I. Without acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice (substitiutionary atonement) a person goes to hell to pay the just penalty for their sin.

Salvation reverses the effects of the Fall as we respond by faith to God’s grace resulting in: Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification.

The NT Jewish audience (pre-cross) had their sins forgiven and enjoyed fellowship with God by participation in the sacrificial system. 

The issue wasn’t about justification by faith, but about repentance Ac 2:37-42 and sanctification in light of the promised OT kingdom (Isa 40).

Q: Do the Scriptures appeal to us to make a decision and hold us responsible for the consequences of that decision?  A: Everywhere.

Q: Is being born-again (regeneration) a result of believing God’s offer or does God regenerate us before we believe so we can believe? 

II. No one seeks, but some will respond when they receive/hear an invitation and are HS convicted of their sin and thus need for a Savior

A. Justification Rm 3:22  righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.. 23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25  whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith...26...that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (cf Rm 1:15-25 everyone who believes...faith... knew...understood)

B. Sanctification Rm 8:8...word of faith which we preach...9 if you confess...and believe in your heart...you will be saved 11 For Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame” 13 "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

C. Glorification Rm 2:4...not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6  who "will render to each one according to his deeds": 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8  but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness--indignation and wrath, 9  tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil...10  but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good...(14 Gentiles...by nature do the things in the law...15 conscience)

III. The Lazy Man's Guide To Understanding Calvinism

http://www3.calvarychapel.com/library/bryson-george/books/fpocwafw.htm#06

5 POINTS: T You must be... Born again so you can believe.         THE BIBLE: You must... Believe so that you can be born again.:

   Thus faith is a consequence or result of regeneration.           Thus faith is the precondition of or requirement for regeneration. Jn 1:12,13

U You are...Elected by God without regard to faith in Christ.           You are...Elected by God in accordance with faith in Christ. Jn 3:16,17

L Christ died only for the elect.   {Faith in works or election -bc}        Christ died for all the lost. John 3:16,17

I God appears to offer salvation to all - i.e., the general and outward call - but only intends to save some (the elect), and insures that the some He intends to save will be saved - i.e., the efficacious or inner call - without regard to the faith or willingness of the elect. The elect cannot help but believe and be eventually saved, and the unelect cannot help but not believe and be ultimately damned.

P The saved will persevere in holiness and faith and faith to the end of their life on earth, thereby proving they are among the elect. Those who do not persevere in faith and holiness until the end have proved they were never saved and therefore not among the elect.

God truly offers salvation to everyone on the condition they receive and believe in Jesus Christ. The saved can thank God for the provision of salvation (the cross), the offer of salvation (the gospel proclamation), the nature of the offer (a free gift), and the capacity to believe in Christ and thereby receive the free gift. Those ultimately lost will have only themselves to blame.Rm.1:16

The saved should persevere in faith & holiness to the end of their life on earth, thereby proving their love for the Lord....fail demonstrated a lack of love for the Lord. Although saved, they experience a loss of fellowship with the Lord in this life, and a loss of rewards in the next. Jn 15:1-14

AN EVEN LAZIER MAN'S GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING CALVINISM     (cx Revelation/Reason/Reality; justice; free will -bc)

You will be saved or damned for all eternity because you were saved or damned from all eternity. 

IV. Totally Dumb Theology arises from:  ignorance of ALL the Scriptures; poor exegetical/contextual skills; weak/flawed character; Satan

A. Dead Eph 2:1 is lack of pre-fall dominion/glory because of not only Adam’s sin, but man,s trespasses and sins (plural, reason/means)

5:6-15 Walk as children of light 14 "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light." 15 See then that you walk...

Faith (f) is not the gift (f) of Eph 2:8-10; the “IT” (neuter) is the concept of salvation by grace through faith  (gift: accept or reject)

B. Born Jn 1:12 as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

Jn 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15  That whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.Jn 20:31  but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

1Pe 1:23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever (cf v25) 

1Jn 5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.  

C.  Desire Jos 24:15 if it seems evil to you to serve LORD, choose for yourselves whom you will serve...as for me & my house, we will serve LORD

Eze 33:11 As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die...? 1Tim 2:4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

2Pt 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning His promise but is longsuffering...not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Acts 17:24-31 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him...30 these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 appointed a day...will judge the world in righteousness by (Christ)

Acts 16:30 "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"  31  So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved...

Re 22:17... let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. (cf 1Jn 2:2 propitiation...whole world)

D. Why do we sin? Because we want/choose to, because we have a value system that indicates it’s more beneficial to do than refrain. Repent = change of mind/values...then our will/actions. We repent when we own and hate the consequences of our actions,  desiring strawberries > radishes.

Nevertheless, in light of Scripture, how can the Calvinist say that the unregenerate cannot believe the Gospel unless he first becomes regenerate? Calvinist scholar, John H. Gerstner, in his interpretation of John 1:12 and 13 says:  

We must not get the notion that the people come to Jesus, and as a result of that they are "born again"... Those who do come to Jesus are not therefore born again, but on the contrary indicate that they have been born again. In other words, they are not born again because they have come to Jesus but they have come to Jesus because they have been born again.[81]