Agreement or Slavery our Relationship to God?

Strange belief your pastor has.

My God is not shaking hands.
My God is loving me unconditionally, longing for a eternal relationship.

And as God never will force me, I'm free to go if I should want.

 

Calvinism asserts that man is essentially not free. The only man who could have had any freedom was Adam before the fall, the seed of Adam are all slaves to sin and totally depraved. Once God raises us to life with Him it is by the working of the Holy Spirit, and not our own doing, to say that your free choice can override this is to say that you can supplant the will of God, very anti-reformed. Limited atonement ensures that one who truly was 'bought for a price' is not going to lose salvation or relationship with God. If the atonement was exactly for the sins of the elect, because the sacrifice was perfect, then one who falls away was never atoned for, otherwise limited atonement fails.

I lack the energy to make the full 'ecumenical argument' right now. I'll simply direct the reader to the book of life in Revelation which was written before the foundation of the world. In Ephesians Paul calls those who would mandate circumcision for salvation 'anathema', a very strong term for a educated Jew like him. He will not let any work be included for salvation in the gospel, if you add anything it becomes a false gospel. Surely one's continued and sustained effort to stick with God is not a means by which we are justified, however one who is justified will continue in the faith (ups and downs, but never 'outs', believe me, I've had low points myself).
So what of the book of James, which says, 'faith without works is dead'? James chapter 2 addresses believers who have heard and accepted the gospel, the text is not meant to rehash that, what it does ask however about a faith with no works, i.e. it does not affect the person's life, is: can such a faith save a man?
The gospel is about faith in God and the recognition of one's sin. If one does not have conviction of their own sinfulness but believes that God exists, or even that Jesus died, then what good is this? Don't the demons also believe in God and Jesus, are they saved? Of course not, they love their sin, just like all people love their sin before they turn to God and love Him and His Law. If one truly understands their own sin, the magnitude of their guilt before God, and the incredible grace that God has extended to them, how can this not affect the way we live? This is the meaning of James chapter 2.
So one who has truly understood the depth of their sin and guilt, and dies to their old self to live for God has had 'a heart of stone replaced with a heart of flesh'. 'They are a new creature in Christ', and have been sealed with the Holy Spirit. Nothing will ever take that away from you, and although we remain sinful, we recognize and hate our sin. We must continually die to our self because we have set our mind toward Christ, even Paul talks about how he hates the sin that he still performs, if he continued to sin and was saved, you will be if you accept the gospel. One who receives the gospel will continue to sin, but they will hate it, and if we hate sin we certainly will not say 'let me sin because I've been forgiven'.

This is the gist of it. It's a gospel issue, so unfortunately I spent more time in the 'short' argument just establishing the essential gospel. Eventually I hope to find the time to make a post explaining the gospel like this but in better detail, and with better references. This post basically assumes familiarity with the epistles and Revelation. I hope this post helps someone with either the gospel or the issue of perseverance in the faith.