TIME names "New Calvinism" 3rd Most Powerful Idea Changing the World

TIME Magazine ^ | March 12, 2009 | David Van Biema

[CondoleezzaProtege]

John Calvin's 16th century reply to medieval Catholicism's buy-your-way-out-of-purgatory excesses is Evangelicalism's latest success story, complete with an utterly sovereign and micromanaging deity, sinful and puny humanity, and the combination's logical consequence, predestination: the belief that before time's dawn, God decided whom he would save (or not), unaffected by any subsequent human action or decision.

Calvinism, cousin to the Reformation's other pillar, Lutheranism, is a bit less dour than its critics claim: it offers a rock-steady deity who orchestrates absolutely everything, including illness (or home foreclosure!), by a logic we may not understand but don't have to second-guess. Our satisfaction — and our purpose — is fulfilled simply by "glorifying" him. In the 1700s, Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards invested Calvinism with a rapturous near mysticism. Yet it was soon overtaken in the U.S. by movements like Methodism that were more impressed with human will. Calvinist-descended liberal bodies like the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) discovered other emphases, while Evangelicalism's loss of appetite for rigid doctrine — and the triumph of that friendly, fuzzy Jesus — seemed to relegate hard-core Reformed preaching (Reformed operates as a loose synonym for Calvinist) to a few crotchety Southern churches.

No more. Neo-Calvinist ministers and authors don't operate quite on a Rick Warren scale. But, notes Ted Olsen, a managing editor at Christianity Today, "everyone knows where the energy and the passion are in the Evangelical world" — with the pioneering new-Calvinist John Piper of Minneapolis, Seattle's pugnacious Mark Driscoll and Albert Mohler, head of the Southern Seminary of the huge Southern Baptist Convention. The Calvinist-flavored ESV Study Bible sold out its first printing, and Reformed blogs like Between Two Worlds are among cyber-Christendom's hottest links.

[RnMomof7]

And speaking of Rome, if it weren't for these Reformers who all believed in sovereign grace you would still be kissing the Pope's ring and bowing to statues of Mary.

Amen !!!

Those that led the reformation and that gave their lives for the gospel were Reformed believers...

[Dr. Eckleburg]

, it's plain and simple that it takes faith to be right with God. But what is not included is all your question begging about a natural human power called faith. You just add that to Scripture but Scripture itself, where we have shown you innumerable times, rejects such human power. But you never actually address those Scriptures you just resort to the same question begging time and again.

AMEN!

And speaking of Rome, if it weren't for these Reformers who all believed in sovereign grace you would still be kissing the Pope's ring and bowing to statues of Mary.

It takes a little study to understand that, but, God willing, it will be revealed.

[the_conscience]

More stupid antinomies.

The good thing is that it does show how ignorance of the story of Redemption leads to faulty interpretations. Now if one were to read this story according to a proper covenantal theology then one would not be so prone to ask such stupid questions. If one were to ask if the son was circumcised on the eighth day and thus a member of the covenantal community then maybe one would ask different questions.

[Mr Rogers]

Where does scripture say God gives an outward call that cannot be obeyed, and an inward call that cannot be resisted?

Yes, Jesus prays for those who believe and are in Him. That does NOT teach “For God so loved some of the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever God chooses to give belief to should not perish but have eternal life.”

[Dr. Eckleburg]

It's the chosen-before-we-were-even-born stuff that rings false to me.

It rings false to all men initially. We like to think we're in control. We get riled up if we think we're not.

But this "chosen" stuff isn't plucked from the ether; it's in the Bible. I didn't see it either for a long while. Thank God it was finally made clearer to me. It has been a great blessing. As it is meant to be for all Christians. Don't let the fallen world talk you out of it. We did not choose Him; He chose us. Read Ephesians 1.

"For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth" -- Romans 9:11

Read Loraine (a guy) Boettner's book online free to know the truer perspective. The Calvinist imperative founded this country and it sustains it because it is predicated on Scripture alone, for God's glory alone.

THE REFORMED DOCTRINE OF PREDESTINATION

[Dr. Eckleburg]

What is the difference between the natural man and the spiritual man?

[Halgr]

WOW

We are seeing scripture coming to life right before our eyes.

---

“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being assembled to meet him ... Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the rebellion [in the original greek: apostasy - ‘great falling away’] comes first, and the lawless [one] is revealed, the son of perdition...” 2 Thess 2:1,3

---

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils...” 1 Timothy 4:1

---

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord...” Amos 8:11

---

In my humble Opinion Calvin was as much of a fruit cake as Freud.

In short, Calvin is and was an agent of Lucifer Himself.

So those of you who call yourselves believers and you embrace Calvin....I think you have a screw loose.

[Mr Rogers]

We cannot have faith apart from God's revelation, but we CAN respond to him with faith. Indeed, we are commanded to do so, and rebuked when we do not.

Mat 21:32 "For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.

Mar 16:14 Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.

Luk 24:25 And he said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

Jhn 20:8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;

Jhn 20:29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Jhn 20:31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Act 11:21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

1Cr 1:21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

2Ti 3:15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Belief is in response to God's revelation, but it is not a gift given after salvation. In each of the above verses, believing is something WE do in response to an input, or not.

Why would God rebuke you for not having what he alone can give?

"And speaking of Rome, if it weren't for these Reformers who all believed in sovereign grace you would still be kissing the Pope's ring and bowing to statues of Mary."

Oh yes. I've spent a lot of time bowing to statues of Mary - NOT! And you accuse ME of infantile reasoning?

Speaking of Tyndale:

[RnMomof7]

The Prodigal Son was ‘dead’ - did the Father come and kidnap him from the pigsties? Or was the ‘dead’ son capable of repentance?

The prodigal son was always the son, just as the elect have always been the elect children of God

Each one of the elect is like the prodigal son in this, that for a time he is deluded by the world and is led astray by his own carnal appetite. He tries to feed on the husks, but they do not satisfy. And sooner or later he is obliged to say, "I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight."(repentance)

Notice that the text makes this comment

Luk 15:16   "And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving {anything} to him. Luk 15:17   "But when he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!

He had a turning, a revelation and he "came to his senses".

And he meets with the same reception, tokens of unchanging love; and a father's welcome voice echoes through the soul, and melts the heart of the wayward sinful son ---"This my son was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found."

Let it be noticed that this is a thoroughly Calvinistic parable in that the prodigal was a son, and could not lose that relationship.

This was a Parable, not a true event.. Jesus taught in parables not to make things clearer to everyone listening...but to those that have ears to hear...

This parable was pointed right at the heart of the self righteous law keeping Pharisees that thought their lives would commend them to God

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Calvin based his theory of salvation on the idea we are "dead" in our sin,

lol. And the Arminian spends his life in a futile attempt to prove Scripture and Calvin wrong.

The Arminian thinks men are merely ill, rather than dead in sin unless and until God regenerates them to know the things of God.

Which, of course, devolves the meaning of grace into simply a booster seat and not the power and intent and purpose and glory of the Triune God.

Lazarus was dead And he was brought back to life by the will and purpose and ability of Christ alone.

[Mr Rogers]

The spiritual man has repented and believed the Gospel, and been born again.

16From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

[Mr Rogers]

Lazarus was brought back to life so those who witnessed might BELIEVE, and also in response to his sisters’ faith.

The Prodigal Son was ‘dead’, but he repented “when he came to himself”, not when the father kidnapped him.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Are slaves alive? If they are offered freedom, can they accept?

Not until their chains have been removed.

[Mr Rogers]

He came to his senses, and returned to his father, who welcomed him, and said that the one who was dead is alive.

Can we repent? Can the lost repent? Can the dead repent?

[kcvl]

Recycled liberal writer - David Van Biema

http://www.facebook.com/people/David-Van-Biema/566896657

Previously he has occupied writing positions at “Life”, “People”, and “The Washington Post Sunday Magazine”.

[kcvl]

Van Biema lightheartedly calls himself “a secular Jew who occasionally backslides into practice.”

[the_conscience]

Why would God rebuke you for not having what he alone can give?

Again, you got to understand the story of redemption. We are born in Adam but that doesn't change what's required. God promised in Gen 3 that the seed of Eve would crush Satan. He didn't say anything about how man had to have some self-produced faith to meet any conditions. Simply the seed would do the work.

Adam was supposed to work his way to glorification but failed and we all died in him to God. And as you read through the OT God is always the one who does the work to save his people. The OT points to the one who will do the work for them.

Making faith a work is no different than any other work. It makes faith a law and as Paul said numerous times if you live by the law you will die by the law. Faith is always passive and merely receives and rests on the true power.

[RnMomof7]

Can we repent? Can the lost repent? Can the dead repent?

If God grants us repentance...

Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

2Cr 7:9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

Act 5:31Act 5:31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand [to be] a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Act 11:18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

Repentance is a gift of God .... seeking it with tears as did Esau or Judas who tied to repent and could not find it.

Hbr 12:16 Lest there [be] any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
Hbr 12:17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Mat 27:3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
Mat 27:4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What [is that] to us? see thou [to that].
Mat 27:5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

2Cr 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

To have true repentance one must hate sin. An unregenerate man does not hate sin, he loves it. So our desire to come, our ability and desire to repent and the ability to trust in Christ alone as our Savior all come from Gods drawing us and His work of regeneration in us.

We come and we confess not because we were seeking Him, but because he sought us.

John 6 tells us that no man can come unless the Father draws him. Scripture is very clear on who does the drawing and the work and will of saving.

[RnMomof7]

Are slaves alive? If they are offered freedom, can they accept?
Not until their chains have been removed.

Amen we have been bought with a price ...

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Again, you got to understand the story of redemption. We are born in Adam but that doesn't change what's required. God promised in Gen 3 that the seed of Eve would crush Satan. He didn't say anything about how man had to have some self-produced faith to meet any conditions. Simply the seed would do the work.

Adam was supposed to work his way to glorification but failed and we all died in him to God. And as you read through the OT God is always the one who does the work to save his people. The OT points to the one who will do the work for them

. Making faith a work is no different than any other work. It makes faith a law and as Paul said numerous times if you live by the law you will die by the law. Faith is always passive and merely receives and rests on the true power

AMEN! All glory to God.

That phrase actually means what it says. All.