Anti-Calvinism "Book" I Wrote
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Unconditional election shows (truly enough) that God takes the initiative in our salvation.
How this fits in with our free will ("Whosoever will, let him come.") is a mystery we will never understand in this world, and in the next world, we won't care at all.
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nonaeroterraqueous
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Let's not get into the realm of false prophecy. Just speak for yourself. Making untrue statements in the name of the Holy Spirit is unacceptable. With solid exegesis, study of scripture and sound reasoning you should be able to make a point without claiming that you were led by the Holy Spirit to say it (but if you did that, then you'd be on the other side of the debate). We don't know you, and we have no reason to believe that you are any more led by the Spirit than we are, especially when your position contradicts the clear meaning of scripture.
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Grip Docility
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I will confess... this book comes at a hard time for me. A Calvinist brother of mine, died a year ago, and I only found out recently.
I was very hard on this Calvinist man and my heart hurts to this very day for the way I spoke to him. I feel I placed correctness of Doctrine over Love and as odd as this may sound... I wish I would have placed Love over the matter. On the flip side, I do not like the idea of degrading others security in God to bolster my security. So I am conflicted on the matter of discussion with my brother that has passed away, into the arms of Jesus.
I am in contention with the principles of the Character of God that Calvinism is bound to and also find its eagerness to marginalize the Universal LOVE of God to All Mankind (Not Universal Salvation... as this is not what scripture teaches... because men each have a very important choice to make... about accepting what Jesus Christ has done for them)....
However, in respects to Sola Fide... solid Calvinists... like my Friend that has passed to Glory and Some wonderful people here... understand how critical Sola Fide is to Salvation.
These individuals can support and teach such matters excellently... as long as they place Calvin far beneath Jesus.
This being said... I will commit to reading all you have written... and will not degrade your conviction of posting here.
May I ask you.... Are we saved by Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ’s work, Alone?
I assure you, I recognize that faith is a choice response of man’s free Will response to “hearing the Gospel” at initial inception... but I would like to know if you believe That Belief in the One the Father Sent, is the work we must do to be Saved. (John 6:28-29)
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nonaeroterraqueous
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That, I think, is the main objection to Calvinism by those who don't adhere to it. It's the reason why opposition to Calvinism is strongly emotional, like the way you talked to your Calvinistic brother. You have probably noticed it in the responses posted on this forum. Even the OP, here, has a "book" that relies more heavily on feelings than cold logic, or scripture. This is not to say that people opposed to Calvinism are irrational or overly emotional, but that the opposition to Calvinism is viceral, because it regards the picture painted of God's character.
The picture that we have of God as our loving father is true for both sides of the argument. The only question is whether he is the loving father, also, of those who are outside of the faith and bound to perish. If he is, then he can't save them. If he isn't, then he won't save them.
The Calvinistic response is less emotional. I see verses, like Acts 13:48, and I don't see any other way to take it. In fact, after having read through the whole Bible, I came to the conclusion that the Calvinistic image painted of God's character is probably a lot more biblical than the alternative.
This is Acts 13:48
"And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed."
The wording, here, is very Calvinistic. In fact, I really see no way around it. With this in mind, I read Romans 9, and I see more Calvinism. Then, I think about the ancient nation of Israel that was given knowledge of God, while the rest of the world was left to perish in ignorance, and this also contributes to the same picture of a selective God. Do I like the picture painted? I have to admit that I found it disturbing at first, but it was not the teaching of Calvin that disturbed me. I have never read his works. I grew up in an anti-Calvinist church and an anti-Calvinist family, went to an anti-Calvinist school and had only anti-Calvinist acquaintances. In fact I had never met or talked to a Calvinist of any sort. Yet, by the time I graduated from high school my beliefs were very much in line with what is known as Calvinistic doctrine, because I had to make a decision to either accept or reject the image of God presented to me by the Bible, rather than the one taught to me in Sunday school.
I find it interesting that a book made me Calvinist, and the OP wishes to unmake that Calvinism with another book, but I don't think his book is going to win the argument against the much bigger and older work.
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Grip Docility
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I appreciate your words and yourself and @Hammster most likely know who I am in theology and Faith. At the end of the day, after an emotionless, logic based clanging of Iron to support the support of diametrically different, Theological Frame work.. we would be able to sit down and crack open a cold one (root beer, soda, tea, water, wine or beer.. choice of individual)... and rejoice at the meaning of John 5:39-40.
At the end of heated words and devoted framework discussion, we wouldn’t be moved from our central perception as that perception is developed and grown from a personal experience with the Almighty.
This then begins to bring things back to where it should be originated. We are each different members of THE SAME BODY, and God uses us each differently.
If we focus our all on Jesus, our non essential doctrine loses its hold of keeping us apart.
When we speak Paul’s exaltation of Salvation by Faith through Grace in Jesus Christ, Alone... Your side may make it to the hearts of those that need to anchor to God clutching them through the Father’s clutch. When a person that is wired against Calvinism is fighting Sola Fide, God can use me to assert that I am not reformed, then push forward in specific doctrine about the sufficiency of Christ Alone.
It’s a difficult dance, but Christ is in control. Debate will ensue, tensions will build and fair reasons will be expressed from either side, but the essential doctrine of Sola Fide will prevail... as it is Sola Christos that Prevailed.
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