The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum "We sometimes allow children to die unbaptized. ."

speratus,

Could you PLEASE answer my question? "How can the gospel in the Word and Sacrament always be efficacious but men can resist and reject it?. What does this "efficaciousness" consist of, whether in regard to the Gospel or baptism?

The Bible and Calvinism assert that God is sovereign and consequently all things occur according to His eternal counsel. ALL that God wills (decreed) is "efficacious", i.e., it will accomplish that which He has purposed.

Secondly, you appear to have yet again contradicted yourself. For, in previous posts on the Board, you were adamant that unregenerate man has no choice in regard to sinning; men cannot choose to sin or to do good in their unregenerate state. Yet, here you say, "Natural man can and will resist and reject the salvation offered through the gospel." The rejection of the grace of God offered in the Gospel, i.e., a rejection of the Lord Christ is certainly a sinful act. So how is it that men CAN and WILL reject Him if they have no free ability/choice to sin?? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/scratch1.gif" alt="" />

In His grace,