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My Arminian Faith

Here is my answer to Romans 9-11. I am a conditionalist in regards to future punishment, as well as an arminian and an evangelical, open theist.  All of these views are intrinsically blended together. The thrust of the message is that salvation is offered to all mankind... and that the LORD God of Israel is not a dictator but rather a benevolent King, wanting all of mankind to respond to the royal invitation to the marriage feast of the Lamb.

 

God allows free will, making the future of individuals open to cutting covenant with Him. But He realizes that, in the end, some will be shut out in outer darkness, that is excluded from the covenant blessings. And a big part of my faith is that God is not outside of time. He does not know before we are born who will be saved or not. The relationship is open and relational in real time. Each day contains choices open to us to obey His voice or not.

 

Determinist push back in many ways. “Calvinists say open theists are afraid of God's size. What they fail to recognize is that goodness is greater than power, in fact it is the foundation of power (Ps. 89:14), and Jesus gave evil men power over Him at the cross. Their power meant nothing. His goodness meant everything, for His innocent suffering paid for their sins. Open theists are not looking for a smaller, less powerful, God. Calvinist have bent common sense to make a god as powerful as possible, yet the God of the Bible is still much greater because He is good.” (Gary Hopkins spurred by thoughts expressed by his friend Bob Enyart)

I think a major defect in determinist theology is the precept of total depravity. Both camps acknowledge two sides of the coin— man’s part and God’s part. But then determinist focus on God’s part, saying that He overrides free will by saving an elect few.  Arminianism focuses on man’s part, saying that God draws all men to Himself, but some resist! We say that these folks harden their own hearts … and sooner or later, perhaps, God hardens their hearts to still achieve His will through them.

So, God has a calling on the lives of every single person. It is within our power to answer that call and, thus, become God's elect. God created the world through Christ Jesus and He has a plan to redeem it through Him. We must covenant with Him by faith and finally give up on our own strength and trust in Him to save us. No one is born a Christian. You must be born again of the eternal Word which lives and abides forever.

 

I’m not saying that the free will of man overrides the necessity of God to draw people to Himself.  We must go to Him while He is drawing us. During these times, He grants every person the ability to turn to Him and be saved. So, if you are a stranger to Him don’t miss these windows! 

 

As in the stories in the Old Testament, we can choose to switch sides and become an Israelite indeed... and be saved from the wrath to come.. and the subsequent natural decay and decomposition to dust. We are saved by a daily renewing of the Spirit in us and, eventually, a supernatural resurrection and bestowment of spiritual bodies incapable of corruption. We must remain in His Word and allow His Word to remain in us. But those who persist in resisting God's call- the obstinately rebellious-  will perish  in the Judgment (Matthew 3:12; Philippians 3:19; Romans 9:22; John 3:16; Psalm 37:20; Malachi 4:1; Hebrews 10:27; Matthew 7:13, 10:28,13:40; Luke 17:29, 30; James 5:20; 2 Peter 2:12, 3:7; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; 2 Peter 3:9; Revelation 20:14; 21:8.)- supplied by a Bro Bird post.... and be made as dust of the earth again.

 

When I share with determinist that I think election is corporate church privilege, and not individual salvation, they can’t see any difference, but here is my point. At first, it was the faith of Abraham, who incidentally, prophetically saw Jesus’ day and was glad. That faith was passed down, orally at first…  And then it was written down in days of Moses. In the days of Jesus and the apostles, this election was was about to change to the Gentile nations through faith in Jesus, who had dwelled among them. The  call for salvation remains to whosoever will come. These are only the firstborn of each of the households of faith. 

 

The Luke 16 Parable of the Rich Man (Jews) and Lazarus (Beggars) taught  that the Jews had not been faithful stewards and after the Rich man raises up his eyes (signifying a bodily resurrection), he (and the unfaithful of his five brothers- signifying Judah) will  have much regret and sorrow in anticipation of the Judgment. Their misery will end with the execution of the second death in the lake of fire! But the remnant is also of the tribe of Judea!

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