- Dec 13, 2015
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I'll eventually make a topic defending each of the five points of Calvinism since people seem to have a lot of misinformation or misunderstanding of just what the five points are and what they say about the Reformed faith. First, I will defend the concept of many Christians saying that God choosing some for damnation (the goats) is wrong or somehow makes God a corrupt,evil and morally wrong monster. To start with this we have to understand the fall and just what occurred when Adam and Eve sinned against God. I'll try to use as much scripture as I can to defend my points.
After Adam and Eve sinned against God in Genesis 3:1-6. We read that they were instantly afraid of their nakedness and tried to hide and cover their shame from God on verse seven. In verse 8 they hid from God and God found them, punished them and the serpent and promise a savior. Genesis 3:14-17 God made them loincloths because he knew that they couldnt make clothes for themselves and were helpless (verse 21) now tell me if God was immoral and unfair, why did he even bother to clothe Adam and Eve in his love? Why did he promise them and their fellow brothers and sisters a Savior? Why didnt he just throw Satan, and Adam and Eve into the lake of fire forever and started a new creation from scratch? I'll tell you why, because he loved his sheep and hated the goats.
I know, Genesis is a weak argument for this kind of theology but it's important for all of us to understand the fall and just how the fall happened. The fall was predestined by God (as was every event in human history, the saved, the lost, everything) from before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4, Romans 8:28-30, Psalm 139:16, 1 Corinthians 1:27-30, Proverbs 16, ...etc.) This was all done so God's glory could be known, so his justice could be known, and so God's mercy can be known.
Those chosen to salvation are known as the descendants of Abraham, those written in the book of life, God's sheep, Children of God, blessed by my father, the list just goes on and on. They are shown mercy by God, They are as numerous as the stars (Genesis 15:5, 22:17, 26:4 Revelation 7:9) of a number no man can count, from every tribe, people, and nation (gen 15:5, rev 7:9). And when God says every tribe, tongue and nation, he means it. That means there are some saved Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Jews, gentiles, Japanese people, Chinese people, Finnish people, people from Hungary, France, Belgium ... the list goes on. God saved people from the WHOLE world. An innumerable amount of people. I do not and cannot see how God choosing to save a VAST MAJORITY of the world makes him a monster, evil, or unfair. Him choosing to do so instead of condemning us all should make all of us want to worship him more, and more. When you look at scripture, God didnt just save one (and he would have been a very just God to do so or technically, save none), essentially he saved the world and what's better than that? Best verse in the Bible for this, (Acts 13:48)
Those written in the book of life are saved forever from before they were even born and before time began. God predestined each and every moment and day of their lives (John 6:37-40, Revelation 3:5, 1 Peter 1:1-12, Psalms 139:16, Ephesians 2:10, John 10:27-30 and more.)
Those chosen to damnation God calls the Goats. They are the ones that scoff at God, spit in his face and dont keep the commandments, dont believe or practice scripture or call him Lord and dont do what he says in scripture and in real life, and what God destined them for (1 Peter 2:7-8). Gods judgement of the Goats is NOT unfair because God has a right to do with his creation as he wills (Psalm 115:19, Roman's 9:18) /endofargument. It's just a fact that God does whatever he pleases and yet commits no sin, he leaves some hardened and makes some alive (Ephesians 2:4-7).
I know Reformed Theology can be hard to swallow. But, it is the most accurate and biblical theology mankind has come up with over Christianity's long history. It Is the Theology of the Reformers and was declared Biblical for hundreds of years in Protestantisms over 500 year history. The Jews God's chosen people believe it is true for them. It is Christianity at it's most biblical. It doesnt make God a monster, it makes God a loving, kind, and merciful God who all of God's children should worship, fear, and obey. When Salvation is made just for the Jews people dont really bat an eyelash. But yet when God has a Holy Chosen people more numerous than probably Calvinists will even realize, people go nuts. Which God is the more unfair one? One that just saves a nation? Or one that saves people from EVERY nation and keeps them for ALL eternity as his own? And the greatest words our Lord and Savior have ever said are "I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep and my sheep know me, Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, AND THEY WILL BE ONE FLOCK AND ONE SHEPHERD. The reason my Father loves me is because I lay down my life, only to take it up again. No one takes it from me but I lay it down on my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and take it up again. This command I have received from my Father." (John 10:14-18). If that doesn't show God's love, I dont know what does. I rest my case.
After Adam and Eve sinned against God in Genesis 3:1-6. We read that they were instantly afraid of their nakedness and tried to hide and cover their shame from God on verse seven. In verse 8 they hid from God and God found them, punished them and the serpent and promise a savior. Genesis 3:14-17 God made them loincloths because he knew that they couldnt make clothes for themselves and were helpless (verse 21) now tell me if God was immoral and unfair, why did he even bother to clothe Adam and Eve in his love? Why did he promise them and their fellow brothers and sisters a Savior? Why didnt he just throw Satan, and Adam and Eve into the lake of fire forever and started a new creation from scratch? I'll tell you why, because he loved his sheep and hated the goats.
I know, Genesis is a weak argument for this kind of theology but it's important for all of us to understand the fall and just how the fall happened. The fall was predestined by God (as was every event in human history, the saved, the lost, everything) from before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4, Romans 8:28-30, Psalm 139:16, 1 Corinthians 1:27-30, Proverbs 16, ...etc.) This was all done so God's glory could be known, so his justice could be known, and so God's mercy can be known.
Those chosen to salvation are known as the descendants of Abraham, those written in the book of life, God's sheep, Children of God, blessed by my father, the list just goes on and on. They are shown mercy by God, They are as numerous as the stars (Genesis 15:5, 22:17, 26:4 Revelation 7:9) of a number no man can count, from every tribe, people, and nation (gen 15:5, rev 7:9). And when God says every tribe, tongue and nation, he means it. That means there are some saved Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Jews, gentiles, Japanese people, Chinese people, Finnish people, people from Hungary, France, Belgium ... the list goes on. God saved people from the WHOLE world. An innumerable amount of people. I do not and cannot see how God choosing to save a VAST MAJORITY of the world makes him a monster, evil, or unfair. Him choosing to do so instead of condemning us all should make all of us want to worship him more, and more. When you look at scripture, God didnt just save one (and he would have been a very just God to do so or technically, save none), essentially he saved the world and what's better than that? Best verse in the Bible for this, (Acts 13:48)
Those written in the book of life are saved forever from before they were even born and before time began. God predestined each and every moment and day of their lives (John 6:37-40, Revelation 3:5, 1 Peter 1:1-12, Psalms 139:16, Ephesians 2:10, John 10:27-30 and more.)
Those chosen to damnation God calls the Goats. They are the ones that scoff at God, spit in his face and dont keep the commandments, dont believe or practice scripture or call him Lord and dont do what he says in scripture and in real life, and what God destined them for (1 Peter 2:7-8). Gods judgement of the Goats is NOT unfair because God has a right to do with his creation as he wills (Psalm 115:19, Roman's 9:18) /endofargument. It's just a fact that God does whatever he pleases and yet commits no sin, he leaves some hardened and makes some alive (Ephesians 2:4-7).
I know Reformed Theology can be hard to swallow. But, it is the most accurate and biblical theology mankind has come up with over Christianity's long history. It Is the Theology of the Reformers and was declared Biblical for hundreds of years in Protestantisms over 500 year history. The Jews God's chosen people believe it is true for them. It is Christianity at it's most biblical. It doesnt make God a monster, it makes God a loving, kind, and merciful God who all of God's children should worship, fear, and obey. When Salvation is made just for the Jews people dont really bat an eyelash. But yet when God has a Holy Chosen people more numerous than probably Calvinists will even realize, people go nuts. Which God is the more unfair one? One that just saves a nation? Or one that saves people from EVERY nation and keeps them for ALL eternity as his own? And the greatest words our Lord and Savior have ever said are "I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep and my sheep know me, Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, AND THEY WILL BE ONE FLOCK AND ONE SHEPHERD. The reason my Father loves me is because I lay down my life, only to take it up again. No one takes it from me but I lay it down on my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and take it up again. This command I have received from my Father." (John 10:14-18). If that doesn't show God's love, I dont know what does. I rest my case.
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