Honestly, I understand more and more why Paul said he only wanted to know Christ in people.
For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I Cor. 2:2
and the amplified says it like this:
for I made the decision to know nothing [that is, to forego philosophical or theological discussions regarding inconsequential things and opinions while] among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified [and the meaning of His redemptive, substitutionary death and His resurrection].
It becomes obvious that some people here wish only to press their beliefs on others and forego all actual discussion. I wonder if some of those same people have been turned aside from their church for doing that or perhaps do not attend church at all and therefore avoid all correction or questioning. A particular false belief of Calvinists seems to be that a person is first filled with the Holy Spirit in order to cause them to believe the gospel in faith. That is not even close to scripture. That is a perversion of how we are actually infilled by the Holy Spirit. Conversion to Christ must always come first. God does not throw His Spirit at people or otherwise violate our wills.
Of course the violation of the will is one of the main teachings of Calvinism.
Grace ... as Paul tells it applied to himself .... is POWER to be something we can not be in our weak fallen state.
Saved by grace?
God's grace power must take our flesh and SILENCE it's effects over dominating our soul, so that our soul can decide for the Gospel!
Without grace? The flesh would dominate over the soul and make impossible for our soul to believe if it wanted to.
That is why we need to be saved by Grace!
No regeneration first! God's grace power provides the Gospel hearer a temporary God-imposed state of freedom to choose from their soul! Its all about volition in that case!
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may
rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9
'Power' is not unmerited favor!
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.
No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me." 1 Cor 15:10
Grace is God's enabling power granted by God, to enable believers to become what merits His favor!
Calvinists took a brave shot in the dark, and landed in a ditch.
The light that shines with what Paul stated should allow themselves to crawl out, and dust themselves off....
To begin once more walking by faith in truth in the grace power from God to recover.
Grace and peace ...........
