One more question

[StillGods]

To a Calvinist is salvation open to anyone?

In Calvinism what must a person do to be saved?

 

[Hazelelponi]

Yes salvation is open to anyone...

No one but God knows who will accept salvation and who will refuse, and you don't know if what you will say to someone will be a piece of knowledge they need which helps lead them to the point of their salvation years in the future.

God uses us in many ways, sharing the Gospel is just one. We share the Gospel but we should also to pray those we are sharing it with understand. Our part is the sharing, God's part is the understanding so we pray for the lost as well as share the Gospel with them. Romans 10:1

What must you do to be saved is the same as with most other major groups of believers.

"If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

What happens after salvation is a response to belief in Jesus, a response to His love for you which you in turn have for Him after your saved... but the response doesn't justify you.

 

[StillGods]

So far in my understanding of Calvinism salvation is only open to the elect? not every person in the world, would this be a correct concept?

Also to be saved the process to a Calvinist is slightly different ie.

Calvinist: God regenerates the person, then the person believes, then they are saved.

Non-Calvinist: person believes, then they are regenerated/saved by God (same time).

very simplified but that is my understanding so far, would that be accurate?

 

[StillGods]

to me calvinism has a 3 step salvation process
and non calvinist a 2 step salvation process

would this be accurate?

 

[Hazelelponi]

to me calvinism has a 3 step salvation process
and non calvinist a 2 step salvation process

would this be accurate?

Regeneration must be in place for someone to believe.. Our sight becomes more clear to see what we really are, to realize we are in need of God. We become more open to the Truth of the Gospel. So yes, regeneration is in place prior to salvation and faith becomes a result of that.

At the point of faith and belief we believe and confess and are saved, justified in Christ (as mentioned previously).

But then as a result of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we begin a lifelong process of sanctification - where we learn how to live, to follow Christ in truth and where we become more Christ-like in our day to day behavior overall. This is a natural response to our salvation but it's a process that lasts a lifetime.

 

[StillGods]

this may seem like a silly question but i really dont know.

are calvinists in the once saved always saved camp?

 

[Hazelelponi]

this may seem like a silly question but i really dont know.

are calvinists in the once saved always saved camp?

Yes...

 

[StillGods]

Yes...

thanks

 

[hedrick]

I think the correct answer is no. Calvinism includes something called "perseverance of the saints." Because faith is a gift, and God doesn't change his mind, if you are elect you're faith will continue to the end.

But salvation still requires faith. In the Reformed model it's not possible for someone to once be a Christian, fall away from the faith, and still remain saved, because if God chooses a person, he will make sure that their faith lasts. Someone who falls away shows by that fact that they aren't elect. Reformed would typically say that they weren't saved in the first place.

"Once saved, always saved" often has a slightly different meaning. It means that if you once meet the requirements for salvation, you're saved, even if you fall away completely. In my opinion once saved, always saved comes out of the free-will Baptist tradition. It's a remnant of perseverance of the saints, translated into an Arminian context.

There are probably people who hold Reformed perseverance and call it once saved, always saved, but I don't think they're identical.

 

[JM]

We are justified by Christ alone through faith.