Part Six

"I do not elevate myself knowing that I can boast in nothing except the cross.  As for whether someone is saved or not, the Bible simply tells us that all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13)”……………[so why is salvation not by virtue of man’s free-will decision?]

My Response: It's not a bad idea, when interpreting Scripture, to view it from a literal standpoint. However, we must always check that with its context and compare it with the whole counsel of God on the subject. With that in mind, one can find several opposing Scriptures which state that simply calling upon the name of the Lord is not sufficient proof of one's salvation. For example:

     Not everyone that saith to me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven....Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?......And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me ye that work iniquity!

On the Day of Reckoning many (not few) who have called upon the name of the Lord will be cast into everlasting fire with the devil and his angels. Here we have a direct contradiction to your interpretation of Romans 10:13.

    Take heed that no man deceive you. For many [not few] shall come in my name [having called upon the name of the Lord] saying, I am Christ, [saying, Jesus is Lord], and shall deceive many [because they are false Christians, unsaved].

The Parable of the 10 Virgins tells the same tale: Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not, [You are no Christians and I am not your Lord].

These are but a few opposing Scriptures. So what to do? Well, let's look at the context: In Romans 9, Paul explains election by grace. Salvation is of the Lord alone. Period. Israel did not attain eternal life because they were not all Elected by the free choice of God. Those few who were elected were shown mercy having been given the faith to believe in Christ, while the vast majority were shown justice, having been justly condemned for their sins, including unbelief. The key verse to Chapter 10 is verse 4: For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one who believeth. Faith/belief in Christ is the free gift of God. Without this gift man cannot and will not believe. God is under no compunction to give it to any man, let alone all men. Christ's righteousness is imputed to us when we believe on Him. This is the doctrine of justification by faith. Israel sought justification by their own righteous deeds of the law. Romans 10:13 teaches that all men, Jew and Gentile, are justified by their faith in the merits and righteousness of Christ, not their merits, deeds of the law, or personal righteousness. The confession which God hears is that which is of faith. Faith in Christ alone. Paul amplifies this doctrine further when he states, ....no man can say Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Ghost. In other words, only those who have been graciously regenerated by the sovereign Holy Spirit can claim, with living faith pleasing to God, Jesus is their Lord. Those other instances cited above were examples of false and empty confessions given from a dead faith. This type of confession abounds in the visible church today, where men are taught that by reciting a stock 'Sinner's Prayer' they are now saved.

"Why do we preach ‘repent or perish’ when the non-elect can’t repent and the elect can’t perish?"

My response: You are correct when you state the Reprobate cannot truly repentant, nor can the Elect ultimately perish. The Gospel is the ordained means by which the all-wise sovereign Lord calls His Elect sheep. To them the Gospel is a sweet savor of life unto life, having been graciously given ears to hear and eyes to see. To the reprobate the Gospel is the savor of death unto death. All men are responsible to believe the Gospel. They have no cloak for their sin. The Word of God has convicted them, as well as their conscience. That all men do not believe is the result of two fundamental truths: (1) original sin - which teaches the innate corruption of all men due to the sin of their forefather, Adam, who failed the test of faith, for which all are guilty and worthy of death; and (2) the resultant bondage of man's will to sin and Satan, from which man has not the power or desire to free himself.  The unregenerate man hates holiness, the true Gospel, the true way of salvation, and the true Christ. Instead, he loves sin and his master, Satan.

The command to 'repent' is not an evil command. It is a holy command. That man refuses is not the fault of the Lord. It is the fault of the man. God did not tempt Adam, nor does He tempt mankind. The laws in our society are not evil laws when they demand a harsh penalty for homicide. It is the murderer who is evil for not obeying the law, Thou shalt not murder. It is not the fault of the law that he killed another human. The laws/commandments instruct us as to what are our solemn duties. It is our duty, as determined by our holy Lawgiver/Creator, to 'repent.' If it were not our duty, He would not have so instructed us.

The fact that the Elect can't perish is grounded in the propitiatory sacrifice of the substitute Lamb, Christ Jesus. Had Christ not satisfied the justice of God, He would not have resurrected in order to our justification. But the Good News is that He did satisfy the wrath and justice of God, fully and completely. Therefore, those for whom He died cannot perish. Otherwise, God would be a liar, having declared He was well pleased in His Son on the one hand, while on the other hand condemning those for whose sins Christ's sacrifice was insufficient. Also, it would be double jeopardy to declare as guilty the one already exonerated. In a just society, a man may not be tried or condemned for the same crime twice. In like manner, neither can the Supreme Lawgiver try a man twice for the same crime, having already been declared justified by his faith in the righteousness of Christ.

The question you ask, Jason, is asked without taking into account several fundamentals of the Christian faith, all of which is taught in the Bible. Had you and other Arminians truly understood these basic precepts, the question would never have been raised in the first place.

God is not evil for giving to many what they deserve - justice and punishment - while giving to others what they do not deserve - mercy and saving grace. The Lord declares He will have mercy on whom He will have mercy without taking counsel of men, nor base His decision on anything man wills or does, (Romans 9). The parable of the vineyard workers, (Matt. 20:1-16), illustrates this great truth. Those who were hired last were paid as much as those hired first. The former were given a greater reward for no apparent reason other than the Lord of the vineyard so desired. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thy eye evil because I am good. So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called but few chosen.

The Lord has declared His right to give to the undeserving few, according to His own good pleasure, all those things needful for eternal life, while giving to the majority that which they deserve - judgment, the second death and eternal punishment.