How did you became a Calvinist?

pilgrimsong

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At first I was hesistant and doubtful to this teaching... but knowing Spurgeon's sermon and knowing the teaching of Calvinism... true gospel made me understand all along that this teaching is the right teaching.

I came to believe when my friend explained to me the 5 pillars. TULIP. and right now Im reading Post Tenebras Lux. After Darkness Light essays.

As a baptist not all of my churchmate agree to this.. some think that this is a bad teaching... and that the Reformers are evil or false.

Would love to hear your thoughts.
 
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BryanW92

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I became a Calvinist because I was a Methodist and they could not explain God and salvation in a way that made sense. I starte searching and discovered Reformed theology while I was studying it to rule it out as a theology with the answers.
 
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JM

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After a long discussion about God with a Christian, I was taking the atheist position, I decided to read the Bible for more ammo so I borrowed one from a girl I was dating. I destroyed the “Christian” who was at best a nominal deist type of believer and wanted to learn more so I could argue even more effectively so I decided to read the Bible. I started at Genesis but it was boring so I jumped into Matthew. By the time I finished Matthew I, on some intellectual level, realize the “Christian” wasn’t really arguing for Christianity and could mentally ascent to what I read in the Gospel. Shortly after that I started attending an Anglican parish but nothing changed. I was not a regenerate believer. Time passed and eventually I picked up the Bible again. When I finished Romans 9 I was granted true saving faith and repentance. When talking with other Christians someone called me a “Calvinist” and of course I denied the charge believing it was something horrible. I tried for a time to change my view believing I was in error but never was able to…THANK GOD! Even when I visited the Roman church and attended a Greek Orthodox parish my “Calvinism” or “Augustinianism” depending on where I was, never changed.

So, essentially, I became a Calvinist from reading scripture. I gained the title from those who oppose scriptural soteriology.

Yours in the Lord,

jm

 
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abacabb3

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After a long discussion about God with a Christian, I was taking the atheist position, I decided to read the Bible for more ammo so I borrowed one from a girl I was dating. I destroyed the “Christian” who was at best a nominal deist type of believer and wanted to learn more so I could argue even more effectively so I decided to read the Bible. I started at Genesis but it was boring so I jumped into Matthew. By the time I finished Matthew I, on some intellectual level, realize the “Christian” wasn’t really arguing for Christianity and could mentally ascent to what I read in the Gospel. Shortly after that I started attending an Anglican parish but nothing changed. I was not a regenerate believer. Time passed and eventually I picked up the Bible again. When I finished Romans 9 I was granted true saving faith and repentance. When talking with other Christians someone called me a “Calvinist” and of course I denied the charge believing it was something horrible. I tried for a time to change my view believing I was in error but never was able to…THANK GOD! Even when I visited the Roman church and attended a Greek Orthodox parish my “Calvinism” or “Augustinianism” depending on where I was, never changed.

So, essentially, I became a Calvinist from reading scripture. I gained the title from those who oppose scriptural soteriology.

Yours in the Lord,

jm

If you don't mind me asking, why did you join an arminian baptist church if thi has always posed a problem?
 
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JM

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If you don't mind me asking, why did you join an arminian baptist church if thi has always posed a problem?

We had to plant ourselves somewhere and my wife was raised Baptist...so we joined. I worked out my theology of baptism after signing.
 
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pilgrimsong

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Im also in a baptist church although I am still joining the Baptist church, my pastor is a Calvinist anyway, he agreed on the bible that my friend and I plan to purchase RC Sproul's Reformation bible, though still some of the members are still not open to the Reformation or Calvinist teaching
 
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JM

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gord, we still attend a Baptist Church albeit, infrequently. When the insomnia is bad I find it easier to stay awake all night and attend the Anglican 8 or 8:30 BCP service. I sleep after. Other times my wife or son has to work.

aba, baptism was not an issue until I became a Baptist. I never really thought much about it.

j
 
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Growing up my parents brought me with them primarily to Assembly of God (Pentecostal) and Baptist (Free Will) Churches. I cannot recall Arminianism ever being taught formally, that I would even know what Arminianism is. However, it was assumed and taught informally through and through. While we attended the First Assembley of God Church, at the age of 8, I made public confession of Christ as my Lord and Savior and two months later Baptized in a swimming pool owned by Church members and friends of my parents. Looking back, from that time forward, I learned much about indwelling sin and human nature of both the regenerate and unregenerate. I had become quite a rebel in my teenage years, of my choosing though my prior experienced conditioned my choosing. In many ways I had a wonderful childhood, but in other ways, especially when it came to socializing with other kids, I had a difficult time, and too often became a target for unkind words and or deeds. Certainly the actions of others cannot and did not excuse mine, but they had "hardening" effects on me. Anyway, I was a great sinner as a teenager, even doing many unlawful things. After graduating high school, and efforts to further myself failed, I stooped even further, with the help of countless bad influences and a little pressure, I succumbed to using illegal drugs, and this went on for a couple of years until I reached the end of my rope so to speak. At the age of 20, God miraculously brought me back to the fold, and the difference was like night and day. I "got serious" about God and my faith, read "my Bible" daily, went to Church every chance I could. God cleaned me up, like a dish, inside and out, I was a "brand new man". For the next 8 years I would follow in the teachings I was raised and brought up with, but not because it's what I was taught from youth, because that was what I believed, and I never really gave serious consideration to question it, because I could defend my network of beliefs fairly well. As I recall, it was between the ages of 25-28 that I learned what Arminianism and Calvinism are. In fact, I had never even heard of John Calvin, until I went to a local Presbyterian founded community college where this young (Calvinist) lady by the name of Lindsey brought up his name. Needless to say, learning and growing comes very slow to hard headed stubborn people like me.

How did God change my heart, and break through my stubborn mind? Well, in many different ways on many different fronts, through many different sources, and it was not easy, in fact, I was fearful, but the choices laid before me only left me with one real choice. But to get there allow me to explain. I had been posting on CARM for awhile, heavily debating atheists for a couple of years. I had done a thought experiment, to the best I could, put myself in the shoes of an agnostic (for a day anyway), maybe because I came to realize all those classical arguments I loved and used to debate with, fell woefully short, exactly how my opponents helped me to realize. None of them could prove Christianity as a whole to be true. In fact most of them could not prove any particular God, just a generic "higher power", "man upstairs", etc. What really shook me was when I realized that my Arminian defense of the faith, could not account for the certainty of truth, that I knew to be true. I always believed in both subjective and objective truth, and that certainty of truth could be known, but I could not justify it within the apologetical methodology historically and commonly used by non-Refeormed apologists especially. While many have and do accept faith as a bridge for the "gaps", I could not resort to a fideism, knowing that faith and reason are like marriage partners. It was also during this time that the expectations of others and years of brow beating myself for every slight of sin and imperfection, of every way I constantly fall short of God's glory, of battles with secret sin for years and years, failing God over and over countless times. I had become exhausted from focusing on myself and my failings (and other people's), rather than focusing on the ONE who had predestined, called, justified, and sanctifies. I had read much Scripture and could quote much Scripture, but I did not understand them like I thought I did. That was perhaps the biggest mountain to climb, I had to come to terms with misinterpreting so much Scripture for so many years, and realize the Arminan proof texts were not case closed, that they can be difficult texts, but must be interpreted in the context of the rest of Scripture. I had become friendly with Calvinists, and several helped in opening thine eyes with proof texts strongly supporting Calvinism and giving Arminianism much to try and explain and counter...without success. I had recently (2002-2003) purchased the works of Van Til for Libronix (Logos), which included about 60 of his lectures in wav (mono) format. Because my Arminian defense had been all but crushed by subjectivism and it's probabilities, always leaving a back door, I decided to start listening to the late Dr. Van Til, and although I could only partially understand, at the same time, what I could understand, I had no counter for, no reply. I listened to all or nearly all of those lectures, at least in part, mostly complete, despite the poor quality, which is understandable considering the time period and equipment used to record . Despite my ignorance, I managed to learn a good deal from the brilliant Dr. Van Til. I did more research, buying a sizable portion of Dr. Bahnsen's recordings from CMF, and listening to them. Somewhere between in listening to Dr. Van Til and Dr. Bahnsen, I surrendered to Calvinism. I prayed about it, still with reservation, out of not wanting to be led astray, but it came down to either Calvinism or agnosticism, and I could not commit the intellectual suicide that agnosticism would require, so there you have it, some detail included, some excluded.
 
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GQ Chris

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It simply became a matter of separating myself from Pentecostal/Charismatic doctrines.

I consider it miraculous since I grew up in the Filipino Roman Catholic church and was seriously messed up from that as a young man. I still believed in God and knew He existed, I just didn't want anything to do with Him though if I had to get to Him via roman catholicism.

Then I started reading some RC Sproul, and then my now current Pastor I heard through the local radio preaching the Doctrines of Grace. The rest is history.
 
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pilgrimsong

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Wow! its really interesting to hear all of your stories...

I consider it miraculous since I grew up in the Filipino Roman Catholic church and was seriously messed up from that as a young man. I still believed in God and knew He existed, I just didn't want anything to do with Him though if I had to get to Him via roman catholicism.

Then I started reading some RC Sproul, and then my now current Pastor I heard through the local radio preaching the Doctrines of Grace. The rest is history.

I was a former Roman Catholic too. I thank God for leading me to the right teaching. Tradition II can really get you nowhere... I also like R.C Sproul he's really solid when it comes to the Reformed teaching. :thumbsup:
 
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stenerson

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I grew up in the SDA church (cult)... I was driving home from work one night and heard Harold Camping on the radio speaking about Romans 9. He, in his very cold and monotonous voice made clear from scripture the certainty of election, predestination, limited atonement. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I was devastated and tried desperately to prove it wrong. I spoke to my father and other elders and they would quote the usual texts that hyper Armenians quote. But nothing could calm my nerves, it was plain to me that I was a lost soul, and I became obsessed with my nonassurance of salvation. I was amazed that this doctrine was in the Bible and I never noticed it. I then did research to find what churches believed this. Presbyterian came up so I visited the only local one. The sermon i heard was complete foolish fluff, there were openly gay people in the congregation speaking politics concerning gay rights, and I discovered that it was an unbelieving, apostate congregation.
I then discovered the White Horse Inn broadcast and Rc Sproul renewing your mind and learn a lot from them.
I'm blessed now to be in a bible believing baptist church that does expository preaching and holds to the doctrines of Grace.
 
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ElijahBro

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I had never really thought of it until my older sister started questioning certain Christian beliefs. I also began seriously engaging with my Muslim and bahai friends' beliefs at the same time. I remember sitting on the sofa looking for information and watching debates between James White and a muslim, and of course following the links until I was exposed to Spurgeon, Piper, Augustine etc. I was thoroughly impressed by their systematic approach but not convinced.

I began reading scripture, looking for proofs, indications of Gods complete providence, his unfailing grace. They were peppered on every page. He commanded, He wrought, He called them, He created. I don't really see any other way of honestly approaching Christianity.

It was a peculiar feeling when I realized I was "Calvinist." I just sort of gave up the pretenses, guess I'm with these guys. Because what they say makes a boat load of sense.
 
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