please. PEACE. brothers PEACE. I do not want this to start up again.

Again, we could argue this till the very end of the world. What is the point? I did not contemplate all of this when I became a Christian. I just believed on Him and repented of my selfish ways. The simplicity of the Gospel.

Please peace Jim.

I also recently linked to Mr. Kirkwood’s anti-Reformed booklet. I would agree that Kirkwood is more charitable (and intelligent) than many critics of Reformed theology. (Though, he does say, “…people have given up hope of salvation because of Calvinistic teaching, thinking that they are not among the elect since they have felt no irresistible grace? Dear Calvinist, the blood of such people is on your hands.” I’m not sure how charitable statements like these are.)

Honestly, I will likely never read through all of this, because (1) it is rather long and (2) I became too frustrated to finish before getting halfway through the first section. Kirkwood, like most critics, seems to have a difficult time engaging with ACTUAL REFORMED ARGUMENTS/POSITIONS.

Example: Kirkwood maintains that Irresistible Grace is God “forcing” belief and repentance. Even with Piper quotes in front of him, Kirkwood seems to lack the intellectual honesty (or, perhaps, charity) to deal with Irresistible Grace as it is actually taught and understood. This is a straw man argument typical of Calvin-haters.

Irresistible Grace means that God must remove a sinner’s “heart of stone” that does not seek God or righteousness, and replace it with a “heart of flesh”. (Ezekiel 11:19, 36:26) This is the definition of regeneration. God does not act against the sinner’s will, but changes his will. To “force” belief/repentance would mean to act against an existing will.

If I persuade you to believe that pickles taste delicious with peanut butter, and you are persuaded – where before the notion of these two together made you dry heave – then I have not “forced” anything. Your will has been changed. God does the same in regeneration. Unfortunately, there is nothing in you or me that desires righteousness. There is nothing that seeks God. Therefore, God does not merely persuade us, but gives us a new heart. He opens our eyes to see things we were unable to see. Hear things we were unable to hear. Accept and embrace a Gospel that we previously viewed as foolishness.

This is pretty elementary stuff. If Mark and Kirkwood want to hate Calvinism, fine. But please have the integrity to engage with actual positions.

I am truly inspired that you get an unbearable conviction in the small things.

didn’t know where to put this,
Thanks for the more charitable article on calvinism by David Kirkwood. I havent read it yet-just glanced but it does seem much easier to digest.
I’m sure Jim B. would agree with me.

Thanks

Thank you folks for all your comments on this one, and especially your prayers. I heard a rooster crow yesterday; at least that’s how it feels in the gut. But I’m taking Margaret’s advice and not getting distracted by too much guilt. And the sting of this thing has me more alert now and I know God’s grace is going to help me walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the wants of the flesh.

I’m sure glad He’s real.
His mercy is so awesome in times like this.
Thank you Jesus…

But I ain’t about to go ’round po’ mouthin. It’s done, I hit the mat, I got up for a standing 8, my gloves are up and I’m going back in.

mark jr.

In a few words…Been there, done that, got the t-shirt, wrote a song about it!

I won’t tell you to relax but will use Pauls’ words.

“Press on!”

You’re in my prayers for sure.

Eddie

The qualifier for that is what you are walking in. Is there condemnation for those that walk in the flesh and not in the spirit? Absolutely. Because the carnal mind is death. And if you live after the flesh, you shall die.

Struggles like this are your “footmen” that God sends into your life, bro. If we are unfaithful in the small thing, we will cut the same corners in the big things. You know all of this and you have a calling on your life that disqualifies you from being normal.

I have to do stupid things all of the time. I have to apologize to people who have tried to destroy me when the wrong I did was minor compared to what they did to me. I have to return shopping carts to the stupid corral in the parking lot rather than just leave them by the car and I have to pick up other people’s trash by wastebaskets. Welcome to the “crucified flesh club” bud.

Take solace Mark that it is not your will to be this way. That tells you a lot. Because if you find yourself doing the things that you do not want to do, you can be sure that it is “no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me”.

The solution is to just grit your teeth, drink your cup and obey. There is a blessing on the other side, I promise.

I think 3 houses per hour is too much! So do you have to speed to make it to the appointments on time? Does the company cause you to break the law to be profitable? The pizza delivery people were getting into accidents under pressure from their employers. I am not justifying what you feel God is calling you to account for but…

On the same note, I have had compromise in my life that God dealt with me for – I will leave specifics off as again powers that be can use the internet to cream you, even if you are trying to edify others. But I will say speeding is a constant law I want to break.

I have a rebellious edge that I do fight but do I think authority figures, whether government, parents, employers also should be accountable for the heavy loads they stick on those they exercise the authority over: it seems many times the rules are for the comfort and convenience of those that write them. I guess it doesn’t help that I am a libertarian.

Colossians 3:21 (NASB) Fathers, do not exasperate your children, that they may not lose heart.

I think what you got was an inavaluable gift. The deep down realization that comes from the Holy Soirit when we know we have gone against the will of God is something every believer goes through.

That’s the hard part. But as my old nanny used to say, “There’s always a blessing in the lesson.” The blessing is that God goes deep down in our character and uses things like you experienced to call attention to the areas we need to change. It’s a hard thing, and it shakes our whole being when we come face to face with these ugly things about ourselves, but without the conviction of the Holy Spirit we would never know we needed “to examine ourselves to see if we’re in the faith.”

We all struggle in this area, that is if our conscience hasn’t been seared. Paul spoke of his ongoing personal battles, even though he was a long time apostle of God. As you remember in Romans he spoke of it at length in Romans 7:15-25., calling himself a wretched man.I can sure identify, because there have been so many times I’ve asked myself, “How COULD you, as a woman do such a thing, or think such a thing?”

So you have confessed your sin, as God asks us, and now comes the repentance part which is, of course, a lot harder. We will join you in prayer that God show the underlying reason, so you will be aware of why you rebelled against authority.

Just remember, dear brother, that right after Paul gave his long discourse above, the very next thing he said was “There is therefore no now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Confess and repent, as you are doing, but do not condemn yourself. That serves to distract us from the real issue.

Didn’t mean to preach, just wanted to tell you I’m proud of you for such an honest confession, and I’m sure God is too. That shows that the good in your character goes far deeper than the the flaws.

God bless you for being courageous and humble enough to share that part of yourself as well.