<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>[color:"blue"]I cannot accept the "total depravity" expressed by some Puritans (there was a chapter on this in John Armstrong's "The Compromised Church.") i.e. humans are totally unable to even respond positively to God without His spirit. What about people who, for example, express an interest in God, begin reading the Bible, and then die in a car accident? Did God decide to play some cruel joke by bringing them part way, and then send them to Hell anyway?<br></font><hr></blockquote><p><br><br>First of all Henry your mistake is in thinking that sending a person to hell is a "cruel joke" rather that a just punishment for being in total rebellion against their lawful Lord and Sovereign.(Rom. 5:10;8:7) Even if I were to read the bible a thousand times and have some supposed "interest" in God its still not an interest that is godly in nature. People come to the bible reading it and seeking a God that satisfies them not looking toward the true God they "worship what they do not know" (John 4:22, Acts 17:23) <br><br><blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>[color:"blue"] Salvation is a work of God, one who "stoops to conquer," who brings us to Himself rather than waiting for us to come for all the best motives, because we never could. But we must have a part- a small part, like Samson pushing on the pillars- but still a part. Otherwise Jesus was wasting His breath preaching the kingdom to the crowds that flocked around Him. Think of all those open invitations! Didn't he realize that most of those listening likely weren't part of the elect?</font><hr></blockquote><p><br><br>Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? (2Co 2:14-16)<br><br>Now what does this have to do with what you just quoted? Just this when the Gospel is preached it has two purposes one is to bring the elect to salvation and the other is condemnation to the reprobate. Again I must emphasize the fact that God is infinitely just in sending people to hell because of the fact of their rebellion against Him. And if in the preaching of the gospel the reprobate are condemned to God be the glory.<br><br>
