Are Calvinists Christian? #23

This clip above is taken from the movie The Pink Panther, and every time I watch it, I laugh. My purpose for attaching this video to the blog is to illustrate the error of asking the wrong questions. In the title of this blog, I ask, "Are Calvinists Christian?" and I would submit that I, just like Inspector Clouseau in the video, have asked the wrong question. I think the better question to ask is: Is Calvinism Biblical? We can call ourselves anything we want, and, depending upon "our definition", we can and will change the meaning of something according to our own preconceived views. For example, the members of the famed Westboro Baptist Church claim they are Christians, and so do members of the Mormon Church, Jehovah Witnesses, and a host of other religious sects. Thus, how do we rightly determine if something is true or false when it comes to religious truth? The answer is found in 2 Timothy 3:16. We need to be like the Bereans mentioned in Acts 17:11 who searched the scriptures daily to seek out truth. Thus, the next series of blogs will investigate whether or not Calvinism is Biblical.

Today's blog will investigate the claim made by Calvinists who state that Calvinism is the Gospel. I will compare this claim to the Bible, and let the reader determine which one is correct. If you are a Calvinist and believe I have not stated the Calvinist position accurately, please let me know. Open examination and discussion of important issues, such as,  the gospel and the very nature and character of God, can only be healthy for the body of Christ. It is my prayer that the investigation of Calvinism and its comparison with The Bible, as expressed in this blog, will bring helpful and needed clarification.

THE GOSPEL

When Christians refer to the “Gospel”, they are referring to the “good news” that Jesus Christ died to pay the penalty for all our sins so that all people might be saved through faith alone in Christ.

Calvinists claim that the teachings of John Calvin is the Gospel. For example, in a letter titled Defense of Calvinism,  Professor David J. Engelsma, a renowned Calvinist pastor, author, and teacher says that "Calvinism is the Gospel. Its outstanding doctrines are simply the truths that make up the Gospel. Departure from Calvinism, therefore, is apostasy from the Gospel of God's grace in Christ". He also says that "Calvinism is good news! It is Gospel, glad tidings!". Many Calvinists agree with Professor Engelsma's view that Calvinism is The Gospel, which means if one does not believe and follow the teachings of John Calvin, they are following after a false gospel. To substantiate this, please see: http://www.prca.org/pamphlets/pamphlet_31.html.

Another example, is from Arthur C. Custance, a Calvinist author, teacher and theologian, who says that "Calvinism is the Gospel, and to teach Calvinism is in fact to preach the Gospel". He also goes on to say: "In truth-there is no 'Gospel' that is not entirely rooted in the sovereignty of God's grace in salvation, which is the sum and substance of Calvinism. And I venture to say that it must be not merely a three-point or a four-point Calvinism, but a five-point Calvinism. To depart from this is to surrender the whole by giving it a logical incoherence which makes it indefensible whether from Scripture or by reason".  To make sure that I am not taking his words out of context see (http://custance.org/old/grace/ch21.html)

So what are the outstanding doctrines that Professors Engelsma and Custance say makes up the gospel? The major views of Calvinism can be summarized under 5 points which are best expressed by the acronym "TULIP".  The list below is a summary of these 5 points:

T stands for TOTALLY DEPRAVITY - which means that man is spiritually dead and is incapable to respond to the gospel (though able to make other moral choices).

U stands for UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION - which means that God decides on no basis whatsoever but by the "mystery" of His will to save some (called the elect) and allows all others to go to hell (even though he could save them all if He so desired). In other words, God has a "master list" of those who will be saved and those who will go to hell before creation in Gen 1:1. The list is unchangeable.

 L stands for LIMITED ATONEMENT- which means that the elect are the only ones for whom Christ died. In other words, Christ did not die for all men, but only those whose names which randomly appear on the "master list".

I stands for IRRESTIBLE GRACE - which means that God is able to cause whomever He will to respond to the Gospel. Irresistible Grace is given only to the elect, and all others will be dammed. In other words, God sends the Holy Spirit only to those that He randomly places on the "master list". The Holy Spirit thereafter guides them directly to understand and correctly interpret the Bible.

P stands for PERSERVERANCE OF THE SAINTS - which means that God will not allow any of the elect to lose the salvation which He has sovereignly given to them. However, the problem with Calvinism is that faith cannot be the assurance of salvation because Calvin taught that God can and does give the non-elect a false faith. Therefore, even though one has faith, he can never have the assurance that his faith is true; thus, works become the necassary motivation for Calvinists to prove to others, and themselves, that they are truly saved.

The Bible claims that God has provided a way of salvation for all through the gift of His Son to the world. He suffered as a sacrifice for sin, overcame death, and now offers salvation in His triumph to all who will accept it. The gospel is good news because it is a gift from God, not something that must be earned by works (John 3:16; Romans 5:8-11; 2 Corinthians 2:14-19; Titus  2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-9) In 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, Paul summarizes the most basic ingredients of the gospel message, namely, the death, burial, resurrection, and appearances of the resurrected Christ. Also, the gospel of Jesus Christ  (Mark 1:1; 1 Corinthians 9:12) and the gospel of His Son (Romans 1:9)  speak of the good news of salvation that comes through the person and work of Jesus Christ who is the very Son of God in human flesh. Again, this is the good news of deliverance from sin’s penalty, power and presence through the Lord Jesus Christ.

One of the important issues about this gospel message has to do with how one receives the salvation offered in the gospel. The fact that God offers us salvation from sin’s penalty and power with the glorious promise that this will one day result in the glorious reign of Christ on earth with sin, death, and Satan as vanquished foes is glorious news to be sure. However, the fact that God offers us salvation as a free gift through faith in Christ is good news beyond description. Paul clearly links the gospel with faith in Galations 3:6-9.

Calvinism vs The Bible (What is the gospel?)

According to Calvinists, it is the sum of doctrines espoused by a man named John Calvin which teaches that Calvin's doctrines are the Gospel and anyone who does not follow these doctrines are following after a false gospel. Whereas, the  Bible says the Gospel is the good news of salvation, the word of truth offered to all of mankind by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross. It is a message not only of eternal life, but one that encompasses the total plan of God to redeem all people from the ravages of sin, death, Satan, and the curse that now covers the earth.

If the salvation offered to us were dependent on our merit or our ability to keep the law, it would not be good news because of our sinfulness and complete inability to keep the law or any kind of righteous principles as a means of our justification or right standing with God.  Or if salvation was limited to only God's elect, as Calvinists claim, then what happens to the individual whom God does not choose? The answer is eternal damnation in Hell. How can this possibly be considered good news to the poor unfortunate souls who God does not elect?

The gospel Peter, Paul and the other apostles preached was for everyone, In contrast, Calvin's gospel says that Christ died , and His blood atones only for the elect. The glad tidings which Paul preached (Acts 13:32) echoed what the Angel of the Lord said to the shepherds at the time of Christ's birth: "I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people..." (Luke 2:10). These tidings of joy are because the Savior of the world had been born (Luke 2:11; John 4:42). Calvin's gospel, however, says that Christ is not the Savior of the world, but only for those that God radomly has chosen. 

"I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,  which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.  As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed." Galatians 1:6-9