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Calvinists are quick to talk about Calvinism. They never teach the Bible, per se, they teach Calvinism. They explain it. Go over it over and over. They never depart from chronicling the tiniest nuance of Calvinistic doctrine.
But Calvinists never explain the Bible.
The author is a Calvinist, so he believes that long ago God chose those who would be saved. This means that since these chosen ones get saved at the exact moment God ordained, they are bystanders in the transaction. They don't make a decision to agree to salvation. They are not participants. They do nothing at all.
Further, most Calvinists will say that God ordains all of existence, that our day to day lives, events, circumstances, and decisions have already been laid out. From these ideas come a whole host of problems, like
- If God chose the saved for heaven, He must have chose to send the lost to hell
- Human choice is an elaborate illusion
- Neither the saved nor the lost have any reason to lead virtuous lives
- Life itself is fake
Now to be sure, Calvinism has developed explanations for all these problems, some of them quite elaborate, others tortured. This is what Calvinism does: It creates problems that need workarounds.
Thus the author has an undocumented presumption: Everything is pre-ordained, including salvation, everything in the salvation process is a actuated by God: Grace, forgiveness, new life, even faith. It's all from God.
Oddly, he never demonstrates this from the Bible.
One last thing: It's irrelevant. Whether the saved are predestined or not doesn't matter. It changes nothing. People will get saved every day. Does it matter somehow that they were chosen or not? Nope.
Calvinism is a useless intellectual exercise.
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9 And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and was praying these things to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14 (LSB)
In our day it is not unusual to hear a man-centered version of the Gospel message that has everything turned around backward and is presented in such a way that is meant to appeal emotionally to unbelievers with a statement such as, “Christ’s crucifixion is proof of our worth to God!” The appeal is meant to show that if Christ was willing to go to the Cross to save sinners like us then that proves we are of value to God. I have even heard one version of this that says that Jesus would have gone to that Cross even if it was for just one unrepentant sinner. Is that found anywhere in God’s Word? I have never found it. (Let's help our ignorant author:
9 And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and was praying these things to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14 (LSB)
In our day it is not unusual to hear a man-centered version of the Gospel message that has everything turned around backward and is presented in such a way that is meant to appeal emotionally to unbelievers with a statement such as, “Christ’s crucifixion is proof of our worth to God!” The appeal is meant to show that if Christ was willing to go to the Cross to save sinners like us then that proves we are of value to God. I have even heard one version of this that says that Jesus would have gone to that Cross even if it was for just one unrepentant sinner. Is that found anywhere in God’s Word? I have never found it. (Let's help our ignorant author:
Mt. 18:12:14 What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.
Lk. 12:24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!
Ep. 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
1Pe. 1:17-19 Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
1Jn. 3:1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
Instead, what I see clearly presented there is that all of us are undeserving sinners and even dead (Ephesians 2:1-3). (The author's first claim is false. The Bible reference he supplies is documentation only of the "dead" claim, but not of the "undeserving" claim.
First, there is no Bible verse that tells us anything about us deserving or not deserving anything. Go ahead and check it, dear reader. God does not regard deservedness. At all.
The Father wants to be near to His creation, He's always extending Himself. He doesn't consider deservedness. He's always leaning toward us. That is His nature. But because of bad teaching we think we're odious and that the Lord holds His nose and grudgingly saves us filthy creatures.
Misunderstanding and misdefining "grace" is the author's key mistake, one made by most Christians: Grace is not undeserved kindness. This is a persistent lie that needs to be corrected.
"Grace" is chariti:
preeminently used of the Lord's favor – freely extended to give Himself away to people (because He is "always leaning toward them").
5485 /xáris ("grace") answers directly to the Hebrew (OT) term 2580 /Kaná ("grace, extension-toward"). Both refer to God freely extending Himself (His favor, grace), reaching (inclining) to people because He is disposed to bless (be near) them.
The Father wants to be near to His creation, He's always extending Himself. He doesn't consider deservedness. He's always leaning toward us. That is His nature. But because of bad teaching we think we're odious and that the Lord holds His nose and grudgingly saves us filthy creatures.
This is quite false.
Second, the author referred us to Ephesians 2:1-3 but unfortunately stopped there. The very next verse says,
Ep. 2:4-5 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ...
"His great love for us." Judge for yourselves, dear reader. Does God place high value on us or not?
Let's consider one more thing regarding how He values us:
1Co. 6:19b-20 You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
"Bought" is agorázō ("acquire by purchasing") stresses transfer – i.e. where something becomes another's belonging (possession). In salvation-contexts, agorázō is not redeeming ("buying back"), but rather focuses on how the believer now belongs to the Lord as His unique possession (J. Thayer). Indeed, Christ purchases all the privileges and responsibilities that go with belonging to Him (being in Christ).
"Price" is timḗ (from tiō, "accord honor, pay respect") – properly, perceived value; worth (literally, "price") especially as perceived honor – i.e. what has value in the eyes of the beholder; (figuratively) the value (weight, honor) willingly assigned to something.
"Price" is timḗ (from tiō, "accord honor, pay respect") – properly, perceived value; worth (literally, "price") especially as perceived honor – i.e. what has value in the eyes of the beholder; (figuratively) the value (weight, honor) willingly assigned to something.
This is fascinating. When we combine the two words it conjures a picture of a transfer of possession (agorázō) because of a perceived value or honor the purchaser assigned to us (timḗ). That is, He determines our value. He gave His life because of the value He assigned to us, transferring ownership to Him. The value He assigned to us corresponds to the inestimable value of His blood.
But even that fails to fully capture the nuance of this astounding sacrifice.
Some might think that the comparison is disproportionate, that the priceless blood is worth much more than the object of the sacrifice. But as we saw, the Giver determines the value of what is being obtained (timḗ). So Jesus decided that value and made the sacrifice.
Conclusion: the author is wrong.)
Until God regenerated us, we are spiritual corpses, that is, without spiritual life. Therefore, grace that is not all grace is no grace. (Clever, but one must accept the author's undocumented pronouncements to agree with this vacuous statement.)
Grace that saves means that God has done everything; if He does not do everything, then it is not grace. (The author clearly does not understand the true meaning of grace.)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (LSB)
(,,,)
The phrase, “and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God,” translates, ”καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον·” Many want to debate that this is God’s gift and part of it is not. Some want the grace and the salvation to come from God, but the faith to come from us. Let’s look at this passage with that reasoning part of the mind God gave us my brethren. In the first part of v8 Paul sums it up by saying that we are saved (σώζω) by grace (χάρις) through faith (πίστις). No one argues that. Would Paul then repeat the same thing by saying “grace is a gift of God,” or “salvation is a gift of God”? We don’t do that in English or any other language so why would Paul do that? Therefore, he is also making the point that faith is a gift (δῶρον) of God as well. (This is a very odd argument. The author is attempting to establish doctrine based on what he thinks is reasonable, as considered from how other languages phrase things. However, what we might or might not do with English or any other language is completely irrelevant.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (LSB)
(,,,)
The phrase, “and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God,” translates, ”καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον·” Many want to debate that this is God’s gift and part of it is not. Some want the grace and the salvation to come from God, but the faith to come from us. Let’s look at this passage with that reasoning part of the mind God gave us my brethren. In the first part of v8 Paul sums it up by saying that we are saved (σώζω) by grace (χάρις) through faith (πίστις). No one argues that. Would Paul then repeat the same thing by saying “grace is a gift of God,” or “salvation is a gift of God”? We don’t do that in English or any other language so why would Paul do that? Therefore, he is also making the point that faith is a gift (δῶρον) of God as well. (This is a very odd argument. The author is attempting to establish doctrine based on what he thinks is reasonable, as considered from how other languages phrase things. However, what we might or might not do with English or any other language is completely irrelevant.
This is not a biblical appeal, it is logical manipulation.
Soli Deo Gloira! (sic)
The reader must understand that manipulations like these are required because of the doctrinal assumptions of Calvinism. Calvinists believe that the salvation transaction is completely and absolutely one sided [monenergistic]. Any human element at all is viewed as a work.
There is no Bible verse that tells us this, but it is an essential for Calvinism.)
Paul tells us here that God makes our salvation a gift and not of works whereby we do something to earn it so that no one may boast. (Ahh, here it is. "Do something." This is the Calvinist's standard of what constitutes a "work." If you "do something," it's a work. And according to Calvinists, "doing something" diminishes God. If God must do 100% of "something," any human involvement at all steals from God's sovereignty.
Paul tells us here that God makes our salvation a gift and not of works whereby we do something to earn it so that no one may boast. (Ahh, here it is. "Do something." This is the Calvinist's standard of what constitutes a "work." If you "do something," it's a work. And according to Calvinists, "doing something" diminishes God. If God must do 100% of "something," any human involvement at all steals from God's sovereignty.
This is another thing not found in any Bible verse. It's necessarily a complication of the Bible in order to impose Calvinism.)
God gets all the glory through the salvation of those whom He saves.
Now think back to those horrible sermons we talked about earlier (??? When did the author talk about horrible sermons?)
Now think back to those horrible sermons we talked about earlier (??? When did the author talk about horrible sermons?)
that try to manipulate people to make a decision for Christ using emotion and trying to show how important we are to God, et cetera. No my brethren, no one believes the Gospel and is saved or even responds to it until God gives them the power, the gift of faith, to believe. (This again is the author's premise, which he must demonstrate. From the Bible. He has yet to do this.)
This faith must be from God, for if we say that faith is of ourselves, then faith becomes a human work, (Again the author simply asserts this. Again, it is an idea not found in the Bible.)
This faith must be from God, for if we say that faith is of ourselves, then faith becomes a human work, (Again the author simply asserts this. Again, it is an idea not found in the Bible.)
as in partaking of a sacrament or just “being a good person.” Faith does not determine salvation; grace determines salvation. (No, grace is God's motivation, and our faith is the avenue. Read the verse again:
Ep. 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith...
Our paraphrase: Because of God's desire to be near and lean towards us He saves us through the avenue of our faith...)
God has done it all. When we accept the finished work of Christ on our behalf, (Waaait. "When we accept?" This sounds like a work upon which salvation is contingent!)
we act by the faith supplied by God’s grace. Our faith comes as a gift from God’s grace.
Soli Deo Gloira! (sic)
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