Watch out for Icebergs (part two) #2

DISCLAIMER: The fact that many Calvinists are both sincere in what they believe and are devoted to the Lord is not disputed in this blog.

TIP OF THE ICEBERG

The expression "tip of the iceberg" means that the tip, or what you see, is just a small part of a much bigger problem or danger. The real problem or danger is what lies just beneath the surface, the part you cannot see.

On the surface, Calvinism is a theological system and approach to Christian living that emphasizes the rule of God over all things. Most Christians, including myself, don't have a problem with this approach, or the belief that God is sovereign and has absolute control over everything. However, once you get beyond the surface of Calvinism, you will discover a belief that cannot be reconciled with the Bible. As mentioned in my first blog about icebergs, a half truth is still a whole lie! It is critical to investigate the real teachings of Calvinism, not just what appears on the surface.

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

I started researching Calvinism one Sunday afternoon after learning that my kids were exposed to these views in their Sunday School Class. In particular, my son was bothered by some comments that were made and came to me for help. I read about Calvinism many years earlier and had previously dismissed it as another theological view that was well respected in the Christian community. However, after listening to my son that day, I came away with a different brand of Calvinism that I had not heard before, and I, too, was bothered by the things he was taught. We were new to the church, and I found out later that the youth pastor was a militant Calvinist, or extremist, and that he had been very successful in indoctrinating the majority of the church's youth with Calvinist beliefs. Wanting to give my son accurate information, I opened my Bible and began the journey of looking beyond the surface of Calvinism to find out what it really was about.

WHAT I FOUND

After spending much time researching the teachings of Calvinism and comparing them to the Bible, I found Calvinism to be a false teaching that grossly distorts the Bible while misrepresenting and libeling the character of God in the process. I also found that those who follow Calvinism and ascribe to John Calvin's teachings are following after a different gospel than the one taught in the Bible. The Bible teaches that God is loving, merciful, and just, and that God made salvation possible for all through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ. Calvinism teaches that God did not die for all people, and that God takes pleasure in knowing that those whom He did not die for will spend the rest of eternity in hell. The question we must ask ourselves then is this: Could or would the God of the Bible allow His creation to be punished for all eternity for rejecting the gift of salvation if it was decreed by God that they would reject His gift of salvation in the first place?  Also, is God really loving and merciful if He chooses to save some people when He could have saved all of them? 

Biblically, there is no question that God has the right to save whom He will, but we are repeatedly told through out the Bible that God is love and that He is merciful to all. How could the God that is described in the Bible withhold His love and mercy to all who need it - much less takes pleasure in withholding this precious gift. Ezekiel 18:32 says "For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!" Calvinists misrepresent the depth of God's love and mercy, and are guilty of preaching a different Gospel when they claim that God did not die for all, but instead for only the select few.

I discovered that Calvinists will often go to difficult Bible passages to prove their points, such as, the hardening of pharaoh's heart, hating Esau, etc.. then they will make very logical arguments to further substantiate their claims. However, the tactics they use are no different than those that other false religions use (i.e. Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses), that twist the scriptures to conform to their line of reasoning. I have found that Calvinists, especially the militant type, know more about reformed theology than they know the Bible, and this is where the Calvinist gets off track. The Bible contains many difficult passages, and human logic is not going to solve them. The Bible is one book, and every passage must be interpreted in the context of the whole. That is why we must compare scripture with scripture because the Bible is its own best interpreter. We must allow the Bible to be the final authority when it comes to such important matters. Yet the Calvinist does not do this, instead, difficult Bible passages are filtered through the teachings of John Calvin, or through other Calvinist teachers that just reaffirm the Calvinist's original misguided beliefs.

Going forward, I will continue to add to this blog. My objective is to be open to God's direction in discussing Calvinism and other spiritual matters. 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).