Opus 2011-53, Salvation Is Not Whack-a-Mole

I am an Arminian.  I believe that God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, makes it possible for me to respond to His freely offered and undeserved grace with a free will, not because of irresistible grace.  I also believe that if I were to decide to go apostate, it would be possible to “fall from grace” as Galatians says,

(Galatians 5:4 KJV)  Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

This is turned into all kinds of disingenuous caricatures by people of Calvinistic persuasion.  It is not a matter of falling out and falling in and falling out...ad nauseam.  God is not sitting on the edge of His thrown just waiting for a chance to throw us out of the kingdom.  It is not some kind of divine game of Whack-a-Mole.

Jesus did not die to see how many people He could cast into Hell.  He went to the cross so that “whosoever believed” would get eternal life.  This is not a game of spoons where the prize goes to the last man standing. 

You have a paradox.  On one side you have the impossible demand of a Holy God:

(Matthew 5:48 KJV)  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

We are expected to live holy and righteous lives.  We are expected to obey.  It is not an option.

On the other side is the repeated failure of everyone but Jesus.  How many times was Peter caught in failures?  How many verses are there like I John 1:9

(1 John 1:9 KJV)  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Jesus clearly taught that the way was narrow and few would find it.  He also taught that we could find it and walk it.

At times I glory in the awesome concept of grace.  At times I struggle with my failures.  But to me the message is clear.  The goal is reachable.  “For God so loved the world...” 

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