Many people feel very similarly. If it were
"arguing over words to no profit", then I would agree whole-heartedly. My concern is that this is
not ultimately an
academic issue. It
can touch the very core of our conversion - what to do to be saved.
May I break this into 2 questions? One of which I would like to mention and move on...
I won't argue with you about what Calvin taught about Adam and Eve. There is a large debate about this point among Calvinists themselves (supralapsarianism, "before the fall"; versus infralapsarianism, "after the fall"), and frankly, I think it is somewhat academic. We are not Adam or Eve. If you can find any quote from Calvin that shows I have misrepresented him, then I will happily verify your reference, post your quote, and change my article. I don't want to misrepresent anyone. In the mean time, I will happily look for quotes that will clarify one way or the other. I can assure that I intended nothing cynical or rhetorical in my writings - then or now.
"Love ... bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things..." (
I Corinthians 13). That's who I want to be.
More importantly and immediately applicable, I agree with almost everything you said:
- "... Scripture teaches that man has free will, but that will is not beyond the confines of our sovereign God ..."
- "... No. God did not choose for Adam and Eve to sin. They did that all by themselves. ..."
- "... Did God know they would sin? Yes ..."
- "... our free will (which by the way, is free to either obey God or sin), and sees in our troubled existence something worth all the trouble and even sacrifice for."
I agree with all that. However, in my experience, most true Calvinists, who
strictly follow Calvin, Westminster Larger Catechism, etc. (usually regarded as
hyper-Calvinists today), would disagree with the above statements. I realize that many 2- and 3-point Calvinists or, so called "low Calvinists" would more likely accept the above statements. I am guessing you might more closely fall into that category. Feel free to set me straight, if you think I am wrong here. I am not trying to put you in a box, rather, I would like for my "labeling of boxes" to match what most people think and how they talk, as much as possible.
Anyway, I don't really want to argue that point. Such labels are merely the categorization of human experience, and I think it falls into the Bible warning to avoid arguments over words to no profit (
II Timothy 2:14). However, I do want to be a diligent student of Scripture (
II Timothy 2:15; 3:16-17), and I do seek unity among those who wear Christ's name, because it meant so much to Him (
John 17:20-23) and is commanded for us (
I Corinthians 1:10-13; Ephesians 4:1-6). And, I want to
"contend earnestly for the faith, which was once for all delivered to the saints" (
Jude 3).
So, can you elaborate on this statement?
"... evidently His love reaches beyond our free will ..."
I am not looking to trap you in your words or to pick you apart over some academic points. If you are willing, what I would like to humbly consider from Scripture is the most practical question, "What must I do to be saved?" Would you explain to me what you understand from Scripture and why?
I hope we can have a very kind, honest, and genuine Bible study between two men who wear Christ's name. And, I am thankful for God's providence that we at least had an occasion to broach the subject.
May God help us to have a sincere love of truth (
II Thessalonians 2:9-12),
m273p15c