And you,
being dead in your trespasses
and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
He has made alive together with Him,
having forgiven you all trespasses, Colossians 2:13 NKJV
Many calvinists enjoy making dramatic noises about "dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1)." A lot of the noise is convincing. "Dead is DEAD! How can a corpse make any kind of decision or exercise its will power?" Sounds convincing to me --- until I remember my Old Testament. (At the heart of much calvinist foolishness is that the "high view" they have of the Bible is that it has to be moved in order to get to Calvin's commentaries or institutes.)
Immediately after the first encounter that man has with death, God has a practical conversation with the dead man and his wife without having to visit a morgue...He didn't even have to drop into hell at this point (Genesis3:8-13). Anyone with common sense and the ability to read can recognize that the kind of "dead" that God had promised to Adam and Eve is not one that precludes their capabilities to think, act and anticipate consequences. Furthermore, their death is directly related to their being endowed with a revised capability as humans = knowing good and evil. God's conversation with these new "dead" people takes into account their capacity to discuss good and evil. Again, they now know the good and evil inherent within the curses that follow.
Meanwhile, the plan of God from before creation is executed on the cross when Jesus enters death in order to join the ranks of sinners (Luke 22:37). Having entered our realm and ranks, Jesus destroyed the power of death by providing forgiveness of sins to any and all humans. This provision for forgiveness was not available before the cross. No calvinists were pre-selected to get a special blessing.
If forgiveness is available no when else and nowhere else but at Calvary's Cross, then the eternal life of salvation is built into the resurrection of Jesus. Sinners who are dead (but can communicate with God) in their sins must come to Jesus at the cross to receive the gift He promises; supernatural help to forgive and be forgiven.
Sinners.
Come to Jesus.
Come to the Cross.
being dead in your trespasses
and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
He has made alive together with Him,
having forgiven you all trespasses, Colossians 2:13 NKJV
Many calvinists enjoy making dramatic noises about "dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1)." A lot of the noise is convincing. "Dead is DEAD! How can a corpse make any kind of decision or exercise its will power?" Sounds convincing to me --- until I remember my Old Testament. (At the heart of much calvinist foolishness is that the "high view" they have of the Bible is that it has to be moved in order to get to Calvin's commentaries or institutes.)
Immediately after the first encounter that man has with death, God has a practical conversation with the dead man and his wife without having to visit a morgue...He didn't even have to drop into hell at this point (Genesis3:8-13). Anyone with common sense and the ability to read can recognize that the kind of "dead" that God had promised to Adam and Eve is not one that precludes their capabilities to think, act and anticipate consequences. Furthermore, their death is directly related to their being endowed with a revised capability as humans = knowing good and evil. God's conversation with these new "dead" people takes into account their capacity to discuss good and evil. Again, they now know the good and evil inherent within the curses that follow.
Meanwhile, the plan of God from before creation is executed on the cross when Jesus enters death in order to join the ranks of sinners (Luke 22:37). Having entered our realm and ranks, Jesus destroyed the power of death by providing forgiveness of sins to any and all humans. This provision for forgiveness was not available before the cross. No calvinists were pre-selected to get a special blessing.
If forgiveness is available no when else and nowhere else but at Calvary's Cross, then the eternal life of salvation is built into the resurrection of Jesus. Sinners who are dead (but can communicate with God) in their sins must come to Jesus at the cross to receive the gift He promises; supernatural help to forgive and be forgiven.
Sinners.
Come to Jesus.
Come to the Cross.
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