https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9U6fccu1vM
SINGLE predestination is solidly biblical and ecumenical (declared dogma at the Ecumenical Council of Orange). It is PURE GOSPEL, spoken only to Christians, and declared to comfort and assure. SADLY, there have been a tiny, tiny number of Christians throughout history who have replaced it with pagan, unbiblical philosophy of "fate" and/or have turned it upside down, inside out, twisted 180 degrees into a horrible concept of DOUBLE predestnation (Calvin MAY be one of these, certainly he had radical followers who did this).
Personal story. I am the youngest of 5 children, 3 of which are living. My oldest sib had no problems, the pregnancy was perfectly normal. My sister (next) had a quite problematic pregnancy (I need not go into details) and the docs advised my parents to not have any more children (advise they ignored). The next two all died a bit before birth and my mother almost died. Then I was conceived. My mother and I had exactly the same problem as my two older (now dead) brothers, the same situation repeating itself. During this time, my parents and sibs (and relatives, friends, church) were praying for ME (and Mom)... they sang to me in the womb.... they sang "Jesus Songs" to me.... they read to me.... they prepared the nursery and got everything ready for me... they LOVED me even before I was born. They did not know what I would be amazingly handsome and healthy and smart and wonderful, and it didn't matter, their love flowed from THEIR heart not my merit. After I was born, and for years thereafter, they told me of this... of their love and actions even before I was born, their unconditional and active love. When I was naughty and not nice, I never questioned their love or my position as their son and member of the family, I only realized their disapproval and because of their love, considered their instruction as loving, and my desire to be the son they called me to be was motivated by that love.
That's the doctrine of election (single predestination).
It is a horrible, terrible to twist all this to be the exact opposite, about how much my parents must have hated the two sons who died before me, how they hate all other children but me, how they want most to die and see them fry in hell. Remember: the Doctrine of Election is GOSPEL, it must not be twisted into the exact opposite because the pagan Greeks understood this better than God and their "logic" says it MUST work in this opposite, hateful, terrible way or God isn't being Greek and "logical." Now, you will find SOME modern Calvinists who TRY to sound Calvinist but don't want to so horribly violate Scripture and so will teach "God ELECTS some and just passes over some" but that's not what Calvinism teaches; it would be more honest to say "I disagree with radical Calvinism on this point and stand with the historic church in supporting single predestination (the doctrine of election) and simply don't apply this to unbelievers.
Another point: The Ecumenical Council of Orange teaches SINGLE Predestination ("election") because it is solidly and unavoidably biblical. It also embraces that Christ died for ALL (as the Bible over and over again flat-out, directly states). Thus, "election" applies to faith, to those who receive the benefits of Christ's work, such is "credited to them" (to use Paul's language) by the gift of faith. Predestination (single or double) doesn't apply to the gift of Christ but to the gift of faith.
A blessed Easter Season to all....
- Josiah
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