What is Calvinism's good news?

Before I reply to the rest of your post, you disagree with Arminius? You deny that sinners need to be renewed, regenerated by the Holy Spirit? Now you deny that sinners are saved by Grace Alone? Am I understanding your comment above correctly?
I am not a classical Arminian, in that total depravity equals total incapacity. I do not need to be totally incapacitated to be totally captivated by sin. If I am only, for argument’s sake, 50% incapable to understand, the fact that it is by grace means that I do not deserve it 100%. Deserving has nothing to do with capacity. Being 1% wrong, means I am 100% guilty and thus 0% deserving of God’s favor.

In my view, Grace means that my works are totally meaningless and without effect, so the capacity for my ability to understand is meaningless. I don’t deserve anything good from God, period! God cannot be obligated to help me by anything I can do, period! Therefore, in my opinion, the question of capacity to do anything is moot!

I do not deny that Grace alone is the effectual power, nor that I am completely undeserving of anything good that God does for me, neither do I deny that I can do nothing to earn or necessitate God acting in my behalf But I believe that my believing in Christ is necessary and my trust is mine alone to give. It is by grace, through faith that I am saved!


Doug
 
I am not a classical Arminian, in that total depravity equals total incapacity. I do not need to be totally incapacitated to be totally captivated by sin. If I am only, for argument’s sake, 50% incapable to understand, the fact that it is by grace means that I do not deserve it 100%. Deserving has nothing to do with capacity. Being 1% wrong, means I am 100% guilty and thus 0% deserving of God’s favor.
Dear friend Doug, this is not Biblical, but a emotional polemic. Show me Scripture of this 50%, not giving a 100%. Because even Christ himself states we are in bondage to sin, and he came to free us from this bondage.

The Truth Will Set You Free​

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”

Why does Christ say slave to sin, Doug? Please be define it as much as possible, I don't want to misunderstand your view.

You Are of Your Father the Devil​

39 They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41 You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”​

These Jews identify themselves as Abraham children, so what are you talking about, Jesus! And what does Christ say to them, Doug? Is their Father Abraham or the Devil?

But here again Christ makes a pertinent statement, "Whoever is of God HEARS the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God." This statement coincides with John 10, where Christ says only his sheep hear his voice, and believe, and follow.

In my view, Grace means that my works are totally meaningless and without effect, so the capacity for my ability to understand is meaningless. I don’t deserve anything good from God, period! God cannot be obligated to help me by anything I can do, period! Therefore, in my opinion, the question of capacity to do anything is moot!
"In your view", Scripture is clear, Doug that without Grace regenerating, renewing our minds to and giving us a new heart this is his promise.

1 Cor. 2:11For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.


I do not deny that Grace alone is the effectual power, nor that I am completely undeserving of anything good that God does for me, neither do I deny that I can do nothing to earn or necessitate God acting in my behalf But I believe that my believing in Christ is necessary and my trust is mine alone to give. It is by grace, through faith that I am saved!


Doug
Yes it is Grace through Faith Alone, but is this not of ourselves, it is a gift from God! It's called regeneration, Doug, as Arminius also understood correctly.
 
MORE Good news:

Romans 8
28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.


37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 
Dear friend Doug, this is not Biblical, but an emotional polemic. Show me Scripture of this 50%, not giving a 100%. Because even Christ himself states we are in bondage to sin, and he came to free us from this bondage.
LA, my brother, you have not read what I said correctly. I gave an argumentative hypothetical, not an actual representation of reality. If I had 50% ability…. In other words, the fact that Grace means that I am 100% undeserving of salvation, means my capacity for understanding or doing is irrelevant, because I am not deserving of anything good from God, period!

Doug
 
LA, my brother, you have not read what I said correctly. I gave an argumentative hypothetical, not an actual representation of reality. If I had 50% ability…. In other words, the fact that Grace means that I am 100% undeserving of salvation, means my capacity for understanding or doing is irrelevant, because I am not deserving of anything good from God, period!

Doug
Yes Dear friend, I get it, but this "hypothetical", is in the multi-verse (I do not believe in the multi-verse BTW). But Doug, let's stay on target, 100% undeserving of God's Grace is Biblical truth, but the subject I am inquiring about is Prevenient Grace, why is it needed, and is it effectual or not? If not, then what does Prevenient Grace accomplish if anything at all? Because to even suggest or present that Prevenient Grace is needed prior to anything the sinner can do, say volumes. And I know you see the issue here in the Arminian view, as I did, when I was once an Arminian. There's getting around this, it's a monumental sight that cannot be ignored or brushed under the rug. It must be addressed.​
 
That means in natural revelation which involves prevenient grace there is no gospel so at best we can only seek God, for which God may send a missionary or something to preach the gospel.
Okay? What is natural revelation which involves Prevenient Grace?
 
I know you wrote that already, can define for us. Because I don't want to misrepresent your position.

Natural revelation, by partially unblocking the affects of Adams sin, enlightens us to make us aware that we are sinners without excuse and libertarianly able to seek God. But not enough for gospel salvation.
 
Natural revelation, by partially unblocking the affects of Adams sin, enlightens us to make us aware that we are sinners without excuse and libertarianly able to seek God. But not enough for gospel salvation.
Thanks for the explanation. Where can I find this in Scripture? That natural revelation, partially unblocks the affections of Adam's sin?

So do you deny the Arminian position of Prevenient Grace?​
 
the subject I am inquiring about is Prevenient Grace, why is it needed, and is it effectual or not?

LA,

As a Calvinist, you would hold to common grace, which is, in many ways, identical to Prevenient Grace. The grace of God that mitigates and harnesses the reign of sin in the heart of man. This is a sovereign act that, like as to the oceans, says to sin, you can only go this far and no farther! This is effectual across the proverbial board! Thus, we are not as bad as we could be, yet we are still captives to sin.

Paul teaches that sin is not held against us where there is no law, but yet death reigned; that is prevenient grace. (Rom 5:13-14) Again, it is grace that goes before, that prepares the way ahead of, and for something yet to come. Paul preached to the Athenians in Acts 17, saying:

"24“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

29“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

Everything God has ever done was for this purpose, that we would seek for him, perhaps reach out for him and find him. That describes grace that goes before, prevenient grace. All of this makes possible the event of being born again, saved.

After Adam and Eve sinned, God drove them from the garden to prevent their eating of the Tree of Life. (Gen 3:21-24) That was an act of prevenient grace.

The light that shines on every man that comes into the world (John 1:9) is grace going before.

There are so many things that must happen in order for the cross to occur, and all of them are acts of grace that goes before. The heart of man, left to its own and on its own, has nothing to help it, nothing to believe in, no hope for any new direction. But God did not abandon his creation, and immediately informs his creation that "the seed of the woman" will crush the head of the serpent (Gen 3:15), this is grace going before.

Prevenient grace does everything needed to bring the gospel to us and for us to be able to grasp its message. Without it we would have no option but death, nothing to turn to, no way of knowing our condition before God, and no means of salvation!

That the gospel is here, that Jesus died and rose again, that man had has not destroyed himself is evidence of the effectualness of Grace that precedes, goes before. It is the behind the scenes work of grace, without which, we can do nothing, know nothing, and have nothing except "a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God." (Heb 10:27)


Doug
 
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