Subject: Is there middle ground? |
Bible Note: Dear Lionstrong, Greetings in Jesus' name! To answer the original question, there is no middle ground. There is truth, and men have a tendency to stray from it, some to extremes. Friend, the Bible is truth, and Arminians and Calvinists are both straying from it by denying much of the Bible in order to 'prove' their bent. You speak of everything that happens as if we might be able to fathom it! Both Calvinist and Arminians can spew forth scads of Scripture to back their opinions, and spend a huge amount of effort to tell the other side why their Scripture doesn't mean what it says. Both deny the other as foolish, ignorant, or blasphemous. Both 'bend' the Word to meet their agenda, and strip away the simplicity of the Bible with long, complicated, convoluted arguments, and reams of 'proof.' And both are unbending, dogmatic and bigoted. In order to prove MY statement, I invite you to use search to look for hundreds of posts dealing with this issue. Then, if all were as 'cut and dry' as both sides claim, one side would 'win' and the other side would be 'un-Biblical' and 'out of God's will.' How easily we claim righteousness. I have found few 'Calvinists' that accept the 'extremist' position, and few 'Arminians' that accept their 'extremist' position. Then we have the 'Neo-', 'Modified-', 'Pseudo-' whatever groups. I find it very easy to accept that God is sovereign, AND allows, yea, desires His workmanship to choose good works in the Lord Jesus. The Bible is clear that our God is sovereign, AND has set before us two paths. Who are we to continually argue about the *amount* of sovereignty and choice, as if we would know it, anyway! Shout at the typhoon! (Oriental interpretation of Job :-)) And peace unto you, in Christ Jesus, charis |