Posts Tagged ‘Calvinism’
What Calvinists call “the Finished Work of Christ”
by Terry Wane Benton The Calvinists are often heard making of “the finished work of Christ” something that was never intended. They say there is nothing we can do to be saved. They say all doing is “finished” by what Christ did on the cross. But that is a misuse of the verses. Sure, Christ…
Read MoreThe Sovereignty of God
by Gene Frost Sovereignty is the state of being sovereign, which is to be “above or superior to all others; chief; greatest; supreme.” We illustrate: In all the realm, the king was sovereign. There was no one holding greater rank, with greater authority, or greater power. He willed that on a certain day, from the…
Read MoreCalvinism in Romans 9
by Matthew W. Bassford If there is any passage in the Bible that Calvinists love, it is Romans 9:6-24. Upon a casual reading, it seems to confirm the Calvinist doctrine of predestination. It talks at great length about God’s mercy and God’s choice being the deciding factors in human existence, and in the context, Paul…
Read MoreCalvinism and the Great Commission
by Wayne Jackson John Calvin (1509-64) was a religious reformer and theologian. The basic premise of his theology was the absolute sovereignty (right to reign) of God, out of which evolved his misguided theory of “predestination.” The Swiss reformer believed that human “free will” was destroyed by man’s “original sin”; thus, the innate power to…
Read MoreConfusing Mercy with Justice
by Matthew W. Bassford The other Sunday, I was approached by one of the younger sisters at church. She had a couple of questions. They involved hypotheticals that many of us have encountered before. What about the tribesman in the Amazon jungle who never gets to hear about the gospel? What about the man who…
Read MoreCan Men Change God’s Will?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Can-Men-Change-Gods-Will.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Daniel 4:28-37 I. A difficulty those raised in Calvinist beliefs is resolving the idea of God’s sovereign will with the actions of men. A. To many Calvinists, God’s will is immutable (unable to be changed). The idea that men might do something to alter God’s decisions is inconceivable. B. This is…
Read MoreA Tale of Two Gods
How Calvinism’s God and the Bible’s God are Two Very Different God’s by Ben Giselbach One very popular denominational preacher and writer, John Piper, is famous for saying that “all things” – even down to the subatomic level – “are ordained, guided, and governed” by God. [1] The idea that God determines everything can be traced back…
Read MoreThe Sovereignty of God
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/SovereigntyOfGod.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Timothy 6:13-21 I. When looking at the history of the development of the denominational world, one issue that has significant impact revolves around understanding God’s sovereignty. A. Sovereignty is being above or superior to others; to be chief, greatest, or supreme. B. The question is: Can God be sovereign if…
Read MoreWhat should I do about a person who is trying to push Calvinism in our congregation?
Question: There is a young man that I go to church with who tries to teach me that Calvinism is true and that you can’t lose your salvation. I used to believe what he teaches, but I stopped believing it. He even laughs when talking about people being prepared for destruction or God’s wrath being…
Read MoreIs Salvation Assured?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/IsSalvationAssured.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I John 2:15-25 I. During the Reformation, a man named John Calvin came up with a system of belief that has impacted a large portion of the denominational world. A. The ideas were not original with Calvin. He based his work on many that preceded him. B. What Calvin did was…
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