It is very rare to meet a non-Calvinists who properly represents Calvinism. Above, the presupposition is that Calvinists are saying that man does not make a choice and thus has no will. This bizarre way of representing what Calvinists say is soooo old. Calvinists can repeat and repeat that we do believe that we make a choice and have a will, but the same charge that we do not believe we make a choice just keeps coming.
It may be just as rare to find Calvinists who properly represent Calvinism. Take this quote from John Calvin's
Institutes for the Christian Religion (2207) and compare it to Reformed Theology:
"By predestination we mean the eternal decree of God, by which he determined with himself whatever he wished to happen with regard to every man. All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and, accordingly, as each has been created for one or other of these ends, we say that he has been predestinated to life or to death."
Now compare that with what the scriptures say:
Deu 30:19 NASB95 - 19 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,
This is not a misunderstanding of Calvinism, but a more consistent application of it. I know that the claim of Reformed Calvinists is that God's decree to death for some makes it impossible for him to choose life, but that the choice is still his to make, and he will always choose death. This is hand-waving distinction without a difference. If I set a banana on the table and told my child they could choose between the banana and the apple... but there was no apple... I haven't actually given them a choice. It would be impossible for them to choose the apple, so there is no apple to choose. If God by decree makes it impossible for you to make the choice for life, then He is the one determining your choice, not you.
If we love Him because He first loved us, and God did not set His love on some, then they hate Him because He first hated them.
Instead, God has set both life and death on the table, and then gone so far as to tell us IT IS NOT TOO DIFFICULT for you to choose life. The choice is not made by God in heaven. You do not need heaven to come down and make you hear the gospel and obey it to choose life.
How do "we already know?" Where in the scripture do we see that heart circumcision and indwelling of the Spirit are the same identical thing.
Rom 2:29 NASB95 - 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.
Rom 4:11 NASB95 - 11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them,
Eph 1:13-14 NASB95 - 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of [God's own] possession, to the praise of His glory.
Act 11:16-17 NASB95 - 16 "And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 17 "Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as [He gave] to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?"
Circumcision is a PERFECT picture and foreshadow of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The condemned, sinful outer flesh is cut away to reveal the living, inner man.
Rom 7:22 NASB95 - 22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man,
Rom 8:10 NASB95 - 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
Col 2:11 NASB95 - 11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;
We have a sin nature, and we cannot choose to remove our own sin nature
What causes the sin nature?
Jhn 8:34 NASB95 - 34 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.
Heb 2:14-15 NASB95 - 14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
Rom 8:15-17 NASB95 - 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with [Him] so that we may also be glorified with [Him.]
Deu 30:19-20 NASB95 - 19 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, 20 by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."
Rom 8:16, 30 NASB95 - 16
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, ... 30 and these whom He predestined, He also
called; and these whom He
called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
I call heaven (the Spirit Himself) and earth (our spirit) to bare witness (testify) regarding the choice we make for salvation between life and death. But what does Deu 30:19 say? We have a choice. What does Romans 8 say? We have a choice between life and death!
Rom 8:5-6 NASB95 - 5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
To "set your mind" means to choose (just like "change your mind" but with commitment). Our fear of death, far from preventing us from choosing life, can be a powerful motivation to choose life, just as it was for Abimelech.
Gen 20:2-3, 7-8, 14, 17-18 NASB95 - 2 Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, "Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married." ... 7 "Now therefore, restore the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore [her,] know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours." 8 So Abimelech arose early in the morning and called all his servants and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were greatly frightened. ... 14 Abimelech then took sheep and oxen and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored his wife Sarah to him. ... 17 Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, so that they bore [children.] 18 For the LORD had closed fast all the wombs of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
Abimelech was given the choice between life and death. His fear of death (sin nature, enslaving him to sin) far from preventing him from choosing life was actually a motivating factor in him choosing life. His "fear of the Lord" was faith. Abimelech was able to repent and choose life, but in spite of his choice he had no power to actually heal himself. He had to go through Abraham's covenant relationship and God Himself did the work of regenerating him to life AFTER he repented.
Rev 14:6-7 NASB95 - 6 And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; 7 and he said with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters."
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of faith in the gospel. What is the "gospel" but the good news that we are rescued from death. To believe the "good news" presupposes the bad news exists - that there is a death you need to be afraid of and turn from.
Notice in the context what the effects of heart circumcision.
Notice other context. V1, 15, 19 all speak to the choice between life & death, the blessing and the curse which are being commmanded to make. Further, the context of v6 is v 4-5:
Deu 30:4-6 NASB95 - 4 "If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you back. 5 "The LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. 6 "Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live. ... 20 by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."
Eze 36:24-28 NASB95 - 24 "For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. 25 "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. 28 "You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.
Gal 3:14 NASB95 - 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Is it strange to relate circumcision to the Abrahamic covenant and the land promises? Certainly not... Circumcision is instituted in Gen 17 within the Abrahamic covenant. Paul says the "promise of the Spirit" was a promise first given to Abraham! The context of circumcision of the heart is the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant of righteousness through faith. As I showed you above, Abraham establishes the pattern of salvation (righteousness through faith), and in his pattern, faith precedes righteousness and circumcision.
Gal 3:21 NASB95 - 21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.
Gal 3:11 YLT - 11 and that in law no one is declared righteous with God, is evident, because 'The righteous by faith shall live;'
The righteous by faith (present tense) shall live (future tense). So in relation to faith, regeneration to life is in the future tense. Therefore faith precedes regeneration to life. Further, Abraham was unregenerate (unrighteous) and uncircumcised (not indwelled) when he believed the gospel.
The writer above assumes that Abraham was unregenerate when he had faith. ...What word in the text even speaks of regeneration?
I completely agree, Abraham was unregenerate. The word in the text that speaks to regeneration to life is
righteousness. Righteousness is regeneration to life.
Gal 3:21 NASB95 - 21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.
Rom 5:17 NASB95 - 17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
Hab 2:4 NASB95 - 4 "Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.
Gal 3:11 NASB95 - 11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, "THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."
Rom 3:24-26 NASB95 - 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. [This was] to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, [I say,] of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Rom 5:18 NASB95 - 18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.
If death came by sin, then it stands to reason that regeneration to LIFE comes by righteousness.
Rom 10:6 NASB95 - 6 But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: "DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, 'WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?' (that is, to bring Christ down), (quotes DEU 30:11-15)
Phl 3:9 NASB95 - 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from [the] Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which [comes] from God on the basis of faith,
Righteousness is justification to life. Abraham was credited (promised) righteousness for his faith. But not only for him, but so that his descendants would obtain that regeneration as well.
Rom 4:11 NASB95 - 11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them,
For the promise to Abraham was at it's very heart, grace to he and to his descendants and in it's core the blessing of Abraham is the regeneration of Sarah's womb back to life.
