da_unlearned said:
I was speaking with a deacon from my old church the other day and he told me that this was his problem with "Calvinism".
If God chooses who will believe and repent and in the end be saved, is He not forcing that person to love Him? If the persons ABSOLUTE (will/ability to choose)is to choose something OTHER THAN God, and God still chose them, isn't that a forceful act?
I tried my best to answer him, but I do not think I made a very good impression.. Any Ideas?
So he thinks Calvinism teaches that God somehow forces people to love Him
against their will. But as no doubt needs to be repeated over and over, God does no such thing. He
changes the will of each person whom He chooses.
Let's say I have the amazing ability to change your tastes. Right now, you absolutely hate chocolate ice cream. So I zap you so that you now like chocolate ice cream. Did I force you to like it
against your will? No! You now like it because your tastes have been changed.
Now, if you're dead in sin, you absolutely hate God. So God chooses you and regenerates you by the power of His Spirit so that you love Him. Did God force you to love Him
against your will? No! You now love God because your will has been changed.
This isn't mind-bending stuff. But people who enshrine their own will find it extremely offensive.
