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Calvinism (Reformed Theology) what it is and why
it is scripturally wrong.
Definition = The religious teaching that man
is saved without any willful decision of his own. In essence the
doctrine teaches God has foreordained some to be saved and others to be
damned. Those who are saved are called the elect and were predetermined
to salvation with absolutely no effectual move of their own will. I
believe in election, but I believe in Biblical election; that is
according to the foreknowledge of God He chose Himself out a people in
Jesus Christ His Son. 1Pet.1:2,
We have been predestined, but the predestination was unto the
adoption of children by Christ Jesus; and to an inheritance to the
praise of His glory. Eph.1:5, 11,
12
I believe this teaching flies in the face of clear and
understandable verses of the Holy Bible. Also, I believe that you must
do one or both of the following things to arrive at this heresy.
1. You would have to go outside of the scriptures
and be corrupted by man’s wisdom and teachings, and/or;
2. A person would have to interpret scripture
either out of its context and/or against the very clear teachings of the
Word of God concerning the free will and responsibility of man to
believe on the Jesus Christ to be saved.
If we will just depend on Bible Truth then we want to look at the
scriptures and see what they say about man’s free will.
Gen.2:26
Man is made in the image and likeness of God; that is with a mind
and will of his own. The Lord makes choices and He made man in His image
to make choices. Man was given freewill to choose to obey His will and
want fellowship with his Creator. God did not make robots but
freethinking and freewill human beings in His likeness.
Gen. 3: 1-24
We have the fall of man as shown by the freewill choice to disobey
God’s command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
If man had not a freewill and responsibility to obey God, the Lord would
never have given him a command to obey. Nor would He have put the tree
there in the first place as man’s responsibility not to eat of. Man
chose to go his own way, and man was responsible for his actions and
hence the consequences.
Joshua 24:15
How can we explain Joshua giving the children of Israel an option to serve the gods
of Egypt
or the LORD. Joshua said he and his house would serve God. He made a
decision of his own will knowing full well the consequences of his
choice and his responsibility before the LORD.
Note: I
would point out the Bible is full of man’s freewill choices and all were
made after the fall and in a state of a fallen nature. Totally depraved
the Calvinist would say and though I would agree with that statement, I
would not agree that man was without responsibility and the ability to
make a choice.
Verses the Calvinist uses but
twists and perverts against
the whole body of Scripture
I will use the well known
T.U.L.I.P. acrostic to explain away each argument of this doctrine
with the clear body of scriptural teachings.
The Calvinist says:
Total Depravity - As a result of
Adam’s fall, the entire human race is affected; all humanity is dead in
trespasses and sins. Man is unable to save himself (Genesis
6:5;
Jeremiah 17:9;
Romans 3:10-18).
The Bible Believer says
God clearly enlightens sinners. John 1:9,
12:32, and 16:8
God also sets forth the will of man to choose for
himself. John 1:12, 3:16, 5:24, Acts 2:21,
16:30-31.
The Calvinist says
Unconditional Election - Because
man is dead in sin, he is unable to initiate response to God; therefore,
in eternity past God elected certain people to salvation. Election and
predestination are unconditional; they are not based on man’s response (Romans
8:29-30;
9:11;
Ephesians 1:4-6,11-12)
because man is unable to respond, nor does he want to.
The
Bible Believer says God has always given man the right to
choose. 1 Timothy 2:3-4, II Peter 3:9, Acts 17:30, John 3:16-17, Ezekiel
33:11 God said “whosoever will” Mark 8:34; John3:16; Rev.22:17
The Calvinist says
Limited Atonement - Because God
determined that certain ones should be saved as a result of God’s
unconditional election, He determined that Christ should die for the
elect alone. All whom God has elected and Christ died for will be saved
(Matthew
1:21;
John 10:11;
17:9;
Acts 20:28;
Romans 8:32;
Ephesians 5:25).
The
Bible Believer says The Bible is as clear on this point as on
any point of doctrine. Hebrews 2:9 declares that Christ tasted death for
every man. I John 2:2 says"And he (Christ) is the propitiation for
our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole
world."
The Calvinist says
Irresistible Grace - Those
whom God elected and Christ died for, God draws to Himself through
irresistible grace. God makes man willing to come to Him. When God
calls, man responds (John
6:37,
44;
10:16).
The Bible Believer says
If Calvin would use this verse John 6:44 then the very verse itself
contradicts the teaching of irresistible grace. The word draw does not
mean to force. The same word is used in John 12:32. "And I, if I be
lifted up from the earth, will
draw all men unto me. “
If the word in John
6:44
means an irresistible drawing then the Bible would be teaching in John 12:32 that
all men would be
irresistibly drawn. This certainly isn’t happening so the word draw
means to attract which would be in agreement with the whole of
scripture.
The Calvinist says
Perseverance of the Saints
- The precise ones God has elected and drawn to Himself through the Holy
Spirit will persevere in faith. None whom God has elected will be lost;
they are eternally secure (John
10:27-29;
Romans 8:29-30;
Ephesians 1:3-14).
The Bible Believer says
Calvin’s teaching on this point was totally different from the Bible
doctrine of Security. Calvin taught that a person who is of the elect
will persevere. His teaching had nothing whatsoever to do with the
keeping power of God. He taught that if a person did not persevere to
the end, he was not of the elect and he had been only a false professor.
Verses which teach that we are kept by the power of God include,
but are not limited to, John 10:28, 29; Romans 8:35-39; Ephesians
4:30; and I Peter 1:4, 5.
Two observations of “seemingly” difficult passages used by the
Calvinist.
The verses are Jer.18:1-6;
Rom.9:10-24
1.
God’s dealings with men are always just!
Gen.18:25
2.God knows the clay i.e.; our hearts, and choices (God doesn’t
make them for us)
Ø
Rom.9:21, 22 God always does that which is perfect and just toward
man. In Jeremiah we see a loving God making a vessel for His purposes.
In His Sovereignty He can do that. We are as clay; worthless, useless
and helpless. As God works the clay according to His will the clay must
yield to the Potter’s hands. He can take marred clay and make it useful
again. The clay can do nothing but allow the Potter to mold and shape it
into a useable vessel. Jer. 18:4
In the book of Exodus in chapters
5:2 and 8:15 we see clearly that God knew what was in Pharaoh’s
heart. Pharaoh would not yield but hardened himself against God and the
Lord destroyed this clay vessel. Hence God’s will is accomplished not
against man’s will but in spite of man’s will.
In Rom. 9:13 a Calvinist would try to convince us God
hated Esau for no good reason. I say knowing the character of God that
it is clear to me that God hated what Esau did because He knew what Esau
would do in rejecting his birthright. Let us fall on the Sovereignty of
God but also on His Foreknowledge that He knows how to deal justly with
unjust men to accomplish His perfect will.
Respectfully Submitted by Dan Eberly
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