A Defense of Calvinism (C.H. Spurgeon) [1of4]

It's interesting that you label Calvinists as being insane; UNREGENERATE people held the same view of Christ (Jn. 10:20): "And many of them said, He hath a devil, and IS MAD; why hear ye him?"

Yes, you did forget something; that God is sovereign. Ezra 3:5 and Ezra 7:13 show that man has free agency, not that he has the innate capacity to choose equally between good and evil, as Arminianism erroneously teaches. You didn't quote Ezra 1:5: "Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with ALL THEM WHOSE SPIRIT GOD HAD RAISED, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem."

You have asked:

Do you hold to:
-libertarian free will? A two part question so NO and YES

-general atonement? Another two part question so NO and YES

-resistible grace? Wow, another two part question so NO and YES

-conditional security? Another two part question so NO and YES

--partial depravity? Once again a two part question so NO and YES

Is that all you wanted was a YES or NO? An explanation would be like writing a book! Like I said, I am a Bible Believer!

Couple things:

1) Questions like "do you believe in general atonement...libertarian free will....conditional security" are not two part questions. I don't even know how....nevermind.

2) Your attempt at Ephesians 1 *still* makes no sense and nobody plainly reading the Bible, who isn't trying to force their own theology into the passage, would come up with that interpretation.

3) You obviously aren't serious about the Bible so I regret responding to your comment. Don't bother responding to me..

Not only can you NOT explain the passage; you don't even quote it right!

Ephesians 1:3,"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places IN CHRIST:
4  According as he hath chosen us IN HIM before the foundation of the world, that we should be HOLY and without blame BEFORE HIM in love:
5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children BY Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,"

How about YOU read it again! The passages you quote REQUIRE us to BE THERE IN CHRIST, HOLY and WITHOUT BLAME, in eternity past and future! WOW, are you missing a lot! Must be that it makes no sense to you if you are NOT spiritually minded.

Calvinism is so sad! All Calvinist frustrate the space / time continuum!

Your attempt to explain the passage is rediculous; and a lie. THERE IS NO ELECTION outside of being IN CHRIST! If IN CHRIST you are in THAT ETERNAL LIFE; and therefore THERE!

ORDAINED - NOT FORE-ORDAINED! NOT PREDESTINED! Why is it that Calvinist can't read? I didn't read anywhere in any Bible the words: "unconditional election" That is just made up junk! Romans 9:16, 18; shows nothing of "unconditional election" That is just more made up junk! People can be ordained in the here and now! God can have mercy in the here and now! Where is the "preeminence of man" that Calvinism precludes?

In the Greek, Acts 13:48b is in the PASSIVE voice, meaning that the subject is being acted upon, having nothing to do with the action other than being on the receiving end of it. Election to salvation is dependent only on God's mercy, not on man's will, for it is written, "So then it is NOT OF HIM THAT WILLETH, NOR OF HIM THAT RUNNETH, BUT OF GOD that sheweth mercy. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth."

Wow! In this matter Charles Spurgeon was an IDOT in the first degree!

I Thes. 5:9: "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation...." It doesn't say FOREappointed there, but that doesn't nullify that the elect were appointed in eternity, for it is written (Eph. 1:4-5), "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will."