Defending My Faith #15

A prominent professor who embraces, teaches and  endorses  Calvinism  said  "Calvinism is not the name by which Calvinists prefer to have their faith called, nor do we prefer to call ourselves Calvinists" The professor argues that he and other Calvinists don't follow a man, nor is their belief system based on inventions of man: To verify this please click the link below:

http://www.graceonlinelibrary.org/articles/full.asp?id=1|12|143. 

And yet, upon careful examination, one finds it difficult to separate what Calvinist's believe from what John Calvin taught. I have found this same dilemma when dealing with Mormons who claim that they too don't follow the teachings of a man. Yet no matter how hard these religious sects try, all roads lead back to their founders. (see the video: Why a conference on John Calvin? in my video library)

Why is it that Calvinists, and Mormons alike, are trying to distance themselves from the men that gave life to the foundations of what their belief systems are based on? Could it be they recognize the errors of these men and are embarrassed to be identified with them? Or could it be that they simply don't know the origins of their faith and have accepted the teachings as truth without really investigating the things they have been taught?

Now before I continue, I would like to set the record straight on a few things. First, the comments on this post are my beliefs; they are not endorsed by the church I attend or anyone within my church. Also, I concede that I am fallible and I can make mistakes, so if the reader of this blog finds I am wrong either in whole or in part, I am open to correction and discussion and will correct any statements made that are taken out of context, or that are incorrect from a Biblical perspective. My rationale for keeping this blog anonymous is to keep my church and those I worship with out of the public eye. I respect the privacy of others, even of those of whom I disagree with. I am not ashamed of my beliefs, and if you want to know who I am, please email me at defendingthefaith@live.com and I will provide you with my name and contact information.

Also, I want the reader to know that I don't dislike Calvinists and please do not take anything I have written here to mean that I think people who are Calvinists are in any way “lesser” Christians. That would be a great mistake. Christians are people who put their faith in Jesus Christ, pure and simple. We are not measured by our theologies, but by God’s grace which is freely given to us in Jesus Christ. Our faith is in Him, not in theology books. Theology is important, but it is not the root of our salvation. Jesus is!

Please note, when I address the topic of Calvinism, there are Calvinists who will argue and claim that I am misrepresenting what Calvinism teaches; thus, it is important to know that there are many different strains of Calvinists (just as there are among Mormons).  I could quote directly from various Calvinists or even from John Calvin himself. The problem is that I might be misrepresenting THEIR view of Calvinism! There are John Calvin Calvinists and Andrew Fuller Calvinists, Arthur W. Pink Calvinists, James White Calvinists, Loraine Boetner Calvinists, R.C. Sproul Calvinists, John Piper Calvinists, Mark Driscoll Calvinists, Presbyterian Calvinists, Baptist Calvinists and many other sorts of Calvinists. Many Calvinists have never read Calvin’s Institutes of Christian Religion for themselves. The vast majority of Calvinists are merely following someone who follows someone who allegedly follows John Calvin (who, by John Calvin's own admission, followed Augustine). Furthermore, there are Extreme and Moderate Calvinists, Hyper and Hypo Calvinists, 5 point Calvinists, 4 pointers, 3 pointers, 2 pointers, and so on; thus, when talking with a Calvinist it's very important to understand what version of Calvinism they subscribe to. The disarray among Calvinists is what happens when we follow after men who are fallible rather than the infalliable Word of God. The emphasis of this blog is addressed to the 5 point, hyper Calvinist.

My last point is that Calvinists claim that their views embody complete spiritual truth, while all others are false or inferior, just as Mormons claim that they are the "only true church". The professor who was mentioned at the beginning of this blog said that "Calvinism is the Gospel, and its outstanding doctrines are simply the truths that make up the Gospel. Departure from Calvinism, therefore is apostosy from the Gospel of God's grace in Christ". I believe Calvinists have distorted the Gospel message, and in doing so have redefined the character of God. I also believe it is my duty as a believer to stand for truth and to fight for Biblical integrity, even if it means disagreement among other believers. There is too much at stake to remain silent.

We must never forget, "the apostles not only taught truth but contended for its purity against any who would corrupt it. The Pauline epistles resist every effort of false teachers to introduce doctrinal vagaries. John's epistles are sharp with condemnation of those teachers who harassed the young church by denying the incarnation and throwing doubts upon the doctrine of the Trinity; and Jude in his brief but powerful epistle rises to heights of burning eloquence as he pours scorn upon evil teachers who would mislead the saints".  As Christians, how should we engage in vigourous debate over Biblical truth? How do we remain firm to our principles, and fight for what we consider to be right, without demonizing those with just as strongly held convictions on the other side? Calvinists have every right to believe what they want to, and even though I disagree with their conclusions, I will defend their right to follow their religious convictions until the end. On the otherhand, as Christians we are called to protect the truth and to defend the faith that God has given us, and this is my motivation for writing this blog. 

Some may think this blog is divissive and is motivated by hate designed to cause dissention among believers; however, truth be told, I don't take pleasure in writing this, but I also know that remaining silent on this issue is not the answer either. I am deeply sorry if anyone reading this blog is offended by my comments, please understand this is not my aim or my desire. I hope those who read this blog will do so with an open mind, an open heart and an open Bible.

Please note: by comparing Calvinists and Mormons together does not mean I believe Calvinists are a cult, because I do not believe this;  Calvinists are sincere about their faith and are deeply devoted to serving Christ;  however, there are many parallels that are similar between these two religious sects, such as their emphasis on following after a man (i.e. John Calvin for Calvinists & Joseph Smith for Mormons), how they both redefine the meaning of the Bible and character of God, and how they view their brand of religion as the only truth while debasing all other beliefs that differ from theirs.

Pray on my behalf, that words may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6:19-20