January 24, 2006
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Questions for Tolerant Calvinists:
Romans 1:16-17 says that in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed. Doesn’t that mean that all who deny imputed righteousness are lost?? Furthermore, don’t all Arminians deny imputed righteousness by making faith a condition of salvation??Galations 1:8-9 and Mark 16:16 say that those who believe a false gospel are lost. And isn’t Arminianism a false gospel?? Therefore, aren’t all Arminians lost?
Isaiah 45:20-21 says that those who pray to a god that cannot save know nothing. Since Arminians say that man has free will, their god cannot save (man needs to save himself). Hence, don’t all Arminians know nothing of the Just God and Savior?
Question for Doubting Calvinists:
Here is a quote from David Engelsma . Do you agree with it?
the sin of
doubting our salvation is more heinous than adultery, … or murder… What are
these sins in comparison with making God a liar in His promises to us, or in
comparison with accounting the suffering and death of the Son of God inadequate
to redeem and forgive us?”Now, if you agree with it, please read 1 John 5:10:
“The one not believing God has made Him a liar”In other words, if a believer could doubt their salvation they would be calling God a liar in His promises. And anyone who calls God a liar in His promises is “not believing God”.
Some other Questions:
Where does the Scripture teach that the Psalms are David’s experiences?Can you find any examples of believers doubting their salvation in the Scriptures?
Paul asks the Corinthians, “Know not Jesus Christ is in you, unless you are disapproved?” Doesn’t that mean that if you don’t know that Christ is in you, you are lost?
Comments (6)
“Lord I believe; help my unbelief” is an example.
I see where you are coming from, though. Many who do doubt their salvation are trusting in their own righteousness and thus are unsure of their eternal destiny.
Andrew
Although I am not a fan of yours, I will unhesitantly say that Arminianism along with Catholicism (and other heresies) follows a false Christ and therefore a false Gospel.
Hey! My name’s Karen, and I saw that you subscribed to my site…nice meeting you, if you can call it that!
Reading your post…I’m curious, you’re basically saying that all those who are not Calvinists believe in a false Gospel, and are therefore not saved… But…following that logic, I guess I wouldn’t have been saved until a couple years ago (that is when I became a Calvinist), or maybe even until a few months ago (that’s when I began to really understand the doctrines of grace)
Aren’t there many Christians who are “Arminians” out of ignorance? Spurgeon himself said that it is only by grace that we are saved, and it is only be grace that we become Calvinists. (or something along those lines!) I might agree with you that an ardent five point Arminian might not be saved, but there are not many of those…I just don’t know if I would say that all Arminians are unsaved…
Andrew,
In Christ’s death on the cross (paying in full the sin-debt of the elect), the righteousness of God is revealed through His gift of faith to the elect. Hope this helps clear up your apparent confusion.
Regards,
Reinhard
If Before a person is chosen By God and Nothing can snatch Him out of His hand, In all likelyhood all people have been in the possition of not being aware that the Holy Spirit was present in them. As Karen said, while a person is believing a false gospel, they may stil be saved. The truth just hasn’t been fully revealed to them yet.
Right Doctrinal understanding doesn’t get you into the presence of God, Grace and mercy by a Sovereign God Does, Thank GOD!!! to His praise and Glory
P.S. Thanks for your subscription
“Romans 1:16-17 says that in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed. Doesn’t that mean that all who deny imputed righteousness are lost??”
Yes.
“Furthermore, don’t all Arminians deny imputed righteousness by making faith a condition of salvation??”
No. You are not being very careful in your terms. Wesleyan Arminians believe that it is by faith alone that we receive and rest upon Jesus Christ and His righteousness, and thereby receive His righteousness (as is stated in the Shorter Catechism, Q. 33).
“Galations 1:8-9 and Mark 16:16 say that those who believe a false gospel are lost.”
Actually, Galatians (not “Galations”) states that those that teach a false gospel are lost (but we could, by inference, carry it to believers of a false gospel). And Mark simply states, “He that believeth not shall be damned,” without the word “gospel” appearing in the text at all.
“And isn’t Arminianism a false gospel?? Therefore, aren’t all Arminians lost?”
Sorry, you haven’t yet proven Arminianism to be a “false gospel.”
I do disagree with the quote from Engelsma.
“In other words, if a believer could doubt their salvation they would be calling God a liar in His promises. And anyone who calls God a liar in His promises is ‘not believing God’.”
Saving faith is trusting or believing in the Son of God. Saving faith is not trusting or believing that you have faith. Check the proof texts to the Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 18, Sections 3 and 4; Westminster Larger Catechism, Q. 81.
“Where does the Scripture teach that the Psalms are David’s experiences?”
Some of the titles of the Psalms identify those Psalms as things which happened in his life. But all of Scripture is applicable to the lives of believers, and especially the Psalms.
“Can you find any examples of believers doubting their salvation in the Scriptures?”
David in Psalm 51; Asaph in Psalm 77; Heman in Psalm 88; those addressed in Isaiah 50:10; Paul in Romans 7:24…
“Paul asks the Corinthians, ‘Know not Jesus Christ is in you, unless you are disapproved?’ Doesn’t that mean that if you don’t know that Christ is in you, you are lost?”
No. This means that if Christ is not in you, you are lost. The key phrase is, “Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates.” Paul is simply asking, “Don’t you know this fact, that you are unsaved unless Jesus Christ is in you?”
You haven’t changed much in this last year, have you, Andrew? Still attacking everybody, whether or not they agree with the Canons of Dordt? In your reading of 1 John, how did you manage to miss the parts about loving your brethren? Ah, I see; we are not your brethren… the “little flock” has hardly grown beyond the numbers of the apostles, and all the rest of the world, whether “Reformed” or “Arminian,” is damned. May I therefore ask, What of Christ’s promise that the gates of hell would not prevail against His church (Matthew 16:18), and the promise that “of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end” (Isaiah 9:7)? Do you believe that promise of God? If you do not (because you believe there to be a scant few believers alive today), then don’t you thereby fall under the condemnation of your own interpretation of 1 John 5:10?
“Love the brotherhood” (1 Peter 2:17).