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But is this limited to just the "elect", or do all get a chance to apply for sonship?

I've never seen it described as an application process. Sinners, by their very nature, choose other than God, and that willfully.

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I would favor the latter because of the express nature of God as shown in the scriptures -- i.e., that He is love, that He has abundant mercy for sinners, that He desires none to be lost, etc.

Because God has abundant mercy for sinners does not necessitate His mercy must be the same for all. What is wondrous and awe inspiring is that He chose anybody at all. If He had chosen but one, He would have been infinitely merciful.

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The Calvinist paradigm seems to hold out that God is just the opposite of this, that rather than having mercy upon the whole world, that He has mercy upon a select few and damns, without reason, all the rest.

I am going to answer this assertion again and ask you to remember it, as you are repeatedly misrepresenting calvinism. God damns people because they are sinners.

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That does not strike me as particularly just nor loving.

A God that damns those that willfully oppose Him isn't just? This is exactly the attribute of Gods nature you toss out with your one-sided view of Gods nature. Yes, God is loving, but He is also just.


God bless,

william