I'm writing a book on Time and Eternity that refutes, revises, and updates the 5 Points of Calvinism.
Lets just step back and take a look at that theological system and its points:
The whole system of the 5 Points of Calvinism is all about the experience of man in flesh on earth in time totally centered in man. It is a vision of man seen by those trapped in a temporal mind and lense of perception.
This doctrine gives God an acknowledgement that He is Sovereign and in control, but never gives God the pre-eminence in the 5 Point system itself. The whole system is all about man in time on earth in flesh trying to get to Heaven someday. Its man-centered, sin-conscious, fear-based, and says, God intersects with us out of eternity in time as it talks all about man, man, man within the first Genesis creation that is predestined to be destroyed.
The 5 Points of Calvinism are handicapped by man-centeredness. The 5 Points are so limited and man-centered that the whole A-Z of this system is all about the experience of man within a temporal earth that is predestined to be destroyed.
Man starts out at a point in fall and ruin in sin in flesh on temporal earth in time (Total Depravity). Looking to man, it attempts to explain why some are saved in human lifetime and not and declares election unconditional.
Well, when all one is looking at is man in a man-centered framework all one notices is that the flesh of all mankind in sin in Adam in his fall in time on earth in flesh is the same. Its a man-centered pronouncement of all fallen flesh is equal so election is Unconditional!.
When everything is from the position of mankind in flesh in time on earth then the atonement does not stand on its own. Rather, the atonement is bent so far outside of its eternal context through a man-centered and temporal view, that the atonement is declared limited.
Man is the measure of all things and God Himself on the cross is limited in the Calvinist view. The Calvinist mindset looks to the flesh of man in time on earth and declares that God limited Himself or is limited on the cross. (Limited Atonement).
Grace is all about us and our feelings and response in the man-centered view of grace. Grace is not simply grace. No, grace is all about man himself in the man-centered view. So, in the Calvinist system, Gods grace seen from the man/flesh-centered, sin-conscious, and fear-based view of a sinner according to the flesh is deemed irresistible. (Irresistible Grace).
Salvation is spoken in terms of man in his human experience on earth in flesh in time in a man-centered view that declares that we shall persevere!. (Perseverance of the Saints).
And that is all.
All that matters in this view is man, man, man and 5 Points of doctrine. And that is all.
Everything in this system is centered in man in flesh on earth in time. Man in the flesh and time limit God. The Calvinist posits as if Gods purpose in Jesus Christ was a temporal purpose in a temporal creation, rather than an eternal purpose and grace in Jesus Christ as God. So, of course, God in this view is limited to a deadline of man in flesh in time to fulfill His purpose.
The Calvinist takes the pulse of a man on earth in flesh in time and declares, Hes dead! Theres no pulse! and that is supposed to be the end of it. Little notice did they take of Jesus Christ on the cross destroying sin not in part but the whole as He gave up the ghost.
To the Calvinist, the resurrection power of Jesus Christ in His Endless Life and offering Himself up to God the Father by the eternal Spirit notwithstanding, salvation now depends on the flesh of a sinner and the beating of his heart. Rather than looking to the cross itself to see the body of Jesus incorruptible at His death in payment for the sins of all the world to determine the extent of the atonement, the Calvinist takes the pulse of the corpse of a dead sinner as their standard of the power of the blood of Jesus.
To the Calvinist, the atonement does not stand on its own the power of the blood of Jesus does not stand on its own. Why, if so! ~~ that would make God not man the center of their theological system and their system would collapse in its other points!! So, says the Calvinist, God must be removed from the center of this theological system and replaced with man!! Then we can declare the atonement limited by the corpse of a reprobate sinner who died in his sins!!
To the Calvinist there are two primary touchpoints of their doctrine:
1. Adam in his flesh in time on earth in his fall into sin and death;
2. A reprobate sinner whose heart stops beating so that the clock stops! at his death through sin.
There you have the problem with Calvinism in a nutshell: Its man-centered on a temporal earth in time in death and sin. The Calvinist system has no place in the system for God Himself to be the center of the theological system God Himself shared in the Holy Bible: His own plan.
Rather than standing on the sure foundation of Jesus Christ alone and Gods eternal purpose in Him, as the Resurrection and the Life, the Calvinist declares, The devil was not destroyed on the cross! We see people die in their sins!. The atonement is limited! But thats not what the Bible says.
To the Calvinist, their system begins with the fall of mankind in sin in Adam on earth in time. The power of mankind in sin on earth in time the power of death - is greater than the power of the Endless Life and eternal Spirit of God the Son dying on the cross for the sins of all the world and rising again.
The level of thought of the Calvinist mind declares that the grave can defeat the plan of God. In man-centeredness with a focus on sin and death in fall and ruin, they review the grave of a reprobate man who died in his sins. They forget the resurrection power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Their minds can only see A-Z in man in flesh on earth in time as if there is no such thing as resurrection power in Jesus Christ.
Lets just step back and take a look at that theological system and its points:
- Total Depravity (temporal man in temporal flesh in sin on temporal earth in time).
- Unconditional Election (a man-centered view of election looking to the temporal flesh of temporal man in sin on temporal earth in time).
- Limited Atonement (a man-centered view of the atonement focused not on Jesus and His body and blood and His Eternal Spirit but upon the temporal flesh of temporal man in sin on temporal earth in time.)
- Irresistible Grace (a man centered view of the grace of God looking to the temporal flesh of temporal man in sin on temporal earth in time declaring his resistance in the flesh central and so meaningful its the first word of the doctrine)
- Perseverance of the Saints (a man centered view with everything all about Adam in flesh in time on earth the temporal and the eternal nature of the spirit born of God a complete mystery that just says, well make it because God said so!)
The whole system of the 5 Points of Calvinism is all about the experience of man in flesh on earth in time totally centered in man. It is a vision of man seen by those trapped in a temporal mind and lense of perception.
This doctrine gives God an acknowledgement that He is Sovereign and in control, but never gives God the pre-eminence in the 5 Point system itself. The whole system is all about man in time on earth in flesh trying to get to Heaven someday. Its man-centered, sin-conscious, fear-based, and says, God intersects with us out of eternity in time as it talks all about man, man, man within the first Genesis creation that is predestined to be destroyed.
The 5 Points of Calvinism are handicapped by man-centeredness. The 5 Points are so limited and man-centered that the whole A-Z of this system is all about the experience of man within a temporal earth that is predestined to be destroyed.
Man starts out at a point in fall and ruin in sin in flesh on temporal earth in time (Total Depravity). Looking to man, it attempts to explain why some are saved in human lifetime and not and declares election unconditional.
Well, when all one is looking at is man in a man-centered framework all one notices is that the flesh of all mankind in sin in Adam in his fall in time on earth in flesh is the same. Its a man-centered pronouncement of all fallen flesh is equal so election is Unconditional!.
When everything is from the position of mankind in flesh in time on earth then the atonement does not stand on its own. Rather, the atonement is bent so far outside of its eternal context through a man-centered and temporal view, that the atonement is declared limited.
Man is the measure of all things and God Himself on the cross is limited in the Calvinist view. The Calvinist mindset looks to the flesh of man in time on earth and declares that God limited Himself or is limited on the cross. (Limited Atonement).
Grace is all about us and our feelings and response in the man-centered view of grace. Grace is not simply grace. No, grace is all about man himself in the man-centered view. So, in the Calvinist system, Gods grace seen from the man/flesh-centered, sin-conscious, and fear-based view of a sinner according to the flesh is deemed irresistible. (Irresistible Grace).
Salvation is spoken in terms of man in his human experience on earth in flesh in time in a man-centered view that declares that we shall persevere!. (Perseverance of the Saints).
And that is all.
All that matters in this view is man, man, man and 5 Points of doctrine. And that is all.
Everything in this system is centered in man in flesh on earth in time. Man in the flesh and time limit God. The Calvinist posits as if Gods purpose in Jesus Christ was a temporal purpose in a temporal creation, rather than an eternal purpose and grace in Jesus Christ as God. So, of course, God in this view is limited to a deadline of man in flesh in time to fulfill His purpose.
The Calvinist takes the pulse of a man on earth in flesh in time and declares, Hes dead! Theres no pulse! and that is supposed to be the end of it. Little notice did they take of Jesus Christ on the cross destroying sin not in part but the whole as He gave up the ghost.
To the Calvinist, the resurrection power of Jesus Christ in His Endless Life and offering Himself up to God the Father by the eternal Spirit notwithstanding, salvation now depends on the flesh of a sinner and the beating of his heart. Rather than looking to the cross itself to see the body of Jesus incorruptible at His death in payment for the sins of all the world to determine the extent of the atonement, the Calvinist takes the pulse of the corpse of a dead sinner as their standard of the power of the blood of Jesus.
To the Calvinist, the atonement does not stand on its own the power of the blood of Jesus does not stand on its own. Why, if so! ~~ that would make God not man the center of their theological system and their system would collapse in its other points!! So, says the Calvinist, God must be removed from the center of this theological system and replaced with man!! Then we can declare the atonement limited by the corpse of a reprobate sinner who died in his sins!!
To the Calvinist there are two primary touchpoints of their doctrine:
1. Adam in his flesh in time on earth in his fall into sin and death;
2. A reprobate sinner whose heart stops beating so that the clock stops! at his death through sin.
There you have the problem with Calvinism in a nutshell: Its man-centered on a temporal earth in time in death and sin. The Calvinist system has no place in the system for God Himself to be the center of the theological system God Himself shared in the Holy Bible: His own plan.
Rather than standing on the sure foundation of Jesus Christ alone and Gods eternal purpose in Him, as the Resurrection and the Life, the Calvinist declares, The devil was not destroyed on the cross! We see people die in their sins!. The atonement is limited! But thats not what the Bible says.
To the Calvinist, their system begins with the fall of mankind in sin in Adam on earth in time. The power of mankind in sin on earth in time the power of death - is greater than the power of the Endless Life and eternal Spirit of God the Son dying on the cross for the sins of all the world and rising again.
The level of thought of the Calvinist mind declares that the grave can defeat the plan of God. In man-centeredness with a focus on sin and death in fall and ruin, they review the grave of a reprobate man who died in his sins. They forget the resurrection power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Their minds can only see A-Z in man in flesh on earth in time as if there is no such thing as resurrection power in Jesus Christ.