However, the Bible I believe says "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 should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) If God just chose randomly who went to hell than He actually is willing that some perish.
James White the TULIP head also believes that Christ's death did not pay for all sin but that it only paid for the sins of the "elect". Christ paid for ALL men's sins but not all men believe the gospel, receiving the atonement. But it IS there for all men to accept if they choose.
Isaiah 53:6 ALL we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us ALL.
2 Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the WORLD unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
1 Timothy 2:
[3] For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
[4] Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
[3] For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
[4] Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
Also note that "election" is according to God's foreknowledge, not according to God's random selection.
1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
As for "predestination", James White believes that God randomly picked him (predestinated) to be saved and made him the elect of God (before he was even born). Now Jimmy has a problem. Why would an individual that is the "elect of God" need to believe the gospel, "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect"??? If you are the elect of God than you do not to be saved, no one can charge anything against you. James White thinks he was always saved but he had not always realized it, which is ludicrous.
Anytime you see "predestinate" in the Bible in regards to an individual in the church age (Israel is God's elect nation) you are talking about being in the body of Christ, the spiritual church. And you are talking about being predestinated to God's purpose, His works.
The truth of the universal church (the body of Christ) was "hid in God" before the foundation of the world until revealed to Paul in the dispensation of grace. When someone believes the gospel and trusts Christ as his Savior he is then sealed by the Spirit and baptized BY the Spirit through the faith of the operation of God into Christ's body, crucified, buried, risen, and seated in heaven.
Ephesians 3:
[2] If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to youward:
[3] How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
[4] Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
[5] Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
[6] That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
[7] Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
[8] Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
[9] And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
[3] How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
[4] Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
[5] Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
[6] That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
[7] Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
[8] Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
[9] And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
1 Corinthians 12:
[12] For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
[13] For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
[13] For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Colossians 2:
[10] And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
[11] In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
[12] Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
[11] In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
[12] Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Ephesians 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Ephesians 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
That is the saved persons standing in the church age in this dispensation of grace. We are members of Christ, of His flesh and of His bones. This dispensation of grace and the universal church, the body of Christ, was a mystery hid in God until revealed to Paul. So how does that play into the TULIP Calvinism debate? Let me show you. Now let's look at the big, bad, proof text of every TULIP Calvinist there is.
Ephesians 1:
[1] Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
[2] Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
[3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
[4] 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:
[5] Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
[2] Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
[3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
[4] 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:
[5] Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
There's the big one! "He hath chosen us..." and then the Calvinist stops. But the fact is God chose us "IN HIM". For salvation? NOPE! "That we should be holy and without blame", the body of Christ (universal church) was hid in God until revealed to Paul. If you're saved than you are in that church, you are in Christ's body. The body of Christ has been predestinated to be holy before God. You were chosen "in Christ" to be holy and without blame (Christian service).
Where did it say that God randomly chose you to salvation? It didn't, it said that you were chosen (in Christ) to be holy and without blame. That is your service to God as a member of His body. No random salvation in the passage, that would contradict more Bible than you could shake a stick at. Continue on in Ephesians 1.
Ephesians 1
[6] To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
[7] In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
[8] Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
[9] Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
[10] That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
[11] In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
[12] That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
[6] To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
[7] In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
[8] Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
[9] Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
[10] That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
[11] In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
[12] That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
There it is in black and white. Predestination is according to God's purpose for His members, "that we should be to the praise of His glory". There is not one verse anywhere in the Bible that says God randomly picks and chooses people to heaven or hell--that would be nutty.
James White also believes in "irresistible grace" and "total depravity". Total depravity means that he thinks that man cannot chose God or His salvation because he is too depraved, therefore God predestinates you so that you are already saved and you just have to realize it.
As for "irresistible grace", here is what they say "When God calls his elect into salvation, they cannot resist. God offers to all people the gospel message. This is called the external call. But to the elect, God extends an internal call and it cannot be resisted."
The problem is that this teaching is not in the Bible. Agreed, man cannot save himself and it is true that "there is none that seeketh after God" (Rom. 11:3). But the Bible teaches that a sinner can hear the gospel and accept it when he hears that great message that Christ died for him. Romans 10 is a good refute to Calvinism, but particularly to this "total depravity" issue.
Romans 10:
[11] For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
[12] For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
[13] For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
If Calvinism is true than only the "predestinated elect" can believe the gospel and there is a difference between the people and God if not rich to everyone--only some "predestinated elect".[12] For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
[13] For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Romans 10
[14] How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
[15] And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
[16] But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
[17] So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
[14] How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
[15] And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
[16] But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
[17] So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
[18] But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
[19] But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.
[20] But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
[21] But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
[19] But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.
[20] But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
[21] But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
Those last verses (16-21) plainly state that some people have not obeyed the gospel, that is believing the gospel, but those that hear the word of God can put their faith in the Christ (v. 17). If the gospel was "irresistible" than why is God having to stretch forth His hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people? How can anyone "disobey" the gospel if it is soooo irresistible? Some people just resist it.
Acts 26:
[28] Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
[29] And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.
[29] And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.
There, somebody resisted it. Then, Paul said that he wished everyone that heard him preach would be saved. Why would Paul say that if only he "predestinated elect" could be saved?
As for perseverance of the saints, I am not entirely sure what that means. I saw one dude say it meant eternal security for the believer which I agree with.
--Eli "Hoss" Caldwell
No comments:
Post a Comment
Your questions or comments welcome.