Quoting Larry from the Old Adam

This is from Larry at the Old Adam. If I knew how I'd do a proper trackback. (Instruct me.) He also has his own blog.

"It’s also critical to see how Calvin versus Luther sees election in eternity. Because Calvin sees election in eternity “with a temporal component as to steps” if you will both “elections” are outside of Christ, the Son of God and the Word itself. It’s a necessity of asserting and insisting upon an election unto damnation. Something like this: In Phase I God chooses whom He will and will not save (out side of Christ, the Son of God and the Word – which is really non-sense). Then in Phase II Christ, the Son of God, the Word is set to the task to accomplish the selection/election in Phase I. Here we see Calvin outside of Christ and reaching up to see naked things of God. Once you necessitate an election to reprobation, which occurs outside of Christ of necessity, then you also drag the elect of salvation so chosen as well outside of Christ. And nothing could be further from the witness of Scripture."

This helps me with the whole unanswerable question about why do some believe and are saved and why do others not believe and are not saved. This is where Reason comes in as the "whore" as Luther says. In other contexts Reason it is not a "whore", but when it come to salvation, the word "whore" is not even strong enough.

Salvation is only by the cross. Jesus died for your sins. Rely on that.

If anything else made "sense" at all--it would be THAT that we rely on, and it would be false. So it is the "foolishness of the cross" that offends and saves. There is nothing else.