Mr_Spinkles said:
If we are saved by Grace and not by our works, then it should not have made any difference whether or not the woman looked around. And why would God not give that woman His grace? Why would He kill her, if He loves her? Again, I don't think a loving God would ever do such a thing...I think this was a story designed (perhaps even unintentionally) to control people back then.
I am seeing another problem here....you say that we cannot obey God's simple commands because mankind is corrupted by sin, but aren't we supposed to be children, and God our Father? When children misbehave, is it because they are 'corrupted by sin' or simply because they are children and do not know any better? I do not think any loving, rational parent would kill their child for ANY reason--much less for glancing over their shoulder to watch two cities get destroyed (which is another barbaric act, and I can't see how that could possibly be true given that God is forgiving/merciful).
She looked around because she did not have faith in God's word to her--faith is how we accept God's grace. When Abram was told to leave the Chaldees and go to "a land I will show you", he demonstrated tremendous faith, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Faith is the key, and without it, we have not accepted God's grace.
Also, and many non-Christians just cannot get this (I guess because the have not (yet?) been effectually called), we are all sinners and all deserve exactly what she got--death. God chooses to favor some of us through election and we can then accept grace--our eyes are opened. Many people are offended by this, but it's not any different than a father giving a no-event gift to one child and not another. Neither child warranted the gift, but the father chose to give one a gift and not the other. How can you be upset at getting what you deserve, you say to the one child? How can you not be delighted at getting more than you deserve, you say to the other, who is eternally thankful?
See this from Ephesians 1:
3 (9) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in (10) the heavenly places in Christ,
4 just as (11) He chose us in Him before (12) the foundation of the world, that we would be (13) holy and blameless before [2] Him. (14) In love
5 He (15) predestined us to (16) adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, (17) according to the kind intention of His will,
6 (18) to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in (19) the Beloved.
7 (20) In Him we have (21) redemption (22) through His blood, the (23) forgiveness of our trespasses, according to (24) the riches of His grace
8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight
9 He (25) made known to us the mystery of His will, (26) according to His kind intention which He (27) purposed in Him
10 with a view to an administration suitable to (28) the fullness of the times, that is, (29) the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him
11 also we (30) have obtained an inheritance, having been (31) predestined (32) according to His purpose who works all things (33) after the counsel of His will,
12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in [3] Christ would be (34) to the praise of His glory.
13 In Him, you also, after listening to (35) the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were (36) sealed in Him with (37) the Holy Spirit of promise,
14 who is (38) given as a pledge of (39) our inheritance, with a view to the (40) redemption of (41) God's own possession, (42) to the praise of His glory.
15
Here is an excerpt from the Westminster Confession that explains it well. I'll give you the URL so you can look at the scripture references as well, if you like:
Chapter X
Of Effectual Calling
I. All those whom God hath predestinated unto life, and those only, He is pleased, in His appointed time, effectually to call,[1] by His Word and Spirit,[2] out of that state of sin and death, in which they are by nature to grace and salvation, by Jesus Christ;[3] enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God,[4] taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them an heart of flesh;[5] renewing their wills, and, by His almighty power, determining them to that which is good,[6] and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ:[7] yet so, as they come most freely, being made willing by His grace.[8]
II. This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man,[9] who is altogether passive therein, until, being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit,[10] he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it.[11]
III. Elect infants, dying in infancy, are regenerated, and saved by Christ, through the Spirit,[12] who works when, and where, and how He pleases:[13] so also are all other elect persons who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word.[14]
IV. Others, not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word,[15] and may have some common operations of the Spirit,[16] yet they never truly come unto Christ, and therefore cannot be saved:[17] much less can men, not professing the Christian religion, be saved in any other way whatsoever, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, and the laws of that religion they do profess.[18] And to assert and maintain that they may, is very pernicious, and to be detested.[19]
http://www.reformed.org/documents/
