.....If you buy into the glad tidings of Arminianism
you'll also have to become convinced that by your faith and obedience you'll
be able to outperform the vast majority of the human race. Arminianism
tells us that the way is narrow that leads to life and few *ever will*
find it. On the other hand...If you buy into Calvinism's glad tidings you'll
have to become convinced that God loves you while he hates most of most
of the human race. Few *ever will* be chosen, according to Calvinism, and
the message is "Jacob have I loved and Essau have I hated."
Gosh, ain't it interesting to hear "grace-oriented" Arminian
preachers bemoaning religiosity and pride of performance and crying out
that "legalism is the bane of Christianity"? And they do this (I used to
do it myself) while at the bottom of the belief paradigm lurks the satanic
lie--"Love Himself rewards with salvation those who perform correctly in
this lifetime, and he gets rid of those who do not."
And I've heard Calvinist preachers bemoaning spiritual
pride, complacency and *exclusivism* while at the bottom of their belief
structure lurks the lie--"God loves ONLY those who've been elected to know
him in this lifetime, and hates all others--forever."
Could it be that it is simply impossible for us to believe
that our Heavenly Father (and Role Model) is performance-oriented or prejudiced--and
at the same time--live out the virtues of unconditional love and acceptance?
Yep. We will and must transmit the kind of love that we believe is God's
kind of love--sooner or later.
There's no getting around it.
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