You know, Jimmy, you're seriously complicating salvation. It's not God that's complicating everything...we are. Stop complicating salvation. It doesn't work that way.
Well, it is the bible... not exactly like reading the Pokeylittle Puppy. Although, admittedly, I thought Calvinism was somewhat complicated as well until I understood it. Then I saw how wonderfully simple it is. As far as your last statement, I would request that you sustantiate that scripturally.
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
Verse 16 is no challenge to Calvinism. As to your underlining "the world", it might be a good idea if we start letting the bible define it's own terms, instead of placing into it our desired outcomes.
It doesn't say "Whoever was predestined to believe in Him." it says WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH, period.
Does every verse have to say it? No where in the bible will you find the word "trinity", do you still believe the trinity is scriptural?
I can do this whole mis-reading and removing from context thing too.
Romans 5:18 said:
Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.
Is everyone Justified? Is everyone going to receive eternal life?
Romans 7 said:
7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
[b] 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me
every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.
9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.
10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.
11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.
12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
Every kind of coveting? Really? Do you really think he coveted over a Corvette?
What about my mother? Do you think Paul coveted over my father's wife? It says, "every"...
Romans 8:32 said:
32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Does God give us "all" things? When Paul was writing, he was referring to a specific group (hencec, "us")... Did God give them Corvettes?
Ecclesiastes 1:2 said:
2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”
Did Solomon believe, that God was meaningless? Is the Cross meaningless?
John 16:13 said:
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
All the truth? Did the Holy Spirit guide them to the truth about Christian Chat? Steam Engines? The political policies of David Cameron? The future winning lottery tickets? "No, but.." Hey! It says, "all".
Acts 2:44 said:
44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.
They had EVERYTHING in common? They shared spouses?
Ephesians 1:11 said:
11 In him we were also chosen,
[a] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out
everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
Everything? Well, of course you don't believe this, otherwise that would make you a Calvy.
Romans 11:32 said:
32 For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
What about this verse? I'm sure you disagree with the first all statement, and the last. Oh deary me.
Romans 14:2 said:
2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.
Really? Does our faith allow us to eat the SUN?
Romans 14:20 said:
20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.
Is all food clean? What about if we drop something on the floor?
Romans 15:14 said:
14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,
[a] that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with
all knowledge and able to instruct one another.
(some translations have this verse diff) All knowledge? Really?
1 Timothy 4:10 said:
10For to this end we toil and strive,
[a] because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the
Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
Is he the Savior of all people? Do all people go to heaven? Are all people in union with Christ?
1 Timothy 4:15 said:
15Practice these things, immerse yourself in them,
[a] so that
all may see your progress.
Really? All will see their progress?
1 Timothy 5:10 said:
10and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work.
The feet of ALL the saints? For all the afflicted? For EVERY good work? Did she donate money to the Salvation Army? Did she run a Relay for Life?
1 Timothy 5:20 said:
As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.
In the presence of ALL? Will EVERYONE be there?
No predestination there...just that some will believe, and some won't, because they don't want to.
Yup. Why is that they don't want to? That's what you have to answer to understand what is being said.
God isn't just going to leave some people hanging and then be quick to rescue others. People dig their own graves...or else it'd be God's fault for a serial killer being on the loose and killing more than 30 people. And it'd also be God's fault for all those bank robberies...those were His will, after all. Oh and don't forget house burglaries...all the thousands that happened were obviously His will.
Proverbs 16
4 The LORD has made everything for its purpose,
even the wicked for the day of trouble.
... 9 The heart of man plans his way,
but the LORD establishes his steps
33 The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the LORD.
God is not to blame. Don't blaspheme.
Us humans aren't mindless sinners. God doesn't have some remote control. Do you THINK it was God's plan for Adam and Eve to sin, JUST so He could curse them and kick 'em outta the perfect place He made just for them? I sure hope not. I haven't seen evidence of that in the Bible. And I didn't see in the Bible that Adam and Eve sinned out of hate. The Bible says they were DECEIVED, and when it was all said and done with, they felt awful about it....how can you feel bad for doing something towards someone if you hate them?
Don't confuse the terms here bud. Total Depravity is a result of the fall (gen 3).
Isaiah 53:3-12
4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
9And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
11He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
12Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
This is what Jesus did....made intercession for us and covered our sin, everything was justified on the cross...everything!! OUR transgressions, OUR iniquities, our faults, our mistakes, our sins...our everything..
I don't see what is supposed to be the problem here.
See the above verses about "all".
EDIT:
Oh, it appears you overlooked verse 11 in Isaiah 53.
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify
many; for he shall bear their iniquities.