Unfortunately, for those who claim that they are among God's elect, i.e. Calvinists, Reformed, & etc., there is no way to validate their election except by their good works. Thus, Calvinism, by default, becomes a religion where one must do good works to prove to others (and to themselves) that they are really saved. The end result is they can never be assured of their salvation until their lives are over, and, if they did "enough" good works, they are "in". But, if they failed anywhere along the way, then they will conclude that they must not have been a part of God's elect after all.
Sadly, for the Calvinist, they are trapped and bound to a life that is based on their performance rather than the power and grace of God. Ironically, in the “P” of TULIP, the emphasis is upon the believer’s faithfulness in persevering - not upon God’s power. Thus, it is not much of a stretch to replace Perseverance of the Saints with Performance of the Saints.
So how does a Calvinist exhibit evidence that they are one of the elect? John Piper and his staff write: “We must also own up to the fact that our final salvation is made contingent upon the subsequent obedience which comes from faith." (see also: John Piper)
Please do not misunderstand me, there is nothing wrong with good works, but when a person starts “trusting” in their works, it can lead to a false sense of security and pride. The assurance of our salvation should never be based on the works that we have done, but instead, on what Christ has already done for us.
Please do not misunderstand me, there is nothing wrong with good works, but when a person starts “trusting” in their works, it can lead to a false sense of security and pride. The assurance of our salvation should never be based on the works that we have done, but instead, on what Christ has already done for us.
For any Calvinist reading this blog, my hope and desire is for you to know that Jesus loves you, and He died for you. God’s Word assures us of the following: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life..” 1 John 5:13.
Howard Marshall makes an excellent observation, “Whoever said, ‘The Calvinist knows he cannot fall from salvation but does not know
ReplyDeletewhether he has got it,’ had it summed up nicely.”
Copied: By Tony Hedrick
ReplyDeletehttp://tonyhedrick.wordpress.com/2010/03/04/how-calvinism-breeds-insecurity/
It would be impossible for anyone, even the most ardent Calvinist to know for certain that they are among the Elect. They could think that they are among the Elect but they could not know for absolutely certain that they are among the chosen.
Jehovah’s Witnesses have the same problem in knowing whether or not they are in the heavenly 144,000.
Muslim’s are never sure that Allah will admit them to Paradise, unless of course, they go out and blow themselves up in the name of Islam.
Emily,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your response. I praise God for your redemption and for the assurance you have in Christ.
You mentioned you are a "Calvinist as of recently". What were you before you became a Calvinist?
Also, you mentioned "not all Calvinists believe the exact same thing". I certainly agree with you on this. As a matter of fact, I address the myriad of different sects within Calvinism in blog #26. There is such a wide array of different views within Calvinism, that even those who call themselves Calvinists find it difficult to agree with one another. This is what happens when people follow after man instead of the Word of God. According to your response, it seems that your version of Calvinism is quite different than traditional Calvinism, at least with respect to assurance. So let me ask, if you are among God's elect, how do you know?
You stated that I was confused about the Calvinist position on works. Please note, I am using Calvinist Sources to validate my position on this matter. For example, I referenced a quote by John Piper, who said and I quote "We must also own up to the fact that our final salvation is made contingent upon the subsequent obedience which comes from faith". Do you agree or disagree with John Piper's statement? If you disagree, then we are on the same page, and I don't have any disagreement with you. On the other hand, if you are in agreement with Piper, then we are clearly on opposite ends on this issue. What do you believe Perseverance of the Saints means? What happens when the person who is elected fails to persevere fails?
Lastly, you mentioned that you are a Five Point Calvinist, but you're not Hyper; Thus, to help me understand, please answer the questions above, and the following:
Point #1 ~ Total Depravity: Do you believe that mankind in his/her depraved state is capable of responding to the Gospel?
Point #2 ~ Unconditional Election: Do you believe that God elects some unto salvation and others to damnation?
Point #3 ~ Limited Atonement: Do you believe Christ's death on the cross was limited to only those that were unconditionally elected? (In other words, Christ did not die for all?)
Point #4 ~ Irresistible Grace: Do you believe that a person can not come to faith unless God first gives that person the faith to believe?
Point #5 ~ Perseverance of the Saints: Do you believe that a person must do good works as a way to validate their faith in God?
One final thing, I don't hate Calvinists. On the other hand I do hate Calvinism. Because it teaches that "god" is an arbitrary autocrat who arranges the fall of human beings and then sends many of them to eternal punishment for being and doing precisely what He predestined them to be and do. ..beings whose sole purpose for existence is as Calvin put it "to glorify God by their destruction.
I look forward to reading your response to my questions, and thank you for your reply.
~DMF
p.s. I have a daughter whose name is Emily too ;)
p.s. I just opened the comment fields to this Blog yesterday, And you were the first person to comment ;)