…” are never chosen as examples by non-calvinists…because they more clearly demonstrate our inability.

You got part that right, for non Calvinists don’t use those scriptures because they think God was being ironic.
However, I believe Jesus really meant for us to be perfect and to love God with all our heart.

If we fail to keep one part of the law, we are guilty of breaking it completely. (Jam2:10) What man born of a human father can claim that he is truly capable of meeting this standard?

James was speaking of the ROYAL LAW OF LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR.

Love is not harming your neighbor that is how we love our neighbors; we do no harm to them.

If you do not harm your neighbor by not murdering your neighbor, it is good and you have obeyed a commandment of do not murder.

If you do not harm your neighbor by committing adultery with your neighbor's wife, then you have obeyed another commandment.

If you do not harm your neighbor by bearing false witness against your neighbor, you have done right and obeyed yet another command.

If you STEAL from your neighbor, you have HARMED your neighbor, AND NOW YOU ARE GUILTY OF BREAKING THE WHOLE ROYAL LAW OF LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR.

Do you understand now? You obeyed all those commands and were doing right by loving your neighbor and not harming him...but then, you missed up on one. You did not kill your neighbor, commit adultery with his wife, you did not bear false witness against him...but you stole something from him...you have now broke one law and stole...but now you are guilty of breaking the whole law of love your neighbor because you hurt him by stealing from him.

 

[God's Truth]

Rom9:17-20 For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth." Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.

You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?" But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?”...

Read this it shows that it matters on whether or not a person repents of their sins. God did not make people to not repent sins. God punishes people who do not repent of their sins.

Jeremiah 18
5Then the word of the LORD came to me. 6He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. 7If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, 8and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. 9And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted,10and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.
11“Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘This is what the LORD says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.’ 12But they will reply, ‘It’s no use. We will continue with our own plans; we will all follow the stubbornness of our evil hearts.’ ”

 

[God's Truth]

God did not wait to see what the Jewish leaders would do of their own "free will" - the Bible teaches that He intended that His Son suffer as a result of perjury and be killed unjustly…so does that excuse those who participated in His murder or did they need to repent as many of them did when confronted with Peter's preaching?

Acts2:23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death...

Isa53:10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief...

C.S. Lewis leaned too far on his pagan training and concluded that God understands time less clearly than we do. Lewis taught, “In a sense, God does not know your action till you have done it." OTOH, David was inspired by the Holy Spirit to deny that sort of nonsense:

Psa139:16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them..

David knew God held and ordained his future - all of it, including his sin - and took comfort in that. But it was never an excuse for his sin.

So why is that principle of human philosophy at the foundation of your reasoning rather than scripture? Free-willers and hyper-calvinists agree on that point - so free will-types argue that we must have the ability to choose otherwise or else we are just puppets and not responsible – and hyper-calvinists say that since the bible teaches that men don't have the ability to choose otherwise, there's no need to bother with mission work that calls men to repentance and obedience. But it's the same root issue IMO. Something to be wary of, as it leads you away from the God of the Bible.

You are led far away from the Bible and not because of God, but because of false teachers who tickled your ears. You should have been more careful, as God warns us to be.

 

[God's Truth]

Everyone has a free will. It would not be possible to function in life without the ability to make choices and decisions. What do you think that you are a puppet and God is pulling your strings? Your post is insulting to common sense. I don't reject Jesus as you falsely accuse me of doing. I fully and completely accept the Jesus of the Bible. It is the Jesus of Calvinism that is a false Jesus that cannot atone for the sins of the world. You arguments are baseless and indicate that you are lost.

You go against the truth of free will. You say a person cannot believe and obey, and then you go against those who say we do not have free will.

You both are in falseness.

 

[God's Truth]

Did God ordain David's adulterous affair with Bathsheba? To teach that God ordained David's sin is blasphemy and tells me that there is a lot wrong with your theology. Jesus commanded the apostles to go into all of the world and preach the Gospel to everyone. Why did he tell them to do that if people cannot hear believe and choose to be saved? Calvinism is an evangelism killer. Why proclaim the Gospel to the lost if everything has already been decided? God did not harden Pharaohs heart. Pharaohs heart was already hard. God simply used him for his glory. God is just, kind and merciful and is not willing that any should perish, 2 Peter 3:9.

God did harden Pharaoh's heart. You go against what is plainly written. God hardening Pharaoh's is proof that Calvinism is wrong, but you in your false doctrines believe that you know better than God.

 

[God's Truth]

You and many others think that by your numerous words that you have the truth. "We can't refute him with scripture, so let's bombard him with words". It is not that complicated. Christ and his Gospel are simple truths. But when you religionist get through with it no one can understand it.

You go against God's words. God says something and you say, "Did God really say ___?"

God really says to repent of sins. God really does say to obey Him.

God really says He hardened Pharaoh.

You don't believe God.

 

[Robert Pate]

You go against God's words. God says something and you say, "Did God really say ___?"

God really says to repent of sins. God really does say to obey Him.

God really says He hardened Pharaoh.

You don't believe God.

You don't have to repent if you are already perfect and complete in Christ, Colossians 2:10.

You are under the law and are subject to the law, 1 Timothy 1:9,10.

 

[God's Truth]

You don't have to repent if you are already perfect and complete in Christ, Colossians 2:10.

You are under the law and are subject to the law, 1 Timothy 1:9,10.

You will not be in Christ unless you repent.

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

You are led far away from the Bible and not because of God, but because of false teachers who tickled your ears. You should have been more careful, as God warns us to be.

Yikes. Someone new comes along and you are all over him like a cheap suit.

False teachers?

Beam. Eye. Remove it.

http://theologyonline.com/showthread.php?97148-One-on-One-AMR-and-God-s-Truth-—-The-Holy-Trinity

AMR