Cheryl Schatz

Mark, you quoted me and then commented:

“Surely Jesus could have said that clearly. Why didn’t He say that he would save only a select few the God chose? Why didn’t He make it clear that those who did not believe Him had been selected by God to go to hell? Why would He have chosen words that were universal rather than limited? Doesn’t it appear that to accept Calvinism would require a reinterpreting of what has been inspired as universal language? If it is really truth, what should we have to do that?”

A theology is not solely based on the ‘red’ letters of the gospels. Jesus did say that he came to save sinners NOT the righteous.

That is just another way to say that He came to save everyone because God has confined all in sin so that on our own none of us qualifies to be saved by our good behavior or by the works of the law.

Galatians 3:22 (NASB)
22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

If Galatians 3:22 is true as I believe it is, then everyone is “shut up” under sin therefore when the Bible says that Jesus came to save sinners, that means that He came to save each of us because we are all under sin. The theology of the doctrine of salvation is based on both the “red letters” and the rest of the Scriptures. But Calvinism must ignore a lot of the inspired Scriptures to even try to make a case. So while you say that Jesus came to save sinners NOT the righteous, then apparently the elect are the only sinners and the reprobate are the righteous?? Surely you can see the contradiction here. The fact is it is clear that we are all under sin and all of need a Savior so Jesus came for all of us. The knight in shining armor came just in time to save us all and He purposely left none behind to suffer eternal damnation through unconditional election at His good pleasure. That is inconsistent with the consistent message of the gospel. There is no “gospel” for the reprobate, because there is no good news for them.

to be continued…