Do most calvinists believe in absolute predestination?

Joe,
I will try to do the impossible and be concise!

I am only 22 years old and do not claim to be "the" spokesperson for "Calvinism" however that be interpreted, but let me say with Spurgeon that it is a nickname to call it "Calvinism".You will notice that alot of the brethren on this board are Primitive Baptist and I would not necessarily label them "Calvinist" as it has been historically defined by creeds such as the London, Philadelphia, etc. Here is a quote from Chapter 3 of the Philadelphia:

God hath decreed in Himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably, all things whatsoever come to pass;1 yet so as thereby is God neither the author of sin, nor hath fellowship with any therein,2 nor is violence offered to the will of the creature, nor yet is the liberty, or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established,3 in which appears His wisdom in disposing all things, and power and faithfulness in accomplishing His decree.4

I would be glad to offer scripture if need be to help you in your question.

May God bless your studies.

 

No, not all things. Just important things. For example, Jesus was probably using hyperbole when he said that God keeps a file on the number of hairs on the heads of 6 billion people.

 

I believe everything is foreordained to the very least and last detail. This is NOT to say we do not have our own will which we act upon, but we do so only inasmuch as we were given the ability to will and that ability is sustained moment by moment by the upholding power of God. Everything we will, therefore, is willed according to what is either directed or permitted by God. Since all things are foreknown by Him, then even those things which are permitted cannot happen any other way than the way He plans to permit them to happen.

Oh, and a sparrow does not fall to the ground apart from the Father's will. This does not mean He knows when a sparrow falls to the ground, but that one does not fall to the ground unless He wills it to be so. So it is with the numbers of hairs on our heads. They are numbered, not simply known. (Of course, in my case, the numbers don't have to get out of the triple digits, but that's another thing altogether.)