Has the true gospel been misunderstood or distorted? Are we now to preach something else?

[Eleanor]

To which I would say, "Does the text say "Make a decision to believe in the Lord and you will be saved"? Or does it simply state what constitutes salvation?
What it says is that God so loved the world that he sent Jesus to save, and the ones who are saved are the ones who believe. It is not a text that says a single thing about where believing comes from or how it comes about.
Reading the rest of Fisk's statements where he "puts a passage into the words that would exist if Calvinism were true" pretty much bypass the issue altogether. If faith is what places us in Christ, where does that faith comes from. Why are some able to believe and most are not?
He truly does not understand Calvinism. I think people say that to give themselves credibility in debunking Reformed theology, even when it is not true. I.e. Civic. They are just going with what is more pleasing to them. What more aligns with the God of their image and that "old man" that wants to be under no one, but control his own destiny.

Who is this Civic?

 

[Arial]

Who is Civic?

He is a member here that started his own forum and uses it to bash Calvinism. Among other things.

 

[ElectedbyHim]

Like @Carbon said, those who oppose Calvinism really do not understand anything about the doctrines of grace.

I have debated with so many synergists over the years and one question I always ask them is that when they pray for someone's salvation, do they pray to God for that person to choose to be saved? I have had many say they do.

One cannot have faith without being regenerated first, you just cannot believe without being born again from above.

Not to get off topic here, but it has always amazed me that Arminians cannot see the Doctrines of Grace in the Bible, it is in every book of the Bible as far as I know.

My question is this, does God keep their minds blinded to this truth and are they really regenerated? Is that stretching it?

I never was an Arminian, when the Lord saved me, I knew I did nothing, I saw His sovereignty over everything in the Bible.

Didn't even know what Calvinism was until someone gave me a book by A.W. Pink, the Sovereignty of God.

Nice thread.