Four Point Calvinism

An amendment was made via direct phone contact, in agreement the debate will now encompass all arguments of Calvinism in each initial statement to allow more rounds for rebuttals. It is impossible for man to become a Christian out of any will of his own (Holman Christian Standard Bible, Romans 9.16; John 1.12-13); everyone is utterly wicked and defiant without God's intervention in salvation (Psalms 53.2; Romans 3.11-12). Because man cannot follow God in his natural state, it is necessary for God to soften man's heart, so that he may conclude of his need for a Savior and gain a desire for Christ (Romans 11.4-8). Because God is all knowing, every action and every intervention is determined by Him before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1.4-8). God chose those who He would soften and harden not based on the individual's response, because all are utterly wicked, but rather God predetermined salvation in accordance with the mystery of His will (Ephesians 1.9-11; Romans 11.25). Since everyone is sinful and has committed crime against God (Romans 3.23); God's wrath abides on all men and no one is good or deserving of God's grace (1 John 4.10; Romans 3.25). Scriptures that point to the lack of man's will in choosing God "So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy." (Holman Christian Standard Bible, Romans 9.16) "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1.12-13) This is not saying man has no free will, but rather a limited will that cannot choose God. Unless God changes man's natural notions, man will not desire the True God as seen through the Scriptures. "For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God... we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." (1 Corinthians 1.18,23-25) This verse says unless someone is called, the cross is rendered as foolish. Meaning for someone to not deem the cross as foolish, means that they were called by God. "God has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there is anyone who understands, Who seeks after God... THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALLHAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE." (Psalms 53.2, Romans 3.11-12) King David's words with the Apostle Paul's paraphrase. If no one seeks God, then how does anyone ever find Him? If no one understands, then how are they given understanding? Those who aren't elected, are hardened. "'I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL.' In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; just as it is written, "GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY."" (Romans 11.4-8) God blinded man's perception and hardened their hearts, and to this very day God's grace is based on His sovereign choice, not by our works. (Also, see believing in Jesus is a work in John 6:29) "Why, O LORD, do You cause us to stray from Your ways And harden our heart from fearing You? Return for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage." (Isaiah 63.17) Just as through the book of judges, their hearts were hardened by the separation of God's presence. God leaves us to our own devices apart from Him, so that we realize our righteousness is by God's intervention, not by our own hand. The Apostle Paul parallels Romans 9, with this portion of Scripture. Just, as both mention God being the potter, and we the clay, the Apostle Paul says “But who are you, a mere man, to talk back to God? Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” (Romans 9.20) Belief is given by God, not asserted by man. "However, there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him.) Then Jesus said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father” has granted it to him." (John 6.64-65) "But because you are not My sheep, you refuse to believe. My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand." (John 10.26-27) If you consider this with the parable of the sheep and the goats it raises the question: "Can a goat become a sheep?" The even more interesting thing is that goats and sheep looked pretty much the same in Jesus day. It’s just modern ones have been bred for specific reasoning’s. In fact, some goats have wool like sheep, and some sheep have hair like goats. Also in the sheep in the goats, the goats acted negligently because they were goats, and the sheep did those things because they were sheep. Rather than negligence creating goats, and obedience creating sheep. Likewise, as the verse above says “because you are not My sheep, you refuse to believe” rather than “because you refuse to believe, you are not my sheep.” The major difference between Sheep and Goats was behavior. Goats are more independent and stubborn, while sheep are obedient and are fearful of the shepherd. Those who have tasted the Holy Spirit cannot fall away: “For it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, became companions with the Holy Spirit, tasted God’s good word and the powers of the coming age, and who have fallen away, because, to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding Him up to contempt. For ground that has drunk the rain that has often fallen on it and that produces vegetation useful to those it is cultivated for receives a blessing from God. But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and about to be cursed, and will be burned at the end.” (Hebrews 6.4-8) The reference to thorns and thistles are those who hear the Word of God, but get choked up in deceit, for the desires of this world (Matthew 13.22). It is likely that those who are in the thorns were never saved at all. This is most likely a hypothetical argument. See next section. “For if we deliberately sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire about to consume the adversaries.” (Hebrews 10.26) This verse and the prior verse likely go together in the context of the Epistle written. If you were to take this as none hypothetically, than someone who once was Christian, but turned away, there would no longer be a sacrifice for sins and it would be “impossible to renew” them to repentance. “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish--ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10.28) Is it really eternal life if it can be taken away? Does God lie if He takes away the promised eternal life? Can a saved person snatch themselves from God’s hand? Does that contradict this Scripture? If they could it would be impossible to renew them to salvation. It’s interesting that we never see anyone be born again, and again. But it is someone who was dead, and is now alive. Someone who was blind, and now have gained their site. There are no instances in the New Testament of someone gaining the Holy Spirit and then losing it. There is no instance of someone being born again, regaining sight, or gaining hearing to only lose it again. Though there are instances of someone who appears they might be saved, but like the seed on the path or in the thorns, it never matures to salvation. Pure Reasoning: When God in all His foreknowledge created everything, He knew just the right amount of stubbornness that would prevent Adam and Eve from disobedience. He knew that the attributes that He gave them how changing it would affect them and their descendants all the way to you and me. This day, God crafts us in the womb, God chose what traits pass on, how they translate, how are emotions determine decisions. To our smallest being, we are crafted by God, in foresight of all things we would do, seeing the result of His craftmanship.It is common occurrence in the Scriptures for those who are unsaved to be known as a dead man, blind man, or a deaf man. Now can a dead man give himself life so that he may rise? Can a blind man give himself sight so that he may see? And can a deaf man renew his hearing so he may hear? But rather life is given in accordance to God’s will, understanding is given by God, and eyes are opened by God. What is the free will and what motivates it? Is not the free will just are carnal nature following the impulses of our flesh? Why do you do anything? Is it not because you desire to? If you do something you don’t want to do, it is because you are desiring to attain a greater desire and that is a necessary step in gaining that greater desire. For the only times, we act contrary to our desires in its entirety is when we are forced to. Even when forced by others, it’s out of the desire to not be punished even further. So, can our “free will,” or rather, our carnal nature come to God?