They cook in sulfur stew; to use the words of Keith Green.
Please allow me to give an example: If God saves some and denies grace to others, it is the exact same thing as withholding a Ring Buoy from a drowning man. It matters not how the man got himself in the deep water, it matters whether or not there be a way to rescue him. God can either deny him the Ring Buoy, or God can ask the man if he wants the Ring Buoy. If the man refuses the Ring Buoy and drowns, it's not God's fault. But if God refuses to help the man then God has chosen for him to die.
I personally can't believe that my God would deny any drowning man the possibility of rescue. Nor do I believe - if the man accepts and grabs hold of the Ring Buoy - that he is in any way contributing to his salvation, or somehow diminishing the Sovereignty of God.
Quest
Hi QT, I respect your opinion.
The problems lies in the fact that we are not free to make that choice, I'll try and explain. We are basically slaves to sin, we hate God, we are condemned already and filled with darkness, thats not to say there is no good in man, yet we are enslaved to the dark. something has to happen to change that. someone who is a slave to darkness and hates God, hates the light and loves darkness will not shout out to God, something has to happen, God Himself has to soften the heart of that man give him a new heart.
So the anaology of the sinking man doesn't really work, as the man drowning has a choice he is not a slave to the water nor is he a slave to the ring that could save him. yet we know that any man/woman drowning will always choose the ring that will save them... now just out of plain experience will tell you, and if your honest with yourself, will know that not all men will call out to the one who can save them (Jesus).. something has to happen to change that.. something in you has to change before you can call out in Faith.. God says in Jeremiah He will change their hearts from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh.
the heart needs regenerated, Titus 3:5, John 3:8.
I think we have to remember that all are condemned, Jesus says this himself..you are condemned already. it is only by grace that God saves any. No man, not one is good.. no man deserves God's grace, the wages of sin are death, but yet while we where still sinners Christ died for us...
It is only by grace that any are saved, I think this gets confused. we seem to think that we all deserve something, the only thing we deserve is death, and it is only by God's grace that any are saved.
I can personally testify that if God had not chose me..I certainly and most definatly would not have chosen Him.... He softened my heart.. I did not choose Him. I couldn't I was dead to sin already.
In Love
Phil