| Appendices -> Critique of Calvinism -> Eph 1:4-5; Rom 9:16-23 |
Eph 1:4-5 "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be Holy and without blame before Him in Love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His Will."
Let us now grapple with the perplexing "good pleasure of His Will" to somewhat of a finality. We have already dealt with the Calvinist denying plain scriptures that predestination is according to foreknowledge. We have already also explained that election concerns those of His ekklesia in His Son ultimately in Heaven. To the Calvinist election is a proactive type of "making" (to children known as Zapping! This is like lightning hitting in a comic book, Zap!) of those who are going to be born again or not. This is not scriptural election. See Rom 8:29-30 discussion above and read Elect in the Son by Robert Shank. 1
Mysteriously, these verses in Ephesians excite Calvinists to a height of passion because they have the trigger words "chosen," and "predestinated," and "adoption," and especially the "good pleasure of His Will," with which they have been hypnotized. These words always awake a Calvinist to scream "sovereignty!" with great distress. In this they are much like the "grace" regardless people who hysterically scream "works" when one mentions obedience of faith. All deductive thinkers are energized by trigger words. They are hypnotized (brainwashed) with subjective delusional assertions which, of course, also energizes their habituated emotions. It is really quite stimulating to them. They really get hormonal and excited like chimps when an enemy approaches.
We would like to point out that John 6:40 above, which we have already quoted and described in meaning, also clearly interprets these verses as to just "what is the good pleasure of His Will." Go up above and read John 6:40 again. Jesus makes a very clear and unambiguous statement and this is repeated all through the gospels and epistles as to what His Will is.
John 6:40 says, "And this is (present active indicative) the Will of Him that sent Me, that every one which is seeing (present active participle--aspect) the Son, and is believing (present active,themselves doing the action-- participle--aspect) into (eis, for the purpose of) Him, is having (present active subjunctive, aspect, might be having) everlasting Life: and I will raise (present active indicative) him up at the last day."
Notice their is no passive voice--subject being acted upon, in this entire verse. And even the 'might be having' everlasting Life is not a guarantee. The entire New Testament is filled with the present active indicative and participles describing the state of those acceptable and pleasing to the Father, as well as the present active having Life in Christ as a consequence. It is these that will be among the elect in His Son in Heaven.
"But the scripture hath concluded all (pas) under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that are believing (committing, present active, continuously by own actions--participle, aspect) " (Gal 3:22).
"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all (pas) should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) "For God so loved the world that whosoever (pas ho, all who) is continuously believing (present active--subject doing the action continuously, participle, aspect) in (eis, for result or purpose of) Him might (aorist--whenever, middle--in their own behalf, subjunctive--subjunctive of prohibition, definitely not) not (me) perish........" (John 3:16). 2
Interesting, that the "all" (pas) is the same group under sin that should come to repentance and might not perish IF they are continuously committing, believing in Him. There is not such an election or chosing or decree as the Calvinists demand in all of scriptures. They are not found in the scriptures. Their doctrines are based on pagan understandings of a god of only characteristics. See Doffun.com free eBook to learn differences between only having Characteristics of pagan gods and Attributes of our Creator God.
Love suffers long, not willing that any perish for whom He died. Love does not always get His way. But a leading Calvinist (James White) said, "If I maintained a "universal" atonement, that is, if I said that Christ died a substitutionary death in the place of every single man and woman in all the world, then I was forced to either say that 1) everyone will be saved, or 2) the death of Christ is insufficient to save without additional works."3 These were his only alternatives, he said.
Let us look at these two conclusions of this Calvinist. A universal atonement would mean:
- "everyone will be saved." Does this follow logically? No, not at all. Again this is forcing a conclusion based on an assertion that it must be so. This is not reasoning, but concluding on no basis except an assertion. Anytime a person accepts this statement he must necessarily be doing deductive thinking. To the Calvinist if Christ died for all or the whole world as it repeatedly says, then in their minds it is a fixed logical conclusion that all will be saved. This is not rational nor logical by any standard. Logically, there may certainly be any number of other contingencies within the mind of God, such as allowing man the "right" of choice and therefore, resisting the Holy Spirit. Only one conculsion need not follow the starting premise. But this is the way Calvinists think, but not logically.
- A universal atonement would mean: "the death of Christ is insufficient to save without additional works." Where this final alternative comes from I have no idea. It is a total non sequiter. I suspect it comes from a contamination of either "grace" or "work" dichotomy of the New Age "grace" regardless teachings that have infected even Reformed teachings greatly. This assertion is not just another assertion but a truly non sequiter (doesn't sensibly apply) assertion. It infers that the only way Christ's death can save is by direct total transformation of man (soul and spirit) or else man must do some kind of work himself. Again, these are assertions without mind or reasons accepted a piori (as a given) and again disregarding any other possiblitities within the Wisdom of God. The reader is referred to the preceding Appendix, Calvinist and Arminian Differences to see a very clear alternative to the need for "additional works."
What he states are not reasons but assertions. This is that in which Calvinists are masters, thinking they have said something rational--a tall-tail characteristic of all dedicated deductive thinkers, making totally ficticious assertions. We shall not belabor the lack of reasoning or apologetics here but to point out to the reader that they are just assertions. Don't mistake assertions for reasons or evidence to consider. Also, there are no reasons given as to why these are the only exclusive choices. Again, no reasoning per se just an assertion that he has accepted, then redefining every scripture to conform to their starting assertions. Refer to the two clear detailed outlines of differences between the soteriology of Calvinists and Arminians in the Calvanist/Arminian Difference Appendix to see that there is a very acceptable third alternative to these two assertions with scriptural reasons given.
The problem of polemics with deductive thinkers is that their systematic theology (which should be a conclusive coherent consistent construction of everything) starts with unfounded assertions and builds upon unfounded assertions until what you have is a house of unfounded delusional beliefs in every respect justifying each other. It is as though they have been given up to a lie. These above statements of this Calvinist's beliefs should demonstrate this. Their unfortunate condition will not allow them to understand what they are doing in their thinking and, also, cannot comprehend that there is any contradiction in their thinking for change to occur. Their entire structure of referencing is by simply making assertions that they prefer: "They love the traditions and acceptance of men."
"The either/or mentality of the Calvinist (either God is only totally inscrutably Sovereign or He isn't God) is totally illogical and devoid of common sense." It may be that a Sovereign God wishes His Works to be known from the beginning and has declared them in His Word and that He has given to us His Holy Spirit to teach us all things. Maybe ignorance is not God's wish for us. The very fact of denying such mental choices in considering the Godhead exhibits one of the criteria for medically diagnosing a mental illness. Mental illness is characterized by a demonstrable lack of choices in considerations of alternatives.
We do not say these things about mentality to be mean or belligerent. To say that a form of thinking is not logical or that this is the type used by the powers of darkness can only be made in truth, if that is what is evident. We highly respect Calvinists for their love of my Saviour and Father, but none of us are perfect and to make an observation about the form of thinking one is using is not meant to be a personal insult or mean. We realize that it will be taken that way, but why should not our form of thinking be discussed apart from personalities. Did not Christ criticize Peter's thinking and did not Paul criticize Peter and Barnabas's thinking and behavior (said to be Holy men of God, 2 Peter 1:21). And are we not exhorted to be continuously renewing our minds and looking to the ways of our brethern? This is not intended personally except to say it applies to all of us in our thinking. We think that a sound mind of the Holy Sprit should be of primary importance to all of us.
After the illumination of the Holy Spirit, if man makes a commitment (believing) into Christ's Lordship of his own free choice or volition, and this is considered an unacceptable "work" to God, then all the scriptures are a farce and contradictory.
Christ Himself said, "this is the work to God that pleases Him, that you are believing (present active--volition of subject-- indicative) on Him Whom He has sent." (John 6:29)
"But the scripture hath concluded all (pas) under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that are believing" (Gal 3:22).
"Whosoever (pas ho) is believing (present active--volition of subject, participle) " (Jn 3:16). The entire New Testament is filled with the Providential use of the Greek active voice, expressing the volitional choice of the subject doing the acting after being providentially spiritually enlightened by the Holy Spirit concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. If the Calvinists were correct about their zapping election, then all believing and acting of man would be in the passive Greek voice. They cannot coherently explain this.
I am amazed that Calvinists look at Ephesians 1:5 without asking themselves "What is the good pleasure of His Will?" All they do is emotionally react with: "There it is. See!! It says God does it according to His Will. What more do you need?" And they stop right there and look at you as though they have said something intelligent and persuasive. Again, why don't they, as the Bereans, search His Word to see what is the good pleasure of His Will. There are many scriptures that say the same thing as plainly stated as in John 6:40. None of these such scriptures say: "God is Sovereign. He saves only whom His Sovereignty chooses, without any conditions, called unconditional election by irresistible grace. We do not know why He chooses some and damns others." This is darkness gone to seed.
This brings us to "irresistible grace" by which this gracious special zapping (election, they falsely call it) of only certain men is effected. I worry about people who are Calvinists; they scar me. Anyone who says that man cannot resist the Holy Spirit is a very scary person. Logically, either he is spiritually naïve (to put it kindly), or he necessarily thinks that he himself is spiritually living as a perfect man (God-man) himself and will continue the same beyond death, or that he is special to an impartial God despite how he may treat Him that he causes no response from the triune God the Holy Spirit by his sinning. Either of these three possibilities is truly scary.
The Holy Spirit cannot condone any shade of sin, nor would He desire that this creature that He indwells would sin, nor will He prevent his choice. Yet, can a true born-again Christian sin? Yes. Can the Holy Spirit be resisted (Acts 7:51), grieved (Eph 4:30), quenched (1 Thess 5:19), or suffer despite (Heb 10:29) by the person He indwells? Of course, He can. But these very clear scriptural statements are denied by the Calvinists. They hypnotically assert "Sovereign election" of only a few "special" people. Isn't "grace" wonderful. Are they elitists? Treated specially by God over other people by "impartiality" and "justice". Amazing "grace" indeed.
An imperfect human must of necessity be a resistor of the Holy Spirit to a greater or lesser degree by the presence of his very unsanctified flesh nature. To again beg the question (make an assertion to change the subject) by a claim that this term only speaks of the Holy Spirit's work in salvation of a man, one must show us some scriptures that say that He cannot be resisted in salvation but that after that he can be resisted by the saved man. Also, if that assertion were true, how can He be only all efficient Holy Spirit one minute and resisted Holy Spirit another, as God Himself? The Calvinist has a lot of problems with common sense.
Although they deny it, Calvinists start and stop their doctrinal understanding on the assertion that God is Sovereign and may do as he pleases. They may quote, or instance, "Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps" (Psalm 135:6)." I totally agree. But there is one problem that all their isogesics of many verses like this that they fail to see. All these verses state something like, "according to the good pleasure of His will" or "whatever the Lord pleases, He does." Must they not inquire in curiosity what the scriptures say His will is or what pleases Him? But they do not inquire except to say "He does it all for His Glory," cause they read it somewhere. But they can't coherently tell you how He demonstrates His Attributes for His Glory by His direct inscutible "irresistible" zapping of robots. Again, Calvinism's god is an inscrutable god of Augustinian Catholicism like all surrounding pagan religions.
Also, Calvinists must redefine all the plain words of scripture to support their unscriptural assertions. They redefine words like "all, whosoever, election, predestination, world, all the world," and so forth. "He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world," saying "elect according to the foreknowledge of God" [Rom 8:29 and 1 Peter 1:2 said twice to be established by God. (Gen 41:32)]. Any time someone uniformly redefines numerous words in scripture which can be simply and coherently understood in context by a little child without antimony and Greek inconsistency, you know that you are dealing with a deductive (inadequate, false) system of theology.
The Calvinists will flatly deny that these scriptures say election is according to foreknowledge, saying it is only by the "Sovereignty of God." Folks, these scriptures are written to a little child, not to big burly robed doctoral theologians in elevated mahogany pulpits redefining all that obstructs their high views. I must think that they learned man's doctrines (man's traditions) first and did deductive thinking thereafter. Following the tall tail of deductive thinking --redefinitions are a lively give away--always leads back to the beginning false assertion being supported. To accept Catholic Augustine's definition of election is regrettable.
These celebrated theologians (they should be "apologists") today don't seem to understand English or even Greek. We must respectfully say this to all the wonderful great Calvinist saints and scholars who have labored and proclaimed His Word as their very bread of Life. We would be thankful to just be able to polish their shoes in Heaven. We thank God for their labor of Love in Him. But we think they have even today an extremely incomplete and even pagan theology (understanding of God's Love, Justice, Holiness, and salvation). We are sorry for them, but we think His Word reveals so much more to us of a God Who is Love and Justice and Holiness and Truth. They have a very blinded and disdainfully mocking understanding of God and, therefore, theology. It can only be born of demons.
To say as the Calvinists that we don't know why, but man is in no position to question Him is truly begging the question (making an assertion to change the subject) and denying that the Holy Spirit through His Word would lead them into all Truth. God says, "Come now let us reason together....." Christ said the Holy Spirit would teach us all things and bring all things to our remembrance (John 14:26).
I have yet to know of a Calvinist who believed in "special individual election of only certain people by irresistible grace" from his initial understanding as a little child reading scriptures by himself. I think that in order to be a Calvinist one must really strive to subvert his common sense, to accept man's esteemed assertions, in order to be acceptable to men teaching doctrines of man. Once a person has done this in his mind, he is destined to only thinking deductively thereafter, and there is no possibility of change within the process of deductive thinking. It is as though they have been given up to a lie (2 Thess. 2:11). See Hermeneutics.
There is no question that God is Sovereign. No one argues that. But that does not mean He can be relegated among the pantheon of false gods who also do as they please with inscrutable whims. His Word is meant to tell us more. Calvinist's certainly do not wish to, nor do they teach this, but by stopping their Biblical interpretations short without fully accounting for His Other Principles of Character in their doctrines of salvation (although they rabidly deny this), how can we have a complete theology? It seems they do not see that His Sovereignty must be dispensed through His Love and Holiness and Justice in depths of Wisdom only revealed in His Word. A swaying mantra in shrilled and regular beats of "God is sovereign....God is Sovereign.....God is Sovereign....." just brings reasoned understanding to no one.
It is not enough to simple expound upon how gracious He is to save any one, they must answer as to why He does not save everyone if God is Love. It is not enough to say that He justly sends whomever he wishes to Hell, they must answer as to why "in justice" he does not send all to Hell. Unless they can, they have an incomplete theology. All of their redefinitions of plain words of scripture such as "all, the whole world, all men, foreknowledge, election, whosoever, any, world, calling, etc." to support "Sovereignty only" are obviously spurious. They do not discern from scriptures the Godhead Whom they are trying to explain. Again, "What is the pleasure of His Will as revealed in the scriptures?" Calvinists have a very incomplete and pagan primitive theology.
Rom. 9:16-23 From the context, Romans chapter 9 speaks of choosing between nations to bring salvation to all the world. The potter and the clay and vessels of wrath and vessels of mercy in 9:22-23 refers to the different kinds of pots (national identities) through which He worked in history. Rom. 9:13-18 speaking of having mercy on whom He desires and hardening whom He wills refers again to establishing national histories through whom He desired to make Himself known. The OT scriptures say that Pharaoh hardened his own heart repeatedly, in addition to God hardening it. God just gave him his desires by further hardening. Pharaoh is without excuse, therefore. This was to accomplish a freed national identity again to Israel. This chapter repeatedly illustrates God's intervention for national identities in history, not arbitrarily saving and damning individuals. Pharaoh is a good example of this.
"What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom He hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles" (Rom 9:22-24). This is not an inscrutable God's Will of saving only certain individuals and damning others.4 Even in the affairs of nations, God's Love and longsuffering is ever in view. A Calvinist "naturally" interprets Rom 9 meaning to individuals because they do not know what scriptural election is to start. They falsely assert that election is a preemptive zapping of God to make only certain individuals saved.
In Romans 10 and 11, Paul is here speaking to individuals who are counted either among Israel or Gentiles in having salvation brought to them. He is here speaking to individuals in the Roman Gentile church using the judgments of God even upon His chosen Israel in chapter 9 as an admonition to individual gentiles saying: "Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I (singular) might be grafted in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou (singular) standest by faith. Be not high minded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee (singular)" (Rom 11:19-22).
Then in Rom. 11:30-32 Paul sums up this three chapter explanation of God's working in history among nations for salvation purposes: "For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all" ( Rom 11:30). This plainly concludes that He wants to show Himself merciful to all.
The Calvinist would say that all (everyone) are in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all (only certain ones among all classes). Come on! The meaning of "All" doesn't change within one second. All is All. The Greek word here is the same in both places. It means ALL in every 1256 times it is used in the NT.
Now, just to further tease the Calvinist who interprets Chapter 9 as well as Chapters 10 and 11 as referring to individuals, I don't really have any problem even with that. If they want to think that the statements in Chapter 9 refers to individuals by God's foreknowledge of the end, without any mythical decree, we would fully agree. Our answer is "so what!" God will do with any man what He desires. We totally agree with that.
Again, our question is, " What does God will?" This is our whole argument with them. I think the Bible tells us exactly what He wishes in detail and how He accomplishes this. The Calvinist stops with "He is a great big inscrutable God," we cannot understand Him.
The Calvinist denies any further explanations after He says God just does as he pleases, that stops the discussion. They seem to resent any explanation that would make His Will less inscrutable than they like to prefer. Deductive thinkers look at the light of details just like a deer overtaken by lights on a car. They are paralyzed, staring blankly, and cannot think further, except to robotically repeat their mantra, "But God is Sovereign." Deductive thinkers have no way to handle new information. This is the sad condition of deductive thinkers. They are given up to believe a lie.
A Calvinist who is sophisticated in deductive assertions (really blind) would counter that if the details of "God's wishes" in any way involved the free choice of man, then God does not have any Freedom as God (a great big God hang-up again) but that man would have the last say as to what happens. And I would have to astonish him by saying, "Yes, now you are getting nearer to understanding." Now the poor Calvinist is really agitated. In agony, He would plead, "How can you believe that?" I am feeling very sorry for him in his great pain.
But we maintain that the source and means of salvation is totally from God only, by totally free and Sovereign Love, Justice, and Holiness from inception to completion. Romans 9:16 says: "So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. God does with man just what He wishes, as the scripture in Romans 9 says. God has by His grace operated in man's heart that is rebellious to enlighten him to Himself. It is God that shows mercy.
But God also accomplishes His plan of salvation in man as a spirit-being to whom He Sovereignly gave the right of free-choice in the Garden of Eden. He honors this work in a spirit being, as Himself. He does not deny Himself even if we believe not (2 Tim 2:13). He Sovereignly operates in all rebellious men by enlightenment to Himself (John 1:9 and 12:32), and "drawing all men" (Jn 12:32) to Himself, thereby showing mercy to all men, not just only certain ones. But certain men do always resist the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51).
"For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all" ( Rom 11:30). In this He has simply reenacted the Garden of Eden story again through the Last Adam, Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:45). The Tree of Life is made once again available to man through Jesus Christ, the second Man. Now, he may "freely eat of The Tree of Life," but only in Christ. "Whosoever will......."
You see, man DOES have a say (not the first and not the last say) as to what happens to him, dear Calvinist. Just as in the Garden of Eden again. A Sovereign God planned to reenact this scene. No one will be in Hell who hasn't chosen to be there. Our Father in Wisdom and Sovereignty gave man the right of free choice; He never removed this in Genesis history. Did He, or not?
"22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep (safeguard) the way of the tree of life" (Gen 3:22-24). God is not willing that any should perish. God wishes to send no one to the Hell that He has prepared for the devil and his angels (interesting that Hell isn't predestined for "un-elected" men). But He is NOW safeguarding "the tree of Life" in Jesus Christ, in whom only residues Eternal Life, and man only has access to the way of "the Tree of Life" through Him, and can only Live in right-relationship (righteousness) to Him through His Holy Sprit Mind of Christ (faith) indwelling them to guide, teach, and empower them in this present Life. As long as man residues in a "flesh" nature body, Eternal life and the Way of Life is safeguarded in Christ. It is now plain why Christ said,
"I AM the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE: no man is coming of His own volition (present middle indicative) unto (pros, to) the Father, but by (dia, through) Me" (John 14:6)
Every one simply gets what he chooses after God has enlightened him, Eternal Life in Him or separation from God. Christ paid the price (death) for all men's sins, so if anyone goes to Hell it was not because he sinned but because he rejected Christ's suffering death sacrifice for all to satisfy God's Love, Justice, and Holiness, and yet save the many who will commit themselves into HIS resurrection LIFE freely offered to them.
"In (en, inside) Him was Life ; and the Life was the light of men" (John 1:4).
"Search the scriptures; for in (en, inside) them ye think ye have eternal Life: and they are they which testify of (peri, concerning) Me. And ye will definitely not (ou) come to (pros, toward, accusative) Me, that ye might be having (present--now continuously, active--deliberately in reality, subjunctive--as possibility) Life. I am definitely not (ou) receiving (present active indicative) honour along side of (para) men" (John 5:39-41). The allegorizatioin of scriptures by Augustine and now Calvinists has done a great disservice to Biblical interpretation. All the scriptures are understood with clear literal exegesis of scriptures is by taking a totally literal interpretation of scripture, except for obvious figures of speech.
"In (en, within, inside) Him was Life" (Jn 1:4).
"Hereby know we that we dwell in (en, inside) Him, and He in (en,inside) us , because He hath given us of (ek, out from within) His Spirit" (1 John 4:13).
"For ye are being (present active indicative) the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in (en, inside) them , and walk in (en,inside-peripateo, to walk) them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people" (2 Cor 6:16)
"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in (en, inside) the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in (en, inside) you, except ye are being reprobates?" (2 Cor 13:5) Hereby, man is without excuse. No one in Hell can justly say God was unjust because He took others to Heaven, but made and left him a sinner for hell without any choice. The Angels of Heaven and His deliberately committing ones are His people (Jew and Gentile), a Holy nation to praise and Glorify Him forever for such great Love and Justice and Holiness and Truth and Wisdom. Without shadow of turning, and without partiality.
He is not just a great big inscrutable pagan god who wishes to specifically and inscrutably save only certain people by a mythical electiion decree. This is what Augustine described to support and defend the corrupt pagan Catholic priesthood against the criticism at the time. Young John Calvin, gullibly read Augustine's writings.
Only God does the saving, and it is not man who saves nor can man initiate the saving, but man does have a choice in it after he is enlightened and drawn by God. Jesus Christ through the wisdom and foreknowledge by which He purposed our redemption and sanctification to the image of Himself with the Father before the foundation of the world (Acts 2:23) saves perfectly. Christ in us saves perfectly in a manner that demonstrate all Glory (Spiritual Perfection) residing in the Love, Justice, Holiness, and Wisdom of God.
The Calvinist cannot understand how this can be done if God's Will doesn't nullify man's choice. God has been very explicit how He has done this through Christ in the scriptures. The explanation and understanding of this involves an understanding of the difference between believing and faith, and what each is. The average Calvinist today has rejected Calvin's even miniscule understanding of Faith and adopted the Westminster view of Calvinism in regard to faith. See article on Faith, and what it is.
Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Our Father is a God of Love and of Justice and of Holiness, not willing that any should perish. Not just a great big inscrutible God. He's big enough to allow man to retain the ability to exercise his right of choice, still making man's salvation all of Himself and not of man. "Oh the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!" (Rom 11:33).
The Sovereignty of God will never be more demonstrated in eternity than when He has clearly demonstrated to all this creation His Love, Justice, and Holiness in accomplishing His Total Will to His Glory in our creation in the Garden and His recreation of us by His exceedingly Wise salvation.
"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" (Rom 11:33) Augustine and Luther and Calvin, in one way or another, all said "(1) If God ordained things according to His Will,(2) there can be no free will of man." Now we want you to think about this. Is this second clause a logical exclusive conclusion from the first statement? Of course not! There may be any number of contingencies of God's Will and Wisdom that may allow or enable making some form of free choice available to man. This is pure logical common sense thinking. However, Calvinists think this is an iron clad logical definitive statement demonstrating that man cannot have any free choice. Absolutely amazing.
We are saying that God in His Sovereignty and free grace is the only source and only means of salvation of man from beginning to end, but that He is pleased and Wills and has accomplished as scripture plainly states to provide His salvation to man involving His created and bestowed right of free-choice to man. He is bigger and wiser than the Calvinists say He is. We are saying that God has devised, according to His Will a better solution than the Calvinist seems to understand.
Unfortunately, a really scary thing about most studied and preaching Calvinists is the concept in their minds that if you do not possess the acumen of logic that they have in their understanding concerning this Freedom of God over the creature-hood of man, that only the grace of God can enlighten you of such higher understanding. They begin to think that their (actual lack of) logical thinking is a gift of grace from God. This is the typical prideful blindness that deductive thinkers have. This is their tall tail sign in the high grass (marihuana) of their doctrines.
We apologize for repeatedly referring to deductive thinking, but it is apparent that this is a very special device of the devil. Get man to believe an asserted lie, and they are snared. They will relate everything to that lie thereafter. This is plainly deductive thinking by definition. This is the simple snare of Adam and Eve in the garden: "Hath God said...they will be specially blessed with knowledge...you will become as gods." Nowhere is this more prevalent than in religious thinking where special knowledge is their sole possession.
Again, refer to the clear and concise outlines of differences between a Calvinist and an Arminian concerning salvation in the Calvanist/Arminian Difference Appendix. This clearly shows the details of the differences as stated here.
Romans 9, concerning the Calvinist TULIP. Calvinists mistakenly refer to their TULIP doctrines as doctrines of grace. They then like to define grace simply as unmerited favor, as something not merited or earned. It is God's Sovereign merciful favor.
No better Summary of a Calvinists' (Augustinians) inability to read the scriptures plain explanation of the HOW and WHY of our Lord's redemption of us, than in their interpretation of Rom 9th chapter, which manifestly refers to nations being dealt with by God, but they mistakenly apply to individuals in regards to personal salvation. They then quote Rom 9:14-16, which says,
"What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy."
Therefore, they say, God is NOT required (obliged) to give mercy to all. Mercy is by His grace. He is not required to offer His Grace to all for salvation, because He is sovereign. He chooses to only give Grace or Mercy to some, not all. He can do this because He is Sovereign. It is that simple, they say.
Many say, "If God gives grace (mercy) to one person, He must give grace (mercy) to all." Calvinists say this is nonsense. Also, he does not "offer" grace or mercy, He "gives" (forces) it. Man has no choice in the matter. Man is marvelously changed so that he thinks he is exercising choice, but he has been so instantaneously changed he just thinks he is choosing. All is determined through God's Sovereign Will, they say. Man has nothing to say about it in any manner. All happenings are linearly sequentially determined from the foundation of the world, from beginning to the end, by God's Sovereign plan for everything. that happens in the most minute detail. It is purely fatalistic Soteriology, without any apologies.
RC Sproul, among the most well known Calvinists today, says we are mistakenly applying our "American" idea of fairness to God, and then he laughs at this idea that God is obliged out of "fairness" to do any thing. (from Sproul's Predestination series, part 5, "Justice, Mercy, Grace" ). When we think that this manifest partiality, respect of persons, shown by God, is unfair and unjust, Sproul says, "God is sovereign, and God is not obligated to give mercy or grace. If He were so obligated, it wouldn't be grace. It would be justice." Then he heartily laughs, as though we are so stupid to think otherwise.
Sproul, in effect, means that God is not obligated to give grace to anyone, that is why it is called grace (a favor). And if He gives this favor to only some and not all that is His business and Sovereign right. Grace is "Sovereignly administered." In summary, since God is sovereign, then He does just as He pleases. He gives Mercy to whomever "as it pleases Him." Just that simple. Period. He is not obligated to give favor to anyone, but when He does, He does it of His own right as a favor to only some. We don't understand why he only favors some and not all, Sproul admits elsewhere (Chosen by God), but God is Sovereign, so He can do as He pleases, Sproul says.
A King has the sovereign right to do just as he pleases to any of his subjects. After all in his sovereignty he has the right to be unequal to the people. This Sproul says is God's Sovereign right to give grace (pardon) to only some, and give pure "justice" to the rest. No rational moral person can think this about an earthly king, that he is a just king if he partially saves some (his favorites) and brutally treats whomever he pleases. And certainly not think that a moral immutable Creator God whom scripture says is no respecter of persons, who makes all His human subjects sinners from birth without any choice of their own, could be just in such a despicable action. But Calvinists offer their incredible lofty doctoral philosophies with no question at all about their own moral sanity. Mystery of deception!
All Calvinist reasoning about its TULIP "blocks", inevitably ends up justifying itself with only this INSCRUTABLE "Sovereignty of God" mysticism, which makes no sense at all to any reasonable person. Since God gives the sinner status to all people from infant birth, how can He possibly justly send any to hell, without them having some choice in the matter. But the Calvinist always forgets this little fact in their lofty allegorical philosophies of Sovereign Zapping (election) by God (1 Tim 6:20). The love of God and the justice of God is all rationalized away, against all instinctive understandings of any person about the characteristics of Truth Justice or God's Love as also described in the scriptures.
RC Sproul laughs at such instinctive understandings of fairness, saying that is our American mentality. No, it is a universal God implanted mentality, confirmed by clear scriptures, which God gave to all his created beings to know him as Romans, chapter 1, says. But men, rejecting their God given good sense, choose to become wise in their own imaginations, and their foolish hearts become darkened (Rom 1).
All false thinking about concepts are based on what is called deductive thinking. All thinking of all Calvinists, Catholics, denominations, cults, or other religions are derived from deductive thinking. It is the devil's thinking. Deductive Thinking is simply any thinking starting with a conclusion (an assumed fact of existence) and therefrom assigning proper relationships upon other assumed facts(often falsely defined). This is fine for learning how to drive a car or learning anatomy or electrical wiring or plumbing, when one is simply handling objects (facts) in the environment; but deductive thinking has no place in proper thinking about any concepts.
Starting with the Sovereignty of God and then making all scriptures conform and even be redefined to fit that one (as only) Attribute of God, is not rational (sound logical) thinking. In Logic, this is called equivication of terms and suppressed evidence (simplistic premise). These are errors of deductive thinking, their only means of bluster. When dealing with concepts, only sound Inductive Thinking must be used.
Every child and person starts out with some demand of a "logical" (non-contradictory) explanation of things, and they instinctively say, "That doesn't make sense." Also, it is inborn into every spirit Creation of God to instinctively have an understanding of true "unselfish" Love and impartial Justice. These are inborn into all of us by our Creator (Rom 1:20). But as we can see, Calvinists laugh at these Created demands of "logical" people. They have actively (took Sproul 5 years of struggling) deluded (deceived) themselves into a system of deductive thinking. Every Calvinist, so-called scholar, admits to a struggle before "seeing" the logic (deductive thinking) in it. RC Sproul is an esteemed teacher of Logic and misses this entirely. Mystery of what?
Finally, after first accepting some one of the false assertions offered by Calvinists, they are each then lead into the air-tight simplistic deductive circular thinking system of Calvinism in its entirety. This must necessarily be the mental history of every person who accepts the Calvinist doctrines. The rational inductive logical thinking faculty given to every man must necessarily be laid aside for the deductive thinking of Calvinism. This is entered by first accepting a lie (half-truth) then basing all reasonings and the necessary redefinitions of the simple pure words of scripture to support this beginning half-truth.
Sproul says, God's-Sovereignty-only is the basis of all, so God can do as He pleases. Sproul's entrance into this profound mystery, as he states, is when he falsely read Romans 9 as referring to an individual's salvation. James White accepted the half-truth of God's-Sovereignty-only-basis after accepting a conclusion from an invalid logical syllogism about God's Sovereignty given to him, quite apart from scriptures.
What never seems to occur to Calvinists is to see if the scriptures fully explain what his will or pleasure is. They stop at it being to inscrutably save some and leave the others to "justice" because they were born as sinners. We thought the scriptures and Christ Himself said that the Holy Spirit would come to guide us into ALL truth. Calvinists say No, since we don't understand it, all of you will just have to wait till we get to Heaven. I assume they plan to tell us all then. In the meantime, Calvinist know all that can be known now, they have the only truth and all the truth available, they think. Scripture says ALL Truth.
We thought the scriptures say that Christ died for the sins of the world world and the gospel is to whosoever, the Calvinists say NO, we must redfine in this instance the pure word world (kosmos), meaning human organized society, and whosoever (pas ho), meaning all-who, to make God's Sovereignty-only consideration in salvation make sense. And these redefining rationalized sophistries are given over and over by these presumptuous Calvinist scholars. This adding to and subtracting from the simple, clear, non-contradictory scripture meanings should make us all shudder (Rev 22:18-19).
To any person that thinks inductively, this above discussion about RC Sproul's clear explanations of Calvinism would be amusing and as clear as day to discern. But this is a very very serious matter. Soon we will make a drawing of it, for all to see how these boastful scholars of Calvinism think. The drawing is adopted from RC Sprouls own such drawings.
But first, deductive thinking is betrayed by many superficial obvious signs, obvious to the inductively thinking person, who may know nothing about doctrines of the scriptures. We shall detail three here:
- The first dead give away (called The "Smell" Test that even a little child can do) is that deductive thinking in regard to any concepts of God goes against any rational persons instinctual universally God given knowledge of God's Attributes of Love, Truth, Holiness, and Wisdom. Justice is whenever Love and Holiness meet in God's court of His Law, to decide His Forgiveness or Damnation. Everyone instinctually knows that God is no respecter of persons or "it" isn't fair. ALL His universal cosmic Attributes govern all His Behavior. Any doctrines of His Word cannot violate this instinctual knowing of His Attributes. He cannot deny Himself (2 Tim 2:13). Calvinists, or any false How and Why salvation doctrines, violate this very basic first principle: "All that God does is dictated by ALL His Attributes of Existence of Who He IS." "He cannot deny Himself." Justice partially applied is not justice to any rational or even Spiritually enlightened person. But the Calvinist says this is their gods perfect right as a sovereign. His sovereignty explains all in their thinking. Then they openly laugh at anyone that would be so intelligent as to think like a little child, as Christ prescribed. The little child instinctively (Rom 1:20) wonders about "Love, Truth, Wisdom, and Holiness" also, and somehow it doesn't smell right to him. "Something is fishy!"
- Secondly, when such deductive thinking is applied to the Word of Truth, where every word is pure with only one meaning throughout and, thereby, giving one coherent Truth concerning any doctrine throughout, these deductive thinkers of Calvinism feel free to redefine any child simple understanding to many different meanings. Remember, the scriptures are concepts, NOT environmental objects to be manipulated by deductive thinking. Only inductive thinking is appropriate.
Concepts are dealt with by Inductive Thinking, by looking at all the concepts (words) in the scriptures in their peculiar relationships of use, and deriving one induced conclusion (meaning) that would fit all relationships examined for that word (resolving any contradictions), we know that we have God's meaning for that pure word. This is the kind of thinking that any law detective must follow to come to the most reasonable conclusion. No seeming contradiction can be accepted in order to be absolutely sure. Men have obtained legal retrials and declared innocence on just such common sense appeals. This is just common sense thinking that all of us instinctively know is reasonable and just. See article on Hermeneutics for detailed explanation..
Since deductively derived concepts or doctrines haven't inductively derived their doctrines by removing all contradictions in their mental processing, as done in inductive thinking; therefore, deductively derived doctrines must necessarily and openly "redefine" the pure, one meaning, non contradictory words of scripture to make their doctrines sound "logical" to the instinctual mentality of all men, even themselves.
As illustration, "all" doesn't mean all, as in any dictionary, meaning "all," without distinction within the subject class mentioned, but Calvinists redefine all, as being with distinction within the class mentioned. This is the kind of unprincipled changing of any meaning 180 degrees around from the meaning originally. This is exactly like President Clinton saying that something is sex depending upon your definition of "is", depending upon whether you mean without distinction , or with distinction. This Calvinistic doublespeak is simply godless satanic justification of itself. Any person using a child's innocent understanding can see these obvious redefinitions they give in justification of their assertions.
Having actively accepted (by deception--of accepting a false starting assertion, which differs between Calvinists individually, by their testimonies) a starting assertion, as they admit, they must necessarily later accept the falsely redefined asserted redefinition of words to make the whole conclusion sound "logical", both to themselves and others. But they do this with the greatest of enthusiasm in their newfound intellectual deception among their highly esteemed professors.
So we have their denial that even simple words as "all, every, whosoever, any, whole world, fore-knowledge, etc," really don't mean what a little child would understand them to mean. Redefining of the words of scripture to support the "asserted starting conclusion", so that other resulting asserted facts derived, sound "logical" is the second give away for deductive thinking in regard to concepts. It is called, The "Tall Tail" Sign of the devil in the high grass of false doctrines. Otherwise know as Redefinition of child-like pure scriptural Words.
- The third sign is really quite amusing to an inductive thinker. Deductive thinkers play with blocks, like little toddlers play. Perhaps, one of the first toys toddlers are given after they can sit up, is a set of blocks. Calvinists, as all deductive thinkers, play with blocks. This is very sad actually, but what makes it seem so hilariously funny is that as grown proud highly robbed cathedral perched doctoral theologians, they only play with blocks in their lofty pulpits. And they minutely describe each block as they separately examine each one in their most pedantic examination of each block and how each stacks so neatly upon another, but with absolutely no relationship to God's Attributes except His Sovereignty, which they always place at the top of all their other blocks..
And sadly, for centuries they still all use the same worn set of blocks manufactured about 400 AD by Augustine, the one who conceptualized all their beliefs and the beliefs and behaviors of the Great Whore throughout history and today, the Roman Catholic Church. Remember, it is the devil whose "tall tail" we clearly see in their thinking. He specializes in religious deceptions, all by deductive thinking, as an angel of light, along with his many ministers.
What do we mean by "blocks?" Plainly, they are the doctrines (concepts) that Calvinists treat in every way like concrete blocks or wooden blocks. Deductive thinking is Concrete Block Thinking of human infancy. Notice an example by RC Sproul: "God is sovereign, and God is not obligated to give mercy or grace. If He were so obligated, it wouldn't be grace; It would be justice." This is a prime example of playing with blocks as an infant. He even then gleefully laugh as he admires these blocks that he has so pleasingly stacked for himself. This is really obvious to inductive thinkers. We'll draw a picture.
| Falsely APPLYING Rom 9 to personal salvation. by a sovereign god who sovereignly divides. |
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god |
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| MERCY (Grace) |
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JUSTICE (left to those remaining sinners--not given mercy) |
| LOVE |
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HATE (hates all sins,no mention of loving sinners, but loving sinning "Christians") |
| ELECT (zapped) no choice in the matter Redemption |
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SINNERS (totally depraved, dead, from birth, forever lost) no choice in the matter |
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Heaven |
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DAMNED to hell (their "just" deserts) |
In fact, RC Sproul explains doctrines diagrammatically in a similar manner in his explanations. He undoubtedly thinks this makes his learning very plain to the simple. It does, most clearly. The simple child employing his Creator given rational (logical) mind can by no means find anything but contradiction between all these Calvinists' concrete blocks that they esteem so much.
Notice how each doctrine (denoted by the words) is stacked as separate and distinct "blocks". Each doctrine is distinct and totally isolated from another as well as also isolated from the top block, falsely called god. Notice, god is not capitalized, he is ascribed no Attributes which would govern all a true God's Sovereign salvation would manifest such as Love, Truth, Holiness, and Wisdom with Justice resulting for even a little child to see.
This Calvinist conceptualized inscrutable sovereign god is just placed at the top of the stack, that is all. He is only sovereign. Everything else follows. Those doctrines stacked to the left or right are isolated and separate from any others and particularly from any consideration of the Individual Attributes of our true Creator God. There is no possible way that a Calvinist can relate one to another or even as isolated by any instinctual understanding of anyone to the known total Attributes of their Creator God.
Calvinism can give no reasonable logical, non-contradictory explanation of the Attributes of God, as Love, Truth, Holiness, and Wisdom, and their derivatives as Justice, Mercy, Election, Salvation, or Damnation. All they can offer are pitiful Allegorical stories relating God to a state governor who pardons some in prison and executes others for no apparent reason given, saying that is Love and grace to those he pardons and Justice to the condemned. They think this is rational thinking. But in actuality it is plainly isolated "block" thinking. And to justify their block thinking to logical questioning, they can only use very poorly man invented allegorical stories which, even in themselves, are self-contradictory and in no way contribute any explanation except for their small sovereign-ONLY paganized god concept.
They refuse to admit, by using other allegorical self contradicting justifications, that God (the governor) actually is the ultimate cause of all of their felonious behavior in the first place. They had no choice in being born sinners from the womb. God was pleased to make them that way. They are not responsible that they are sinners. The Calvinist's god is. But they propose quasi logical allegories for this as well, only to expose once again, their self contradictory and irrational thinking in concepts. (See article Explanation, in this Critique of Calvinism, concerning "Calvinist Logic".)
No, our God, the true Creator God of us all and our great Redeemer in his Son , Lord Jesus Christ, is fully and completely and non-contradictorily explained and Glorified by all His Attributes being fully shown by His Redemption of all who would turn to Him. In this, His Great Sovereignty is fully manifest and proclaimed by all His Creation Attributes manifest in His Son and in us for all eternity. His Word plainly written for a child to understand, fully and completely explains what a Calvinist refuses to think is possible. Praise ye, all His Attributes, His Just and deserving Sovereignty Exalted. Praise God! But this can only be done by inductively reading the scriptures, which the Calvinists are obviously unable to do.
Another term aptly given to deductive thinking of the devil is "concrete (block) thinking" or "circular thinking". You start with a conclusion and your facts are all redefined to end with the starting conclusion-circular thinking. The snake with his tail in his mouth. This is a Calvinist, and we call them brothers. God help us all. Start with sovereignty and redefine all to end with sovereignty as rational.
Our Calvinist's only answer is, "Look at the stack. Who is at the top?" And a Calvinist would think that we are insulting them if we say they are primitive in their thinking about God. We wouldn't mean it as an insult at all, it is with great sadness and sorrow that we try to point this out to them. Why will they so proudly and boastfully insist in their insanity?
Alas, a sad summary; Circular thinking,Redefinitions, Allegories, Block thinking, and Smells. CRABS ! All for the little child to easily discern.
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