Calvinists' Conversions

Those percentages are bogus, dear brother.

That God is exhaustively sovereign and works all things after the counsel of his own will and that man is totally depraved completely unable to turn to God in his unregenerate state is clear throughout the whole counsel of God.

 

To answer the OP, I don't know whether my pastor at the time the Lord saved me was a Calvinist or not.

I never heard a sermon preached or a lesson taught on election or predestination before I stumbled across the subject in a book on Bible Doctrine borrowed from my pastor when I was about 30 years old.

 

To answer the OP, I was a Roman Catholic & it never made sense to me & I could never understand how you could be a filthy sinner & go to confession or say a prayer & have your sins magically washed away....the whole thing to me was bizarre. When I first heard a sermon on Election, I was floored & felt like the scales on my eyes had fallen off. Then everything in the Doctrines of Grace made perfect sense. I had always said I believed God is Sovereign, but these doctrines put it together for me quite correctly & it was almost effortless to understand. Sure you ask Jesus to come into your life, but not until that Irresistible Grace is provided. Then Christ is irresistible. You are so drawn to Him that I fear I would annoy others. They all knew to stay away or Id convert you or try. Funny cause I could have had a great career as a criminal making tons of money & I am content as a average schmoe doing the lords work. Unbelievable!

 

Man's decisions have always been his own. There were men who exercised their free will and were put into situations to think it over - want to ride in a fish?

I accepted Christ into my life using free will on my part and God's election on His part. I may not have ever chosen to accept Christ, though. There are those who say that I would eventually, but I have not seen proof of that myself.

I don't know that I will ever believe that, because God elects someone, that someone will have to accept Christ Jesus as their savior. Man's free will is still free will - or free won't.

My understanding, and I agree that I am not a Bible scholar, is that a non-elected person will never feel pulled to accept Jesus; regardless of how many times he hears the Gospel.

 

So are you drawn to Christ? Or is it a take it or leave it situation for you?

 

Lamb

Most people are lambs having to depend on the shepherd.

If a lamb was constantly told they were chosen in the womb, that they are predestined to salvation, chosen before the foundation of the world. That trusting in Jesus is just a formality of election.

If this person isn't really the sheep of Christ would this be misleading?

I went to a Calvinism youth service and this is the feeling I got there and knowing I couldn't cause discord among believers kept my mouth shut and got very depressed