I am convinced that understanding Calvinism’s “dark side” before making a commitment to Reformed Theology is the surest way to discourage a thoughtful and literate Christian in ever becoming a Calvinist. The truth is some Calvinists do not want non-Calvinists to know the full implications of Calvinism until after they’ve been fully indoctrinated.
Even in a church fully committed to Calvinist teachings, there are many Calvinists who think it is unwise to introduce a new believer to the doctrines of Calvinism or Reformed Theology early on. From a pragmatic standpoint this is probably a wise course of action. Ethically speaking however, it raises some serious questions about the integrity and the true motives of Calvinists. Loraine Boettner, a prominent Calvinist teacher and theologian, explains his reluctance (or rationalization) to be completely “up front” on what Calvinism is really about. He says, and I quote “In preaching to…those who are just beginning the Christian life…at the early stage, little needs be said about the deeper truths which relate to God’s part. As in the study of Mathematics, we do not begin with Algebra and Calculus, but the simple problems of Arithmetic”.
“The Deeper Truths” to which Boettner refers to are the distinctive doctrines of Calvinism. If it were only a matter of spiritual milk versus spiritual meat, or what could be described as spiritually age-appropriate information, this would not be an issue. However, this is not the case with Calvinism. Some Calvinists are not only less than totally up-front, but they are not being altogether totally honest with the non-Calvinists whom they are targeting. In the promotion of Calvinist doctrines, what is held back, or not expressed can be very misleading. One Reformed Southern Baptist pastor, in an article entitled “Instructions for Local Church Reformation” advises other Calvinist pastors as follows:
"Don’t tackle the whole church at one time. Choose a few men who are sincere, teachable, and spiritually minded and spend time with them in study and prayer. They will help you to reform…In the pulpit, don’t use theological language that is not found in the Bible. Avoid terms like Calvinism, reformed doctrines of grace, particular redemption, etc. Most people will not know what you are talking about. Many that do will become inflamed against you."
Whatever the reason or reasons, many Calvinists when promoting Reformed Theology to a potential convert to Calvinism, typically limit the discussion to those features that seem positive. As in so many areas of life, it is really what they don’t tell you that you really need to know in order to make a truly informed decision. Packaged just right, a little Calvinism may serve as a lure into the Reformed Faith. When the truth or the “dark side” of Calvinism is exposed early on, it serves as a very strong deterrent. Most leading proponents of Calvinism know this all to well.
A good of example of this happened in a church that my family used to attend. The youth group was led by a pastor who was young and very charismatic. Over the course of several years the youth pastor worked with a core group of students who were privately indoctrinated in the ways of Calvinism. The youth pastor was very successful in hiding his true agenda, and most parents had no clue what their children were being taught.
Eventually, the hidden agenda of the youth pastor came to the surface, but by this time the majority of the youth group and a number of adults had converted to Calvinism. The youth pastor resigned and immediately started a new church in a neighboring city about fifteen miles away. Many of the youth, as well as some adults, followed the youth pastor to start this new church. The former youth group, or the kids that did not convert to Calvinism, were decimated, and the remnants of Calvinism still exist in the church he left behind.
The most interesting thing to me is when you go the former youth pastor’s new church, or go to the church’s website, you will not have any clue that the pastor or the church's leadership are Calvinists. What is said in public or to the congregation, is much different than what is taught privately. From all appearances, it seems that the pastor is following a script which appears to be non-Calvinist in public, but quite the opposite in the church's “discipleship groups” or “accountability groups”. What’s interesting, if you meet the pastor in public or listen to his sermons online, you will not hear a hint of Calvinist terms or theology, and many people who attend or visit the church have no clue what the pastor believes or teaches with respect to Calvinist doctrines.
The most interesting thing to me is when you go the former youth pastor’s new church, or go to the church’s website, you will not have any clue that the pastor or the church's leadership are Calvinists. What is said in public or to the congregation, is much different than what is taught privately. From all appearances, it seems that the pastor is following a script which appears to be non-Calvinist in public, but quite the opposite in the church's “discipleship groups” or “accountability groups”. What’s interesting, if you meet the pastor in public or listen to his sermons online, you will not hear a hint of Calvinist terms or theology, and many people who attend or visit the church have no clue what the pastor believes or teaches with respect to Calvinist doctrines.
So here is my challenge to the Calvinist and specifically to Calvinist Pastors. I challenge you to tell others the truths of Calvinism in public, instead of private “discipleship meetings” or “accountability groups” as you call them. Tell them what you really believe about God. Listed below is a simple example:
Dear friend, God has predestined a minority of people to be saved and go to heaven forever, and He has also predestined a majority of people to be eternally damned and burn in the fires of hell. I have no idea if God has predestined you to be forever damned or forever saved; However, I want you to know , regardless of which one it may be, I love you, but I accept the fact that God might not love you, and that God may have planned to send you to hell before you were even born. If you do find yourself one day burning in hell because God hasn't elected to save you, just remember that I will always love you, even if God hates you. Take comfort in knowing that I am not like God.
I will be in heaven forever only because I was unconditionally chosen for salvation before I was born (actually, if I'm honest, I'm not even sure if I'm one of "God's Chosen", but I hope I am). That would be the only reason why I won't be in hell with you if you find yourself there. It won't be because of anything I have done. Also take comfort in knowing that it may not seem fair, but who are we to judge God? So again, if you find yourself in hell, remember that I will always love you, even as I forever worship the God who loved me but who hated you, the God who sent His Son to die for me but not for you. Please, I ask, don't let it bother you, if you find yourself in hell. I have to love the God who hated you and showed you no mercy, because I must accept the fact that God is sovereign, and He does what He pleases.
My dear beloved Calvinist, will you tell that to your kids, or friends? Or to the Calvinist Pastor, will you teach that to the people in your congregation? I suspect that the answer would be "absolutely not." But why not? Why would you ever hide the wonderful "doctrines of grace," the "Bible truth," from your kids, friends, coworkers, or congregation?
And would you be angry with me if I told members of your family or church that what you believe in is false? Would you be upset with me if I told them that Jesus died for them, loves them, is drawing them, and will forgive and cleanse them if they simply believe and put their trust in Jesus?
"If Calvinists are consistent with their theology, what is the gospel that they should proclaim? Should they deceive their audiences, calling on them to repent and believe in Christ, misleading them into thinking that they can do something in regards to their salvation, thus strengthening their listener’s pride and increasing their spiritual darkness? Or do they tell them the “truth” that they are so depraved that they are incapable of submitting to God, and unless God shows them His irresistible grace, they can never be saved? How does “faith come from hearing” (Rom. 10:17) that?
Obviously, such a “gospel” leaves nothing for the hearer to cling to in faith. That is why Calvinists keep their unique doctrines secret from the unregenerate, only to reveal them at a later time to Christians when they are ready to receive the “truth.” Truly, the five points of Calvinism are the “family secret.” Even though they are supposedly the foundational truths of salvation, they dare not be revealed to the unsaved. This, by itself, shows the fallacy of Calvinism. Calvinists intuitively know that if they tell unregenerate people the “truth,” they will have no converts. So they preach a non-Calvinist gospel, hope for a response, and later let their converts know “what really happened.”
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16).
For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all (Rom. 11:32).
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9).
This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:3-4).
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son (John 3:17-18)
He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world (1 John 2:2).
The idea for this blog was adopted from the writings of George Bryson , David Servant and the Bible
Small Groups: All YCs attend a small group. While small groups are by no means unique to Calvinism, YCs have particular reasons for attending them. Calvinist small groups have much in common with military boot camps. They are intended to indoctrinate and promote conformity. In mixed denominations where Calvinism is taught on the sly, small groups present the unique opportunity to indoctrinate with minimal oversight. It is also the desire of every YC to work for Desiring God or Crossway. Since this is not always a realistic goal, it is considered an acceptable fall back to lead a small group.
ReplyDeleteWritten by Kevin Jackson.
The Word “Reformed”: Young Calvinists (YCs) actually hate to be called Calvinists, due to the negative connotations associated with the word. They instead prefer to use the word “Reformed”. The term is less recognized, and when in mixed company it allows the YC to maintain the illusion that he is on the sly. If someone comments in passing that he enjoys “Reformed Theology”, this is code to tell you that he is a Calvinist. This is quite similar to a Mormon casually mentioning where he served his mission, and it is done with identical motives. The YC will be closely watching your response. Appropriate responses include: “That’s cool, what is your favorite John Piper book?” or “I am a huge fan of Caedmon’s Call.” If you ask what Reformed theology is, you will immediately be put on the YC’s list of non-Calvinists to convert.
ReplyDeleteWritten by Kevin Jackson
Paul was willing to go to hell for the unsaved Jews. “For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh” (Rom. 9:3). How could a mere man care more about the destiny of the unsaved than God? We are convinced that the cry of Paul’s heart here is merely a mirror of the cry of God’s own heart for all lost sinners.
ReplyDeleteWhat's interesting to me is how both Calvinists and Mormons use similar tactics to convert others to their religious beliefs.
ReplyDeleteFor example, if Mormon missionaries knock on your door, they are instructed not to get into the "deeper truths" of Mormonism. The missionaries are specifically trained to stick to a script that covers an agenda that is carefully crafted to persuade people to the simple tenets of Mormonism. Missionaries are required to stick to the basics, or "the simple math" as Boettner would say. Once the unsuspecting person is lured into the Mormon religion, they are later trained in the "deeper truths" of the religion when they are ready. Once a person has converted to Mormonism, and has accepted the basics of their religion, they graduate to the "deeper truths" and are taught the Algebra and Calculus of their religion. It is at this point they are taught such things that men can become gods, and Jesus and Satan are brothers....I call this brain washing and manipulation. The indoctrination strategy used by Mormons is the very same strategy used by Calvinists.
I Peter 3:18: “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”
ReplyDeleteBy David Servant (Part 1)
ReplyDeleteOne of the most common arguments that Calvinists use revolves around a unique definition of grace. "If people are saved 'by grace alone,'" they say, "then people cannot play any part in their salvation. Salvation must be 100% the work of God if it is truly salvation by grace." Calvinists have even labeled their distinctive doctrines as "the doctrines of grace," as if no one else holds to a theology of grace. That label is somewhat insulting to those of us who believe that salvation is by grace alone yet who do not subscribe to the doctrines of Calvinism. Calvinism's distinctive doctrines could be better called "the doctrines of damnation," because they promise damnation to the majority of people. God offers no grace and no hope of salvation for them, as they are doomed from before they were born to an eternal hell.
Calvinists believe that God could have saved everyone just as easily as He saved those whom He allegedly predestined for salvation, but He was pleased to save only a small minority of those whom He created in His image. The rest He was pleased to foreordain to hell. We cannot help but ask, "If God is love, what kind of love is that?" John Wesley, founder of the Methodists, answered, "That is the kind of 'love' that makes one's blood run cold."
By David Servant (part 2)
ReplyDeleteDoes salvation by grace require that human beings play no part in their salvation? Imagine if I were bankrupt, but someone paid my debts and gave me a fresh start by means of a million-dollar check and some great business advice. Would you say that my financial recovery was not "by grace alone" because I had to deposit the million-dollar check into my bank account in order to enjoy the benefit of my benefactor's kindness? Of course not. So if such logic would be considered absurd by anyone and everyone, why is the same logic, when applied to salvation, swallowed by Calvinists? Why do Calvinists accuse non-Calvinists of not having a gospel of grace simply because we maintain that those who are saved are those who, as the Bible teaches, don't resist God's gracious drawing? If you accept a birthday gift, is that a "work" that lessens the grace of the giver?
Calvinist logic that sets grace against human response is not a logic that can be supported by any scripture. There are no verses in the Bible that tell us that if salvation is of grace, then human free will plays no part in the salvation process. Rather, the Bible affirms that salvation is all of grace and also affirms that those who are saved are those who, by their own wills, do not resist God's gracious drawing. Calvinists elevate human reasoning above Scripture's revelation, making God's grace and human responsibility mutually exclusive concepts, while the Bible makes them mutually inclusive.
Applying the same kind of human logic, we could claim that, because salvation is by grace alone and human responsibility plays no part, Christians can sin all they want without eternal consequences. Yet the same Bible that affirms salvation is by grace also affirms that the unrighteous, including fornicators, adulterers, idolaters, homosexuals, thieves, the greedy, drunkards and swindlers "will not inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 6:9-10). Does your will have anything to do with your not committing adultery or stealing? If your answer is "yes," then you have just admitted that your will plays a part in whether or not you will inherit eternal life.
Salvation is by grace from beginning to end. God graciously draws everyone in the world by means of His creation and their God-given consciences. He awes them and convicts them. He expects every person whom He so draws to seek Him (Acts 7:26-27). Those who do seek Him do so only because of His gracious initiative. And Jesus promised that those who seek will find (Matt. 7:7-8). Scripture affirms that God "is a rewarder of those who seek Him" (Heb. 11:6). If people are incapable of seeking God, as some claim, then we would have to wonder why the Bible says otherwise.
God also draws most people on planet earth by means of calamities, as they suffer His temporal wrath, which is a loving warning of His eternal wrath. Some God draws through dreams and visions, and He draws everyone who hears the gospel through the gospel. You can be certain that the God who so loved the world that He gave His only Son will do whatever it takes to get the gospel to anyone who responds to His drawing through creation, conscience or calamities. He is not limited.
Copied (David Servant)
By David Servant (part 2)
ReplyDeleteDoes salvation by grace require that human beings play no part in their salvation? Imagine if I were bankrupt, but someone paid my debts and gave me a fresh start by means of a million-dollar check and some great business advice. Would you say that my financial recovery was not "by grace alone" because I had to deposit the million-dollar check into my bank account in order to enjoy the benefit of my benefactor's kindness? Of course not. So if such logic would be considered absurd by anyone and everyone, why is the same logic, when applied to salvation, swallowed by Calvinists? Why do Calvinists accuse non-Calvinists of not having a gospel of grace simply because we maintain that those who are saved are those who, as the Bible teaches, don't resist God's gracious drawing? If you accept a birthday gift, is that a "work" that lessens the grace of the giver?
Calvinist logic that sets grace against human response is not a logic that can be supported by any scripture. There are no verses in the Bible that tell us that if salvation is of grace, then human free will plays no part in the salvation process. Rather, the Bible affirms that salvation is all of grace and also affirms that those who are saved are those who, by their own wills, do not resist God's gracious drawing. Calvinists elevate human reasoning above Scripture's revelation, making God's grace and human responsibility mutually exclusive concepts, while the Bible makes them mutually inclusive.
Applying the same kind of human logic, we could claim that, because salvation is by grace alone and human responsibility plays no part, Christians can sin all they want without eternal consequences. Yet the same Bible that affirms salvation is by grace also affirms that the unrighteous, including fornicators, adulterers, idolaters, homosexuals, thieves, the greedy, drunkards and swindlers "will not inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 6:9-10). Does your will have anything to do with your not committing adultery or stealing? If your answer is "yes," then you have just admitted that your will plays a part in whether or not you will inherit eternal life.
Salvation is by grace from beginning to end. God graciously draws everyone in the world by means of His creation and their God-given consciences. He awes them and convicts them. He expects every person whom He so draws to seek Him (Acts 7:26-27). Those who do seek Him do so only because of His gracious initiative. And Jesus promised that those who seek will find (Matt. 7:7-8). Scripture affirms that God "is a rewarder of those who seek Him" (Heb. 11:6). If people are incapable of seeking God, as some claim, then we would have to wonder why the Bible says otherwise.
God also draws most people on planet earth by means of calamities, as they suffer His temporal wrath, which is a loving warning of His eternal wrath. Some God draws through dreams and visions, and He draws everyone who hears the gospel through the gospel. You can be certain that the God who so loved the world that He gave His only Son will do whatever it takes to get the gospel to anyone who responds to His drawing through creation, conscience or calamities. He is not limited.
Copied (David Servant)
David Servant (part 3)
ReplyDeleteApplying the same kind of human logic, we could claim that, because salvation is by grace alone and human responsibility plays no part, Christians can sin all they want without eternal consequences. Yet the same Bible that affirms salvation is by grace also affirms that the unrighteous, including fornicators, adulterers, idolaters, homosexuals, thieves, the greedy, drunkards and swindlers "will not inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 6:9-10). Does your will have anything to do with your not committing adultery or stealing? If your answer is "yes," then you have just admitted that your will plays a part in whether or not you will inherit eternal life.
Salvation is by grace from beginning to end. God graciously draws everyone in the world by means of His creation and their God-given consciences. He awes them and convicts them. He expects every person whom He so draws to seek Him (Acts 7:26-27). Those who do seek Him do so only because of His gracious initiative. And Jesus promised that those who seek will find (Matt. 7:7-8). Scripture affirms that God "is a rewarder of those who seek Him" (Heb. 11:6). If people are incapable of seeking God, as some claim, then we would have to wonder why the Bible says otherwise.
God also draws most people on planet earth by means of calamities, as they suffer His temporal wrath, which is a loving warning of His eternal wrath. Some God draws through dreams and visions, and He draws everyone who hears the gospel through the gospel. You can be certain that the God who so loved the world that He gave His only Son will do whatever it takes to get the gospel to anyone who responds to His drawing through creation, conscience or calamities. He is not limited.
Copied (David Servant)
Buying into Calvinism can be equated to purchasing a car from an unscrupulous sales person. Some sales people in effort to sell you a car, will do and say anything to persuade the prospective buyer to purchase the lemon they are trying to sell. Often times it's not what they tell you about the car that you have to worry about, but instead, what they don't tell you (i.e. the car's transmission needs to be replaced, the brakes are out, the air conditioner is broken, etc.); hence the term "Buyer Beware".
ReplyDeleteWho in their right mind, would pay full price for a car with all these problems? The answer is no one. Like the car salesmen, most Calvinists fail to disclose the "deeper truths" to a potential convert, for fear that they will "lose the sale" or scare the potential convert off; thus, the majority of Calvinists use a strategy similar to the unrupulous car sales person by not disclosing the entire truth.
The problem for non-Calvinists is that many Calvinist Churches do not display their Calvinist beliefs to the outside world, or even to their own congregation. The strategy for these type of churches is to slowly indoctrinate the church's members over to Calvinism. Much of this indoctrination is done privately or what is done in "discipleship" or "accountability" groups. What ever the name, the objectives are intentional and very deceptive.
It's been said, If you drop a frog in a pot of boiling water, it will of course frantically try to clamber out. But if you place it gently in a pot of tepid water and turn the heat on low, it will float there quite placidly. As the water gradually heats up, the frog will sink into a tranquil stupor, exactly like one of us in a hot bath, and before long, with a smile on its face, it will unresistingly allow itself to be boiled to death. Whether, this analogy is scientifically true or not, it serves as a great illustration of the tactics used by Calvinists to convert others to their way of thinking. The turning up of the heat, is analogous to the process used by Calvinists when they slowly and incrementally teach others the "deeper truths" of Calvinism, but the reasults are always the same - (spiritual) death.