October 1, 2005

• Most conservative Protestants claim to believe that the Bible alone is the Word of God. They say that only those who believe the biblical truths describing Jesus Christ—the gospel—are justified, or have Christ’s righteousness imputed to their account. Some will even go so far, as to say that God gets to decide who will be justified, and that man does not have free will to control Jehovah. Often these people will also assert that Jesus Christ’s death will save everyone for whom He represented, so that He laid down His life only for His sheep, or “elect”.

  
  

   

  
  

  Historically, these people are known as “Calvinists” or persons who believe in “Reformed Theology”, “TULIP”, or “Sovereign Grace”. This website is primarily designed for informing and corresponding with such people. Such correspondence is normally quite aggressive, however, mainly for two reasons. Most Calvinists believe they were saved by an Arminian gospel, or think that God uses this false message to save sinners. Contrary to this philosophy of “Tolerant Calvinism”, the Bible teaches that all who believe in a false gospel are lost and that anyone who knowingly embraces a heretic as a spiritual brother is also lost. All the five points of Arminianism teach salvation based on the sinner’s own works. Thus, anyone who believes one or more of these points is lost.

  
  

   

  
  

  In light of the first, the second reason that Calvinists hate this website is ironic. What is ironic is that most Calvinists openly admit that they are not sure whether or not they are saved! And this heresy—that believers can doubt their salvation—is actually taught in all the “prestigious” Reformed Confessions of faith. Sometimes it does not even seem necessary to tell Tolerant Calvinists to “repent and believe the gospel”. Most will admit that at times they have doubted whether or not they are a believer. These Calvinists have a dead faith, and we know this, because by the mouth, the heart overflows. These “Doubting Calvinists” clearly do not believe God’s promise to save all believers. They call God a liar in His testimony concerning His Son, and have not the Son and have not life (1 John 5).

  
  

   

  
  

  But, why do these Calvinists embrace heretics? And, why do they call God a liar in His promises, by doubting His Word? These questions get to the very heart of the difference between a believer and an unbeliever. The answer is, that unbelievers do not derive their theology from the Bible, but instead, have certain opinions about God derived from men. For instance, a person catechized in the Westminster Shorter Catechism from an early youth, will form strong convictions about the Law, sin, justification, Christ etc. However, if this person only thinks that “Jesus is the Christ”, because his parents told him so, he does not possess the knowledge of Christ. To possess any knowledge of God, God must tell such a person about Himself by the Holy Spirit testifying to the Word.

  
  

   

  
  

  Or to go a step further, someone have a strong conviction that “Jesus is the Christ” because the Bible says so. But if they believe the Bible is true, because the “church” maintains it is God’s Word, or, because there is “scientific evidence that proves it”, or because of any “theistic proofs”, then the basis of their theology is the opinions of men.

  
  

   

  
  

  It should be easy to see why Calvinists embrace Arminians and doubt their salvation. The reason they have certain convictions about God’s Sovereignty, man’s inability etc. must come from outside the Bible. They are basing their beliefs on the “church”, science, or theistic “proofs”. If they were deriving their theology from the Bible, then they would know that “everyone that believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God”, or that “Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness for everyone who believes.” They would all have full assurance, and there would be no “Doubting Calvinists.” Moreover, they would know that “those who believe not the gospel are condemned”, and that the gospel includes the truth that “Christ died according to the Scriptures.” They would not embrace Arminians who do not believe in the Biblical Atonement, and thus believe a false gospel. They would not be “Tolerant Calvinists.”

  
  

   

  
  

  True believers have the same like precious faith as the Apostles. Since the apostles did not believe the Bible to be the Word of God because of any “church”, “science”, or theistic proofs, neither will believers. The Thessalonians did not receive their apostolic message as words of men, but as the Word of God. They perceived God speaking through the Apostles, and believed their message based on His authority alone.

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