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I am not a Calvinist... I am a man who believes the Bible.
What's the difference?
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I am not a Calvinist... I am a man who believes the Bible.
What's the difference?
When you ask what the difference is between a "Calvinist"
and a man who believes what the Bible says... the answer
will differ from one person to another.
I say that I am NOT a "Calvinist" because
(a) I have not read that much of his work and
(b) I do not believe everything he taught was accurate (Biblical).
However, I do find that SOME of what he taught is accurate in that it harmonizes
with ALL RELATED Scripture... which is the only measure of truth.
.
How do your beliefs differ from Calvin and Calvinism?
(If I may) I love to answer this, even when unasked:How do your beliefs differ from Calvin and Calvinism?
https://www.tentmaker.org/books/hope_beyond_hell.pdf
"I'm reminded of the movie Ben Hur. When Ben Hur encountered Jesus at the cross, he comes away and says "I felt him take the sword out of my hand." "
Calvinism is based heavily off of St. Augustine, who believed in an immutable God. Immutable means unable to be changed.
Inevitably, this means predestination, including man's intercession- God weighs it according to the will He decided from the beginning.
The Five Points of Calvinism (TULIP) are generalized points of theology which adhere to the precepts of predestination.
I agree with Calvin. His view matches reality. People love their sins. Sinning is both profitable and pleasurable. Sex, drugs, rock and roll. And the certain type of low cunning amongst the white collar class who profit from greed and trickery then preen themselves, believe that their ill gotten gains are proof they are better, smarter than other people.
John 3:6 Those born of the flesh.
"Living on the road, my friend, supposed to make you free and clean but now you wear your skin like iron, your breath is hard as kerosene." Willie Nelson
But then, one among them who is an animal whose sole interest and ambition is to satisfy the flesh by whatever means that one can get away with, sees the Light. That one is attracted to that Light, to the Spirit, like a moth to a flame. How did that happen? And being in the mud with former associates, it is to wonder, why not them? Is it really "free will?" That one did not have free will or even any desire to change before the time the Light appeared so when and how the Light appears and to whom? And why those others cannot see or hear or simply don't want to. That is what Calvin addressed.
The elect and that one cannot turn back, cannot deny the Truth of the Light. To deny, "nope, never saw that" would be a lie. That, perhaps, is the unforgivable sin and the paradox of those two concepts, all sins forgiven except one.
Do I believe Calvin is an infallible source with all the answers? No, but I think he understood some theological questions that are profound and relevant.
I agree with Calvin. His view matches reality. People love their sins. Sinning is both profitable and pleasurable. Sex, drugs, rock and roll. And the certain type of low cunning amongst the white collar class who profit from greed and trickery then preen themselves, believe that their ill gotten gains are proof they are better, smarter than other people.
John 3:6 Those born of the flesh.
"Living on the road, my friend, supposed to make you free and clean but now you wear your skin like iron, your breath is hard as kerosene." Willie Nelson
But then, one among them who is an animal whose sole interest and ambition is to satisfy the flesh by whatever means that one can get away with, sees the Light. That one is attracted to that Light, to the Spirit, like a moth to a flame. How did that happen? And being in the mud with former associates, it is to wonder, why not them? Is it really "free will?" That one did not have free will or even any desire to change before the time the Light appeared so when and how the Light appears and to whom? And why those others cannot see or hear or simply don't want to. That is what Calvin addressed.
The elect and that one cannot turn back, cannot deny the Truth of the Light. To deny, "nope, never saw that" would be a lie. That, perhaps, is the unforgivable sin and the paradox of those two concepts, all sins forgiven except one.
Do I believe Calvin is an infallible source with all the answers? No, but I think he understood some theological questions that are profound and relevant.
What I find helpful is knowing that Calvin did not pluck these ideas out of thin air, but based them firmly in scripture. Nor was he the first to see these things. Augustine of Hippo spread these teachings wide and far in his earlier days. I do find it ironic that the Catholic Church sainted Augustine, but anthmatized Calvin and other Reformers.
Augustine was converted by operation of virtue and vice. He was ashamed, although, I will grant that perhaps seeing the Light, he realized he was naked. Augustine differs from Calvin because Calvin realizes there are those who feel no shame and don't have St. Monica as a mother.To be fair though much of what Calvin said was not said by Augustine.