Is Calvinism Biblical? (part five) #27

Some Calvinists claim that Calvinism is THE Gospel (See the article listed below by Professor Engelsma). If the Bible describes the Gospel  as "Good News", then what's so good about a God who arbitrarily chooses some to be saved while arbitrarily choosing others to be damned? 

Today's blog will consider the Calvinist teaching of Double Predestination - double predestination is a sovereign act of God, who before creation, pre-determined the future and fate of every person in the human race. In other words, God created a "master list" of those who would be saved and those who would go to hell before they were even born. The list is unchangeable; thus, before creation, God pre-determined the physical and spiritual outcomes of every person throughout all of time and for all of eternity. Whatever the individual wills or does, for good or for evil, is orchestrated by God, specifically for God's pre-ordained purpose and good pleasure - making God the author of both good and evil (See Cheung's article below: The Author of Sin).

Again, many Calvinists will claim that I am misrepresenting what they believe, or that I am taking their teachings out of context; thus, to ensure that I am not guilty of these charges, I have attached a few articles written by several prominent Calvinists on this subject. Click the link next to each of the authors listed below, and verify this information for yourselves.

Does Calvin-ism Teach Double Predestination?
John Calvin	The Eternal Predestination of God
H. Hoeksema**	God So Loved The World?
Free Presbyterian	Election and Reprobation
Nick Bibile	Reprobation (Why does God elect some and leave others
Brian Mattson	Double Or Nothing: Martin Luther's Doctrine of Predestination
John Gill	Reprobation
A.W. Pink	The Sovereignty of God in Reprobation
John Gill	The Lord hath made all things for himself;even the wicked
John Gill	Of The State and Case of the Heathens
John Gill	Of Election and Reprobation
John Bunyan	Reprobation Asserted
Loraine Boettner	Reprobation
Herman Bavinck	Supralapsarianism and Infralapsarianism
Gise J. Van Baren	Sovereign Reprobation
Vincent Cheung**	The Author of Sin
H. Hoeksema	The Place of Reprobation in the Preaching of the Gospel
W.G.T. Shedd	The Double Predestination to Holiness and Sin
Prof David J. Engelsma**	A Defense of Calvinism as the Gospel
Dr. Kim Riddlebarger	Reprobation
Colin Smith	The True State of the Reprobate
John Piper	"Fitted for Destruction"

Double Predestination not only calls into question the love of God, but the justice and character of God as well.  Double Predestination creates a god who is an arbitrary autocrat arranging 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".  The good news is that the god of Calvinism does not exist. The bad news, or sad news, is that so many people believe in and worship the god of Calvinism.  

Regarding the video clip below, I  wrestled with the idea of attaching this clip for several hours, since the video is very graphic and may be offensive to some. My objective for attaching the video is not to offend, but rather to provide the reader with a visual that adequately describes the full implication of what double predestination really means. It is a horrible doctrine that turns the loving God of the Bible into a ruthless and unmericiful monster (read more about this in the comment field).

***WARNING: THIS VIDEO IS NOT INTENDED FOR YOUNGER AUDIENCES, OR THE FAINT OF HEART.  THE VIDEO  IS VERY GRAPHIC, AND IS VERY VIOLENT IN NATURE***

Is Calvinism Biblical? (part four) #26

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 and other religious sects).  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, Albert Mohler 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 people follow after men who are fallible rather than the infallible Word of God. The emphasis of this blog is addressed to the 5 point, hyper Calvinist, which I believe is preaching another gospel, and I will continue to defend my faith, just as I have done with other religions that promote such a false gospel.

As mentioned above, there are numerous off shoots to Calvinism, which makes this subject very difficult to address; however in all fairness, not all Calvinists believe God's love was limited to just a select few, and not all Calvinists believe the five points of Calvinism are the gospel. In fact, there are a number of Calvinists that actually line up with "mainstream" Christianity. They may call themselves Calvinists, but after you peel back the religious label they are wearing, you will find their beliefs are really not much different than what "we" (Christians) believe. Perhaps Calvinists may over-emphasize certain parts of their Christian faith, but so what! If we are honest, every church / denomination (including our own church) have "quirks" or beliefs that makes it "different". The main thing is not to let our differences stop us from advancing God's Kingdom in this world. There is too much to be done, and I am certain that God does not care what label we are wearing, but instead cares if we are sharing His love with the lost and dying world in which we live in, and if we care about the widow, the orphan, and the homeless.  It's been said that as Christians, we need to have unity in the essentials, liberty in the non-essentials, and charity in all.

My challenge to the "Calvinist", especially to the many Calvinists who I personally know love God with all their heart: Why even call yourself a Calvinist? In my mind, when I hear the word Calvinist, it implies that you are a follower of John Calvin, who is a dead man, a known murderer, and who is also known for his many aberrant beliefs, which has sadly been the root cause of so many divisions within the Christian Church throughout the years, as opposed to using the name "Christian", which implies that you are a follower of the living Christ.

Listed below is one of my favorite Christ centered songs. It is titled the "Steeple Song" and is written by Don Francisco. I believe it reflects my passion and illustrates what the Bible says a true "religion" is all about.

The Steeple Song by Don Francisco

I don't care how many buses you own
Or the size of your sanctuary
It doesn't matter how steep your steeple is
If it's sittin' on a cemetery
I don't care if you pave your parking lot
Or put pads upon your pews
What good is picture perfect stage
If you're missin' all the cues?

I don't care if your pastor's super-powered
And your program's always new
What you need is love and truth
And men are going to come to you
It doesn't matter that you know the Bible
If it's all just in your head
The thing I need to ask you is
Have you done the things I said?

Do you love your wife?
For her and for your children
Are you layin' down your life?
What about the others?
Are you livin' as a servant to
Your sisters and your brothers?
Do you make the poor man beg you for a bone?
Do the widow and the orphan cry alone?

I don't care if you pray for miracles
I don't care if you speak with tongues
I don't care if you said you love Me
In every song you've sung
It doesn't matter that your sacrifice of praise
Is loud enough to raise the dead
The thing I need to ask you is
Have you done the things I said?

Lord, when were You a prisoner
That we did not come to You?
When was it that we saw You sick
That we didn't follow through
Every time you turned your head
And pretended not to see
When you did it not to the least of these
You did it not to Me

Do you love your wife?
With all you've got inside you
Are you layin' down your life?
What about the others?
Are you living as a servant
To your sisters and your brothers?
Do you make the poor man beg you for a bone?
Do the widow and the orphan cry alone?

Anyone who sets himself up as "religious" by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world. James 1:26-27 (The Message)

If anyone among you  thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. James 1:26-27 (New King James Version)

Is Calvinism Biblical? (part three) #25

Today, we are looking at the subject of human responsibility? This is a very important subject since it speaks to you and me, and just as important, it speaks to God's character.  So I hope the reader considers both sides of the subject. Thank you for your time.

Calvinists object to the concept of human responsibility (free will) by claiming that every event has a cause - even our actions. And to claim that God did not cause our actions would mean there is an effect without a cause.

The following text is adopted from
Norman Geisler's book - Chosen But Free

If God is in control of everything, then why should we be blamed for anything? If an all-knowing God knows what we are going to do before we ever do it - and if He can not be wrong - then it is going to happen regardless of what we can do. More importantly. the issue is not just God knowing what will happen before it happens, but  God being the actual cause of what happens (both good and evil). Or  the problem put another way, if God is in control of all events, then how can I be responsible for anything that happens, even my evil actions? It would seem that His sovereignty eliminates my responsibility.However, sound reason demands that there is no responsibility where there is no ability to respond. It is not rational to hold someone responsible when they could not have responded. And I would submit to everyone reading today's blog that God is not irrational.

Some believers have been known to excuse their sin by claiming "The devil made me do it!" But the problem here is even greater, because logically one can not stop at this point. For if God is in sovereign control of all things, then instead it would appear that, ultimately "God made me do it". A great example of this is referenced in Blog 42 that describes John Calvin's justification for murdering herectics, as he conviently blamed God for the murder of Michael Servetus.

Indeed one response to the problem of divine sovereignty and human responsibility is that of extreme Calvinism. The response claims that free choice is doing what we desire, but (according to Calvinism) no one ever desires to do anything unless God gives him the desire to do so.If all this were so,  then it would follow that God would be responsible for all human actions.

If it were true, then the Bible should say that God gave Judas the desire to betray Christ. But it does not. Rather it says, "the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus" (John 13:2). Nor does it help to claim that God gives only good desires but not evil ones and that all other choices result from our evil natures. For neither Lucifer or Adam had an evil nature to begin with, and yet they sinned against God. Further, why doesn't God simply give everyone good desires?

For the Calvinist, the question is: Who made the devil do it?  Or more precisely, who caused Lucifer to sin? If free choice is doing what one desires, and if all desires come from God, then it follows logically that God made Lucifer sin against God! But is it contradictory to say that God could ever be against God? God is good. He can not sin (Hab. 6:18). In fact He can not even look with approval on sin. Habakkuk said to God: "Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil; you can not tolerate wrong" (1:13). James reminds us that "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me'. For God can not be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone" (1:13). For me, one thing is certain ,it is absolutley unthinkable to believe that God can be the author or doer of sin.

So if for no other reason, Calvinism must be rejected because it is contradictory. And the Bible exhorts us to "to avoid contradictions" (1 Tim. 6:20 NKJV). Opposites can not  both  be true at the same time and in the same sense. God can not be good and not good. He can not be for His own essential good and be against it by giving Lucifer the desire to sin against him. In short, God can not be be for Himself and against himself at the same time and in the same sense.

Consequently, some Calvinists claim that God does not give evil desires, but only good ones. However, this view has two problems. First, why would God give a desire to do good only to some and not to all? If He is all-loving, then surely He would love all, as the Bible says He does (John 3:16; 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). Second, this still does not explain where Lucifer got the desire to sin. If it did not come from God, then it must have come from himself. But in that case, his original evil act was self-caused, that is caused by himself- which is exactly the view of human free will that Calvinists reject.

If God did not make the devil do it, then who did? More simply, who made the devil. The biblical answers to these questions are: God did not make the devil and He did not make the devil do it. Rather God made a good Angel called Lucifer, who became the devil by his own free choice to sin.

God made only good creatures

The Bible affirms that God made only good creatures. After almost every day of Creation, God says, "and it was good" (Gen. 1:4, 10, 12, 21, 25). And after the last day, God declares "It was very good" (1:31) Solomon added, "this only I have found; God made mankind upright..." (Eccl. 7:29). We are told explicitly that "every creature of God is good" (1 Tim. 4:4). And an absolutely good God, will not make an evil thing. Only a perfect creature can come from the hands of a perfect Ceator.

God gave free choice to good creatures

 If we command, demand, or force another person to love us, then the love that is returned is not really love at all. Yet, this is how Calvinists say that God's love works. "If this is so, then it is not too strong of a statement to say that Calvinists believe that God causes people to believe in Christ and to be born again against thier wills, because they would never and could never have chosen to believe and be born again otherwise. Given the choice they would have preferred to stay in sin, not repent or believe, and never be born again".(In other words, they would prefer to hate God, rather than Love him in return). The Calvinist concept of love is that God forces people to do something that they would never do, The essence of love is choice and the evidence of this can be found in the first book of the Bible: "And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17).

Free Choice (NOT GOD) is the origin of evil

The power of moral choice entails the ability to either choose the good God designed for us or to reject it. The latter is called evil. It is good to be free, but freedom makes evil possible. Free will is good in itself, but entailed in that good is the ability to choose the opposite of good, which then makes evil possible.

If God made free creatures, and if it is good to be free, then the origin of evil is the misuse of freedom. This is not hard to understand. We all enjoy the freedom to drive, but many abuse this freedom and drive recklessly. Yet we should not blame the government that gives us the license to drive for all the evil we can do with our cars. Those whose irresponsible driving kills others are responsible for what happened. The government that gave us the permission to drive has also informed us how to drive safely.

God has given every person a free will, but He is not responsible for the evil we do with our freedom. Solomon said it well: "This only I have found: God made mankind upright, but men have gone in search of many schemes". In short, God made the fact of freedom, we are responsible for the acts of freedom. The fact of freedom is good, even though the acts of freedom can be bad. God is the cause of the former, and we are the cause of the latter.

The unpleasant truth is that even though we have an inherited sin nature (Ephesians 2:3) we have no one to blame but ourselves.Even though we are depraved and by nature bent toward sin, nonetheless, each sin is freely chosen. This is why we need a Savior. See Romans 5:8-9 " "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him" .

Regarding God's sovereignty: I agree, that a person is totally unable to contribute one iota to his salvation. However, this doesn't mean that a person cannot receive the salvation freely offered in Christ (salvation is from the Lord). It is clear that Calvinism rests upon a mistaken view of what it means for God to be sovereign. The basic problem for the Calvinist is a failure to see that God could sovereignly give to man the power of genuine choice. Giving man the power to make a genuine, independent choice need not diminish God’s control over His universe. Being omnipotent and omniscient, God can so arrange circumstances as to keep man’s rebellion from interfering with His purposes. In fact, God can and even does use man’s free will to help fulfill His own plans and thus be even more glorified.

There are scriptures in the Bible that discuss election, predestination and other areas which Calvinism addresses; however, any doctrine claiming to be based on the Bible must be carefully checked against the Bible. 1 John 5:13 is clear that his Word was written so that we may know what we believe. Again we have to be like the Bereans, searching the scriptures to see if what is said is true. The Bible teaches that God died for all , whereas, Calvin teaches that Christ died only for some (those that He elected).

The relationship between divine sovereignty and human free will has challenged the greatest Christian thinkers down through the centuries.And as a result, both Calvinists and Armenians have taken extreme measures on this position. Calvinists have sacrified human responsibility in order to preserve divine sovereignty, while Armenians have sacrificed God's sovereignty in order to hold on to man's free will.

God's Sovereignty and free will. Is it one or the other? or is it both one and the other? The Bible says both. The Bible clearly shows that God is sovereign over all things, including human events and free choices. Nothing catches God by surprise, and nothing is outside His control On the otherhand, God has given each person He created a free choice, and this free choice applies to all of God's creation.

------------

Ok, I know the video link below may seem a little cheesy, especially for a serious BLOG like Defending the Faith, but I think the clip gives a perfect illustration of the Calvinist view of obedience. Ella receives a spell of "obedience" and she must do  anything she is commanded to do (The spell is likened to the Calvinist's view of irrestible grace). It's a fantastic concept, too bad it only works in Fairy Tales. Enjoy!

Is Calvinism Biblical (part two) #24

CALVINISM	THE BIBLE	COMMENTARY
God is Pleased to Damn Others Scripture clearly proves... that God by his eternal and immutable counsel determined once for all those whom it was His pleasure one day to admit to salvation, and those whom, on the other- hand, it was His pleasure to doom to destruction". John Calvin,Institutes of Christian Religion III:xxi,7 "God not only foresaw the fall of the first man, and in him the fall of his posterity, but also at God's own pleasure arranged it"  John Calvin. Institutes of Christian Religion, III: xxiii, 7 Those, therefore, whom God passes by He reprobates (one who is predestined to damnation) and that for no other cause but because He is pleased to excuse them from the inheritance that he predestines to His children...". John Calvin, Institutes of Christian Religion  III:xxiii,1 "With Augustine I say: the Lord has created those whom he unquestionably foreknew would go to destruction. This has happened because he has willed it.  John Calvin Institutes of Christian Religion III:xxiii. 5 "Now since the arrangement of all things is in the Hand of God...He arranges...that individuals are born, who are doomed from the womb to certain death, and are to glorify Him by their destruction..." John Calvin, Institutes of Christian Religion, III:xxiii,6	God  Came to Save the World "For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!"  Ezekiel 18:32 "As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their evil ways and live!.          Ezekiel 33:11a "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:16-17 "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2:2 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:16 "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9	Damnation  vs Salvation  Biblically there is no question that God has the right to save whom He will, but we are repeatedly told throughout the Bible that God is love and that He is merciful to all, and it is His desire that none should perish, but come to repentance. Calvinism teaches just the opposite and teaches that God finds pleasure in the destruction of man. This is a false teaching and misrepresents the depth of God's love and mercy. Calvinism is guilty of distorting and libeling the loving character of God. The god of Calvinism is an arbitrary autocrat who arranged the fall of human beings and then sends some 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".  The good news is that the god of Calvinism does not exist. The bad news, or sad news, is that so many people (Calvinists) believe in and worship this god.

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

The Hidden Agenda of Calvinism Revisted) #22

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.

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