Theo1689
Well-known member
Most of the world are reprobates right now who have been predestined to hell .
There's no such thing as "reprobates right now".
One is either a reprobate, or they aren't.
Those who aren't saved yet, but will be, are "lost sheep".
So praying for the lost is futile in Calvinism
If by that you mean "praying for the reprobate" (you seem to be confating the two terms), then of course it's futile in Calvinism. It's also futile in YOUR theology to pray for people who God knows will never accept the gospel.
. So is sharing the gospel ,
Your question is fallacious, as it introduces an arbitrary and meaningless association. Whenever we share the gospel, we don't know whether who we're speaking to is elect or reprobate. We don't HAVE to know. We share the gospel, and if they are elect, they will respond (now or later). It's like the sower of seed not needing to know which soil is which, we just sow it everywhere, and it will grow in the prepared soil.
Your side keeps trying to invent this nonsensical argument that if we come across someone who is reprobate, we shouldn't proclaim the gospel to them. But since we don't KNOW who the elect are and who the reprobate are, we can't make that distinction.
Further, you seem to be trying to open up a DANGEROUS rationalization, namely it's okay for us to disobey God's commandments, if we think it is "futile". That is not for us to decide. It is for us to obey God.
it’s futile since you can never tell the person God loves them and Christ died for their sins.
Since the Bible NEVER teaches us that we should go up to strangers and tell them, "God loves you", or "God died for your sins", why is this a problem? I've never understood that.
Whereas I can look at every single person I talk to about God, share the gospel and tell them God loves them and Jesus died for their sins.
Sadly, you're telling them false claims.
hope this helps !!!
It never does.
First I’m not arguing for Arminians since I’m not one but against Calvinism .
Because you know how easy it is to make fallacious arguments and straw-men against labels, so you make sure we are labelled, and you make sure you don't take the "Arminian" label.
Secondly you have no idea who has a reprobate mind if you are sharing the gospel with them .
Neither do you.
But you don't seem to be following the discussion YOU started with Reverend, even though he is simply answering YOUR questions. It tells me a great deal of how little attention you are paying here in the forum.
Thirdly I don’t ever consider such things when I’m talking about Christ with others .
Neither do we.
I was sharing Christ this week with 2 lesbians and an agnostic in the same room for 2 hours and it was a great discussion and I gave them much to think about without condemning them .
I see... So now it's going to be some "contest" to see who can boast more about their "greatness" in evangelism?
Okay, I'll see your "2 lesbians and an agnostic" and I'll raise you a young lady who left the SBC in favour of Hinduism, and who was a strong supporter of homosexuality. We were in a group of 7-8 Baptists and Presbyterians all discussing various issues of the gospel and homosexality with her. We had to apologize a few times to assure her that we weren't trying to gang up on her, and we gave her plenty of time to respond to us. She didn't have a problem, and at the end (maybe an hour, or hour and a quarter) she told us she enjoyed the conversation.
And we didn't condemn her, either.
And we didn't even bring up "Calvinism", because Calvinism is not the gospel.
Everything we taught her (much of which she already knew, from her previous experience) was consistent with both Arminianism and Calvinism.
I was sharing Christ this week with 2 lesbians and an agnostic in the same room for 2 hours and it was a great discussion and I gave them much to think about without condemning them .
Too bad you can't treat fellow brethren in Christ as well as you treat "2 lesbians and an agnostic".