How to Respond to Calvinism

 

I am writing this article to those that may be looking into Calvinism or have had the effect of Calvinism touch them. I hope that you will receive this article with the thought of helping you understand what the Bible says, and does not say. I am not trying to denigrate anyone with this article, so I have not mentioned anyone’s name here. But I do have a problem with the Calvinistic theological thought. What you believe is entirely up to you, of course. But above all, I pray, you will follow Jesus and Him alone. 

I understand some people have never even heard of Calvinism, and this is not an article to describe everything there is to know about what Calvinism teaches. But I hope it helps you even now and in the future of your walk with Jesus. Calvinism essentially says God has predestined everything to happen as it happens, even those that are to be saved, and those that are to be lost. 

Calvinism even has scriptures to try and back up what it teaches. I think most of them are out of context. So they have to be massaged, manipulated, or just plain twisted to say the things that they want them to say. The plane text of scripture does not have to be twisted or manipulated in anyway for us to understand it, just read what it says, and believe it. So therefore, I reject Calvinism completely and just follow the Bible as God shows me, hopefully keeping everything in its context. So I continue my studies of the Bible, if I’m wrong on some point, I will tell you that I was wrong and then tell you the truth.

I asked Jesus to be my savior in 1976. As I walked with Jesus, I had a zeal for Him that is hard to describe. If anyone stopped and talked with me for more than five minutes I would turn the conversation around to be talking about Jesus. I would be trying to see if they were saved or not, and if they weren’t, I would try to persuade them to be saved. 

I was also attending a church that was full of people that were zealous for God. Some of the people in the church started listening to cassette tapes from a preacher in Indiana. Then they got hold of some tapes about Calvinism, apparently this preacher believed that. And so these people also started believing that. 

One particular individual, who was a good friend, wanted me to listen to these tapes on Calvinism. So I did, and eventually all my zeal to witness was gone. I did not care about witnessing anymore, because Calvinism says that those that are going to be saved will be saved, and those that will be damned, will be damned. So my witnessing didn’t make bit of difference. I was in a lot of turmoil in those days because it was hard for me to accept the fact that God was this way. But for a few years, this turmoil continued.

I had stopped reading the Bible as much and listening to more of this preachers tapes because he was saying the same thing that I was reading. So that’s on me. Because of the turmoil that I was in, I even quit listening to this preachers tapes, and just started reading the Bible again. One day I was reading the book of Romans. I came to chapter 5, and I realize from reading chapter 5 of Romans that Calvinism was not correct. Verses 18 and 19 set me free, it took a while, but I got my zeal back for witnessing. These verses said that because Adam sinned the seed of sin past to all men which makes all of us sinners. And it also says that Jesus righteousness is a “free gift” to all men not just some men, so all of mankind can be saved, everyone ever born. However, you must come His way, not anyway you want. 

This started my coming out from under Calvinism and believing the Bible once again and reading it for myself. I have not quit reading it either. In John 8:32, it says you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. And so I was set free and I got my zeal back so that I can talk about Jesus to other people, and want to see them saved. Because the Bible in numerous places says everyone can be saved. 

I’ve listed here a few verses to show that anyone can be saved, not just the ones that Calvinism says God chose, Calvinism is wrong. But you have to come the way God says to come to Him, and that is through the blood of Jesus, it is a free gift to all who will receive it. 

Here is what Romans chapter 5 says that helped me so much in my quest for the truth. Please read it and understand it for what it says, and not for what somebody else tells you it says. These verses are critical for truly understanding what the Bible teaches about all people being sinners and all people being able to choose God.

Romans 5:12-19 (ESV) (Please read the whole chapter)

12. Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13. for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

15. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

18. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

1 Timothy 2:4 is another verse, which shows God’s mercy, His love and His patiences for all men. These verses say God will have all men to be save, but they’re not. Now, if Calvinism was correct, that would mean everyone would be saved, just because of this one verse. Everyone has to accept God’s free gift of righteousness through Jesus, His Son, and we know that not everyone does this. The verses say He will have all men to be saved. That’s God’s will, that’s what He wants, but people do reject Him. But that does not change the fact that God wants everyone saved, to come to Him the way He has said to come to Him.

1 Timothy 2:1-4 (KJV) (Please read the whole chapter)

1. I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

2. For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

3. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

4. Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

John 3:16 says “whoever” wants to come to God can come to Him. We just need to come His way. Calvinism says it doesn’t matter, those that are going to be saved will be saved and forget the rest. But God has given you a free will to choose Him or not to. He has placed it in your hands, so choose life.

John 3:15-17(ESV) (Please read the whole chapter) 

15. that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

For God So Loved the World

16. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

These verses in Joshua are very important for us, because it says you choose who you will serve. This shows that God gave you a free will to choose Him or not to choose Him. Choosing Him is not works as some might say, it’s just believing that God is correct, and the world is wrong. So you have a choice in the matter of choosing to serve God or not to serve Him. Calvinism says it’s not your choice, it’s God’s completely. If Calvinism was correct, would that mean that the Bible is not being truthful by saying you can choose? Calvinism is not Biblical, because God said you have the choice to serve Him or reject serving Him.This does not mean that God does not know who will choose Him but it shows that you can choose to serve Him.

Joshua 25:14-15 (ESV) (Please read the whole chapter) 

14. “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Here is one more verse that I find interesting, that really conflicts with Calvinisms theology.

Jeremiah 19:5 (ESV) (Please read the whole chapter)

5. and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or decree, nor did it come into my mind—

Jeremiah 19:5 also makes it clear that Calvinism is not correct, because God says, something did not enter into His mind or decree it. Calvinism says God predestinated everything, if that were the case, this verse would not be in the Bible. So Calvinism is wrong and may come under the heading of teachers having itching ears, teaching things that they ought not. 2 Timothy 4:1-4 tells us about this. Is Calvinism one of the things being spoken of here, which is not following sound doctrine. There are far too many verses that can show Calvinism to be incorrect.

2 Timothy 4:1-4 (KJV) (Please read the whole chapter) 

3. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

4. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

God would like to see everyone saved from Hell as this verse in 2 Peter tells us, and if Calvinism was correct, then everyone would be saved because of this verse. However, Calvinisms teachings twist these scriptures just like they do other scriptures to mean something other than the plain reading of it.

2 Peter 3:9 (KJV) (Please read the whole chapter)

9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Is the word predestination found in the Bible, yes it is.

Romans 8:29-30 and Ephesians 1:4-6 have this very word. But what are these verses saying? When you read them in their proper context it is very easy to see what they are saying. God foreknew everyone that would chose to be saved by the sacrifice of Jesus and those are the ones that He predestinated to be conformed to the image of Jesus. 

In Ephesians chapter 1 it says those that are in Jesus are the ones that were chosen before the foundation of the world, because God already knew everyone that would choose Jesus, therefore, choose Jesus. Everyone that is in Him and Him alone are the chosen ones. But it is your choice to be in Him or not to be in Him, you must choose. 

Those that are in Him are predestinated to become like Him. I hope that I am making this clear enough to show that we have the choice to be with Him or against Him, and it’s the choice that we must make that makes the difference. God knew from the foundation of the world who would choose Jesus and who would not.

Let’s make an analogy, there is a bus going from point A to point B. The bus is going there, but rather you get on it or not is your choice. The bus is chosen to go to point B, whether you’re on it or not. Which is like Jesus being the chosen one (or the bus), and everybody that is on that bus goes with Him and God for knew who that would be.

Romans 8:29-30 (ESV) (Please read the whole chapter) 

29. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Ephesians 1:4-6 (KJV) (Please read the whole chapter) 

4. According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

6. To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

The Bible is the best commentary on everything that Christians have written through the ages. Please follow the Bible and you will never go wrong. You must read it several times to get the context of everything, but if you follow what it says, and not what people have said about it you can’t go wrong.

Having found this out by reading the Scriptures, I now have my zeal back for witnessing. The next two verses guide me to speak to anyone I can about being saved by the blood of Jesus. Calvinism steals your joy and motivation for Christian service, but the truth of the Bible will give it back in abundance. So that you can pray and go out into the harvest to find souls for Jesus. And fulfill the great commission that Jesus gave His disciples. Are you one of his disciples? If you are, then you must go and make disciples for Jesus in the world that you live in.

Matthew 9:37-38 (ESV) (Please read the whole chapter)

37. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38. therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV) (Please read the whole chapter)

18. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20. teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”