Four Point Calvinism

Let me begin with some rebuttals [forgive me for my grammer this time I ran short on time] Your usage of Romans 10:14 is a profound [and troubling] example of the interpretive nature of verses. Romans 10:14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? Approaching this verse from a Calvinism Lense I can see how this could be interpreted as a "why even bother spreading the gospel as they do not have ears to hear" message but it can be equally interpreted as "how can they become christians if we don't preach so they can hear so they can believe". Two choices [on a low key hundreds or even thousands of interpretations] how do we decide? Well let's use our god given good sense and look at the context and see how this message applies within the scope of what Paul was trying to say. Verse 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. Verse 11 As Scripture says, "Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame Verse 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile"the same Lord is Lord of a land richly blesses all who call on him and finally 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. In 10 we learn in action and Love we are justified and saved in 11 that we will not be put to shame in 12 we learn there is NO difference between Jew and Gentile as long as we make the choice to call on him 13 everyone who calls on the name of the lord will be saved in 14 This calling paul talks about is important but how do we get there? We learn this in 14 To call we must believe, and to believe we must hear, and to hear someone must preach "teach" to us[the verse has a beautiful flow to it forwards and backwards]. The exact verse you used to say one cannot be saved [by the church's effort] is actually used to tell us why we must preach the gospel. If you read this chapter you will find a theme of Paul writing about Righteousness by faith [often bible commentaries call this is the righteousness by faith chapter of romans] . If he was going to make the point that we must be selected why was it not made abundantly clear in the rest of the chapter that it is as simple as all who are called by the the lord all who make the choice of service and faith in the lord shall be saved.If that was the intention Why would he have made the emphasis on our actions in the chapter, 10 your heart you believe and are justified, 11 anyone who believes in him 13 and very clearly everyone who calls on the name of the lord will be saved every one of these examples is actually us making the choice to choose and follow the lord if Calvinism was true why would not every one of them be the lord calling on us? It is because Calvinism is a man made mental construction and not of the Lord and does him a disservice to describe him that way. When we quote scripture on a such one dimensional bases as a single verse we risk interpreting the message out of context and remember the message of the bible is the inspired word of god not our own interpretations of singular verses. We must let the scripture speak to us and not allow us to speak for it. Were not the pharisees that killed Jesus masters of the law? Im sure they convinced themselves they were right but we must learn from their example and not blind ourselves but rather use our mind and body that was created in the image of god the heavenly father! And this is just one verse if I was to address everyone made to make Calvinism look like the god of the bible im not sure I could do it in 30 rounds. If you are hungry for verses that challenge Calvinism I can offer these but know this, these verses were not made to directly challenge Calvinism they address oftentimes specific instances in the bible and reading them out of context can be misleading, I encourage you to do some research on each one : Romans 10:17 [a verse close to the one we addressed] "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of god". If Calvinism was in fact true should it not read "faith cometh by the order and grace of god"? This chapter is about righteousness if Calvinism was fact why is so much focus put on our actions rather than gods? Calvinism says we are incapable of choosing god yet it is our choice rather than gods that is spoken for the majority of the chapter. John 1:12 "But as many as received him, to them he gave he power to become the sons of god, even to them that believe on his name" this verse [which surly the interpretation will be contested] says as many that receive him have the power to become the sons of god, this power to become which must be received [which is an action not on the sender end] is not absolute, we do not just become like a son god rather we must still follow through with the actions which is similar to choice. Matt 10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him I will also confess also before my father which is in heaven 33 but whosoever shall deny me before men, him I also deny before my father which is in heaven. Again why is our salvation so predicated on our actions like this? Do we really need to remind god who he has chosen? Has already forgotten? Now for the examples of Jonah and the others I am not contesting the Idea that God can influence and work to change a man's will what I am challenging is that it is always the rule. Surely god can select men for a specific purpose John the baptist is a great example of that. God reallllly wanted Jonah to do something, and no he would not of done it without God's intervention. But god did not create a perfect servant, he could have made Jonah through genes and life experience someone who just would have done it anyway. Instead he made his servant Jonah [a masterpiece as each of us are] mistakes and failing in all a man of will and fear, a man who had to be pushed into making the right choice. It was a lesson that was taught to Jonah and a lesson cannot be taught without something teaching nor something to receive it. Even after everything in the fish Jonah could STILL OF SAID NO, a unwise choice for sure! But he still had to make the decision. These are stories of god choosing and teaching his servants, Moses, Abraham, Elijah, Paul, and Jonah are all examples of god teaching and shaping servants but also their failures highlight that their will and choices are still their own. If the failures are not theirs than whose are they? If god exercised ultimate control over everything why would they not have been made for these tasks and in some cases not struggled with them so greatly? Not everyone is afforded such a miracle and if saints are just given there place in the kingdom where is your burning bush? How can you be sure you have not just convinced yourself of your faith and not been chosen? If you are unsure call upon the name of the lord now! How can it fail? Surely I say without the Lord man would be destructive indeed but ever since we have eaten from the garden of Eden we know right from wrong good from evil. That is why even in the far corners of the world when Christianity had not touched it there were still acts of kindness and men seeking goodness. God has instilled within us the ability to choose as we chose that tabooed fruit so long ago.