Reformed Theology is a True Representation of The Gospel

Generally speaking, I have many constraints upon my time, but this debate is a subject that is too close to my personal walk to pass up. I myself started my Christian journey within a ‘reformed’ framework and walked away from the belief system due to many powerful reasons. As a starting note, my opponent made only assertions in his opening round and offered no arguments to support the resolution, he may be unaware the Burden of Proof rests entirely upon him in this debate as both Pro and Instigator. First some simplified definitions: Gospel:the good news is that Jesus Christ came so that you can step into the light , so that you can be delivered of sin, death, and the efforts of the devil and join the kingdom of God, a joining begun on earth that continues for all eternity. John 3:16, Mat 4:23 Luke 8:1 Salvation: being set free or liberated from sin and its consequences, death, and the devil. Synergism: the position of those who hold that salvation involves some form of cooperation between divine grace and human freedom. Monergism: the position of those who believe that God works to bring about salvation of individuals without cooperation from the individual. Calvinism:asserts a purely monergistic view to the exclusion of any synergistic view. My opponent has his work cut out for him, as the Calvinist viewpoint is inferior to Mainstream Christianity in the following ways: 1). The dangerous consequences for any Calvinistic idea of eternal security if it is wrong. My opponent needs to not only have a near undoubtable case to win the debate; he also needs to have a near undoubtable case to even hope that such a view would be true. We can use a practical exercise in logic to see that Calvinism is a logically inferior view of the reality of salvation described by the Scriptures. Imagine you believe in a view of eternal security that is monergistic. You believe that God will save you no matter what you do. You teach this view to 10,000 people who believe your teachings. Now imagine that you stand before God at the Judgment Seat. God states to you “You were Wrong! ” He further states not only were you wrong by never pursuing Holiness but also that everyone you taught believed you. You have 10,000 people lined up behind you and they are all with you. None of you are going to Heaven. Lets flip that concept though. Lets assume you believed that Holiness was necessary for salvation. You taught it to 10,000 people. You are before God at the Judgment Seat and He states, “You were Wrong! You did not need to be devoted to Holiness, you are all going to heaven, but I am excited so many lived a life as Holy as they could. You have answered the high call of scripture to ‘be holy as God is holy’! ” The consequences for believing and teaching monergistic salvation are very very profound. You would need to be absolutely dead certain you are not leading countless people into Hell. However, teaching Holiness unto salvation would leave one with little concern to the state of his soul and the soul of those he would teach. 2. ) Scripture should be interpreted in light of God’s Justice rather than merely His Sovereignty A view that holds Gods sovereignty above his justice is an abhorrent view. We would NOT applaud a Father who beat his children for arbitrary and/or non-meritorious reasons. But a father, who responds to the virtues and vices of his children’s actions and utilizes his sovereignty, to guide and correct them would be honored. The scriptures clearly display a Father who reacts to our positive or negative actions. - Scripture shows us that God desires us to “Choose” for him. John 3:16 – 21 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. ” - I would necessarily point out that this verse, which many would point to as a “key” verse, has the language of “whomever”. Not that “my chosen” “my elected”, are those that do not perish. Second, that belief is needed. God is shows himself as the reactor to our free will choices as it pertains to salvation in John 3:20-21 . Those who hate the light do not come into the light and those who love the light (and the truth of the light) do. Which, God clearly rewards the action of the person with eternal life. In fact, rejection of evil and choosing of the good is a nice simplified way of stating repentance, a state which God wishes us to come to BEFORE we can be rewarded with eternal salvation, or stated as the Good News/Gospel. To repent is to change your mind and go a different way, to choose to stop following your bad desires and to choose God's good desires. Character count forbids me to post all scriptures but here is some key ones. - Scripture also shows us that we “must” choose. We must repent to live within the reality of the Gospel. Proverbs 1:23Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings. Isaiah 30:15This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. Ezekiel 14:6“Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices! Mark 6:12They went out and preached that people should repent. - The scriptures like the one below, specifically teach against monergism, that is resting in a elect position rather than in action of choice Luke 3:8”Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father. ’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. “ - Jesus here clearly shows that to rest in their election of being Jewish is NOT in keeping with repentance which as stated so many times in scripture the path to salvation. He instead contradicts their thought. God can make anyone be born anywhere he wants, Circumstances of birth do not save you, your actions and the fruit of them are what is important. 3). The superiority of Scriptural Scholarship. The vast majority of 'Greek' scholars would not support a reformed reading of the bible but by clear consensus conclude a synergistic Gospel. This is not fallacious appeal to majority but it is a valid appeal consensus of the authority. I am citing the authorities majority consensus. As would occur if one were to cite the consensus for the Big Bang vs. a one off sudden generation theory. It is resolved that the Gospel is indeed a synergistic Gospel. Here is a back and forth between James White and Dave Hunt which highlights the idea that Calvinism needs to take a natural reading and through a specific training process teach an exegetical contortionism to be ‘properly’ understood. . http://www.thebereancall.org... Summary, We see the indeed the resolution stands false for so many reasons. I due to character limits only was able to cite a couple. I hope my opponent will give a positive line of argumentation that would meet his burden of proof and something that would be able to resist the floodgate of obvious and natural objections that preclude any reality of a monergistic view.