Posted on 05/29/2002 7:49:02 PM PDT by xzins
Unconditional Election vs. Bible Truth
"God, our Savior... desires all men to be saved." (I Tim. 2:3,4)
Clint Brown
Logic dictates that any doctrine which implies a false doctrine is itself, false. The Calvinistic doctrine of Unconditional Particular Election implies an egregiously false doctrine, and is therefore, false. This doctrine, often called Predestination, is explained by one of its defenders as "the eternal decree of God, by which he has determined in himself, what he would have to become of every individual... For they are not all created with a similar destiny; but eternal life is foreordained for some, and eternal damn-ation for others" [Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. 1, p. 342].
The chief implication of this doctrine is that God is responsible for souls that are lost in hell. To remedy this heretical notion, Calvinists assert that God's choice is "based solely on His own good pleasure and sovereign will" [Steele & Thomas, The Five Points of Calvinism (Presbyterian and Reformed Pub. Co.), p. 30].
Calvinistic predestination is actually a misapplication of the sovereignty of God. While God does have an immutable counsel (Heb. 6:17), He may not supercede the limitations set by His own moral nature (e.g., Heb. 6:18). The doctrine of Unconditional Election repudiates the single most profound act of the moral nature of God's will – the creation of mankind "in His image" (Gen. 1:26). Since man is "in His image," he possesses a real moral nature and is capable of making real moral choices that affect his real eternal destiny! But if God has arbitrarily predetermined every individual's ultimate destiny, we are essentially robots, incapable of affecting our eternal future.
God derives no pleasure from the service of automatons (cf. Amos 5:21-24). Rather, He desires a reciprocal love freely offered by His moral creatures. Of all physical creation, only mankind possesses the ability to respond to the loving grace of the Creator through the loving obedience of faith. Contrary to the indictment of God's justice provided by Calvinistic predestination, the Bible says that God desires all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4). Contrary to the heretical implication of Unconditional Election, God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9).
Though not all will be saved, the choice is yours.
God is a God of Love. He desires ALL to be SAVED!!
God bless.
Bubba, Calvie, and Augie :-)
Amen!
Exactly! God is a Person as is Man!
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...The corresponding American revision committee which developed the American Standard Version of 1901 was headed by another liberal evolutionist, Philip Schaff. Most new versions since that time have adopted the same presuppositions as did those 19th century revisers. Schaff was twice tried for heresy by his denomination and taught at the very liberal Union Seminary. As chairman of the revision committee, Schaff not only was greatly influenced by Westcott and Hort, but also by the Unitarians Ezra Abbot and Joseph Thayer, of Harvard, as well as other liberals whom he placed on the committee.
Amos 5 21 "I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. 22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, [1] I will have no regard for them. 23 Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. 24 But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
Yes, but in His secret councils He really means....
I just want to respond to your anti-Calvinist statement on your website.
You claim man is made in God's image even to this very day. How is this possible after the Fall? God and man are estranged. Man is "enslaved to sin," according to the NT. He can not even know the truth because he does not have the Holy Spirit and the truth of the Gospel is "spiritually discerned." Obviously, this puts a screw into free will since nobody could choose God, which is not very fair at all. I have not provided passage citations in my haste here, but you can find that by doing a concordance search online or with software.
I am not going to spend a long amount of time here. But, I will ask how anyone could believe in free will if it is God's will to save all as a first/easy glance at Scriptural texts seem to show? Going beyond, it is clear that such texts don't support that in the slightest, but if they did, it would mean God is a failure. We know throughout Scripture that God is NOT a failure and is able to accomplish his will. So maybe that is why in John Jesus only prayed at the Garden for those God gave him. Maybe that is why the Book of Life was written from the "foundation of the world." Maybe that is why we are said to be predestined several times in the NT. And maybe that is why Romans 9 says the potter has power over the clay, not the other way around.
Arminianism is exclusive. If you are an Arminian, you believe people have the opportunity to choose their salvation or reject it of their own free (I wonder where God said the Fall won't affect us anymore....any passages?) will. Thus, some folks were essentially "intelligent" enough to choose God, while the other dummies couldn't stop sinning. Of course you don't actually believe this, but it is an ultimate outcome of Arminianism theology...the exaltation of man because some were able to come to Christ and others didn't "get it." Arminians claim this is fair. I wonder how exactly. It doesn't seem very fair to me. However, Calvinism sets up two groups as well. But, this time it is based on GOD'S NEVER-FAILING AND PERFECT WILL. It is not based on the whim of man, which can be altered in the scheme of Arminianism if someone doesn't evangelize the right person at the exact and perfect moment. With Calvinism, simply the Gospel, you have God calling the shots having his Spirit come and rescue his elect. The two groups are formed by God's righteous act. The two groups are formed without any exaltation because one person was "smarter" than another to use "free will." Some Arminians will claim Calvinism is prideful because some are chosen and others get ignored. Well, I see Calvinism as expressing God's power and great mercy, but I also recognize that Calvinism, like all systems, can be perverted and I am sure some people (perhaps myself even), have sometimes gotten a bit puffed up and superior thinking they are better than the guy next door who was not predestined to salvation. But, I would say this: I am firmly set in a belief that the real driving force that comes out of Calvinism is not pride, but humility. To think that God would come and choose me over someone else should give one a lot to pause and ponder...and kiss the feet of the Son for.
My last point (I am not doing a big rebuttal, just trying to raise some issues here) is that Arminianism is what a baby Christian believes (like myself) since he knows no better. Eventually, some will come to Calvinism, while others stay in Arminianism. The Arminians, when debating, always have to look at what THEY perceived their salvation to be like, what THEY experienced, what THEY think about how predestination makes God look. On the other hand, the Calvinist looks to God. We aren't looking at what we think happened in salvation or we would be Arminian, too. We simply look to the Bible, see him say we couldn't choose him and so we were predestined, and we believe it (of course we also use some logic in defending it and explaining this Scripture). What else can we do when it comes to a God that brought us back from the grave????
Blessings in the Lord.
Sincerely,
Roy Waggoner
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