Robin Tomlinson

Why do you assume I am Calvinist? I have read a lot of Calvinist literature; therefore, it is reasonable for me to frame a question from that point of view. I have legitimate questions that I am working through. So far, I have yet to come across a reasonable answer to my question as to what brings about belief. It’s obvious that one must “hear.” But when there are verses about God’s Word being powerful and effective, and not returning void, and accomplishing the thing for which it is sent, it makes me wonder if indeed there must be an “effectual” impetus in coming to believe. Satan successfully blinds men spiritually. Shouldn’t we assume that in order to combat Satan’s power that God has at least equal (if not more) power to illuminate the mind? And, if God has equal (if not more) power to illuminate a mind, shouldn’t we see more people coming to know the Lord than not? In other words, since the pull to love sin is so strong, doesn’t the drawing of God have to be great enough to overcome that pull to sin? To illustrate, God’s wooing me would be like presenting Christ to my mind so that Christ is attractive to me… like chocolate cake. Given spinach (sin) and chocolate cake (Christ), I would want to choose cake because it appeals more to me. So, my question stands… What causes someone to actually believe? If preaching causes some to stumble (Jews) and to others preaching is foolishness (Gentiles), how does one overcome the stumbling, or the seeing of the cross as foolishness?