Featured What is a Calvanist?

Lets see, the op asks what is a Calvinist? Gee, an idea of where the name comes from might be a fundamental element in the question. What did you want me to explain, what neutrinos do in an atomic structure? If you like the guy so much, write him in for President.

 

You are the one obsessed, not I

 

To get back to the OP's question; A Calvinist is my Brother or Sister in the Lord. They see things such as election and predestination differently than I do, but nevertheless, they ARE my Brother or Sister. :jesus: :godisgood: :jesus: :godisgood:

 

The term "Calvinist" is about as broad as the term "Baptist." Basically, anyone who believes that God has predestinated an elect remnant of mankind to be saved from the wrath to come is a Calvinist.

By "predestinated," a Calvinist means that an individual's eternal destiny was written down long before the earth was even created.

 

Very good down to earth post. It is also what the Bible says.

 

I could kick myself for getting involved in this discussion, but I'm drawn like the moth to the flame.

Calvinists believe God has chosen from eternity those whom he will save, and has planned all the means by which they will be saved. Non-Cals label it as determinism, which eliminates the free agency of the one saved. Conversely, those not chosen are destined for hell with no chance to be saved.

Now, non-Calvinists also believe in election, or choosing, based on what they believe is foreseen faith. That is, God, in his infinite knowledge, knows from eternity who will exercise saving faith, and elects them on that basis.

What is rarely said is that for each side of the argument, one's destiny is fixed. It cannot be changed. Those whom God has chosen for salvation, even though they haven't yet exercised faith, there is no possibility that they will not.

And, at the same time, those whom God foresees as not exercising faith are not elected. There is no possibility that they will ever be saved, or ever want to, or ever be able to want to.

So, we should all remember that whichever view we hold, the outcome is the same.

 

That is nice to hear brother & I agree that its necessary to view both you with your beliefs & me with mine as striving together in unity & brotherhood. Thanks for the uplifting commentary. :thumbs:

 

This is not so. In the foreseen faith view, God simply foreknows who will believe before it occurs in time.

If Joe believes in time, God foreknows and he is elect. If Joe does not believe in time, God foreknows and he is non-elect.

Calvinist/Reformed believe God can only foreknow what he ordains. This is not foreknowledge, but foreordination.

No, foreknowledge is that God can know what takes place in time before it occurs. It does not have to be ordained or determined.

 

This is just pathetic....The biblical God is not a helpless spectator.

 

X2

They have a god who is powerless, not the God I know and that saved me.

 

Hello SM,
There are some believers who have never been exposed to truth on these issues. Others who have been instructed in how to resist these truths.
Some who study come to see these things in scripture...it takes some time. On BB...there are 15-20....who sadly oppose the teaching on every post. They think we are wrong on every area.
The only benefit to all this is that many who just lurk and read the posts can see where verses are being mangled and twisted....so despite all the acrimony, screaming, and attacking, they can see the issues over time very clearly. Truth will come through.
There are some things we could all agree on...Trinity,Scriptures,etc....but most do not comment on these posts...

If you post a link more than two sentences long...it will not get read or commented on by most...

 

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

When I was first taught the doctrine of election in a Bible class as a senior in high school 32 years ago, I stood up in class and told the instructor I would prove him wrong... but as I read through the Scriptures over and over as a whole, I came to firmly believe in all five points, whereas he was only a four pointer and sadly later fell away as an example of this text.

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

I knew that everyone one that had truly believed could never lose salvation, but I had doubts about my faith, because it was imperfect and still is. When I realized that the reason I loved Jesus at all was because He loved me first and my love at best was just a dim reflection of His... I found peace. I know if God left just the smallest part of salvation up to me I would botch it up somehow. Thankfully He doesn't even leave our sanctification up to us. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith!

 

Winman...

You posted to Iconoclast...

Its just amazing, and very very sad isnt it, that such false teaching, such non-sensical hogwash, could be propagated as truth.

Absolutly. If God did as calvinism teaches in this regard, God would be a respector of persons. And the scriptures clearly declare that God is..."no respecter of persons"... but rather wishing ALL would be saved.

 

the biblical God does not"wish" Aic...He does all His good pleasure....
so in your own words:
Its just amazing, and very very sad isnt it, that such false teaching, such non-sensical hogwash, could be propagated as truth.

 

"The word, “wish,” gives as much force to the original as it really requires and the passage should run thus—“Whose wish it is that all men should be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.” As it is my wish that it should be so; as it is your wish that it might be so, so it is God’s wish that all men should be saved" —Charles Spurgeon, "Salvation by Knowing the Truth"

 

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,

10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.

 

Weak, Iconoclast. VERY weak.


God is very very clear regarding His desire, or wish, that all men be saved.

He draws, through the Holy Spirit, every man who comes into the world to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Those who choose Christ will be saved.

Those who reject will be lost.

 

That's Good...!

Bro.Sovereign....As you may already know from some of my previous posts, I'm NOT of the Calvinist persuasion nor do I have any intention by God's good grace of ever becoming such......but......I can honestly say that I agree with 99% of what you have said in the above paragraph. That is primarily because it is an accurate reflection of my own experience since I was saved. The only 1% (or more) that I differ with you on is the matter of the will and the free exercise of it. I differ in that simply because in Genesis 1:26 - 27 God declared that He created men and women in His own image and likeness. He didn't make that declaration about ANY OTHER LIVING THING but mankind. We know that God is a Trinity and created man as body,soul and spirit in His image and after His likeness. God has a will (one of the attributes of His "image") and gave man that same capacity (with the expectation that he would make use of it). Even in our fallen condition He expects us to exercise our will and our intellect as His Spirit moves within us.(otherwise we are reduced to the role of mere ROBOTS or automatons) I know my understanding and knowledge is limited and I acknowledge that I am in need of the Lord's enlightenment if I am to have any understanding of His Word or His will.(That is where the ministry of the Holy Spirit comes into play in our lives) This much I can tell you.....I do not even for a second believe that our holy, just, loving, merciful and righteous God would EVER "foreordain" any soul/person that He has created to a devil's hell. I believe anyone who ever goes there deserves to be there due to their rebellion and unbelief....BUT.... God does NOT want them to go there. I don't care WHAT Calvin taught and I certainly don't believe the Scriptures teach such a thing when viewed IN CONTEXT and IN THEIR ENTIRETY. Scripture can be twisted and misquoted to teach many false things. I am trusting my Lord to lead me rightly for HIS GLORY...not mine. On that I can sleep peacefully at night:sleeping_2:. I think I said I wasn't going to post in this thread anymore but alas, I simply could not resist.(imagine that...a Non-Calvinist admitting that anything was "irresistible":laugh I will now attempt to retire again....even though I expect Bro.Iconoclast to jump on me and soundly thrash me once again:tonofbricks:.

Bro.Greg

 

I thought sure that was what I said foreseen faith is.

Yes, that is my understanding of the non-Cal view as well.

Or, to put it another way, God foreknows what he foreordains, not the other way around. Uh, hold on. Let me rephrase. God foreknows whom because he has elected, not elected because of what God foreknew.

Well, it seems to me that what God has decreed or determined, or whomever he has elected--is fixed. And, similarly, what God foreknows is also fixed. It will happen in time.