CALVINISM - THE DOCTRINES AND TEACHINGS OF JOHN CALVIN OR HIS FOLLOWERS, EMPHASIZING PREDESTINATION, THE IRRESISTABILITY OF GRACE, AND THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF APOSTASY
I could go for hours on this one, in fact, I preached for 5 weeks on it. If you would like to have more extensive information on it than what I give here, and many of you might, go to the website www.bible.ca\ It may be a bit slow, be patient. I don’t advocate everything they have there, but what they have on Calvinism is very good.
First, Calvinism teaches that we are born sinful. If so then either Jesus was born sinful, or he was not tempted in all ways like we are, or he was not fully human.
Second, it teaches that God picked certain individuals to be saved and certain ones to be lost. In his picking there is nothing that anyone can do to be moved from one list to the other, in fact even if someone who had been chosen to go to heaven began worshiping the devil God would never change his mind. Why did Jesus preach about Hell and tell people to believe and repent if He knew all along that they couldn’t. Why did Jesus tell the Laodiceans that he was going to spew them out if they couldn’t be lost. Why was Paul concerned about his lifestyle, (1 Cor 9:27) “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” If indeed he could not be lost.
Third, it teaches that Christ did not die for everyone, but for a pre-approved few, the elect. Now we realize of course that Christ’s blood does not cover everyone’s sin. There are millions and billions that die without Christ. But the question is are they outside the umbrella of his redeeming blood because he did not die to save them, or because they would not accept his redemption?
This brings us to the final quandary, is God a liar? When God said that he is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” was he lying, unable to come up with a plan whereby all could be saved, or is He desiring that very thing, but unwilling because of His nature to force his human creation to do what they do not want to do. There are many similar problems that Calvinism brings to the table. Why did God create Adam and Eve and then allow them to sin if this sin resulted in every child from then on being born in sin? What about aborted babies? Are they going to Hell? How can God condemn sin if we don’t have any choice in the matter and still be just. Why should we preach the gospel to others if only God knows who is on His list of people to be saved, and will force them to obey Him with His irresistible grace? If I can’t fall from grace what is the point of living righteously? Paul’s opponents had a point why not sin that grace may abound? Paul knew better, he knew there was a point where one could leave the shadow of grace. We know that we can never work our way into heaven, but don’t fall for the deception that we can’t work our way out of heaven.
The Calvinist says our way of thinking takes away our security as a believer. I say it is just the opposite. I know that nothing out there can affect my relationship with God, and I know that if I properly respond to God’s grace and through faith strive to obey his commands, then even though I am unable to do so perfectly, like Abraham I will be credited with righteousness. Following the logic of his own teaching, the Calvinist may live an entire life teaching his doctrine and converting others to it, he may even do a better job of living a holy and pure life than I do, but if God decided before the foundation of the world to put his name on the Hell list he has no hope. John said that he wrote so that we could know we have salvation. Now since John didn’t write a list of the names of people going to heaven, we must infer that there is another way to know. How? (Rom 8:16) “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” The Spirit bears witness through the word, and our spirit bears witness through our actions and words and thoughts. If the two are in agreement then we are the children of God, if they disagree, be assured that it isn’t God’s spirit that is wrong.
I could go for hours on this one, in fact, I preached for 5 weeks on it. If you would like to have more extensive information on it than what I give here, and many of you might, go to the website www.bible.ca\ It may be a bit slow, be patient. I don’t advocate everything they have there, but what they have on Calvinism is very good.
First, Calvinism teaches that we are born sinful. If so then either Jesus was born sinful, or he was not tempted in all ways like we are, or he was not fully human.
Second, it teaches that God picked certain individuals to be saved and certain ones to be lost. In his picking there is nothing that anyone can do to be moved from one list to the other, in fact even if someone who had been chosen to go to heaven began worshiping the devil God would never change his mind. Why did Jesus preach about Hell and tell people to believe and repent if He knew all along that they couldn’t. Why did Jesus tell the Laodiceans that he was going to spew them out if they couldn’t be lost. Why was Paul concerned about his lifestyle, (1 Cor 9:27) “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” If indeed he could not be lost.
Third, it teaches that Christ did not die for everyone, but for a pre-approved few, the elect. Now we realize of course that Christ’s blood does not cover everyone’s sin. There are millions and billions that die without Christ. But the question is are they outside the umbrella of his redeeming blood because he did not die to save them, or because they would not accept his redemption?
This brings us to the final quandary, is God a liar? When God said that he is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” was he lying, unable to come up with a plan whereby all could be saved, or is He desiring that very thing, but unwilling because of His nature to force his human creation to do what they do not want to do. There are many similar problems that Calvinism brings to the table. Why did God create Adam and Eve and then allow them to sin if this sin resulted in every child from then on being born in sin? What about aborted babies? Are they going to Hell? How can God condemn sin if we don’t have any choice in the matter and still be just. Why should we preach the gospel to others if only God knows who is on His list of people to be saved, and will force them to obey Him with His irresistible grace? If I can’t fall from grace what is the point of living righteously? Paul’s opponents had a point why not sin that grace may abound? Paul knew better, he knew there was a point where one could leave the shadow of grace. We know that we can never work our way into heaven, but don’t fall for the deception that we can’t work our way out of heaven.
The Calvinist says our way of thinking takes away our security as a believer. I say it is just the opposite. I know that nothing out there can affect my relationship with God, and I know that if I properly respond to God’s grace and through faith strive to obey his commands, then even though I am unable to do so perfectly, like Abraham I will be credited with righteousness. Following the logic of his own teaching, the Calvinist may live an entire life teaching his doctrine and converting others to it, he may even do a better job of living a holy and pure life than I do, but if God decided before the foundation of the world to put his name on the Hell list he has no hope. John said that he wrote so that we could know we have salvation. Now since John didn’t write a list of the names of people going to heaven, we must infer that there is another way to know. How? (Rom 8:16) “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” The Spirit bears witness through the word, and our spirit bears witness through our actions and words and thoughts. If the two are in agreement then we are the children of God, if they disagree, be assured that it isn’t God’s spirit that is wrong.
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