Featured Questions about the Calvinist viewpoint.

How do you know that you are elect if Jesus did not die for all men as you believe? Did you see your name on a list someplace?

You cannot possibly know if Jesus died for you if Limited Atonement is true, it is logically impossible. You can insist all day long you know you are elect, but you cannot possibly know this.

Lots of folks have a "inner witness" as you call it, some are quite bizarre. Some folks hear voices, some see visions or have dreams, etc... That doesn't prove you are elect.

In fact Calvin himself taught what is called Evanescent Grace. He taught that God actually deludes and deceives men, giving them a faith that seems so real that the person believe they are saved, but are not. You could easily be one of those if Limited Atonement is true.

https://arminianperspectives.wordpress.com/category/salvation-assurance/

What you are saying is your WORKS prove to yourself you are elect. Good luck with that.

 

No, what I am saying is that one can KNOW they are really saved, by the testimony of the Holy Spirit now within us, and evidenced in how we now view and see things differently than before receiving Christ!

Are you stating that we cannot base assurnance on what Jesus and the Apostles promised?

 

What a bunch of malarkey.

Romans 8:16 :"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children."

No, you are wrong assurance of salvation has nothing to with Christ dying for all people (a nonsensical proposition if ever there was one). it is true that the Lord will save all those who call upon Him. And we know from the Word of God that those who call upon Him don't do it on their own accord. The Lord is the One who not only initiates but carries the whole process onto completion from first to last since He is the Author of our salvation.

 

So you are saying that even saying a prayer calling upon the Lord is the Lord speaking through the person?

 

If Limited Atonement is true, and you are not one of the elect, you could call on Jesus every day of your life and he would not save you. God has already decided to pass by you before you were born, and Jesus did not shed his blood for you.

What you believe doesn't determine reality. As I have said several times now, you can believe a pistol is not loaded and put it to your head and pull the trigger. But if that pistol is loaded you are going to blow your brains out no matter how convinced you are it was not loaded.

Paul showed that faith does not determine reality in 1 Cor 15:14-17;

1 Cor 15:14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

Simply believing Jesus rose from the dead does not make it so. And if Jesus did not rise from the dead, then your faith is vain and will not save you.

Likewise, if Jesus did not die for you personally, then your faith is vain and will not save you. You will die in your sins because Jesus did not die for you.

You guys simply do not realize how messed up and illogical your doctrine really is.

No Calvinist who believes in Limited Atonement can know he is elect. Impossible.

 

Yes....you could also have a deeply felt and convincing belief that the Holy Spirit was in you and be mistaken about it. There would be no (objective) way to KNOW for sure.

 

They ain't fooling nobody, all you have to do is Google "how do I know if I am one of the elect?" and you will see page after page after page of Calvinists trying to figure out how they can know they are elect.

https://www.google.com/webhp?source...F-8#q=how do i know if i am one of the elect?

No Calvinist who believes in Limited Atonement can be certain he is one of the elect. If Limited Atonement is true, the likelihood is THEY AREN'T.

Again, nobody is fooled.

 

Read this heartbreaking article;

http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=24791&forum=35&9

Don't let these Calvinists blow smoke in your face, they are not nearly as certain as they pretend to be. They can't be if Limited Atonement is true.

 

This accurately reflects the Calvinist view of Romans 3:9-20. However, the passage uses OT quotes to make the case we all (Jews and Gentiles) are under sin.

1) No one is righteous. That is the correct understanding.
2) There are none who understand. Understand what? That by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.
3) All have turned aside and become useless. That is the correct understanding, all have fallen short, we all have sinned.
4) There are none who does good. That is the correct understanding, all the unsaved works of righteousness are as filthy rags.
5) None of us control our tongue, we all think and speak sinful thoughts. That view is correct.
6) We fight, lash out and harm non-combatants. That view is correct.
7) We tread an unrighteous and wicked path. That view of the unsaved is correct. Being unsaved, they do not have the faith of Peace, nor is their behavior tempered by their fear of God.

Which brings us to the part of the passage that Calvinism rips out of context, "there is none who seeks for God." Calvinism asserts that no unsaved person seeks God at any time, but Romans 9:31 clearly teaches fallen men strive for the righteousness of God some of the time. So the idea is if you break even one point of the Law, it is as though you have broken the whole law, so none of the ones seeking the righteousness of God through the Law is actually seeking for God. This is the only view that is consistent with all scripture.

Here we have another accurate expression of Calvinist doctrine. Yes we are conceived in iniquity and are by nature children of wrath. Our hearts are wicked and depraved.
But do we always, at all times, run from God? Nope. The rich young ruler came looking for how through works he could be saved. Right target, wrong path. Three of the four soils of Matthew 13 were seeking God to a degree. In Matthew 23:13 we have men actually "entering heaven" and thus were seeking God in an unsaved unregenerate, un-quickened state.

Thus the Calvinist doctrine of total spiritual inability is mistaken, the correct view is the fallen have limited spiritual ability, they can understand the milk of the gospel but cannot understand spiritual meat.

 

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We do understand the meat of the Bible though, and the problem for you is that you use the terms calvinist use, but you keep redefining them to fit your own pet theology!

calvinists do NOT teach that all siners cannot do any good works, or are not religious, alsey to find God, its just that they will create a god to follow that suits them, and that they will refuse to come to the real one, as they are ignorant of Him!

 

It's late...and I'm on a pretty strong pain killer for a tooth that is going south in a hurry (root canal #5 is coming up soon!). So, please forgive certain things, if necessary...

One issue that many evangelicals and Calvinists have is a discounting of the Spirit. It is, no doubt, a knee-jerk reaction against the charismatic understanding of things. There is the fear that if we discuss the Spirit and His working that we will begin speaking in tongues, etc.

A more proper understanding of the Spirit's work in conversion can be explained by the analogy of combustion. There are three elements that are required for combustion to occur: 1.) Ignition source; 2.) Fuel; and 3.) Oxygen. Having two of these elements will not produce combustion. All three elements must be present for combustion to occur.

It's the same way with conversion.

There must be the application of the Gospel to the heart by the Holy Spirit. He plays an active role in conversion (and I don't think there's too much disagreement here). But, the evidence of the Spirit is not a "warm and fuzzy." Rather, the evidence of the working of the Holy Spirit is conversion itself. This is, essentially, the point 1 John makes, especially certain arguments in chapters 3, 4, and 5. John has a series of if-then arguments that point to the the actions of the believer. If there is fruit of repentance and faith, it is evidence the Holy Spirit has worked to produce conversion.

The "proof" of salvation has always been the fruit of a changed life, not goose bumps or warm and fuzzies. These things are not observed over short periods of time, however.

Anyway...

Blessings,

The Archangel

 

Believe that it was CS lewis who stated that one day he walked to Oxford a sinner, and walked home from there saved...

Shows us that its the work of the Spirit to make sure we are getting saved, that the Cross benefits those chosen by God to be found in Christ!