Calvanism

last updated 7-18-06 Prepared by Pastor Chris Matthews Smoky Valley Baptist church 10-24-2005 Recommended reading on subject of Calvinism: “King James Bible” written by holy men of God ..as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. “What Love is This” by Dave Hunt This paper is not all inclusive of the arguments for or against Calvinism but is meant to simply examine a couple of the errors of Calvinism. Calvinism is defined by the acronym T.U.L.I.P.. T=Total depravity; U=unconditional election; L=limited atonement; I=irresistible grace; P=perseverance of the saint. This paper will deal mainly with U. ,L., and I.. Calvinism: Myth or truth Is Calvinism true doctrine or false? To answer this question we rest on the Bible alone to expose the truth. Limited atonement- this is the Calvinist belief that Christ died only for certain ones and not for the whole world. 1. Does God only love certain people and not everyone? Answer: NO, He loves everyone Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 1 Timothy 2:3-6 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; (4) Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (5) For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; (6) Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. John 1:6-12 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. (7) The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. (8) He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. (9) That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. (10) He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. (11) He came unto his own, and his own received him not. (12) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: John 3:15-16 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Romans 10:9-13 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (11) For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (12) For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Two verses that the Calvinist brings up to refute this: 1. Romans 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. -Jacob was the seed that Christ was to come through and the reference is to nations. God here is saying that he preferred the line of Jacob over Esau. We see in Luke 14:25-27 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, (26) If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. (27) And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. That the word hate must have a little different direction in its meaning than the way that we would use it today. Jesus admonishes us to honor our parents in other passages so if this passage meant that we were to truly hate our parents this would be a contradiction. According to the Word he is speaking of putting Christ first or preferring him over even your own family. This also applies to the passage about Jacob and Esau. As God did prefer Jacob’s line over Esau’s line. 2. Exodus 7:13-14 And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said. (14) And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go. The Calvinist says that this proves that God has just arbitrarily decided to harden some men’s hearts that they cannot be saved ever. If they would take time to read the Bible they would see that pharaoh had hardened his own heart and then God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. There is the teaching in the Bible that man can reach a point in his life that God will no longer tarry with a man. Unconditional election-The calvanist belief that god simply chooses whom he will save and whom he will not. Irresistible grace- The calvanist belief that you will be saved if you are going to be saved that if God chooses to exibit his grace you cqan not help butget saved. 2. Is man able to make a decision for or against God? The answer is yes Romans 10:3-17 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. (4) For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. (5) For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. (6) But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) (7) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) (8) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; (9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (11) For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (12) For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (14) How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? (15) And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! (16) But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? (17) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Acts 26:28-29 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. (29) And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds. 3. Various verses answered? Romans 8:28-34 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (29) For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (31) What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? (32) He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (33) Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. (34) Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. -I have put the words in bold that the Calvinists love to center on and also the beginning of verse 32 which says that Christ died for us all. Romans 8 is considered to be the fringe benefits of the Christian. By reading the chapter we can see that he is making reference to those whom were already saved. What he is saying here that those that are saved are predestined to be justified, glorified and conformed to his image. Ephesians 1:1-13 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: (2) Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. (3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (4) According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (5) Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, (6) To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (7) In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (8) Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; (9) Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: (10) That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: (11) In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: (12) That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. (13) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, -once again this according to verse one is to those that are already saved and because of that salvation they have been adopted as sons. 1 Peter 1:18-20 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; (19) But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (20) Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, -this verse exposes that Christ was foreordained before the foundation of the world that he would die for all men’s sin. This means that before sin existed God in his omniscience that a way of salvation would be needed and had a plan to redeem mankind from sin.