The Discover 2 class had the relationship of Hosea and Gomer as being an example of the main theme of the Old Testament. Most Calvinist I know would pick the Covenant between Abraham and God as being an key to understanding the Old Testament. However, all covenants in the Old Testament was mentioned except one. Yes, the one not mentioned was the Covenant between Abraham and God. I found this strange and pondered why Free Will Evangelicals with a Dispensationalist viewpoint would not mention the Covenant in the Old Testament so much referenced in the New Testament?
Beyond question, the Covenant between Abraham and God is one of God's Sovereign Grace and there is no way to put a God picked Abraham due to Abraham's Free Will Choice in Chosing God. Sure, Abraham had Faith but his Free Will Choice record in making Holy decisions was not all that impressive but it did improved with time.
The relationship between Hosea and Gomer is a type with Hosea being like Jesus and Gomer being like a typical Christian. Actually it is a prophecy about Israel and God's covenant with Israel. It is hardly an example of God's unconditional love for all of mankind unless you put a Abrahamic Covenant spin on it. However, that would result in a mixing of God's promises to the Jews with the Christian Church which is something that a true Dispensationalist doesn't do.
Since the attempt was to put a decisional regeneration decision choice spin that if only you will chose God, you too can have this unconditional love relationship. God over and over again makes it clear that He chose Israel and Israel didn't chose him. Clearly God's Sovereign Grace but hardly Man's Free Will Choice. To the Lutheran, this is Law and Gospel about God's Grace to those that trust in God's grace and not their Free Will. God's Sovereign Grace is clearly unconditional love but it is a love that exist for the chosen ones, the elect, the drawn ones, His sheep, those that hear Him, and the chosen remnant.
What does Free Will have to do with it? Well, I had to have the Free Will to believe that Free Will is the key to getting God's unconditional love. Yes, before the foundration of the world my Free Will built a time machine and I had a meeting with God and asked him to give me the Free Will to chose him. If Repentance and Faith is a gift of God, why not Free Will too?
If someone has the Free Will to be born again, why not have the Free Will to fly like a bird? Like Augustine and Martin Luther; I have the desire to mock Free Will as it is amazing that something not found in the Bible is key to understanding the Bible.
If someone has the Free Will to be born again, why not have the Free Will to fly like a bird? Like Augustine and Martin Luther; I have the desire to mock Free Will as it is amazing that something not found in the Bible is key to understanding the Bible.
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