March 12, 2006
-
Most Calvinists seem to have had very different conversions.
Some think they were initially converted to believe that Christ died for everyone without exception. Other Calvinists have told me that: “when I was saved, I believed that Christ died for His people alone and obeyed the Law for them.”
There is something seriously wrong here.
When these Calvinists were converted they believed completely different things. One believed 1) in a “christ” who could not save everyone for whom He died whilst the other believed 2) in The Christ who PERFECTLY redeems ALL for whom He lived and died.
The Scripture says that there is “ONE faith” and One Gospel. The gospel is the initial knowledge a believer is given, and these two Calvinists believed COMPLETELY DIFFERENT gospels when they were converted. Both these Calvinists CANNOT be saved. One of these Calvinists thinks that God used the FALSE GOSPEL of ARMINIANISM to convert him. This Calvinist is NOT saved and is IGNORANT of what the True Gospel is. If he knew that the Gospel IS Particular Redemption and Imputed righteousness then he would know that he was LOST when he believed Arminianism.
Romans 1:16-17 says that in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed. Thus, everyone who believes the gospel will understand IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS. They will know that the God-man Christ was “made under the Law to redeem those under the Law”, and that He “magnified the Law and made it honourable” so that He would become “the end [fulfillment] of the Law for righteousness for all who believe.”
1 Corinthians 5:13 says that the gospel included the truth that “Christ died according to the Scriptures”. Therefore, all who believe the gospel will know that “He laid upon Him the iniquity of us” and that Christ “lay down His life for the sheep”. Believers affirm that Christ “will save HIS PEOPLE from their sins”, that is, EVERYONE for whom Christ died WILL BE SAVED.
Logically, if IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS and PARTICULAR REDEMPTION are the gospel, then NO Arminians are saved.
Comments (8)
I was saved at a young age, just about 6 or 7. I didn’t even know what Calvinism was, much less understand it. I don’t think I could have told you whether Christ died for just the saints or for everyone, whether my salvation was predestined or spontaneous, or whether or not the saints would persevere. Still, I knew this: Christ died, and He died for me. I was a child, and I had faith like a child, but the Bible says that is enough. I believe there might be a few Arminians in heaven. They’ll realize that they were wrong about a lot of things, but they’ll be there. The crucial question(or at least one of them) is this: Is my salvation based on the good things I have done or on what Christ paid on my behalf? I think that if somone can honestly answer in favor of Christ, even if he doesn’t believe in unconditional election, he has been saved. Salvation first, then the tulip.
well?
kylehatchett! that is awesome. Yeh! … faith like a child … that is what God want from us, not inteligent discussions and judgements, but loving him with all our heart and loving our neighbours as we love ourselves.
“If there are two, truely, fully fallen creatures, each with no good in him…What makes God choose one over the other? There can be no merit in either for his favor to fall upon one. It has to be completely and utterly random.
I for one, refuse to believe in a God who will “roll the dice” so to speak, with the fate of me, and every other human on the earth.”
Scripture states that God has chosen the foolish things in this world to shame the wise. 1Co 1:27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
Also Ephesians chapter 1&2 and Romans 9 make it plain what this is all about, and also it replies against those that argue as you do. It says:
Rom 9:16 So then it is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy.
Rom 9:17 For the scripture says unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
Rom 9:18 Therefore has he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardens.
Rom 9:19 You will say then unto me, Why does he yet find fault? For who has resisted his will?
Rom 9:20 Nay but, O man, who are you that replies against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why have you made me thus?
It’s a good question. Who are we to be hostile to God, if He decides that He should choose according to His will? If it’s something the scriptures plainly state as shown here, why be hostile against God? It would be much better to say, “well I’m not sure what all of this is about, but if that’s the way it is, I wouldn’t get peeved over it.” That would be much better. It’s ok to not understand things, but to be against something that may very well turn out to be true means that if we take that attutude, we might find ourselves in the end, opposing God himself. I have heard some people at times say, “I would never serve a God that chose people” And here it makes me wonder: If that is who God really is, aren’t these people really acting as God-Haters? I mean, Bain seems so cavileer throwing that word around, but if that really is someone’s attitude… I wonder… aren’t they doing that very thing?
when it’s really broken down, isn’t the ONE faith a faith that His atonement applies to individuals? To make it personal – to me. I don’t have to have faith that His atonement applies only to believers or alternatively, to everyone. I just have to have faith that it applies to me. I trust He’ll take care of the details.
Indeed, most Calvinists have had different conversions, that is Scriptural conversions.
Ah, but it doesn’t matter if you think Christ died for other people. What matters is that you believe that He died for you and your sins.
That said, it is unbiblical to think that the two different types of conversions can mean that only one is a Christian. It is a criterion for salvation found not within the Bible.
Btw, do I know you? :-p
Particular redemption IS the gospel? Listen to yourself. You’re off the deep end. Kylehatchett has the right attitude. Of course many Calvinists have had many different conversions. Recall, if you will, the Confession of Faith which says that God uses means to acheive his ends. Indeed, there are many Calvinists who were not Calvinist at their conversions or for many years of their Christian lives. They were blood-bought and sealed nonetheless. There are even many whom God effectually calls, justifies, and glorifies who are Calvinists this side of the Jordan. To deny this reacts against the soveriegn will of God who is doing the calling. No matter. His will cannot be thwarted. Every non-Calvinst brother or sister will persevere to the end, be presented faultless before God’s glory, and be conformed to the image of His son because that it God’s immutable decree–and you can’t stop it.