Questions about calvinism

Too bad this is in a baptist only forum, i would love to answer your questions.

 

Because I believed; because I trust in Christ.

I don't, because I don't know the plans of God.

Every single person who has ever lived and will ever live is required to serve God and live by his commands.

 

Being a Calvinist does not necessarily make you a bad person. I believe it is bad theology, but I have many friends who are Pastors all around the country who are good men intent upon fulfilling the great commission and supporting missions who are good men and excellent Pastors.

Most of these pastors/men are Calvinistic but are not what many might refer to as hyper-Calvinists. They would not believe in Limited Atonement or Double Predistination (pretemporal reprobation).

Most Calvinists believe in Monergism, which refers to God regenerating the sinner before salvation giving the sinner the gift of repentance and faith enabling the totally depraved sinner to believe. Therefore, if someone believes, this would give evidence that God has elected him/her. A changed life would follow giving further evidence of election. If the professing believer does not persevere, this would show evidence he/she is not elect.

I would recommend you read the articles on this, especially the Introduction:
http://www.disciplemakerministries.org/Pages/Dispensationalism/DispensationalismIndex.htm

 

==You know that you are part of the elect when you believe in the LORD Jesus Christ. The Bible is clear, Jesus said that "the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out" (Jn 6:37b). If you come to Jesus in faith, then you have been given to Him by the Father, you are one of His sheep (Jn 10:27-30).

==You don't. The only way we can "be sure" that someone is not part of the elect is that they die and end up in hell. Many people have been saved in the last days or moments of their lives.

==I don't know exactly what you mean here. Do you mean if they are called upon to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus? If so, the answer is yes (Acts 17:30). However if you are talking about good behavior (being moral, etc) then I have ask what good will it do them? Sure, we want to live in a moral and just society. However we should only be shocked that lost people want to live in such a society.

 

Becaused God saved me by His grace, I am a christian, that fact(that I am a christian) means I am elect.

I don't. But God does.

 

Personally, I think if you believe God has already condemned certain people to Hell before they are even born, then you serve a different God than I do, or you make God a liar. That's my thoughts on Calvinism. :tonofbricks:

 

Can you name ( document) any Calvinist who does not believe in Monergism?

 

How does one explain the following text from Romans 9? We are in NO POSITION to judge God! I don't call myself a Calvinist, but I've heard it said that those that have a problem with the doctrine of election seem to have a problem with not having a part in their own salvation.

Romans 9:13-24
13As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

14What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
17For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
18Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
19Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
20Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
21Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
22What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
23And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, 24Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

 

I have many friends who call themselves Calvinists or Calvinistic (although I think ignorantly) who do not believe in either Double Predestination, Limited Atonement, or Monergism. I do not know how they reconcile those issues. I think that if God has elected certain people to be saved, Double Predestination must be true. However, it is not my purpose to help them reconcile things I completely disagree with.

 

I don't know what God you serve, but the God of the bible says He Himself choses whose heart to harden.

Ro.9:18
Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.

Ex 4:21
But I will harden his heart,

Joshua 11:20
For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts,

If you keep an eye out in scripture you'll see God constantly chosing or saying He chose certain people, and not others. Take Noah for example, chose his fmaily and not everyone else. A picture of the way He works.

 

You are correct, there is significant biblical support for the doctrine of election. The problem many people seem to have with it, no matter what they say, is that with election they aren't in control of their own salvation. Salvation by grace through faith. It is a GIFT of God...

 

The next four chapters will be dealing extensively with Romans chapter 9. The first of these should be up this week.

http://www.disciplemakerministries.org/Pages/Dispensationalism/DispensationalismIndex.htm

 

Thats really the main problem. In our country and many others, we have rights and privledges, we are legally able to make choices. And some want to carry their secular* 'rights' over to view the bible through them. Instead of viewing all of life, whether secular* or christian through scripture.

* I am not saying we live secular as opposed to scriptural, I am saying our goverment is secular and the 'rights' they give us are secular. We do not live in a christian world. But rather a secular world.

 

I know a guy who wants to deny the word election is even in the bible. Once we see it is there, then we have to deal with the meaning of the original greek word. After that there can be no question what God is saying. He choses, we do not.
Jn 15:16
You did not choose Me, but I chose you

 

Although we haven't seen eye to eye on everything I think we are in complete agreement on this. :thumbs: raying: