The Calvinism Debate - Way of Life Literature

HAVE LIFE -- “And ye will not come to me, that ye mighthave life” (John 5:40).He did not say they could not come because of their “totaldepravity”; He said they would not come. It was a matter oftheir own wills. He did not say they were not sovereignlyelected or that they were foreordained to condemnation. Herebuked them because they were given light and had rejectedit. is verse and countless others teaches that the sinner hasa will that he can exercise contrary to God, that God’s will isnot “sovereign” in the sense that it cannot be opposed.FAITH COMES FROM MAN’S HEART -- “Now theparable is this: e seed is the word of God. ose by theway side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, andtaketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they shouldbelieve and be saved. ey on the rock are they, which,when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these haveno root, which for a while believe, and in time oftemptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns arethey, which, when they have heard, go forth, and arechoked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, andbring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good groundare they, which in an honest and good heart, having heardthe word, keep it, and bring forth fruit withpatience” (Luke 8:11-15).e Parable of the Sower teaches us that faith is somethingthat sinners can exercise and that the difference betweenmen’s hearts and their response to the gospel is not that ofsovereign election but is a matter of their own wills. e LordJesus tells us that the Word of God falls upon four differenttypes of human hearts. All men are sinners, but all sinners donot respond to the Word of God in the same manner.e first type of sinner hears the Word of God but the devilcomes and takes it out of the heart “lest they should believeand be saved.” is is explained in Matt. 13:19 -- “When anyo n e h e a r e t h t h e w o r d o f t h e k i n g d o m , A N DUNDERSTANDETH IT NOT, then cometh the wicked one,72