Subject: Is there middle ground? |
Bible Note: Yes Ed, I agree. True salvation is fulfilling the very call of God! John 6:44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day." John 6:65 "And He was saying, 'For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.'" People do not come to Christ strictly on their own initiative and coming to Christ for salvation is never a merely human achievement. The multitude is told about the election of the Father (John 6:37), and yet all are invited to believe (John 6:40). Calvinists would say that the people did not believe (v.64) because it was not granted to them by the Father. In other words, God would not dispense the power to come to Christ to all of mankind; He would give the ability to come to Christ to those whom He sovereignly determined beforehand (Eph. 1:9-11), since there is nothing in fallen man that can be redeemed. However, Arminians believe that "prevenient grace" (giving the power or ability to come to Christ to every human being) exists, based on man's responsibility to affirm God's calling; promising security for all those who do (v. 37). And thus, we have yet another irreconciliable difference between Calvinists and Arminians. Calvinists believe that the power to come to Christ has only been given to the "elect." Arminians believe that the power to come to Christ has been given to all of mankind. And this is another fundamental difference in thought that divides Calvinism from Arminianism, which cannot be reconciled. Either you believe that all are drawn or some are drawn. There is no "middle ground" here either. I hope that we are still in agreement, Ed! :) Your Brother in Christ, Nolan |