<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>[color:"blue"]The point Joe and Chris make are of course valid and it admittedly weakens the strength of their confession. It is only as I said; they did not run to meet God and cast themselves prostrate before Him. Never the less, they did openly and freely admit disobeying the command. The attempted blame shifting was only to try to minimize their personal responsibility but in the end the confession came, “I did eat.” [color:red]To me, that is the bottom line</font color=red>.</font><hr></blockquote><p> A very liberal bottom line to say the very least. Thus, now you assert that God is satisfied with less than perfect repentance—that is, that one may lie and blame others for their sin. Thus, why do we need Christ if depraved man’s dishonest confession of his sin is sufficient? God requires full repentance nothing less. This is only possible, as has been shown to you numerous times, by an act of the Holy Spirit upon man, first, enabling him to repent for both that he does know and that which he is not even aware.<br><br><blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>[color:"blue"]Joe rightly says, “But God still held each of them responsible”, but what follows is not right. He says “sins- plural”. I say “no, sin- singular”. There was only one command they were responsible for, “Do not eat”. There was no command not to hide (there still isn’t, that I know of) and there was no command not to lie (I don’t see where they lied either, (I’m not ready to say at this point who is not understanding the theology of the ‘will’, (though I do have an opinion about that))). God held them responsible for their sin. It follows then, that if God has made them responsible for their sin, He is not responsible, more specifically can not be responsible. </font><hr></blockquote><p> Really? Hiding from the very person of God because you have sinned is not sin? Not being willing to walk with your Creator is not sin? Not being willing to account for your sin is not sin before God? Non-communion with one’s Creator is not sin in the Arminian’s understanding of things? Hiding and not answering God when He called were all the result of Adam and Eve’s first sin which perpetuated into these others. <br><br><blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>[color:"blue"] While I do believe in the sovereignty of God, though I admit perhaps imperfectly, it is apparent that we do not share a common belief or understanding of the sovereignty of man. There is an argument used by atheists (or agnostics) that if God can do anything, why can’t He make a rock that is so big that He can’t move it? My answer to that is that He did. He created man and gave him a free will and is bound by His own word to not violate it, or interfere with it.<br> </font><hr></blockquote><p> Really? So, God made a rock to big for himself to move, but made man capable of moving it? Your God is not a sovereign God at all, but one who is controlled by the whim of depraved man. BTW the correct answer to your question is that God would never do anything against His own nature, such as making a rock to big for Himself to move (to do so would be sin), or giving man a sovereign will, which controls His will (to do so would be sin). To promote otherwise is to embrace/promote heresy.<br><br><blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>[color:"blue"]If it was God’s intention to create man and have him act freely within the will of God, it must be possible for him to act outside of it with out any restraint. It just has to be that way, or man is not acting freely.</font><hr></blockquote><p> You have confused your idea of what Calvinism is with what it really is historically! (1) Calvinism DOES NOT say man DOES NOT have a will—man does have a will (2) It DOES NOT say it is not somewhat free-just not as free as you think it is—to control God himself. (3) It says man in his depraved nature is dead to the things of God (4) It says since depraved man is dead to the things of God, he must first be made alive by the Holy Spirit (regeneration) to understand spiritual things (1 Cor 2:6-16, et. al.) (5) When he SEES (John 3) he then chooses (yes, a will, Ps 110:3). Calvinism and Arminian both agree man has a "will", the problem is where you put the “will” in your solution to ordis salutis.<br><br><blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>[color:"blue"]I have to say, and I know this is harsh, but your statement that you would rather be a prisoner of Christ than a slave of Satan is pathetic. The God of the universe will not have a prisoner for a bride. We will not be locked up in a garden with no way out. He could have done that and saved a trip to Calvary. He is not taking prisoners. He is winning hearts. </font><hr></blockquote><p> Really? It is indeed, very sad to see some today that call themselves Christians and do not see Christ as Lord. I am happy and joyful to be the prisoner of the Lord—captivated by His love, His life, His Word, His Spirit, et. al. As His prisoner, wrapped in the chains of grace and mercy, I am free to walk as He walked. Not to be a prisoner of Christ meant for the Puritans, and for me, to be enslaved to Satan and to do his bidding. Just what does Paul mean when he calls himself the prisoner of the Lord? Does he mean simply a prisoner of Rome, if so, why not state such? Hummmm, it seems to go much deeper than that!<br><br><blockquote> Ephesians 3:1 For this cause I Paul, [color:red]the prisoner of Jesus Christ</font color=red> for you Gentiles, <br><br>Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, [color:red]the prisoner of the Lord</font color=red>, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, <br><br>2 Timothy 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor [color:red]of me his prisoner</font color=red>: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,<br><br>Philemon 1:1 Paul, [color:red]a prisoner of Jesus Christ</font color=red>, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer, <br><br>Philemon 1:9 Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also [color:red]a prisoner of Jesus Christ</font color=red>.<br><br>Philemon 1:23 There salute thee Epaphras, [color:red]my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus</font color=red>; </blockquote>

Reformed and Always Reforming,