L was the last one for me, but I would say that I "struggled" with it. I simply said "I don't know" until I searched the scriptures. Once I read what others were saying and backed it up in the Bible, it came naturally. And as a lot of you have stated, it's hard to have some of the points with out all of the points.
Anyways, here's what I wrote about L in an editorial response to an article.
Quote:
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I will not “thunder” or speak boldly in this area because scripture does not speak clearly in this area. This doctrine is a derivative of known truths combined with human reasoning, which is known to fail. In any case, here are the truths. First, God is eternal, and outside of the bounds of time (1Ti 1:17 and Rom 1:20) and immutable (Jas 1:17 and Mal 3:6). Second, God is omniscient (Dan 2:22, Isa 46:9-10); whether or not this knowledge is causative or determinative is moot here. Third, Christ’s sacrifice is perfect (Heb 10:11-18). Christ’s sacrifice is a “propitiation (literally, the satisfaction or payment for … sins).” Christ’s sacrifice, once applied cannot be removed as its application separates us from our sins as far as the east is from the west (Psa 103:12). Now appears the reasoning portion. If all of these are true, how can Christ’s sacrifice be unapplied from the non-believing? It should not be a picture of God ladling out payment for sins as each believer comes to Christ. Rather, the picture should be Christ taking on all of the sins of believers (because God perfectly knows who they are) and making a perfect payment once for all. What we find troubling about this picture is the seeming inability to affect the outcome of our loved ones. If everything is decided with no room for change, why pray or witness? First we are commanded to. Second, we are told that prayer is effectual (Jas 5:16). Is this a lie? Does God tell us to pray and then turn to laugh because it does nothing? No and no. The same God that is eternal and omniscient to the point of fore-knowing believers is eternal and omniscient to the point of fore-knowing our prayers. He hears our prayers in eternity past! He moves His hand according to His will, but His will is often bent around our supplications! What a merciful and mighty God we serve!
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