Theology 201 #6: The Dangers of Calvinism Part 2

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ” (Col. 2:8).

Over the past several months we have considered the topic of Calvinism and Arminianism. If you will recall: Calvinism and Arminianism are two systems of theology that attempt to explain the relationship between God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility in the matter of salvation. This month we will conclude our critique of Calvinism for as we saw last month, there are certain implications of Calvinism that are very dangerous, including the possibility of falsely leading people away from a saving relationship with Jesus Christ (see http://eugenechristianchurch.blogspot.com/2019/05/theology-201-6-dangers-of-calvinism.html).

There are five things that Calvinism dangerously undermines. First, Calvinism undermines God’s sovereignty. This might surprise those who hold to Calvinism as they view “God’s sovereign power over all His creation and over every one of his creatures is one of the grandest themes through the Bible” according to Calvinist John Piper. And I completely agree with that statement. Nothing can stop God’s purposes (Job 42:2). However, where God’s sovereignty is compromised is in the belief “that if God does not ordain the actions of individuals in every aspect, then He is not sovereign” (Kevin Jackson, Libertarian Free Will).  Thus, Calvinism teaches that mankind is totally depraved, even from making a freewill choice to accept Christ. Calvinists cannot comprehend how God could be sovereign in all things and yet allow mankind to have the freewill to choose to do something that is contrary to God’s divine decree.

Yet consider what Gareth Reese pointed out: “No matter how it is worded, making membership in God’s family ‘conditional on man’s response’ seems to detract from God’s sovereignty and lordship over all things, for it surely does seem to make more depend on man’s ability to choose, than on what God does; in fact, a wrong choice by man can almost be seen as frustrating God’s will. Perhaps, if it’s remembered that even in Adam’s case (and that before he ever sinned), being what God intended him to be was made conditional, then it will not be so hard to see that God’s majesty and sovereignty is not diminished when He grants to men the freedom to act. Instead, it should enhance our appreciation of, and dependence on, a God who can overrule even willful men’s attempts to frustrate His will and plan” (Romans, p. 570). 

Thus, God’s sovereignty is greater than what Calvinists teach. He is able to orchestrate that His divine decree will take place in spite of mankind’s actions which seem to be contrary. For example, consider the story of Joseph in the Old Testament. Joseph’s brothers hated him and intended to harm him, yet God was able to orchestrate the brothers’ destructive actions in such a way that it brought about the exact opposite, the saving of many lives (Gen.50:20).

Second, Calvinism undermines God’s holiness. Calvinist, John Piper stated that God’s plan included sin (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkK7Bgp3ylA). Calvinist, R.C. Sproul said, “God wills all things that come to pass. It is within His power to stop whatever might come to pass…God desired for man to fall into sin. I am not accusing God of sinning; I’m suggesting that God created sin” (R.C. Sproul, Almighty Over All, p. 54). This makes God out to be the author of the very thing that He commands throughout His Word against, sin. That, my friends, is blasphemous!

The Bible makes it very clear that God is not the author of sin! “When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone” (James 1:13; see also Deut. 32:4; Job 34:10; Hab. 1:13; 1 John 1:5). Proverbs 8:13 teaches that God hates sin. Scripture says “Without holiness no one will see God” (Heb. 12:14). And God commands us to be holy as He is holy (Lev. 11:45; 1 Peter 1:16). Yet Calvinism blasphemes God’s holiness by asserting directly or indirectly that He is the very author of sin!

So where did sin come from then? An early church leader named Pelagius said, “Our most excellent Creator wished us to be able to do either (good or evil) but actually to do only one, that is, good, which He also commanded, giving us the capacity to do evil only so that we might do His will by exercising our own. That being so, this very capacity to do evil is also good-good, I say, because it makes the good part better by making it voluntary and independent, not bound by necessity but free to decide for itself” (The Letters of Pelagius and his Followers). Jesse Morrell said, “Every opportunity to do wrong is an opportunity to do right” (https://www.youtube.com/watchv=z1JhUPIGf6c). Thus, sin was a result of mankind’s freewill choice to disobey the all holy and righteous God.

Third, Calvinism undermines God’s grace.  It undermines God’s grace through the teaching of original sin, which is a part of their doctrine of Total Depravity. Those who hold to original sin teach that all people became sinners on account of our original parents (Adam and Eve) sinning in the Garden of Eden.

However, the Bible plainly states that a person cannot be held accountable for someone else’s sins, specifically in context, for the sins of their parents or their children (Ezek. 18:4, 20; see also Deut. 24:16; 2 Chron. 25:4; Ecc. 11:9; Matt. 16:27; Rom. 2:6; 14:12; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 2:23; 20:12). On the other hand, the Bible does teach original grace. Every person is given the same opportunity to choose God or choose to give in to the sinful desires before us. Sadly, every person who has ever been born (with the exception of Jesus) has chosen to give into that temptation once they had the ability of knowing right from wrong. At that time we died spiritually (for more information see http://eugenechristianchurch.blogspot.com/2016/07/man-image-of-god-7-do-all-babies-go-to.html).

Fourth, Calvinism undermines God’s love. This is a natural conclusion of their doctrine of limited atonement. Limited atonement teaches that Jesus only died for the elect (those who will be saved). While the Bible affirms in several places that Jesus did in fact die for the sins of the entire world (John 1:29; 3:16; 4:42; 10:9; 12:32; 1 Tim. 2:4, 6; 4:10; Heb. 2:9; 10:29; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 John 2:2; 4:14), by teaching that Jesus only died for the elect is to say in affect that God does not love all people in a way that means anything at the end of the day. 

Some Calvinists are willing to admit where their theology naturally leads: God does not love everyone. A Calvinistic pastor, John Gill said, “The love of God in giving Jesus as a sacrifice was not a general kindness to all creation. But it is a special & discriminating love of favor which He bears to His own people as distinct from others.” Really, what Gill is saying, is that God does not love everyone.

Many Calvinist tend to object to the statements about God not loving everyone, for they will say that just as people display different types of love, so too does God. Therefore, to the Calvinist, they will argue that God loves believers and non-believers alike through giving all life and daily provisions. Yet on account of the clarity of the NT Greek language, the objection to various kinds of love does not find Biblical support.

Thus, Calvinism’s doctrine of limited atonement undermines and limits God’s love, but the Bible does not. “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly… But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:6, 8).

Lastly, Calvinism undermines God’s Word. This is the case simply because one would not arrive at the 5 doctrines of Calvinism from the Bible alone. We discussed this last month. There are several very basic words in the Bible that Calvinists will teach mean something other than their simple definitions. For example when John 3:16 states that God loves the world, Calvinists teach that world only refers to the elect, and not to the entire world. Likewise, when the Bible says that someone has “fallen away from grace” (Gal. 5:4), Calvinists teach that this does not mean that they lost their salvation even though that is what is being clearly talked about. The only way for a person to come to that conclusion is for them to have a source other than the Bible as their ultimate ruling authority. That is undermining God’s Word.

The bottom line is the Calvinism undermines some very serious doctrines of the Bible. Thus, may we not be held captive by the empty philosophies of men who undermine God’s sovereignty, holiness, grace, love, and Word.

In His service,

Matt

Theology 201 #6: The Dangers of Calvinism

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ” (Col. 2:8).

For the first 13 years of my life, I lived on a property that had two small private ponds. While neither of those ponds had much for fish in them, they both had lots of frogs. As a kid I can remember going out there with my older sister and some of her friends and catching frogs. Those frogs were large enough to enjoy frog-legs, not a bad thing. And at the time, my older sister had to try the experiments that she was being taught in school, including how you can literally boil a frog to death by placing it in pot of warm water then ever so gently increasing the temperature. So yes, I can verify as an eye-witness that it really does work on frogs; and sadly the principle works on people as well. No I am not talking about literally boiling a person to death. Rather, there are things that can cause a person to die physically, and more important, spiritually die without them even realizing the danger that they are in. That can be the case with Calvinism, and it is the case for many others in our area who do not understand the danger that they are in. 

Therefore, this month I’d like us to consider three very dangerous aspects of Calvinism to help protect us and those we love from its snares. The first danger of Calvinism is that it teaches people to rely upon the traditions of men rather than adhering strictly to what the Word of God has to say. While I am positive that if you were to ask, the most Calvinists, they will claim that Scripture is there only ruling authority, but in actual practice it can be something totally different. For example, many Calvinists will also point to the significance of their Creeds that they adhere to. Yes, some of the Creeds are simply a summary of essential elements to Biblical Christianity. However, at times, they are not clear on their beliefs. For example, within the Apostles Creed the belief in the Holy Spirit fails to clarify whether the Holy Spirit is one of the Trinity or merely an impersonal divine force. Additionally, creeds can leave out essential elements of Biblical Christianity. Finally, Jesus never gave any authority to written creeds; He only gave His authority in His Word. Watchman Nee wrote: “For man to consider the creeds as authoritative is for him to annul the authority of the Bible! It causes man to take the creeds as the standard instead of taking the Bible as the standard! (The Collected Works of Watchman Nee, vol. 5: The Christian (3), p. 448.)

True, not all Calvinists adhere to creeds, yet there is no way for a person to come to the conclusion that Calvinists do concerning several passages of Scripture without seeing Scripture through the teaching  of church leaders down through the centuries. For example, 1 John 2:2 states that Jesus “is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” Yet Calvinists teach that world only refers to the elect (those whom God chose for salvation according to Calvinists). To assert that world in 1 John 2:2 refers merely to the elect does not come from the clear reading of Scripture. Likewise, Hebrews 2:9 plainly states that Jesus “tasted death for everyone.” Yet once again, since the Calvinist holds to limited atonement (that Jesus died only for the elect), then the “everyone” which is mentioned in this passage must only be referring to the elect. Thus again, they must hold to a teaching of man above Scripture. This same argument could be made for all five points of Calvinism (see the various articles concerning the five points of Calvinism for proof to this point http://eugenechristian church.blogspot.com/search/label/Theology%20201?updated-max=2018-11-23T13:49:00-08:00&max-results=20&start=5&by-date=false). 

Conversely, Paul as he instructed his comrade, Timothy, stated hands down that the Bible is the authoritative means for Christians to live by (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Additionally, Paul went so far as saying that anyone who perverts the Gospel of Christ are eternally condemned (Gal. 1:6-9). Moses and Solomon back Paul’s warning of adding to or subtracting from the word of God. Indeed, John closed the last words of the Bible with the same exhortation, declaring: “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book” (Rev. 22:18-19). Finally, Jesus Himself, made it clear that the Bible was in a class of its own, exalted above all tradition. He rebuked the Pharisees for not accepting the Bible alone and negating the final authority of the Word of God by their religious traditions, saying, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?…You nullify the word of God, for the sake of your tradition” (Matt. 15:3, 6). The Bible alone can hardly be stated more emphatically. And unfortunately, Calvinism does not adhere to the Bible alone as their ultimate ruling authority.

Kevin Thompson explains the issue related to the Calvinist’s Gospel in the following way. “In Calvinism, the Biblical Gospel, that is, the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, is not ‘good news’ for most people. Christ didn’t die for most people in Calvinism, so therefore, it’s not good news for them at all. In fact, it’s completely inconsequential whatsoever to most people. What makes Christ’s death and resurrection consequential to someone? Why it’s simple. It matters if they’re one of the elect. If they’ve been chosen. What this means is that it’s not actually the death or the resurrection of Christ that matters at all. The only thing that matters is one’s election. If you’re elect, you’re good. If not, too bad. At the end of the day, the death and resurrection of Christ is just peripheral as far as anyone is concerned. Only their election matters.

Are you a sinner? Sure. Do you have a remedy for your sin? Well, that depends on whether you’re elect or not. So in Calvinism, the Biblical Gospel isn’t good news at all because you have no idea whether or not Christ died for you to begin with. The only good news for the individual is if they find out that they are one of the elect. You can’t trust in Christ’s blood if it wasn’t shed for you. The only thing left to trust is in your election; the idea that you were chosen.

Can you get saved by trusting your election rather than trusting Christ? No you can’t. So are those trusting something other than Christ saved? You might think so, but I wouldn’t bet on it” (Are Calvinists Saved?). Thus, we see a second fundamental doctrine of Biblical Christianity being rejected in Calvinism.

One final issue that we want to briefly draw our attention to concerning Calvinism is that which is a natural byproduct of unconditional election and perseverance of the saints. To illustrate this point, I am reminded of a woman that I met several years ago. She was a Calvinist who found great peace in thinking that her children who had been raised in the church yet had strayed far from living as the Bible teaches were in fact saved. So while she was saddened by their poor choice of lifestyle, she found comfort in believing that one day they were going to be in heaven in spite of their ungodly lifestyles. No doubt it is easy to sympathize with that woman, but, it doesn’t change what Scripture has to say.

The Bible teaches that “without holiness, no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). The Bible also teaches that those who continually practice sin are of the devil (1 John 3:8). Therefore, this woman’s hopes for her children were misdirected through the false teaching of Calvinism.

In conclusion, Calvinists do not adhere to the Bible alone as their ultimate ruling authority, nor do they believe that one is saved by trusting Christ alone, and their teaching can lead to false assurance of one’s salvation. So the moral of the story is this, do not be misled “through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ” (Col. 2:8).

In His service,

Matt

Elder’s Corner: So You're Feeling Good About Your Christian Walk

If you look up the definition of Christian you find the following: an adherent of Christianity (noun), disciple (noun); then under adjectives the following definitions: of or relating to Christianity, based on or conforming with Christianity, professing Christianity, commendably decent or generous, one who has a deep concern for others.  So I wonder which one of these definitions I'm like most of the time. My definition of a Christian has always been someone who is “like Christ.” 

God has given me many opportunities this past week to be like Him. Some of these included taking someone to an appointment, providing food for a person in need, providing gas, helping with someone's electric bill, repairing household items for someone, mowing for someone, etc. So I've learned I'm most like Christ when I'm serving others. You remember He came not to be served, but to serve (Matt. 20:28).

So then the “check your attitude light comes on” in my head. I now notice I don't mind doing these things as long as I don't have a conflict with things I want to do. In other words as long as it’s convenient for me I want to be like Christ. As long as it doesn't interfere with “my activities” I want to follow and serve Him.  He just better not expect it when I want to watch the Cardinals, or go shopping, or go to a ballgame with family, or go mushroom hunting, etc. So I reach this question “How much time am I really giving Him, or living out being “like Christ?” 

So now I must answer the question, just like you must, which activities and opportunities for service glorify God the most? I've got to tell you, I don't always choose right, but I'm getting better at showing the world what the real Jesus looks like. Then I read passages like John 12:25-27 and realize I'm not in the same pew with Christ, I'm not even in the same stadium with Him. Listen to His words as He describes “giving all”--not just when it's convenient. “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also, if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. Now My soul has become troubled, and what shall I say, Father save Me from this hour? But for this purpose I came to this hour.”

Jesus was willing to go to His death for us knowing the future held something better for Him. Are you willing to trade “your wants” in this life knowing the future holds something better for you? I'm working on that attitude of the heart—I hope you are too.  

—Alan