FREE WILL? GODS OR MANS?

"God from all eternity decrees some to election and positively intervenes in their lives to work regeneration and faith by a monergistic work of grace. To the non-elect God withholds this monergistic work of grace, passing them by and leaving them to themselves. He does not monergistically work sin or unbelief in their lives. Thus, the mode of operation in the lives of the elect is not parallel with that operation in the lives of the reprobate. God works regeneration monergistically but never sin." - R.C. Sproul

This doctrine has been debated for 400 years, since the reformation, and will continue to be debated among followers of Christ until the Lord returns. As a contrast C S Lewis in his book "Mere Christianity", writes,

"The sin, both of men and of angels, was rendered possible by the fact that God gave them free will: thus surrendering a portion of his omnipotence because he saw that from a world of free creatures , even though they fell, He could work out a deeper happiness and a fuller splendour than any world of automata would admit"

A reformed believer would see Lewis's use of the word "automata" as being a caricature or misunderstanding of the "T" in "TULIP", i.e total depravity. This would be the common arguemnt of those who do not have a clear understanding of reformed theology. The calvinist would argees's that man is free, as free as anybody who lives as a slave could be. Was'nt it Jesus who said we were slaves to sin (jn 8:34) and nobody can come to the Son unless the Father draws them (jn 6:44)?

SPURGEON in his autobiography talks about faith and human inability,

Could the Saviour, therefore, have died because I had faith, when I myself was not yet born ? Could that have been possible ? Could that have been the origin of the Saviour's love towards me ? Oh ! no ; my Saviour died for me long before I believed. " But," says someone, " He foresaw that you would have faith ; and, therefore,Could the Saviour, therefore, have died because I had faith, when I myself was not yet born ? Could that have been possible ? Could that have been the origin of the Saviour's love towards me ? Oh ! no ; my Saviour died for me long before I believed. " But," says someone, " He foresaw that you would have faith ; and, therefore, He loved you." What did He foresee about my faith? Did He foresee that I should get that faith myself and that I should believe on Him of myself? No; Christ could not foresee that, because no Christian man will ever say that faith came of itself without the gift and without the working of the Holy Spirit. I have met with a great many believers and talked with them on this matter; but i never knew one who would put his hand on his heart, and say " I believed in Jesus without the assistance of the Holy Spirit"
I am bound to the doctrine of the depravity of the human heart, because I find myself depraved in heart, and have daily proofs that in my flesh there dwelleth no good thing.

Once again i remind folk that this doctrine is a family secret as J I Packer puts it. It's a discussion that takes place within the family. To unbelievers we proclaim the good news and the command to "believe" on the name of our Lord Jesus and you WILL BE SAVED!!.

JOHN CALVIN ELECTION

"God preordained, for his own glory and the display of His attributes of mercy and justice, a part of the human race, without any merit of their own, to eternal salvation, and another part, in just punishment of their sin, to eternal damnation." - John Calvin

SPURGEON, CALVINISM AND SALVATION

The sum and substance of salvation to Spurgeon was contained in the text "Salvation is of the Lord",
The late lamented Mr. Denham has put, at the foot of his portrait, a most admirable text, "Salvation is of the Lord." That is just an epitome of Calvinism; it is the sum and substance of it. If anyone should ask me what I mean by a Calvinist, I should reply, "He is one who says, Salvation is of the Lord." I cannot find in Scripture any other doctrine than this. It is the essence of the Bible. "He only is my rock and my salvation." Tell me anything contrary to this truth, and it will be a heresy; tell me a heresy, and I shall find its essence here, that it has departed from this great, this fundamental, this rock-truth, "God is my rock and my salvation." What is the heresy of Rome, but the addition of something to the perfect merits of Jesus Christ—the bringing in of the works of the flesh, to assist in our justification? And what is the heresy of Arminianism but the addition of something to the work of the Redeemer? Every heresy, if brought to the touchstone, will discover itself here. I have my own private opinion that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and Him crucified, unless we preach what nowadays is called Calvinism. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else. I do not believe we can preach the gospel, if we do not preach justification by faith, without works; nor unless we preach the sovereignty of God in His dispensation of grace; nor unless we exalt the electing, unchangeable, eternal, immutable, conquering love of Jehovah; nor do I think we can preach the gospel, unless we base it upon the special and particular redemption of His elect and chosen people which Christ wrought out upon the cross; nor can I comprehend a gospel which lets saints fall away after they are called, and suffers the children of God to be burned in the fires of damnation after having once believed in Jesus. Such a gospel I abhor