Do you think that you repented and believed because God had first chosen you and had opened your heart to hear and accept the gospel? Or do you think that God chose you because he knew you would one day believe? Whose fault is it ultimately that you are a Christian? The important thing is figuring out how these words connect. Yes, I heard the good news about Jesus dying for my sins and rising from the dead. Yes, I was responsible to repent and believe the gospel.
But because of my spiritually dead heart, I would have never done that left to myself. God sovereignly opened my heart to get it. When I got it, I did repent and I did believe. I also see that I am much smaller than I had realized — and much more sinful.
But I also see that Jesus Christ and his work on the cross was a much bigger deal that I could have ever imagined. Ultimately, being a Calvinist means that I want the glory of God to be the accent over all of my life and ministry. Well if that did not answer a few questions, you can take a quick Calvinism Quiz here to see how Calvinistic or Arminian you are or even try a shorter quiz here.
One warning though of late Arminians who read their Bible have ended up becoming Calvinists so beware! Pingback: Calvin Unleashed! You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Google account. You are commenting using your Twitter account. Jerry L Walls. Does God Love Everyone? The Heart of What is Wrong with Calvinism. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, ISBN: I grew up in a Christian tradition that was deeply steeped in Calvinist theology.
Although once part of the Conservative Baptist Association, our little church in New England eventually broke away from that denomination and became an independent Bible church. Looking back, I would have called us four or four-and-a-half point Calvinists, the doctrine of limited atonement being the only questionable plank in the venerable TULIP acronym.
If anything was true of the Christian faith, it was these things along with total depravity and perseverance of the saints. When the traditional texts were presented as proof of these doctrinal dogmas, I could only nod in agreement, finding no fault in how Scripture was read and interpreted.
Yet a funny thing happened during my late teens and into my early twenties. This is perfectly understandable and commendable. I actually mean there are cool Calvinists out there. Not that I have a problem with them. They can have conversations with Arminians without snarling even once!
They have friends who disagree with them theologically. Other times you need to ask good questions to help someone reach their own conclusions. Cool Calvinists have even learned that sometimes you need to just shut your face. Cool Calvinists make sense. A quiz about christian theology. Are you Calvinist?
Do you know what you believe? No, they must be born again regenerated before they are able to have faith in Christ. Remember, before re-birth, a person is dead in sin, and dead men cannot have faith.
Jesus died for the world, and offers salvation to all men. No, He died for "all without distinction" but not "all without exception. This is what the Scripture is referring to and emphasizing when it says that Christ died for "all. Jesus died to provide salvation for all, and to procure salvation for the elect. It was sufficient for all, but only made efficacious for those who believe.
End the discussion with speech about christian love and charity. Affirm respect for the other party. Claim that you were "predestined" to disagree with calvinism!
Yes - that's the hard truth taught in the Scripture, my friend. You need to put aside your traditions and sentimentality here. In relation to human affairs, or in relation to God? I mean, you must know that God can do nothing wrong. We are free beings who can choose between chocolate and vanilla for no obvious reason. We have free will because we are free to follow our desires. We are free agents: we determines our own choices they are not externally determined Thus, we are morally responsible for what we do.
Man has free agency, of course, even though God decrees man's every action, and man can justly be held responsible for his sins. His grace can be resisted in the life of a believer, and the grace given to the non-elect can be resisted, but the grace associated with regeneration or salvation is effectual.
It will not fail, it does not rely on the creature. God could have made His grace irresistible, but doesn't. He wants a real and voluntary relationship with people.
Election is unmerited, but is not unconditional. God picks conditions according to His good pleasure. Like salvation, it is conditional on faith which is not a work.
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