Chapter X of Boettner’s The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination is called “Total Inability.” He writes:
“Man is a free agent but he cannot originate the love of God in his heart. His will is free in the sense that it is not controlled by any force outside of himself” (p. 62).
The teaching of fashionable Calvinism is that when it comes to sinful actions man’s will is NOT controlled by God. Thus the fashionable Calvinists are those who rage against the Lord and His Anointed and vainly say to Him, “Let us break Their decretive bonds in pieces and cast away Their controlling cords from us.” What shall be the Divine response?
“He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall mock at them” (Psalm 2:4).
The Sovereign King who sits on His heavenly throne shall laugh in the face of those who vainly imagine He has such an incoherent and blasphemous thing as a “permissive” or “passive decree.”
“Fallen man sees nothing desirable in ‘the One who is altogether lovely, the fairest among ten thousand'” (p. 63).
The fashionable tolerant Calvinist reveals that he sees nothing desirable in the True Jesus Christ when he claims that those who believe Jesus Christ died for everyone without exception are his spiritual brethren. By committing spiritual fornication with God-haters in this manner, said Calvinists brazenly declare which “christ” they believe in and which “christ” they believe is the starting foundation of the Christian life.
“‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” (Matthew 21:42).
“And when he puts forth his own sheep, he goes in front of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will not follow a stranger, never! But they will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of the strangers” (John 10:4-5).
“According to God’s grace given to me, as a wise master builder, I laid a foundation, but another builds on it. But let each one be careful how he builds. For no one is able to lay any other foundation beside the One having been laid, who is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:10-11).
“For if, indeed, the one coming proclaims another Jesus, whom we have not proclaimed…” (2 Corinthians 11:4).
The “christ” who died for everyone without exception (“universal atonement”) is a stranger and no regenerate sheep will follow him. The “christ” of universal atonement (e.g., “Arminianism”; “moderate Calvinism”) is “another Jesus” whom the apostles did not proclaim. By speaking peace when there is no peace (cf. 2 John 9-11) tolerant Calvinists proclaim that they are foolish and reckless builders who have laid a foundation with a different Jesus than the Apostles did — they believe that the false christ of universal atonement IS foundational, while the True Christ of efficacious atonement is just an optional add-on to the building. The Stone which these builders rejected has become the Chief Cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in every true believer’s eyes. For further elucidation on this, please read “Gospel Atonement” (http://www.outsidethecamp.org/gospatone.htm).
Speaking of how the message of the cross is received by the unregenerate man, Boettner writes:
“He may have an intellectual knowledge of the facts and doctrines of the Bible, but he lacks all spiritual discernment of their excellence, and finds no delight in them” (p. 64).
The aforementioned “Gospel Atonement” article puts forth the tolerant Calvinist as a brightly shining example of those who have knowledge of the Word of the cross (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:18) but who lack the spiritual discernment to see that it is foolishness to those being lost, and the power of God to those being saved. The reason they cannot see the excellence of the Word of the cross is because they have not the true Spirit of God, but the false spirit of the world (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:10-14).
“For such ones are false apostles, deceitful workers transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And did not Satan marvelously transform himself into an angel of light? It is not a great thing, then, if also his ministers transform themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).
Agrammatos 