The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Watchman Nee would agree with this

Troy,

I am not surprised by how you responded but disappointed that you offered not one reference to Scripture in your remarks. And from those remarks, it is obvious that you, like the author of the article you chose to represent your own views, and I must assume those of Watchman Nee, whom you esteem to be a little less than Christ, know very little about the historical teachings of Calvinism. I'll therefore only deal with a couple of items from your reply as the majority of it was unfortunately irrelevant to what I wrote:

In reply to:

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[color:"blue"]don't get all legalistic on free will be works or faith. it is a choice to have faith in God or not. IT is not a work. I didn't do anything. I chose I exercised my free will and God promised me if I chose Him He would choose me. Low and behond that is exactly what happened. Calvanism is fantasy life. Bring yourselfs down off that pedestal and be lowly and meek in Christ.

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You mentioned "free will" in several places and the Fall, but you offered nothing to support what you believe from the Bible. What reason can you give for your denial of God's Word in regard to the doctrine of the Fall and its effects on mankind? Why have you chosen to ignore the myriad statements about how depraved fallen mankind is and man's total inability to love God, righteousness, holiness and Christ? Even God Himself doesn't have the type of "free-will" you are wanting to accredit to fallen mankind. [img]http://www.the-highway.com/w3timages/icons/rolleyes.gif" alt="rolleyes" title="rolleyes[/img] Now, I don't know what you are speaking about at all when you had the need to "flame" me and chide me to not "get all legalistic on free will be works or faith". The fact is that it is those who are insistent that man has a "will" that is so free that it can choose that which is contrary to his very own nature; something which even the Omnipotent God Who created man cannot do. Are you wanting me to believe that God created a creature that is greater than Himself?

And what are these disparaging remarks you wrote: "Bring yourselfs down off that pedestal and be lowly and meek in Christ." The fact is that Calvinism produces humility and lowliness by default. Since a sinner is totally unwilling and unable to even have an interest in God by nature, how is it that one who has been resurrected from the dead by a sovereign God of mercy due to the sacrifice of another and given all things in Him that one could possibly think highly of himself? That's utter nonsense.... and I do believe you know that. One who is conscious of the fact that they have been saved by GRACE and not by their own free-will decision is most humble as he knows "salvation is of the Lord" (Jonah 2:9; Eph 1:4-13; et al).

We, who have been brought to the cross and to the person of the Lord Christ, having been made alive by the Holy Spirit according to God's eternal and immutable decree of election, know that if God had not "hand picked" us, we would still be cursing God and reveling in our sins.

Ephesians 2:1-9 (ASV) "And you [did he make alive,] when ye were dead through your trespasses and sins, wherein ye once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, of the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience; among whom we also all once lived in the lust of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest:-- but God, being rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly [places], in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus: for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory."

Although it is doubtful you will bother doing so, I would like to refer you to a brief little article I wrote that puts these doctrines into a graphical form so as to make them much easier to understand. You can find that article here:

Do you REALLY Believe that Salvation is by Grace, ALONE?

In His Grace,