Clarification and Additions on Arminianism

In reference to my blog of yesterday, I want to add quickly that one Biblical definition of sin is missing the mark. I was not attempting to cast doubt on the Word of God, when I asked whether or not that little boy's gift was sin. I was simply trying to focus on heart purity, and on the fact that we will always fall short until we die and go to be with Jesus. "For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God"(Romans 3:23). We are totally depraved. But focusing on our shortcomings all the time leads to despair. It is condemning. Some believers think that if they point out our sins all the time. they are helping us. They are not. One can administer the Word of God in a way that kills (2 Corinthians 3:6). But God looks at our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7), and acts according to what He sees there. The dad accepted the boy's gift because they are related as father and son. Just so with God. There are different words for sin in the Bible. We need to consider all of them together before we jump to conclusions about sin. One other point I wanted to make briefly has to do with unlimited atonement. "and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world"(1 John 2:2). There are different words for "world" in the Bible. Calvinists would translate "world" as "elect" in many cases, but that makes for a very awkward translation, and simply doesn't work. Jesus paid for the sins of the whole world, but His atonement is effective only for those who believe. Calvinists would say that if Jesus paid for the sins of the whole world, then the whole world would be saved, because nothing that Jesus does is ineffective. This is human logic. Jesus lavished His love and grace on us (Ephesians 1:7-8). Some of it may be wasted from a human perspective, like the ointment from the alabaster jar (Mark 14:3-4). But Jesus commended the woman, and He also pours out His love and grace on people. Whether or not they accept it is up to them, but Jesus pours it out anyway. He is not stingy like the man in Proverbs 23:6-7 (New International Version). He is generous beyond our ability to comprehend. Jesus paid for the sins of the whole world, as the Scriptures say in 1 John 2:2. Praise the Lord for His generosity!