The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum The Doctrine of God - Calvinism vs Arminianism

Now, why is it I seem to have heard that argument before somewhere?

Romans 9:13-20 (ASV) "Even as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that hath mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, For this very purpose did I raise thee up, that I might show in thee my power, and that my name might be published abroad in all the earth. So then he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will be hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he still find fault? For who withstandeth his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why didst thou make me thus?"

Amazing isn't it how the Holy Spirit anticipated that such silliness would get passed down from generation to generation? The problem was from the beginning one of AUTONOMY. The Devil sought to usurp God's sovereignty, i.e., His right, His authority to do whatsoever He pleased according to the good pleasure of His will. Well, that didn't work out as Satan thought it would, now did it! But being what Jonathan Edwards loved to call him, "the greatest blockhead to ever exist", he didn't give up and decided to include humans in with his band of not so merry fallen angels. So, he whispered ever so convincingly to Eve that she wouldn't die at all if she at the forbidden fruit but rather even God knew "that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil." Ya see, there it is again... man could become as God; his own authority, exercising his own will according to his own desires. And, so it is today that ALL humans inherit their father Adam's depraved nature and continue unabashedly to believe the Devil's lie; i.e., he is able to do what he wants, when he wants and how he wants, even though perhaps God needs to help him along from time to time.

Men simply won't bow before God and esteem Him LORD. As the old adage says, "In the beginning, God created man in His own image. And, ever since that day, man has been trying to return the favor."

That's why it takes Amazing GRACE to save a wretch... like me!