The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum Hyper-Calvinism & the Netherlands

Classic Reformed Theology doesn't teach that the regenerate are total depraved. That is a flat contradiction on its face. Regeneration removes total depravity since regeneration is that radical transformation of the soul whereby a new godly disposition is created. That a remnant of of the "old nature" remains is hardly to be equated with Total Depravity.

There is a popular characterization of the Puritans in some circles which tend to define a Puritan as: "Someone who sits in the dark down in the cellar/basement and says to himself, 'I have the distinct feeling that there is someone out there having fun!'" Unfortunately, this type of thinking is not historically accurate. There has been some excellent books written over the past 30+ years which have removed this type of inaccurate image of the Puritans, especially those in New England. One such book is The Puritans at Play. Would you believe that they actually played games with their children and with each other? No, they had no need to be "entertained" to excess at all. But they were not the stereo-typical idea of a bunch of stiff-necked, holier-than-thou, black-stocking individuals that some would like to believe.

Sometimes, one can be so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good. Yes, I was told that even Jesus Himself never laughed nor even smiled for that matter. He had no time to enjoy the good things of this earth which His Father created for man and which reflect His glory. I don't believe that type of nonsense either.

Romans 14:4-14 (ASV) "Who art thou that judgest the servant of another? to his own lord he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be made to stand; for the Lord hath power to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day [alike]. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord: and he that eateth, eateth unto the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, unto the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. For none of us liveth to himself, and none dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; or whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived [again], that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But thou, why dost thou judge thy brother? or thou again, why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of God. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, to me every knee shall bow, And every tongue shall confess to God. So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge ye this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock in his brother's way, or an occasion of falling. I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself: save that to him who accounteth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean."

You can have the last word if you like. My position is quite clear: I oppose the world (the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life) and I must likewise oppose those who try to take the good things of God and make them part of the evil of this world, insisting all such things must be avoided and even make salvation dependent upon practicing abstinence of them.