I found a good essay about this:
Predestination and Eternal Security
The once-saved-always-saved issue is a hot topic of debate in todays church. On one side, people can make a profession of faith and then have a false sense of security even though they have no relationship with Jesus Christ at all. On the Calvinist side, people have the attitude that if God wants it done, He will do it or make me do it. I once counseled a man who was trying to justify his inappropriate contentography habit. He stated that he didn't think that he was accountable for his addiction. If God wanted him to change, God would change him. Until that time, he was free to sin at every urge that God permitted to tempt him. I have also heard many people say that God will send people to the church if He wants them to be saved. All we have to do is look around to see if this is true. The churches that thrive outside their four walls are reaching people and are on fire when they come together each week. Churches that only minister to themselves and those 'God sends' have little impact on the culture around them and are often cold inside the walls of the church. Jesus taught that we are to go into the highways and hedges to find those who will come. Go out into the all world. Mark 16:15 says the great commission is to go out and reach the world, not wait for God to send the world to us. A church hiding behind the walls is in disobedience and by default, limits Gods blessing that He longs to invest in them. Numbers does not indicate spiritual maturity. I know large churches that are cold as ice and small ministries that are on fire and impacting the world for Christ.
Calvinism
The most popular doctrine of predestination is Calvinism. Calvinism takes its name from John Calvin who wrote 5 points
Total Depravity of Man all are born sinners
Unconditional Election God has already chosen who will go to Heaven and Hell
Limited Atonement Jesus died only to redeem those who were pre-chosen
Irresistible Grace Man is saved by the will of God without choice
Perseverance of the Saints Those predestined cannot be lost
I will state up front that I do not believe in Calvinism. One proof against it is its fruit. Jesus said that we would know teaching by the fruit. Generally speaking, Calvinist churches are only reaching people who are already believers. Obviously there are exceptions to this, but as a whole, evangelism is not a part of this movement. The believers they reach become like-minded and if they were outreach minded, they abandon the idea. I was once under a pastor who was a Calvinist. We built a church in a heavily populated unchurched community and it was an ideal location. The members present when the church was built were the same members present 8 years later. I have a friend who still attends. They are the same today as they were 20 years ago. Where is the fruit? Where are the changed lives, the spiritual growth and the disciples who should now be disciplers? The whole purpose of the church is to reach the lost, then equip and encourage people for their personal ministries. True discipleship produces more discipleship. In other words, I should be equipping people to become teachers, preachers and ministers who will go out and reproduce themselves. A minister is anyone who is following God's call and doing what He has equipped them to do. Each person should grow to the point where they are not dependent on someone teaching them. We still are commanded to come together, but growth is limited if we are only growing in church.
Gods Foreknowledge
Look at the passage most Calvinists use:
Romans 8
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
What is the focus of this passage? It is to conform to the image of Christ. We are predestined to conform to His image. This passage tells us that every Christian is included in this destiny God has ordained. However, we dont see every Christian conforming to Christ. Under the Calvinist viewpoint, this would be a false statement in my opinion. Who didnt God foreknow? Even the unbeliever was foreknown. God foretold of the sinners who would try and crucify Jesus. God foreknew the wicked kings of Israel. God foreknew the wicked kings that would defeat Israel in judgment. God foreknew the wicked people that would inhabit the Promised Land sworn to Abraham. If you look back to the promise, God said that the people would be taken captive for 400 years and would inherit the land once the sins of the people God would judge was complete. In other words, God foreknew the people and what choice they would make. In Revelation, God foreknew the wicked leaders and the people who would reject and accept Him during the Great Tribulation and He gave a glimpse in His prophecy.
What this passage in Romans is telling us is that God has planned our lives before hand. He has given us everything we need to conform to the image of Jesus Christ. Look at Psalm 139:
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.
17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand
God knew me before I existed and He fashioned me in the womb to fit perfectly in the plan He has for my life. He has also laid out His plan for my life and given me everything I need to finish this life complete and stand before Him in victory when this life is over. Therefore, there is no excuse for a Christian failing to become what God intended. If we fall short of the promise, it is because we have refused Gods ways and have instead followed our ways. Predestination does not nullify free will. If there is no free will, there cant be love. I cant obey nor disobey if I have no choice. I can program my computer to say, I love you every time it boots up. What pleasure would that give me? Why would God program us to be forced to love Him? It is not love if there is not a choice to not love God. We are predestined to conform to His image which we were originally created to reflect but we have a choice to conform to the world instead.
Keep the context in focus
It is always important to keep the whole revelation of Gods word in focus. Scripture enlightens scripture. Every error finds its roots in the fact that one passage is given greater weight than other scriptures. When someone zeros in on a passage and ignores passages that are contradictory to their conclusion, error is the result. It is not the passage that is in contradiction, but the conclusion being drawn when a passage is taken out of context of the rest of scripture. I believe the Calvinist debate falls into this trap. If you only look at the passages that use the word predestined, then you can easily draw the conclusion of Calvinism. However, when you examine these passages in light of the entire Bible, a complete picture begins to emerge. Anytime someone has to explain away passages that disagree, they are on dangerous ground. Instead, we should look at the whole picture and see where this passage fits in light of the rest of scripture. Calvinism has to get past passages that point to freewill. Predestination and freewill are not in conflict if sound biblical interpretation is applied. These passages compliment each other to give us a complete picture.
(more in next post)
Predestination and Eternal Security
The once-saved-always-saved issue is a hot topic of debate in todays church. On one side, people can make a profession of faith and then have a false sense of security even though they have no relationship with Jesus Christ at all. On the Calvinist side, people have the attitude that if God wants it done, He will do it or make me do it. I once counseled a man who was trying to justify his inappropriate contentography habit. He stated that he didn't think that he was accountable for his addiction. If God wanted him to change, God would change him. Until that time, he was free to sin at every urge that God permitted to tempt him. I have also heard many people say that God will send people to the church if He wants them to be saved. All we have to do is look around to see if this is true. The churches that thrive outside their four walls are reaching people and are on fire when they come together each week. Churches that only minister to themselves and those 'God sends' have little impact on the culture around them and are often cold inside the walls of the church. Jesus taught that we are to go into the highways and hedges to find those who will come. Go out into the all world. Mark 16:15 says the great commission is to go out and reach the world, not wait for God to send the world to us. A church hiding behind the walls is in disobedience and by default, limits Gods blessing that He longs to invest in them. Numbers does not indicate spiritual maturity. I know large churches that are cold as ice and small ministries that are on fire and impacting the world for Christ.
Calvinism
The most popular doctrine of predestination is Calvinism. Calvinism takes its name from John Calvin who wrote 5 points
Total Depravity of Man all are born sinners
Unconditional Election God has already chosen who will go to Heaven and Hell
Limited Atonement Jesus died only to redeem those who were pre-chosen
Irresistible Grace Man is saved by the will of God without choice
Perseverance of the Saints Those predestined cannot be lost
I will state up front that I do not believe in Calvinism. One proof against it is its fruit. Jesus said that we would know teaching by the fruit. Generally speaking, Calvinist churches are only reaching people who are already believers. Obviously there are exceptions to this, but as a whole, evangelism is not a part of this movement. The believers they reach become like-minded and if they were outreach minded, they abandon the idea. I was once under a pastor who was a Calvinist. We built a church in a heavily populated unchurched community and it was an ideal location. The members present when the church was built were the same members present 8 years later. I have a friend who still attends. They are the same today as they were 20 years ago. Where is the fruit? Where are the changed lives, the spiritual growth and the disciples who should now be disciplers? The whole purpose of the church is to reach the lost, then equip and encourage people for their personal ministries. True discipleship produces more discipleship. In other words, I should be equipping people to become teachers, preachers and ministers who will go out and reproduce themselves. A minister is anyone who is following God's call and doing what He has equipped them to do. Each person should grow to the point where they are not dependent on someone teaching them. We still are commanded to come together, but growth is limited if we are only growing in church.
Gods Foreknowledge
Look at the passage most Calvinists use:
Romans 8
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
What is the focus of this passage? It is to conform to the image of Christ. We are predestined to conform to His image. This passage tells us that every Christian is included in this destiny God has ordained. However, we dont see every Christian conforming to Christ. Under the Calvinist viewpoint, this would be a false statement in my opinion. Who didnt God foreknow? Even the unbeliever was foreknown. God foretold of the sinners who would try and crucify Jesus. God foreknew the wicked kings of Israel. God foreknew the wicked kings that would defeat Israel in judgment. God foreknew the wicked people that would inhabit the Promised Land sworn to Abraham. If you look back to the promise, God said that the people would be taken captive for 400 years and would inherit the land once the sins of the people God would judge was complete. In other words, God foreknew the people and what choice they would make. In Revelation, God foreknew the wicked leaders and the people who would reject and accept Him during the Great Tribulation and He gave a glimpse in His prophecy.
What this passage in Romans is telling us is that God has planned our lives before hand. He has given us everything we need to conform to the image of Jesus Christ. Look at Psalm 139:
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.
17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand
God knew me before I existed and He fashioned me in the womb to fit perfectly in the plan He has for my life. He has also laid out His plan for my life and given me everything I need to finish this life complete and stand before Him in victory when this life is over. Therefore, there is no excuse for a Christian failing to become what God intended. If we fall short of the promise, it is because we have refused Gods ways and have instead followed our ways. Predestination does not nullify free will. If there is no free will, there cant be love. I cant obey nor disobey if I have no choice. I can program my computer to say, I love you every time it boots up. What pleasure would that give me? Why would God program us to be forced to love Him? It is not love if there is not a choice to not love God. We are predestined to conform to His image which we were originally created to reflect but we have a choice to conform to the world instead.
Keep the context in focus
It is always important to keep the whole revelation of Gods word in focus. Scripture enlightens scripture. Every error finds its roots in the fact that one passage is given greater weight than other scriptures. When someone zeros in on a passage and ignores passages that are contradictory to their conclusion, error is the result. It is not the passage that is in contradiction, but the conclusion being drawn when a passage is taken out of context of the rest of scripture. I believe the Calvinist debate falls into this trap. If you only look at the passages that use the word predestined, then you can easily draw the conclusion of Calvinism. However, when you examine these passages in light of the entire Bible, a complete picture begins to emerge. Anytime someone has to explain away passages that disagree, they are on dangerous ground. Instead, we should look at the whole picture and see where this passage fits in light of the rest of scripture. Calvinism has to get past passages that point to freewill. Predestination and freewill are not in conflict if sound biblical interpretation is applied. These passages compliment each other to give us a complete picture.
(more in next post)
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