03/21/23 A WARNING CONCERNING CALVINISM

03/21/23 A WARNING CONCERNING CALVINISM

I come across quotes (like this one from John Calvin, whose name gives us, "Calvinism") on a regular basis, from a list of popular "preachers and teachers" (such as: C. Spurgeon, R.C. Sproul, A. Pink, J. White, J. MacArthur, J. Piper and many more). It is also true that they will say things which are contradictory, but their foundation is unBiblical.

Remember, Calvinism is the same system that says God does not love all sinners redemptively, that Christ did not die for all sinners, that God unilaterally chose some people to salvation and others to damnation (though they had no actual free choice in whether they would sin or whether they would be saved), and they teach that Jesus does not save us from sin in this present life, which is why I refer to it as, "sinning religion."

The teaching of Calvinism is based on the errant Gnostic beliefs of Augustine (354-430), who had been a follower of the Persian Mani. Before Augustine's cultic influence, the New Testament Church, the Early Church Fathers and the Early Church at large denounced Gnostic teachings (such as Manicheanism) as unBiblical.

Do not be influenced by these teachers or these teachings. Your soul depends on it.

"Creatures are so governed by the secret counsel of God, that nothing happens but what he has knowingly and willingly decreed." (John Calvin, Institutes of Christian Religion, Book 1, Chapter 16, Paragraph 3)

 

I responded to a question, asking why I focused on Calvinism.

Thank you. I do appreciate you, your faith and faithfulness in Jesus, your kindness, even when you disagree with my post.

My problem is with the extreme and damning errors of Reformed and Calvinistic theology. I realize that some folks who are Reformed or Calvinistic actually agree with me concerning some of the points I address. However, I address the points which I see are totally unBiblical and are counter productive to the truth of God's word.

They are not only errant, it is heretical to say that God does not redemptively love all men. To actually say that John 3:16 and all the similar verses does not indicate God's love for all men, for al sinners, is false. I agree with Biblical statements concerning God's anger, hatred, wrath, but that does not negate or contradict the Biblical statements concerning God's redemptive love and sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Yet the Systematics that I denounce do deny the redemptive love of God for all mankind and they do deny that Christ died for the sins of the whole world.

Yes, there is a Divine anger and hatred, but just as God balances Divine justice and mercy, He also balances Divine love and hatred. All men have been lost, have been children of wrath, but God loved us all with a redemptive love, while we were yet sinners and gave His Son to die for the sins of "the whole world." I constantly encounter the lie that God does not love everyone with a redemptive love, and the lie that Christ did not die for all men. That is blatantly contrary to God's word and it is a ploy of the devil to thwart, mislead the unsuspecting into total reprobation, which by the way is the result of the false doctrine of unilateral, unconditional (and double sided) election.

The Bible clearly teaches that we must believe in order to be saved, yet sinning religion says that God regenerates us before we believe on Christ. This takes away personal responsibility to believe, to repent, to confess and to follow Jesus. There are Biblical conditions to salvation, regardless of what sinning religion says.
When I read or when I am told that God predestined, decreed sin, all sins, every sin, I am appalled at the blasphemy. Yes, God does rule over every thing, but that does not mean God either designed evil or approves of evil, and certainly did not decree sin for His own glory, though He does get glory when He judges sin. God's sovereignty does not depend on God's decreeing of evil. It is a contradiction to His revealed nature, word and works.
Not only does sinning religion's misrepresentation blaspheme the nature, the revelation and the work of God, it leads the unenlightened and the shallow believer into deception and apostasy. This is also happening within the ranks of those who have been the most indoctrinated in sinning religion's Systematic. It not only leads to rejection of the gospel (based on a false representation of God, His word and His work), it leads to the increasing phenomena of "de-converting." People find they cannot believe in a god who deliberately reprobate some folks to unbelief or a god who creates people to be damned, as a means to receive glory.

From the time of Jesus and the apostles, the message was clearly a call to repentance, faith, self denial, obedience. Sinning religion, based on the much hated doctrines of Gnosticism, was denounced by the Apostolic Church and continued to be denounced until Augustine. Augustine brought Manichean Gnosticism into the Western Church, which became the Roman Catholic Church and was retained along with some other beliefs and practices, by some of the reformers.

Scripture and human practices show that man does have a free will and man can make a good and right decision (none of which are self saving decisions). Salvation cannot happen without the work of God. However, God loves the world, God does not want the world to be lost, God has provided a just provision for the salvation of the whole world. In fact, the Bible says God is the Savior of all men, which is manifested in His atonement (covering) which includes the pre-born, the new born and infant children. All of mankind needs atonement for the sin corruption of the Adamic nature and for personal sins. God provided a just plan to cover the inbred corruption in children as well as covering the sins and guilt of every willful sinner.

God's nature, God's revelation, God's commands, God's judgments, God's rewards, God's justice all indicate human responsibility and His requirements for faith which works (not to be confused with work's salvation). We are called to believe, repent, confess in order to be saved. Sinning religion contradicts these truths. Believing, repenting, confessing and obeying God are not sinful works of the flesh. In fact, they are commands of God, and God does not command us to sin. Sin separates man from God, and God separates man from sin. This too is denied by sinning religion. A person cannot be committing sin and be saved at the same time.

The whole tenor of the Bible declares these truths. When there seems to be any Biblical disagreement within the writings of the Bible it is rare and it is clearly explained in the redundant passages, which seem to disagree with them.
Reformed and Calvinistic theology did not abandon the false teachings of Augustine. Just as there was a return to New Testament teaching along some lines, there needed to be a continued return to other Bible truth. The teachings of Jesus (the chief cornerstone) and the apostles, is the foundation upon which Church is built. There is a faith (system) that was once delivered to the saints and that faith (system) was abandoned time and again, even before Augustine, but with Augustine there was a great falling away, a great abandonment. The Reformation was the beginning of a return to Biblical truth, but the movement stopped with the limited views of men who were fundamentally afflicted with Augustinian teaching.

I stand against whatever teaching stands in opposition to clear Biblical revelation. Sinning religion is openly defiant of God's word. I believe there are many true believers who have been ensnared by the Augustinian, Reformation, Calvinistic teachings (as well as other errant doctrines). I love others, even when we differ in doctrines. But I do not love doctrines that accost the nature, dignity, honor, revelation and redemptive work of God.

I have seen people led astray by sinning religion, and as a Christian, and as one who is called to teach and preach, I try to ring Biblical truth for others to hear.

I realize that this answer is cursory and not convincing. I don't mind a more personal and in depth exchange. However, I did want to address a question, which was directed to me. I highly value my friendship with brothers who disagree with me and have often wished that we could sit down together and actually discuss these issues.