Months ago I wrote to you about our dilemma, being in a church where the preacher was an angry 5-point Calvinist, hammering away week after week from the pulpit to the point where my wife was weary of church. You strongly suggested we leave, but I was reluctant, as we were serving in the worship ministry. Well, I can say that leaving that church has been the best thing for our marriage, as my wife now looks forward to going to our new church every week, and she is much happier. Thank you for your counsel. May God richly bless you!

   I have yet to observe consistency in the views of electionists I have encountered. When and electionist's assertions are challenged, I notice that they often leave the loose ends of their logic dangling while attempting to scurry from a belief in election to a belief in mankind's free-will...seemingly in an attempt to avoid election's logical conclusion: that if God created all souls, and God elected certain souls to heaven, then by logical extension/default, God must be responsible for electing the remaining souls to hell.
A pastor I know whose sermon notes state "...Christ did not die for the whole world; He died for the elect...if Christ died for the whole world, that would merely make man savable...," yet when it is missionary-commissioning Sunday, his sermons state that no person the world over is without excuse for not accepting Christ's atoning work; and when the church's Christmas cantata takes place, the choir sings "Joy To The World," while the sermon topic is "...Jesus, hope for all the world..." and he states that Christ's sacrifice was an act of love. To be consistent, shouldn't the choir really be singing "Joy To The Elect" and shouldn't the sermon rightly be titled "...Jesus, assurance of the elect..."?

   Do you think John Calvin was saved?

   What is your opinion of using books written by Calvinists?

   (This question is condensed) When we called our pastor he assured us he was not a Calvinist. He has been our pastor for ten years and lately has been moving toward Calvinism in his teaching and preached a series of messages on the sovereignty of God with a Calvinist learning. Some members have left. 80-85% of the books he is pushing are by Calvinist authors. The church is confused and we are praying about what to do. The pastor still says he is not a Calvinist. I know that Calvinist consider themselves to be deep thinkers. Do you think our pastor thinks they are and wants us to benefit from their good teachings? I just don't see how you could be a Calvinist and think too deeply.

   I am a Blood bought, Born again, Bible believing servant of Jesus Christ. I have a friend who is also a servant of Jesus yet we disagree on ONE area of scripture. She believes in Calvinism and I do not. I already know that scripture does not support Calvinism, my question is this: My friend says that "WHAT" we each believe on "HOW" we came to salvation is a minor point and does not affect our salvation, therefore we should just agree to disagree on the matter. This response has been bothering me for I do not think God's Word has two different meanings. So I guess I am asking if a "Calvinist" may be a true child of God, and is my friend correct in saying we need to just agree to disagree?

   I am new to Calvinism... couple of months... Although, I noticed on your page, named below, that you didn't cover Effectual calling, grace etc. I am not new to being a Calvinist, I am fairly new to defending the faith against it. So far, I get beat up a lot. I see that the Calvinist have put a template over the bible and read it based upon that same John Calvin template. I noticed that you used several verses in your article, but the Calvinist will not read them the same as the Christian does. Example: There is a general calling and an effectual calling. The general is to all, but only those that are predetermined elect will receive the effectual calling. The same scripture can reference both. This is how Calvinist can read many are called but few are chosen...I was hoping perhaps you could give me some ideas. Just point me in the right direction....

   Thank you so much for your Website. It is truly a blessing for people who are seeking the TRUTH. I hope you will take a few minutes and answer a question for me. I am a Blood bought, Born again, Bible believing servant of Jesus Christ. I have a friend who is also a servant of Jesus yet we disagree on ONE area of scripture. She believes in Calvinism and I do not. I already know that scripture does not support Calvinism, my question is this: My friend says that "WHAT" we each believe on "HOW" we came to salvation is a minor point and does not affect our salvation, therefore we should just agree to disagree on the matter. This response has been bothering me for I do not think God's Word has two different meanings. So I guess I am asking if a "Calvin" may be a true child of God, and is my friend correct in saying we need to just agree to disagree?

   Within your article you give many biblical examples of people rejecting God, now when someone accepts God it was due to God ordaining or choosing this person beforehand. Did I look over any examples of people accepting God without being ordained first? Calvinism teaches that man is totally depraved. If we are depraved, then we cannot answer God's call unless He changes our hearts first through the Holy Spirit. We can't unchange our hearts once God has regenerated it. You and I know that God doesn't regenerate everyone's heart so Election has to have a part in our salvation somewhere? What do you think?

   I have a friend that is fast becoming indoctrinated into Calvinism. I have tried to help him but he does not respond well. Can you help with this?

I would like to know your insight on these verses and how it doesn't support Calvinism.



        John 6:37 "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."
        John 6:65 "And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father."

        Calvinists use these verses to teach that only those who have been elected(given) can believe(come). They claim all those who been elected(given) will believe(come), and no one can believe(come) unless they have been elected(given). They use these verse to support the fourth point of Calvinism, Irresistible Grace. Now since we know that God desires all men to be saved, salvation is for all men, and God has commanded all men to repent, my question is this: What does "give" and "come" mean in these verses, and how does it not support Calvinism?
        John 10:26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. Calvinists use this to teach what they call Unconditional Reprobation: That God, in correlation with Unconditional Election, chooses people for condemnation. They teach that these people would not believe because they were not elected (of His Sheep). Now, it should be noted that later in verses 37 and 38 He says "If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him." To me, this means that even though they weren't His Sheep, He wanted them to be, and was trying to lead towards believing in Him. Nonetheless, I would like to know your insight on this verse and how it doesn't support Calvinism.

   Election, discussion on Arminianism and Calvinism is a lot of wasted energy. God predestined those He would give to Jesus before the foundation of the Worlds, so why would you say a Calvinist would be 'less that genuine' to preach the Gospel if he knew there would be ones who cannot respond? This is a straw man argument.. . . I do know that if God has called someone: John 6:44 'draws them to Himself" (Greek meaning is Drag!), then they will believe if it is predestined that at that time they respond in belief! It is all about God, or didn't you read the Scriptures? What a folly.

  I do not believe that God elected some for salvation and some to be lost, so here is my question, what does it mean in Acts: 13:48 when it says and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.?

   Could you please address what one disgruntled person brought up about Romans 9:11, "but because of Him who calls". What does this mean?

   Isaiah 6:10 seems to indicate that God intentionally closed the eyes and dulled the ears of people so that they would not see or hear the truth. Is that really what it's saying?

   Charles Spurgeon and Jonathan Edwards were both prominent theologians and both seemed like they were Calvinist. Would you label them as false teachers and tell people to avoid them?

   Does the Bible teach that a man is totally depraved and cannot be saved unless God elects him to salvation:

   What should be considered when someone who has voiced their belief in Calvinism and listens to John Piper says in a quick conversation, that God can control Pres. Obama's heart & actions if He wants, because He controlled Saul to prophesy during David's time? Also this person has stated that God forced Paul to believe, (which I find hard to refute), but I know it doesn't line up with the whole of the Bible. In the case of Paul being saved, besides just knowing that it doesn't line up, how does one solve the verses misunderstanding so to speak? Is it just phrased weird because of the language translation and it can't be read/interpreted like that? (It just says it so convincingly for the Calvinist to use in their argument).

   I'm an ex-Calvinist and I'm trying to understand some verses that are still puzzling for me. In Philippians 1:29 it sounds like God granted them to believe, was their belief given to them by God? Exactly what is Paul suggesting here?

   I believe that people do not have the power to save themselves and that God must enable us to accept Jesus. However, how do I know that God wants to save and enable everyone? It scares me so much to think that God might not want to save me. I know that I am totally at his mercy and he went out of his way to help us, but I am still afraid that he doesn't love me and doesn't want to save me.

   I went through the Bible and copied every verse or passage dealing with Calvinism or Arminianism. I honestly and without bias sorted them by which they supported. And the verdict: An honest, objective reading of the literal meaning of each passage seems to reveal that the Bible teaches both inevitability and choice. What a dilemma! Can you shed some light on the matter for me?.

   I have read for years with great interest various writings about the theory of election. I do not subscribe to Calvinist views. I believe the Arminian view, but with the emphasis NOT on man's choices in and of his own ability, but on God's gifts of the ability to discern and the ability to choose. I attached an excerpt from a book by John Hagee, with whom I am sure you are familiar. I find Hagee's interpretation of the "codicil" in Romans quite unique. I have not heard this from anyone else. My question is "Do you think the election Hagee espouses is credible, based of course of your Biblical interpretation and understanding?" Thanks for your consideration.

   I am having a hard time understanding Romans 9. It seems to support the Calvinist views. The Calvinist interpretation does not line up with other passages of God's word. I do not accept Calvinism, but I can't seem to refute their using Romans 9. Can you help?

  I DO NOT believe in election, but John 6:44 does SEEM to support the doctrine. What am I missing?

   Aren't you saying that man has a "free will" apart from any regeneration by God? If not, then is everyone regenerated so that they can believe, and some choose to and some don't? Or are you saying that unregenerated man can turn to God even while dead in his trespasses and sins? What about where Jesus said, you did not choose me but i chose you? Also, please comment on Romans 9 where it talks about vessels of wrath prepared for destruction.

  Human Responsibility: People are saved because God saves them, not because they exercise free will to save themselves. There is no biblical doctrine that teaches that man must exercise his free will to save himself. Quite the opposite. There is clear teaching-doctrine by Jesus himself saying otherwise, "No one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him"¯ (John 6:65). Is this not what the Bible says? So, whom are you going to believe? Listen to Jesus beloved because doing so defines our having been chosen by him (John 8:31).

  I am a Southern Baptist...I read and study and listen to  John Mac Arthur and David Jeremiah ..I read A. W. Pink ..have many tapes of Henry Mahan.. I suppose that I basically am a Calvinist except that  I believe that "  Who so ever will may come. I also have a problem of understanding with " so called carnal Christians " or " worldly Christians " and apathetic Christians ..I can't help but believe that most of them will be those that hear the Lord Jesus say , " I never knew you." I would appreciate any thoughts that you might have on this ....

  You state that Calvinism violates God's love, however, God's love has no bearing on Calvinism.

  Sir, I read your article addressing Calvinism. You have no right to question God and His sovereignty.

  You asked for even one verse that says God choose to sin some people to hell without any choice of salvation. That verse John 6:65 and is a proof text for Calvinism that states God only calls some to be saved and withholds the Gospel from others. The verse says "And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father" (John 6:65)

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Answer:   It is God who calls and saves, and salvation is by no merit of man. Certainly we who reject the teaching of Calvinism, accept the sovereignty of God which is the central point of the Calvinist position. God is sovereign, but God in His sovereignty limits Himself in that He will not violate the will of man. He cannot be unjust or violate His very nature and attributes. God does not force Himself on anyone. The Calvinist misses that vital truth. I do not think it proper to call someone who believes what the Bible actually teaches by the name of man. Paul condemned this error in 1 Corinthians 1:12 of identifying oneself by some religious teacher. In 1 Corinthians 3:4, Paul says that such things are carnal. True believers identify themselves with Jesus Christ, He is the Word, and only His word is Truth. I believe the Calvinist has but one truth on his side....his doctrine is not of Jesus Christ or God's word, but of John Calvin. I am a biblicist, which means a Bible believer.....I am not a Calvinist.

         Election in the New Testament is NOT to salvation, but to the results of salvation which means forgiveness of sins, eternal life, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, becoming a child of God, and vital....living a godly and biblical life. (Ephesians 1) Election is God's choosing His plan of salvation before the foundations of the world and putting it into place. Election is not God choosing which individuals would be saved by Him and which He would reject. God plainly states He saved those that by faith receive His free offer of salvation and those that believe are the elect of God. But that does not mean that God withholds His mercy and grace from some and condemns them to the eternal lake of fire simply because He decreed to do so, or in His sovereignty choose to not allow some to be saved. That is the serious error of the Calvinist.

         The problem of worldly "professing" Christians is one that has always been presence since the early churches. Most of the Epistles were directed at professing believers and churches who were in sin and sometimes gross error. (1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, etc). It was the same in Israel. There were a few Jews who were true believers and trusted in God. Jesus speaking to the false professors of faith in God, said if they knew the Father, they would know who He was. They didn't know Him because they did not know God the Father which they claimed to worship. Phariseeism was their false brand of Judaism. So the existence of so many who say they believe in God, does not really tell us if they are truly saved or not. James said that if a person said they had works without faith, he would show them his faith by his works.... The point is true believers live for the Lord....false ones do not. Yes, there are some disobedient believers who are the children of God. But God says in Hebrews 12, that He chastens His children when they sin....so the absence of the chastening hand of God in a "professing" Christian gives strong evidence they do not know the Lord.... They are not His children. Jesus said in John 10 that His sheep hear His voice and they follow Him. Matthew 7:21-23 attests to the fact of lost professors in Christ.

        But this does not really support the Calvinist's view. Many try to interject this argument into debating if Calvinism is true. They argument that many profess to know the Lord, but live worldly lives, but it really means nothing towards settling the matter biblically. The matter is settled...by accepting "thus saith the Lord." When God said "whosoever called on the name of the Lord shall be saved" and that "....that He ". . . is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance", that Jesus "died for the sins of the whole world"...that He "so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whichsoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life", settles the matter biblically. (See Acts 1:21, 2 Peter 3:9, John 3:16, 1 John 2:2) God sends no man to hell simply because He in His sovereignty chooses to do so. God never, nor could He, decreed who He would allow to receive His grace and mercy and who He would withhold it from. Salvation is received by faith and if God tells us in His word that we are to believe in Him and be saved....my friend that settles the matter. If God says a man can believe then the man, any man can believe and be saved. Yes, we know most reject God's offer of salvation, but that does not mean God does not offer salvation to all.

        I wrote David Jeremiah several years ago and sent him my article. He chose not to respond and instead some of his staff tried too. The staff member knew little of the Bible. I sought to try and challenge Jeremiah to look beyond his false training. I believe this is the key to understanding why these men, who outwardly seem to be good Bible teachers, are so wrong in this area. They were taught Calvinism and accepted what they were taught. They further associate with men of this persuasion and thus it would be hard for them to come out from the "pack." They would lose support and fellowship of many that are associated with. By the way, that is called compromise and makes them compromisers and they will answer to the Lord for their teaching false doctrine to so many people. You admit it is confusing to you to have a respected Bible teacher teach false doctrine. I have received many letters from people who have been misled by the Calvinists. One lady wrote and said she would not have children because she was afraid that God would not "elect" them to be saved. Many have written thanking me for the article.

         It is not popular to say so, but it is my contention that David Jeremiah does not really understand salvation. Would you say that someone really understands what the Bible teaches about salvation who teaches that God decreed to send most of the world to the Lake of Fire, simply because in His sovereignty He choose to do so? Do you think that God forces salvation on some, by what the Calvinist calls "irresistible grace" and they cannot refuse or accept God's grace and mercy, but are rather forced by God to be saved? Is that how God presents salvation in His word the Bible? Well, that is the belief of David Jeremiah, John Mc Arthur and the Reformed movement that is becoming so popular today. So, does these men understand and teach biblical salvation or a false salvation invented by the Swiss reformer, John Calvin???

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Answer:    Calvinism degrades the biblical truth of God's love for His creation. Calvinism removes God's grace from some and then attempts to offer the explanation for this blatant inconsistency by saying that God is sovereign and can do as He pleases. This idea is a false teaching and is totally out of character that God. God is love, and He is just and He cannot send some men to hell and withhold from them the opportunity to be saved. Never in the Bible does God withhold His mercy and grace from men. Men are condemned because they reject God's mercy and grace that He freely offers.

         In other words Calvinism and teachers such as David Jeremiah and John Mc Arthur teach that the Gospel, which is the manifestation of God's love, is only for a select few. Nowhere in the Bible is it taught that God's grace is limited to a select few. For God to withhold his grace and love would act against His own nature. John 3:16 plainly states, "For God so loved the world." John 3:19 explains the basic of God's judgment for sin saying "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." (See Romans 1:18-24) Note God says He sent light into the "world." The Calvinist does not explain how or why God would send light to the world and then withhold it from some.

         Honest Calvinists will admit this serious problem in their thinking, but in order to uphold their belief, then made the illogical conclusion that God has different kinds of love. What kind of love sends someone to an eternal hell of torment and separation from God without the offer of forgiveness. What kind of love withholds the offer of Grace to a hell bound sinner who has no other hope? Love by definition seeks the others well being, yet the Calvinist who offers this explanation infers that God has a love that does not seek the others best interest. In fact Calvinism's premise is that God withholds His love from some and sends them to the fires of hell with no regard whatsoever for them. That is totally irrational and absolutely unbiblical.

         Yes, God sends men to hell....but He demonstrated His love for even these in that He suffered and died for them, and reveals Himself to all men (Rom. 1:18-23, 1 John 2:2). Sadly, most men choose to reject Him and not believe. Jesus explains that in John 3:19-21, "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. (John 3:19-21)" Man rejects God...using his God given will...because he loves his sin.

        Matthew 25:41 says that God prepared hell for the Devil and His angels....not man. If God's plan, which He says was made before the foundations of the earth, was to send most of mankind to hell...why did He say it was prepared for the Devil and his angels? Just one of many truths taught in God's word that Calvinists ignore. God did not prepare hell for man! However, sinful men who reject God's free offer of salvation will be sent to hell, because they, not God, chose to go there.

        Calvinists, recognizing the their position is at odds with God's word, reply that God says that He really does not love the world, even though God is love?! That is amazing. How can sending people to hell without any opportunity to be saved. . . predestinating them to the Lake of Fire...give them life and then deny them being able to come to the Lord Jesus in repentance be an act of love!? The Calvinist then, in order to hold to his systemization of God, has to redefine God's love to fit Calvinism. Calvinism then reveals its true color and that it has all the marks of a cult. The cults do the same thing....if something doesn't fit their theology they redefine the meanings to fit their system of belief. That is what the David Jeremiah , John Mc Arthur, and the reformed movement and all Calvinists are doing...redefining words and biblical truths to fit their false beliefs.

         Calvinist often refer to John 10:26 which says "But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you," stating it supports Calvinism by saying these that Jesus was talking to were not the elect, and could not be saved and were there were "not my sheep." This totally ignores the context and the subject of Jesus' statement. Think....! Who was Jesus talking to? Answer: Pharisees, who thought they were going to heaven because they were Jews. They believed that being a born Jew , practicing keeping the law, and good works would save them. That is what is in view in Christ's statement. They were not His sheep because they had not believed in Him. They were lost Jews of the house of Israel and were believing in their nationality, position as Pharisees and works to saved them. That is what Nicodemus also thought and Jesus addressed this with him saying "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. The statement about being born of water...referred to his human birth as a Jew, but God said that would not save him...only being born of the spirit would.

        It is amazing what a blinding effect Calvinism has on its adherents. It is a serious matter when a man handles the word of God in such a loose way and ignores simple biblical hermeneutics. This serious failure to accept biblical truth brands Calvinism as a cultic. It cannot discern the word of God and distorts or twists everything to fit its tenants.

        How can a Calvinist be honest and read Romans 5:8 and say that because Paul was addressing Christians and that the verse does not contradict Calvinism? "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) Yes, Paul was talking to Christians and speaking of their past state as formerly being sinners. He was plainly saying that while they were sinners... which means in the past before they were saved, Christ died for them. Calvinism is so out of touch with biblical truth, one might almost get the impression that the Calvinist is joking or playing a game of some sort. You do not win friends by being blunt, but after having dealt this the gross false doctrine for many years and seeing first hand its deadening effect on those who hold it and also seen the hopelessness it gives to many I strongly rebuke those who teach and preach it.

         Even the Calvinist cannot be absolutely sure he is one of the elect! The basis of His salvation, according to Calvinism is He was elected by God to be saved. He believed because God forced him too by irresistible grace. This is a serious doctrinal error. How can the Calvinist say he was saved by faith, as God's word teaches, when he believes that God "irresistible grace" saved him. That is not what Ephesian 2:1-10 says. Salvation is by faith and over 60 times in the New Testament God says that we are to believe in Jesus Christ in order to be saved. This is another truth the Calvinist ignores.

        Sound biblical hermeneutics demands that we must interpret within the analogy of the faith. To do otherwise is to call God a liar. Calvinism is outside the analogy of the faith and Romans 10:2 sums up the Calvinist's position..... "For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge."

        The Calvinist uses John 6:65, as a proof text for Calvinism stating God only calls some to be saved and withholds the Gospel from others. The verse says, "And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father" (John 6:65)

        For many years I have asked the Calvinist for even one passage or verse in God's word to support the basic premise of Calvinism that God has elected to withhold the Gospel from some and send them to hell without any chance to be saved. One Calvinist replied that John 6:65 proved their position.

        This shows just how weak their position is. This verse does not support Calvinism. The answer to one simple question will show the error of using this verse. The question is: "Upon what basis does God the Father give men to Christ? Upon what criteria does God grant one the ability to come to Christ?" The Calvinist says...it is based on God's sovereignty in election, and concludes that God chose some for hell without any ability to accept or be saved.

        Yet over and over sixty times in the New Testament God says, faith, belief and trust in God is said to be the basis of receiving God's forgiveness and grace. Belief is an act of one's will. Further God says that a man must repent of his sins in coming to Christ. Where could repentance fit into the Calvinists teachings? Why would God tell us to repent and believe, when we really do not have to exercise our wills and believe and instead God forces the elect to believe? Belief, trust and faith are all acts of a man's will. If God says that we are to believe. . . then surely He must have provided the means by which we could obey Him. How plain is the error in the Calvinist's thinking? Over and over in the Bible we find God seeking men and yet they often resisted Him. This gives a death blow to the unbiblical teaching of "irresistible grace."

        John 6:65 just says that no one can come to the Father....except those that he come by the Father's plan; by the way God has determined. What Jesus said was this was God's plan that no one could come to Him any other way. God's sovereign choice is the plan.....and that plan which is stated over and over in His word is belief in the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. John 3:19 states the reason men reject Christ....they love their sin. Romans 1:18-24 is another passage that explains the that man knows God, but willingly rejects Him and therefore this is God's basis of judgment.

        God, the Holy Spirit, draws all men to Christ. Romans 1:18-22 says no one is without excuse because God reveals Himself to all men by natural revelation. Both in natural and special revelation God reveals Himself to all men. God says He actively seeks all men. God reveals Himself and men are drawn by the Holy Spirit to believe. Verses 22-25 explains the basis of why some men are condemned. "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen."

        Romans 1:18-25 states the truth that no man has an reason to blame God or excuse for his condemnation. God states He is exonerated because He actively reveals Himself to all men. A man who goes to hell is there because he willingly and with knowledge rejected God. He is not there because God predestined to sent that man to hell without any chance of being saved. Clearly this passage deals a death blow to Calvinist cultic idea that God chose to send some to hell, without any ability to be saved simply because He elected to do so. What would be the reason to reveal Himself to all men, knowing that some He chose could not respond. That would make God unjust and is a foolish idea.

        God does not force anyone to believe. If He did force a man to believe what glory would that be to God? It certainly does not glorify God for Him to force a man to accept Him and thereby make that man a robot. God is love, and He is an emotional being and we being made in God's image are emotional being also. How can our love for God mean anything it God forces it on us? Can love come from a programmed robot which is what irresistible grace would do? Calvinism is certainly a poor and failed attempt to systemize God which ignores even the most basic tenants of biblical doctrine.

        Those that believe are saved and those that do reject the conviction given them by the Holy Spirit are condemned already, because they have not believed.(John 3:18) John 3:36 reiterates saying it plain enough.... "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

        Think about it. Are we robots without a will? Or did God create us with a emotion, the ability to reason and with a will, in God's image and to return God's love? Creating us thus, has God given us ability to respond when the Holy Spirit convicts and empowers us? Certainly He offers us redemption freely if we will accept Him and His provision for us. The "hang up" of many Calvinists is they think that belief is a work when in fact it is a God given and empowered ability to respond to Him.

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Answer:    Let me state plainly that I do not question God's sovereignty, and have not done so in any of my articles. I am not questioning God, but I certainly do question Calvinism. Why? Because Calvinism cannot furnish even one passage or verse to that states that God predestined some to hell without allowing them to believe and be saved. It is a poor defense to criticize me for questioning the teachings of Calvinism and suppose that this will settle anything. The Calvinist's teachings is inconsistent with God's stated word by teaching that He elected to withhold grace from most of mankind.

        There are many reasons I question Calvinism and one is that Calvinism is contrary to God's stated attribute as being love and offering grace to all men, and that is why Bible believers question Calvinism . . . not God. God cannot to violate His own nature. Yet, Calvinism teaches that He does in withholding salvation from most men.

         I would suggest that you carefully read my article because is shows clearly that God's sovereign choice it His PLAN. . . what He elected was the plan, which is the Gospel, the Good News that man can by simple faith receive Christ and have their sins forgiven and receive eternal life. (Click here to read the article.)

        And salvation is all of God. YES, YES, YES!!!! It is all of God....and God has chosen to save by faith.

        Sir think about this. . . if God forces a man to be saved.....makes Him believe....then man has no responsibility toward God. If you have no ability to resist God. . . then how can you be responsible for something that is out of your control? If you are forced to believe, forced to go to heaven, then are you not just a robot programmed by God to performed like a trained animal. God gave man a will and with the will the responsibility to use it properly. Man is accountable to God because he has a will. No will, no ability to make a choice between sin and righteousness, then no accountability.

        What is the point of God creating man and giving him life. Why let that man sin in the first place and then curse him for disobeying? Think....why test man in the Garden of Eden by giving him a choice if God was going to force man to make the wrong choice. Did God man Adam and Eve disobey Him? What brought about the curse? The answer is clear, God gave man a choice and allowed man to exercise his will allowing him to even make a wrong choice. Calvinism makes no sense and it degrades God. Calvinism starts with a premise and ignores even the most basic of biblical truth in its attempt to prove is false conclusions. That is clearly adding to and corrupting God's very word.

        God's plan is clearly stated that He gave His living creation man a will. This also applies to the angels. Angels and Satan too were created with wills. Satan exercised his will and rebelled against God and many angels followed in his rebellion.

        Jude 5-6 says, "I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day."

        The passage says some angels left their "own habitation" and rebelled against God. You see what context in Jude 5-6 in which the angels are mentioned? "And" is a conjunction and connects the two thoughts together. The Egyptians did not believe and were destroyed....the angels "kept not their first estate" and they fell. That means they chose to reject God and follow Satan. It says "they" left their own habitation....meaning they used their wills and choose to reject God. The judgment of Egypt and of the angels is the same...based on their unbelief.

        By the way. . . you forgot to give me the passage that says God created some men for the Lake of Fire, withholding from them the Gospel and they have no way to be saved. Did you overlook my request?

        Following are some verses that John Calvin, the Protestant Presbyterian, who was a consenting murderer of many Bible believing saints of God, forgot to incorporate in his "system of theology."

Jesus said....John 12:32 "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me."

        God said in 1 John 2:1-2 "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world (emphasis added)."

John 5:22-24 "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

Acts 17:30 "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent (emphasis added)."

Romans 5:18 "Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all (emphasis added)men unto justification of life."

Ephesian 3:8-9 "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men (emphasis added) see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ."

1 Timothy 2:3-4 "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, (emphasis added) and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."

1 Timothy 4:10 "For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe."(emphasis added)

Titus 2:11 "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men."(emphasis added)

        The Calvinist must reject all these verses and many others that state the Gospel is the Good News of Christ's death, burial and resurrection and by simple faith man can receive the free gift of God. You see, Mr. Calvinist....you are very sincere and think that you are defending God and His sovereignty ....but dear friend , God does not need the help of John Calvin or any Calvinist to defend His sovereignty and never has. He is sovereign and in His sovereignty has elected to give us a plan...the Gospel and that is what He elected.

        My problem with Calvinism is very simple.....it, is totally the conjecture of men and not taught in God's word. Like I said before I chose to believe God....not John Calvin or any man. Let God be true and every man a liar.

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Answer:    Offering this a proof text shows just how weak the Calvinist position is. This verse does not support Calvinism. The answer to one simple question that will show the error of using this verse. The question is: "Upon what basis does God the Father give men to Christ? Upon what criteria does God grant one the ability to come to Christ?" The Calvinist says...it is based on God's sovereignty in election, and concludes that God chose some for hell without any ability to accept or be saved.

        Yet over and over sixty times in the New Testament God says, faith, belief and trust in God is said to be the basis of receiving God's forgiveness and grace. Belief is an act of one's will. Why would God tell us to believe, when we really do not have to exercise our wills and believe and God forces the elect to believe. Belief, trust and faith are all acts of a man's will. If God says that we are to believe. . . then surely He must have provided the means by which we could obey Him. How plain is the error in the Calvinist's thinking?

        John 6:65 just says that no one can come to the Father....except those that he come by the Father's plan; by the why God has determined. What Jesus said was this was God's plan that no one could come to Him any other way. God's sovereign choice is the plan.....and that plan as stated over and over in His word is belief in the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. John 3:19 states the reason men reject Christ....they love their sin.

        God, the Holy Spirit, draws all men to Christ. Romans 1:18-22 says no one is without excuse because God's reveals Himself to all men by natural revelation. Both in natural and special revelation God reveals Himself to all men. God says He actively seeks all men. God reveals Himself and men are drawn by the Holy Spirit to believe. Verses 22-25 explains the basis of why some men are condemned. "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen."

        Romans 1:18-25 states the truth that no man has an reason to blame God or excuse for his condemnation. God states He is exonerated because He actively reveals Himself to all men. A man who goes to hell is there because He rejected God. Clearly this passage deals a death blow to Calvinist cultic idea that God chose to sin some to hell, without any ability to be saved simply because He elected to do so. What would be the reason to reveal Himself to all men, knowing that some He chose could not respond. That would make God unjust and is a foolish idea.

        God does not force anyone to believe. If He did force a man to believe what glory would that be to God? It certainly does not glorify God for Him to force a man to accept Him and thereby make that man a programmed robot. God is love, and He is an emotional being and we being made in God's image are emotional being also. How can our love for God mean anything it God forces it on us? Can love come from a programmed robot? Calvinism is certainly a poor and failed attempt to explain God which ignores even the most basic tenants of biblical doctrine.

        Those that believe are saved and those that do reject the conviction given them by the Holy Spirit are condemned already, because they have not believed. John 3:36 says it plain enough.... "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

        Think about it. Are we robots without a will? Or did God create us with a emotion, the ability to reason and with a will, in God's image? Creating us thus, has God given us ability to respond when the Holy Spirit convicts and empowers us? Certainly He has and offers us redemption freely if we will accept Him and His provision for us. The "hang up" of many Calvinists is they think that belief is a work when in fact it is a God given and empowered ability to respond to Him.

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Answer:   

        Your subject line should read "Human Reasoning"¯ instead of "Human Responsibility."

        When God says to believe. . . .and receive salvation I think that settles the matter. God says that almost a hundred times in the New Testament. What do you suppose He means when He says to believe? Belief is an exercise of one's will. It means to entrust one's self to God's promise of salvation. Yes, God enables us to do so and yes, only can a person come when drawn by the Father. That is what the Father does, through the ministry of Holy Spirit. He brings conviction and enables us to believe. Is not sin a choice? Is man not judged because he willing sins? Is it too an act of a person's will. Do you blame God and say He makes us sin? If one follows your logic that is the proper conclusion. You cannot have it both way.

        Mark 16:16 says, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."¯ The basis of damnation is not believing, not God predetermining to send someone to hell without any opportunity to believe and receive salvation.

         In 1 John 5:10 God says, "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son."¯

         Account to God's word. . . .your false ideas make God a liar. . . .because you say that God makes people or predestines them not to be able to believe.

         Nowhere in God's word does He say He predestined some for heaven and some for hell. Predestination refers to God's plan for believers. . . and never it is presented as the basis of determining one's eternal destiny or who will be saved by God and who will not. The determination of who will be saved and who will not is basis on who will believe and receive Jesus Christ as their Savior by faith. That is what God's word teaches. If He had. . . man would have no responsibility for his sin because God made him a sinner and would not allow him to be anything else. (Read Romans 1:18f)

         Sir, can you not see that your false doctrine degrades God and makes him unloving and unjust. Those whom God sends to Hades and later to the Lake of Fire are judged by their works. You have the Lord Jesus judging and sending men to the Lake of Fire. . . based on His predestinating them to hell you make God the source of man's sinful nature. That is plainly untrue. Sir, in you vain and unnecessary attempt to defend God's sovereignty, you dishonor Him and make Him the cause of sin. That is gross error.

         I could go on. . . .but I will simply say, Sir your error in not knowing the Scriptures and make the same unscholarly conclusions as those who follow John Calvin, the Swiss murderer of Bible believing Christians. True Christians are followers of Jesus Christ and Him alone. We do not identify ourselves with any man....only the man Jesus Christ. You try in vain to systematize God so you can understand Him. Sir, you cannot put God in a box and it is gross arrogance to try to do so as you have with your misinformed theology. Your efforts are a miserable failure and you also are guilty of adding to God's word. What is worse. . . you teach your heresy to others. . . probably many who are gullible and unlearned and may accept this false teaching to their spiritual detriment.

        What you have done is a classic mistake made by the cults and all false teachers. You went to God's word with your bias. . . and presupposition (Calvinism) and saw it everywhere you looked. Sir, that is eisegetics in which a person goes to the Scripture to prove his point. . . or make his argument without regard for what God actually said. Most who do it interpret the Bible using what I call "tunnel interpretation"¯ which means looking at words and phrases out of their context instead of exegetically determining what God truly said.

        You would do well to study my article on the matter at https://bible-truth.org/election.htm (which clearly you have not done) and learn God's word before you try to be a teacher.

        I also strongly suggest that if you love the Lord, you immediately retract your erroneous material and send notices out of your retractions to those you sent material to by email.

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Answer:    The Bible nowhere teaches that God has elected or predestined some to heaven and others to hell. What He did predestine and elect was His plan of what salvation would accomplish in the lives of those who by faith received Jesus Christ as their Savior.   My article explains this.

        Jesus said in John 6:44 "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day."   The question is when and how does the Father draw a person.  Romans 1:18-25 explains that God draws all men.  

        Romans 1:18-25 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen."

        According to God's own word, the basis of condemnation is that a man rejects the truth that God reveals to him. That is precisely Man is without excuse because God reveals Himself to man.     The wrath of God is based on man's rejection of that truth.   If the basis of condemnation is God predestined a man to hell then man does have an excuse....that excuse it that God will not allow him to believe. Clearly, this is a distorted and false view.  God says that "man" is without excuse....man is at fault.  God, the Lord Jesus died and paid the penalty for the sins of every man at 1 John 2:2 plainly states and salvation is open to all who will believe.

        God enables a man to exercise his will to accept or reject Him.   Over sixty times in the New Testament God tells us to believe....in Him and be saved.   Why would God say, we are to believe, if we cannot exercise our wills and believe? The matter is really very simple.....yet man (Calvinism) continues to muddle the waters and brings confusing questions that distort the simplicity of God's plan of salvation.    

        Think with me.....if God tells us to believe and be saved......what literally does that mean?   Does it mean He is asking us to do something and if we do not we will be lost?

        John 3:15-19  "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."

        John 3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. 

        These are the very words of Jesus Christ.  He says believe and not perish, but have eternal life.    Verse 36 says the person that the one who believes not will not see life and God's wrath abides on him. Ā  The basis of condemnation is that man rejects God and will not believe.   Ā Romans 1:18 says man is without excuse...because God has enabled him to believe.

        So where is the mystery? I do not say this to be critical, but to help with the explanation.  In Genesis 3:1....Satan used the same tactic..."Hath God said?"  Then Satan lied and said "you will not die."  Can you see he parallel. Ā God says over and over to believe.....that means we can believe....that means that God enables us to exercise our will and respond.     God says the basis of salvation, ...whether a man is saved or lost....,   is based on him accepting in faith what God has plainly stated. Yet, Calvinism....says man is saved because God decreed in the past that he would be saved or decreed that he would be lost....and if that is so.....why did God say to believe?    Calvinism then says a man believes because he is forced to believe by God and that is simply not true.

        In regards to Romans 9:22 the "vessels fitted to destruction." To understand the passage we must understand the context in which the statement is made. Romans 9 is a continuation of the misunderstanding among the Jews about their salvation. Paul begins to deal with this beginning in Romans 3:1f "What advantage then has the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?" Romans 9:22 is the second answer to the question asked in verse 19. "Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?" Chapter nine is a continuation of the discourse addressing the matter of the Jew who thinks that he will go to heaven because he is born of the nation of Israel, God's chosen people. In John 3:1-7 this error of Jewish thinking was the reason for Jesus's response to Nicodemus. Jesus said you must be born "again". Nicodemus believed that he was going to heaven because he was born a Jew. Jesus said, "not so." A man must born of water (human birth) and of the spirit (spiritual birth) to be saved. In John 3:15f Jesus explains how to be saved.

        This is what Paul is trying to tell the Jews that he had a great burden and concern for. Paul explains that the Jew like the Gentile are both responsible to God and the Jew's only advantage is that he has been born among a people God chose to reveal Himself through to the world. But being a Jew does not preclude salvation, because as Paul plainly states in Chapter 10...salvation a matter of faith.

        Romans 9:13-14 is not talking about God predestining some to heaven and others to hell, but of God carrying out His plan. He chose to "use" some and others to reject. Vessels fitted for destruction are those that reject God. You cannot blame God for that. They by their rejection of God made themselves vessels fitted for destruction. Does not God say He would have all men to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4)? The point is that He uses those who will be used, those who will believe. Esau rejected his birth right....and God rejected him. The birthright Esau rejected was the privilege to be the one God would use to bring the Messiah. Jacob, though not a perfect man, accepted that birthright...in fact wanted it. Likewise, Pharaoh rejected God over and over....that was the ruler's choice....he refused to believe God and submit to Him. Is God to blame then that Pharaoh rejected God? You see that is the question. The statement that God "hardened Pharaoh's heart" means that God permitted Pharaoh to resist Him....God did not make Pharaoh reject Him. That is the point Paul is making. God is not to blame for the sin of men or their unbelief. God has gone to great lengths to bring men to Himself.(Romans 1:20-21) God does not force man to believe or accept Him. He allows them to resist and exercise their on wills. Pharaoh's heart was hardened because he was a sinful man and would not give up his sin. He chose to reject God's truth as John 3:19 says. James 1:13-14 says that God does not tempt men. God presented to Pharaoh the truth of who He was and what was His will....not with the intend to prevent Pharaoh from accepting it, but to the contrary that he might believe. Pharaoh refused and the blame rests on himself. Pharaoh was tempted by his own sinful nature. (James 1:14-15) It is amazing to me that educated men like Calvin, who supposedly study the Bible and those that follow him can miss what a passage is actually talking about and use it to teach the opposite of what God said. I think the reason is they are not interested in what God has said, but rather in misusing God's word to present their own corrupt ideas.

        My article deals with each of the passages that the Calvinist uses to present his false ideas.    These passages never say what the Calvinist mistakenly says they teach.    God did Ā predestine.....He predestined His plan of salvation....not what individuals He would allow to be saved or who He would condemn to hell without any chance of being saved. Maybe it would help to re-read the article again with an open Bible and see if this is correct.

        I cannot explain it any simpler than this, because the Bible represents it this simple.....  

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Answer:    Do not be confused about the fact that it is God who draws all men to Him. That is the ministry of the Holy Spirit and it has nothing to do with the false teachings of Calvinism or election.      Ā Ā Ā 

        John 6:44  "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day."    

        Jesus said,  in John 12:32  "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me."   Ā When Christ is preached God draws us to Him. Ā  Ā 

         Note who God desires to save....1 Timothy 2:3-4 "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."  

         "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Jesus says He stands at the door and knocks, if a man hears Him and opens the door, Jesus comes in to sup with him. The man must "hear" which means if the man harkens, or understands, and then opens the door he will be saved.

        Note also that God says he reveals Himself to all men:  

         Romans 1:18-23  "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things."

         Let's look at Luke 8:10 "And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand."  

         The manner in which the Saviour communicates instruction is suited to impart knowledge to those who desire it. Jesus then illustrated His statements using the parables. For those who were seeking for truth,  as men seek for silver, and search for it as they do for hidden treasures, they understood what the parables illustrated.   On the other hand, those who despise and rejected truth,  Jesus leaves in ignorance, darkness, degradation, and death.   Ā The disciples understood the parables and the principles Jesus was teaching because they were disciples and were seeking to learn from Christ.   Ā The multitudes that also followed at this time...were there to get their bellies filled...not to learn truth...    Jesus then spoke parables that all of them could understand...but only those who were seeking truth did the parables reveal truth.

         This has absolutely nothing to do with election and certainly does not support Calvinism.  

         What you did was read the passage and apply to it your understanding of Calvinism. False doctrine is like that...it seems to stick to everything. This approach is called eisegetics which interprets a passage by imposing on it some prior idea.    Exegetical interpretation is the biblical way of hermeneutics (science of interpretation) which seeks the meaning from the passage rather than imposing a meaning on it.    

        Ā If you read the rest of the passage you will see that Jesus then explains the parable He used thus demonstrating the statement He made in verse 10.   I have always told my students this most important truth....The Bible Always Interprets Itself!  

        Read the Lord's conclusion:   Ā Luke 8:15-18 Ā "But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have."

        It is vital to properly interpret God's word in its context considering all that is said and NEVER beginning an interpretation with some preconceived idea.     

        I have an article at https://bible-truth.org/Principles.htm "Biblical Principles for Interpreting the God's Word"  which many have found helping in learning biblical interpretation of God's word.  (At least two Bible colleges I know of are using the article in their Hermeneutics classes)

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Answer:    What you are recognizing is that a true interpretation of God's word will conform to the analogy of the faith. That means God will not contradict Himself. A true interpretation of Scripture will recognize all that God has said and the interpretation will support...not contradict other truths of God.

         A correct interpretation of the Romans 9 dispels the Calvinist's misinterpretation. They go to the passage with their preconceived idea that God "hates" most of the world and condemns them to hell refusing to allow them to be saved by withholding His grace. The approach the passage assuming that God has in His sovereignty condemned and withheld grace from most of the world. That is a lie....God does not hate in that sense.. God is love. If God is love....He cannot hate someone, in our understanding of hating, and not show love. Romans 5:8 is God's stated word. If that is true...then He loves the sinner. The Calvinist ignores such statements God makes or twists them to conform to their false ideas. But the passage literally says and reveals God truth...."But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) Romans 9 gives absolutely no support to the false doctrines of Calvinism. My article explains as follows:

        The context of Romans 9 is Paul's answer to the question of Romans 3:1, "What advantage then has the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?" This discourse begins with this question and ends with Romans 11. Paul is addressing the misunderstanding of the Jews in which they concluded that they were in God's favor because they, being born as Hebrews, God's chosen people, were assured of heaven and of God's grace.

         John 3:1-7 is an example of this error in Jewish thinking and was the reason for Jesus' response to Nicodemus. Jesus explained to this Pharisee that he must be born "again". Nicodemus believed that he was going to heaven and be a part of God's kingdom because he was born a Jew. Jesus said, "not so." A man must be born of water (human birth) and of the Spirit (spiritual birth) to be saved. He was saying to Nicodemus, in order to be saved you must be spiritually reborn and that happens when a person believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. In John 3:15-16, Jesus continues and explains how to be saved by faith.

         Paul explains in Romans 3-11, that the Jew, like the Gentile, are both responsible to God and the Jew's only advantage is that he has been born among a people God chose to reveal Himself through to the world. But being a Jew does not preclude salvation, because as Paul plainly states in Chapter 10:9-10 that salvation is a matter of faith.

         Many teach that Romans 9:13-14 states that God rejected and condemned Esau to hell, but chose to save Jacob. "As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." However, this is not what the verse is saying. Paul is not talking about God predestining or in His sovereignty decreeing Jacob to heaven and Esau to hell. God chooses to "use" some in His plan such as Jacob and others, such as Esau to reject.

         The term "hated" used in Romans 9:13 means to "love less or to choose instead of." It does not mean to condemn. Jesus in Luke 14:26 uses the same word stating, "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." Clearly, God does not require we "hate" our family, but in using the term He means we are to choose first or to place Him before our relatives. God is also not saying He simply hated Esau and sent him to hell. God is saying he chose to reject Esau and He had good reasons. What God is revealing here is related to His plan of bring salvation through the Jews, mainly through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God is to have the preeminence in our lives as Colossians 1:18 instructs and those are the people He uses in His plans.

         The word "hate" means to "love less" and in Romans 9, God uses the illustration of His choosing Jacob rather than Esau to illustrate the point that being born a Jew does not save a person. God says He rejected to use Esau the first born son, because he was not a man who loved or served God. His interests in life were worldly and he did not include the Lord in it. Further, the promise made to Abraham would normally be through first born son. This promise was God's plan for the coming nation of Israel and the Messiah. Although this was birth right he showed no interest in the sacredness of God's promise. He thought so little of it, he sold it for a bowl of pottage. Therefore, God rejected him as the natural heir of Abraham and Isaac and as the one through which the promise would be continued. The verse does not teach that God just hated Esau, or that God in His sovereignty decreed to send him to hell as Calvinism teaches! God did not decree to "hate" Esau, but rather rejected him because he rejected God. A false interpretation of God's word always leads to confusion and is not God's word.

         Consider this. Suppose there are two brothers in a family. One is a rebel and always in trouble. The other is a Christian and lives for the Lord. Who would God chose then to serve Him? Would He chose the rebellious son who rejected God and His purpose for his life or the faithful one who believed in God?

         It should also be understood that the names Jacob and Esau also refer to the progeny of both men. The Book of Obadiah makes this perfectly clear that God rejected the "house of Esau," who were the enemies of the house of Jacob. God said He would destroy completely the house of Esau (also called Edom, Mt. Seir) and none of them would remain (Obadiah 17-18). The decedents of Esau hated God and for generations opposed Israel (Jacob) until God finally destroyed them. Hermeneutically, the passage is correctly interpreted in its context as referring to the Nation of Edom (Esau), not to strictly to Esau who fathered the nation.

          Romans 9:20-24 is also misunderstood and incorrectly used to support Calvinism's false idea that God predestined some to hell.

          "What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?"

         This passage is Paul's the second answer to the question asked in verse 19. "Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?"

         Vessels fitted for destruction are those that reject God. You cannot blame God for that or make Him the cause of men rejected Him. Paul is addressing the Jews that rejected Jesus as the Messiah. These people by their rejection of Christ made themselves "vessels fitted for destruction." Jesus fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies as to His coming and work. He preformed supernatural miracles that only God could do. (See John 3:1-2) Yet, in spite of all the signs and wonders God showed them, they rejected Him as their Messiah. Therefore, by their actions they condemned themselves. Nothing in the passages says God decreed to make them "vessels fitted for destruction." Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Does not God plainly state in 1 Timothy 2:4 that He would that all men be saved? How then can the Calvinist totally miss the point of the subject of Romans 9-11 and suppose that it supports the idea that God has sovereignly chosen to send some to hell, excluding them from his plan of salvation?

         Paul uses the example of Pharaoh to illustrate his point. Pharaoh rejected God over and over, and that was the ruler's choice (Romans 9:17) Pharaoh refused to believe God and submit to Him. Is God to blame then that Pharaoh ultimately rejected God, especially after God showed him who he was by demonstrating His power repeatedly in bringing the plagues? God's bringing the plagues was God demonstrating His power to Pharaoh to persuade Him to obey God and let Israel go. Pharaoh could have believed and obeyed God, but he chose rather to reject Him in the face of overwhelming evidence. Paul asked the question, "What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid." (Rom. 9:14) In other words is God at fault for Pharaoh's condemnation? The answer is "of course not"....Pharaoh condemned himself by rejecting God. There is plainly no support in this passage for God electing some to hell denying them the opportunity to believe and be saved.

         The statement that God "hardened Pharaoh's heart" means that God permitted Pharaoh to resist Him. God did not make Pharaoh reject Him. That is the point Paul is making. Genesis 6:3, states that the Holy Spirit will not always "strive" with man. God does seek to guide and direct man, but in time, if the man resists God, the Holy Spirit will stop seeking to win Him and leave that man to his own devises. The man's rejection of God does not allow God to work. God will not violate a man's will and allow the man to remain, as the man chooses, to be blind and hardened in his heart and rejecting God.

        God is not to blame for the damnation of a man who chooses to be blind and hardens his heart against the urging of the Holy Spirit. God has gone to great lengths to bring men to Himself (Romans 1:20-21). God does not force man to believe or accept Him. He allows them to resist and exercise their own wills. Pharaoh's heart was hardened because he was a sinful, proud man and would not give up his sin. He chose to reject God's truth as John 3:19 says. "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." James 1:13-14 says that God does not tempt men. God presented to Pharaoh the truth of who He was and what His will was....not with the intent to prevent Pharaoh from accepting it, but to the contrary that he might believe. Pharaoh refused to believe God for his own reasons and the blame rests solely on himself. Pharaoh was condemned by his unbelief and by his own sinful nature (John 3:19-20, James 1:14-15).

         When properly interpreted Romans 9 does not support any Calvinistic views and in fact refutes them as being the faulty thinking of unlearned and misdirected men.

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Answer:    I partly agree with Hagee on this matter and he makes some of the same points as I have about election. However, John Hagee preaches a lot of false doctrine and there able other reliable and creditable sources to learn God's word.

         God has given us a free will and reveals Himself to every man (Romans 1:18-23). God is love and cannot go against His nature and not be loving and just....which means offering grace to those who will receive it. God certainly cannot be unjust because His nature is to be just. The above passage plainly states that God's actions in sending a man to hell is just, because He has revealed himself to man, even His Godhead and most men reject God's truth. Thus they condemn themselves. God in seeking man effectually works in a man's heart enabling him to believe and also allowing a man to reject salvation. The reason is stated by Jesus in John 3:19-21.

         Hagee is wrong in his reasoning and conclusions about Abraham and the election of the Jews.

         Abraham was a pagan, but God revealed Himself to him and he responded and believed. God reveals Himself to all men, but the sad fact is that most men reject the revelation of God and chose to live in sin. God did not force Abraham to believe or serve Him. Romans 4:3, Gal. 3:6 and James 2:23 all state that Abraham believed God and because of his faith God counted it for righteousness, meaning simply doing what was right...that is accepting God's word as truth. Abraham believed God and obeyed Him and his faith saved him and allowed him to be used of God. (Heb. 11:8-9) Nowhere does the Bible say or hint that God forced him to believe against his will. That is also true of all men in the Bible....God never forced a man to believe or reject Him.

         Genesis 12:1 says that God spoke to Abraham and told him to get out of his country, from his kindred, and his father's house and that God would give him a land and a great nation. All men who are saved are saved the same way...by believing God's word to them. It is human rational that is behind the idea that God elected or forced Abraham to obey Him. That is the source of most false teaching, which is men making conclusions or speculating about God's mind and actions.

         Because Abraham believed and was saved....God used him and God's election or plan was that the Messiah would come from this man's seed. It was God's plan that he elected and what His plan would accomplish. It was never to save some and not save others.

         We cannot please God apart from faith as Hebrews 11:6 plainly states. If Abraham simply responded to God like a programmed robot...where does faith come in?? Faith is an act of a man's will. A man who is forced to believe is no more than a robot and cannot exercise saving faith comes from a man's will.

         Hagee's claim that only to Jews does divine election apply and that Gentiles are not elected, but given allowed to use their free will is not well thought out. Salvation has always been by faith....an act of a man's will....and never any other why...Old Testament or New. Election is the God's plan whereby God determined the way man could be forgiven, redeemed, and what the election of God's plan would accomplish....it was not who was saved and would not be.

         God's plan was that salvation would come through the nation of Israel. The Messiah would be of the seed of Abraham.(Gal 3:16). However, that plan effected on a few Jews in the lineage of Abraham (Matt. 1:1-16) It did not apply to the nation or to other individual Jews. The nation of Israel survived until 70 AD, but the nations' people were not all saved. In fact that are several non-Jews in Jesus' lineage. When in Isaiah 45:4, God calls Israel "My elect" He is referring to the Jacob whose name was changed by God to Israel and Israel as God's chosen people by whom the Messiah would come.

         The nation of Israel as a whole was elected to reveal God to the world. Although they most of the time did a bad job of it...God's dealing with them as a nation was seen by the pagan world and God was glorified as the one and true God. Further, though the Jews God gave us the Old Testament and the record of His dealings with man up last prophet Malachi and the birth of Jesus Christ. In the New Testament God's used Jews to write most of the New Testament.

         Again, the individual Jews had to believe and by faith accept God and His promises... the same way we today believe God and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior.

         Although Hagee does not seem to understand the matter, he is correct in what he calls God's election of a plan to use the nation of Israel as a codicil. However, it was not a special amendment to God's plan exclusively for the Jews....but the plan of salvation by faith through Grace. The codicil was God's electing a special plan to offer all men, including the Gentiles, redemption through the coming Messiah...Jesus.

         Maybe I should not say this...but I will. Hagee is often wrong in his teachings. He, relies heavily on his staff to do the research for him. He is not a scholar himself and adopts teachings from men who are in error. Hagee is not known for being discerning in who he joins with and supports....Benny Hinn being a good example. Instead of researching the matter....and coming to a correct interpretation of a passage ....they just repeat the error they learned from someone else. He is right I count about 60 % of the time, but his errors mar his teaching...and misleads a lot of people. Error in any degree is false doctrine and is sin. I know that no man is perfect...but Hagee has a large audience and he makes too many mistakes and should strive to be a better interpreter of God's word. He is divorced and has become a millionaire though his preaching.

         These are my comments on Hagee's statements. I truly wish he understood the matter better.... and was had a better biblical discernment.

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Answer:    Sir, both Calvinism and Arminianism are systems of theology devised by man....not God. Both have some truth, but neither represent God's whole truth. A partial truth.... is corrupt and only God's pure word represents His truth. Therefore both systems are corrupted because they have parts that are untruth and not God's word.

         The key to understanding the issue of free will vs what God has appointed is in properly interpreting the passages. Being honest and unbias is an important part of a proper interpretation of God's word, but....a proper interpretation must also adhere to the Bible's rules of hermeneutics.

         For example: As my article points out....God is love and He is just. In the hermeneutical rule of interpretation, this truth must be considered as absolute truth and must not be ignored or violated by a proper interpretation of a verse or passage. This is called interpreting in the "analogy of the faith." It means any interpretation must consider all that God has said and not violate any other of His statements.

         Nowhere in God's word does He say He predestined any individual to hell. Those that reject Jesus Christ and God's offer of grace are predestined to spend eternity in the Lake of Fire...but God offers salvation freely to all and only those who reject Him, will go to hell. Their condemnation was their choice....NOT GOD's.

         What he predestined, as my article shows, was His plan for what salvation would accomplish in the life of a believer, such as become a child of God, being conformed to the image of God, etc. In every passage where the Calvinist supposedly finds support for his ideas...there is another interpretation that does not violate the truth of God's love and of His being a just God. The correct interpretation will not violate any truth or revelation from God. Thus if one's interpretation violates the truth that God is love and is a gracious and holy God....it is a false interpretation.

         The Arminian makes the same error. He supposes that man can, by his will, save himself. He rightly concludes that if that is true....a man can will to later reject God and lose his salvation. A wrong premise always produces a wrong conclusion. Thus the Arminian ignores the absolute truth that man is dead in trespasses and sin and as Romans 3:10-23 plainly states. Man has no righteousness and cannot respond to God within himself. Romans 1:18f plainly state that God reveals himself to every man and that man is without excuse....God takes the initiative and seeks men. (This truth is also ignored by the Calvinist) The Holy Spirit thus enables a man to respond to God's urgings. Thus man does not will himself to be saved but faith accepts what God offers and enables him to accept. He cannot keep himself saved because man has not righteousness of his own.

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Answer:    What you are referring to is the teachings of Calvinism which teach what they called "limited atonement" and "irresistible grace." Let me assure you these are false teachings and absolutely not God's word. Calvinism teaches that God in His sovereignty in the past "elected" some to be saved and rejected the rest withholding His grace and not allowing them to be saved. That is one of the worse false doctrines that is taught. However, many Baptists, and other have believed this lie.

         Many people have written me, such as yourself, concerned as you are for their salvation. Confusion and anguish are always the result of false doctrine.

           I have an article at https://bible-truth.org/election.htm which explain what the Bible truly teaches and how God's word refutes the false teaching.

        I can assure you that your Creator, our Almighty God and Savior does love you and plainly says so..... "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

         The Calvinist teaches the "world" is only those elected to be saved. That is absolutely not true. Note was God said in 1 John 2:2:

"And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)

         God says He wants everyone to be saved, "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:3-4)

           The word "propitiation" means to make full payment. The verse states Christ made the payment for the sins of those who are saved and also for the "whole world." Therefore God's love and offer of salvation is free offered to all men and all men can be saved if their will believe in Jesus Christ, repent of their sins and accept Him as their Savior.

         NEVER, NOT ONCE in God's word does He limit salvation to only a few, and NEVER does He say He has elected most of the world to hell simply because He wishes too. That is a hellish teaching and pure heresy.

           Dear lady, you can be saved or are saved if you believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior. But you cannot save yourself. Note what God says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) I think in your email you meant that you believed you could be saved. Certainly that is true.

         So what we do is read the context and apply sound biblical rules interpret the passage letting the Bible interpret itself. Looking at Philippians 1:29...this is what we find:

"Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me. " (Philippians 1:27-30)

         Note in Verse 27, Paul is talking to Christians and instructing them to let their lives (conversation) reflect the Gospel of Christ. These are clearly Christians who have believed the Gospel and have put their faith in Jesus Christ. So this is not addressing the lost.

         Further the verse is not talking about how to be saved, but is addressing the persecutions believers face.(v28) "Do not be terrified at your adversaries." The phrase "which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God" also confirms the subject and says those that were persecuting the Thessalonians showed themselves to be unsaved, but to those being persecuted it was evidence of their salvation, because they were being persecuted for their faith in Christ.

         Verse 29 says that salvation was given to them and also that they would suffer for Christ also. In other words those who believe in Jesus Christ may also be called on to suffer for Christ. This is also stated by Paul writing to Timothy, "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2 Timothy 3:12)

         The subject of the discourse is believers being persecuted for their faith. It is revealing that persecution may come with believing in Jesus Christ. The verse says, "It was given unto you, on the behalf of Christ, not only to believe but to suffer for his sake." With salvation comes the possibility to suffer. In the early churches and throughout history many have suffered for Christ.

         All who are saved are drawn and empowered by the Holy Spirit to believe. Those who believe are saved and those who reject Jesus are lost. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:36)

         So, the idea that God decrees or chooses who will believe and who He will damn is not a valid premise to use in determining the meaning of this passage. "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." (2 Peter 3:9)

           God reveals Himself to all men and therefore they are without excuse as Romans 1:18-23 plainly states.  

          I hope this helps you understand. Calvinism is a darkening teaching and distorts God's word and robs people of the peace and joy of their salvation. I am glad you have rejected this false teaching.

         However, the reason is that false conclusions are made is because men use a faulty hermeneutic (science of interpretation). Properly interpreted none of these passages support Calvinism. The greatest error has always been that men handle the word of God without a proper understanding of how to interpret it. They approach most scriptures with some preconceived idea without first letting the Bible interpret itself. (2 Tim. 2:15) That is why I wrote the article "Principles for Interpreting God's Word." I have never found anyone who from simply reading the Bible came up with the idea that God, in His sovereignty in the past has decreed with hold His grace from any man and condemned most of mankind to hell. Calvinists are naive and gullible people who for various reasons had allowed themselves to be deceived into accepting that grace is irresistible and ignored the overwhelming passages that tell us of God's love and desire for the salvation of all men. Like all heresy it is a teaching of man...not God.

         God never forced Paul to believe. That would be against God's nature as He will not violate a man's will. He explains clearly that we are to believe God's word and through faith be saved and live for Him. The Calvinist knows nothing of the love of God or His nature. They degrade the Lord and give Him man like frailties. They make our incorruptible Creator into a image made like themselves as Romans 1:22-23 states. They demean God, while proclaiming His sovereignty and ignoring God's true nature. Note what the Bible actually says.

         "And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do." (Acts 9:3-6)

         It does not say Jesus forced Paul to believe does it? I says when Jesus revealed Himself to Paul and explain who He was, Paul's response was "Lord, what wilt that have me do?" Anyone who concludes that Jesus forced Paul to believe is reading something into the passage that it does not state. Thus they are adding to God's word and not interpreting it literally as it is written. Jesus revealed Himself to Paul because He knew Paul's heart that He was a zealous man, but mislead. Jesus knew what Paul's response would be and choose to use him to take the Gospel to the Gentiles. As Romans 7 plainly explains Paul was always battling with his old nature and admitted his faults. Clearly, he struggled as all true believers do in seeking and obeying the Lord. Paul was no robot programmed to serve the Lord. If the Lord had programmed him and forced him to serve Him...why did Paul have faults? Would not the Lord be capable of programming Paul perfectly? You see simple logic even refutes the teachings of Calvinism. It is heresy pure and simple.

         However, the key is that the Calvinists does not have a clear understanding of God's grace and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in seeking and enabling a person who hears the Gospel to respond.

My article addresses this. ( https://bible-truth.org/election.htm) Salvation is the free gift of God offered to all men.(Rom. 5:15-18, 6:23; Eph. 2:8-9, 3:7, 4:76, . ) A gift is not something one earns, merits or even deserves. The very nature of God's grace to reach out to the lost sinner who cannot save himself and in love save him from his sin. A freely offered gift is not something that is earned and it is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to bring conviction to the heart of a lost man so that he can in hearing respond. Accepting a gift does not change the fact it is an unearned or merited gift. A gift can be accepted or rejected...but that does not change the fact it is a gift offered freely without merit on the part of the one who receives it.

         God says plainly that man is without excuse because most men reject God's offer of grace. Romans 1:18-23f plainly states that fact. The passage says that God reveals himself to every man, and on that basis....man is guilty of rejecting God's grace and cannot offer any excuse for his rejecting or being sent to hell. Man rejects God offer of forgiveness and thus sends himself to hell by his rebellion, in spite of God revealing himself to that man.

         Carefully study what Jesus said in John 3:19-22. "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." (John 3:19-21)

         Many times the best approach in helping someone see God's truth is to ask questions. This way the person if force to think the matter out. Ask the Calvinist to read Romans 1:18-23 and John 3:19-21 and explain to you what God says is the reason a man goes to hell. Ask him why did God reveal Himself to all men and send light into the world if a man could not respond. You need not to ask him to respond immediately but rather give him time to study and reflect on what God has said. The bottom line is this...If the Calvinists is right...they Jesus lied.

         This is a fact....if God did not allow a man to be saved and refuses to offer him His grace...then legally God is the guilty of sending a man to hell. That is why God explains in Romans 1 and throughout the New Testament that He offers His grace to all men.

         If God gives life to a man, lets him be born with the sin nature, and decrees that man to hell then God is the cause of the man going to hell. But God offers His grace freely to all who will believe and reveals Himself to all men allowing them to respond...therefore it is the man, not God who is bears the blame. On a person note....I have never been able to understand how the Calvinist cannot understand this simple truth.

         However, there are clever men who teach this false doctrine. The reformed movement people mostly feel themselves as superior to the "unenlightened" people who reject Calvinism. They generally are intelligent and well educated men and that appeals to many who are immature people in God's word that makes the gullible. I would suggest you try to understand that in following such men and their doctrines, it makes the weak feel like they are special and they too are superior. It is an appeal to pride. Calvinism has a cult like mentality we must be aware of.

         The matter of election vs free will, manifest itself into two camps, the Calvinists and the Arminian. Those two positions denominated the discussion. The problem was that few really questioned both views biblically, but rather addressed the two views and ignored any alternative. Little attention was paid to sound biblical interpretation. They made the mistake of interpreting Scripture with the presupposition that matter was either/or, but did not consider it was neither.

         Charles Spurgeon was basically sound in his preaching and teaching. He lived in a time much like today when liberalism was making great inroads in churches. He fought hard for the truth. However, He did teach election to salvation, but equally preached salvation by a person exercising his will and through faith believing in Jesus Christ for their salvation. Clearly he did not understand the full extent of God's nature of love and justice. He admitted he was not sure and said he believed both could be correct...which is certainly not true as the teaching of election to salvation is diametrically opposed to the teaching of the Bible. I have read much of Spurgeon's work and find that most of his teaching, probably 98 % is sound and biblical. When you read Surgeon you must be aware of his Calvinist leanings and pick out the bones."

           God's act of sending Isaiah was to warn them of the result of their rebellion and unbelief. What was the point in sending a prophet to them if the matter was settled and God was forcing or not letting them respond? God's action shows they could have responded but because of their perverse ways and their love of their sin they refused to listen. They closed their eyes to God and His truth. But in sending the prophet to warn them God made it very clear it was not He who was causing their blindness, but they were closing their eyes to the truth and to God. All we have to do is look around us to see the same thing happening today in the lives of most people. Men love their good times, their money, sexual pleasures, pride, and a host of other things they have made sinful and are not willing to give them up...even for heaven. They care nothing for God's grace and forgiveness, nor the joys of heaven they could have.

           Note what Jesus said, "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness" (Mark 7:21-22)

           Sin comes from the heart and flows through the eyes and ears. To see with one's eyes will not convince a will or heart that is opposed to the truth and in love with sin. On a personal note I have seen this for 23 years in living and working among the Mormons. Their religion gives them many sinful liberties and a great deal of religious pride. Those of us who have worked with them over the year know fully of their blindness....not imposed on them, but willingly accepted in rejecting the God's truth which is His word. How sad it is that many times I have heard in reference to God clear word.... "I know it says that, but I don't see it that way." One proud Mormon summed it up clearly saying, "I do not care what evidence you have against the Mormon faith, or what the Bible says, my great grandparents were Mormons, my grand parents and my parents were Mormons and I will die a Mormon." This man was willingly blind.

           God was more than willing to forgive and restore Israel, but Israel's sin, not God decrees kept them from coming to the Lord and being saved. God knew what their reaction would be, but still sent His prophet to warn them. God is not the blame for man's condemnation...man is. God shows His mercy in warning men of the consequences of sin. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23) In all he Bible, every time God warns of judgment and His wrath...He always, without fail offers mercy and grace.

           Carefully read and note Jesus words on the matter.... "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." (John 3:19-21)

           Also speaking through Paul God said, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1:18-22)

           God also sent Jeremiah to Judah and Jerusalem to warn them of the coming invasion by the Babylonians, but they refused to believe him. Why warn them if God was forcing them to reject Him and not allowing them to respond? Their judgment came because they refused to accept forgiveness and mercy. God's judgment put an end to their evil ways and rebellion and was in fact an act of mercy.

           Calvinism's claims are based on ignoring God's stated truth. It degrades God's grace and mercy and makes Him the cause of man's condemnation. That is a terrible lie. If God would not let them respond then God would be unjust and ultimately He would be the cause of their condemnation. If He withheld the possibility of repentance then He, not man would be responsible. But God is love, mercy and grace and seeks to give grace to men, to warn them, even when He knows they will reject Him and His forgiveness.

           We must judge the validity of Calvinism by God's statement. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

           "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:1-2)

           In interpreting God's word one must use the proper principles of hermeneutics. Therefore one must first consider the context and subject in which the statement is made. The context begins in verse 1-3 when Paul expresses his heart felt desire to see all Israel saved.

           Verse 4 refers to Israel's adoption. This is not adoption of individual Jews to salvation, but the nation as God's chosen people through which He would reveal Himself to the world and from whom would come the Messiah (v5).

           Most Calvinists "assume" when they see the word "adoption" it means to individual salvation. Clearly this is not true. In verse 6, Paul states that all Jews (Israel) are not Israel. Plainly the passage is referring Israel as a nation as God's chosen people. He is saying all the Jews are not of Israel referring to the Jews that rejected the Lord Jesus as the Christ.

           Election always refers to God's plan of salvation and never to individual salvation. God never says He "elects" anyone to be saved or not to be saved.

           Paul then uses refers to Abraham as the father of Israel, but only his seed (descendants) through Issac shall be called Israel. Ishmael and Esau was also Abraham and Issac's seed, but it was not God's plan to use them to fulfill His promise of the Messiah.(V7)

           In verse 8 Paul specifically makes this clear. The children of the flesh (Esau and his descendants) are not counted for the seed.

           Verse 9-10 refer to Sarah and Rebecca as the wives through whom the promise would be fulfilled...the seed of Abraham and Issac.

           Now we get to verse 11. "(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)" (Romans 9:11)

           Paul says it was God's plan to fulfill His promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3). The purpose of God was to through His chosen nation of Israel (Abraham, Issac, and Jacob) to send the Messiah and reveal Himself to the world.

           Further God's plan was not based on the merits or lack of merits of Issac's sons, but on God's choice. Issac's sons became two nations. One rejected God and the other believed God and accepted His promise.

           Verse 13 state that God "loved" or showed favor to use Jacob rather than Esau. Esau, sold his birthright for a bowl of pottage. Clearly it meant nothing to him that God had promised to send the Messiah through his father and that part of the birthright was to be the seed (singular) through whom the Messiah would come. Certainly, God being omniscient, knew Esau was not a believer and cared nothing for God or God's promise. Therefore God rightly gave the birthright to Jacob the believer. This does not mean that God decreed or elected Esau to be damned, but rejected him as the child of the promise. Esau condemned himself by not believing God.

           In verses 14-16 Paul continues the discourse by asking the question is God unrighteous (not right) in choosing Jacob. The point is that Esau was the rightful heir because he was the first born son. But God was not bound by culture, but to carry out His promise to Abraham to send the Messiah. God showed mercy to Jacob and used him even though he was not a perfect man and had many faults. Jacob's redeeming quality was that he believed in God and His promises.

           The fatal flaw of Calvinism is that it incorrectly assumes the election refers to God electing someone to be saved or rejected. Nowhere in God's word does election ever refer to God saying He elected anyone to be saved or rejected. It always refers to God's plan for bring salvation to the world and what salvation accomplishes in a believer's life. My article explain that in detail. Nowhere in God's word does God say He predestined anyone to heaven or hell. Nowhere does God state grace is irresistible...but repeatedly God says those who believe are saved by faith (John 3:16, Romans 10:91-10) and condemned because they do not believe. (John 3:19-21, Romans 1:18-24)

           The context of Acts 13:48 is that Jesus was addressing the response of the unbelieving Jews to accepting Him as the promised Messiah. In Acts 13:16f Paul stood before the Jews and preached the message that Jesus was the Christ. (Acts 13:23) He recounted the unbelief of the Jews and of how they crucified Jesus. He told them of Jesus' resurrection and that He was seen many times by those from Galilee to Jerusalem. In verse 33 Paul clearly proclaims that Jesus was the promised Messiah to Israel. He explained that if they would believe they would be saved and forgiven their sins.(V39) Verse 43 records that many Jews and Jewish proselytes believed and were saved. However, beginning in verse 45 Paul recounts how that the unbelieving strongly opposed the Gospel.

           Verse 47 sets the context of verse 48. The Jews were rejecting Jesus Christ and so Paul states that he is to be a light to the Gentiles. These Gentiles were glad and believed and they were saved. Thus it tells us that it was God's plan that the Gentiles would be appointed (ordained) unto salvation, because in contrast to the Jews who would not believe.

           The commentator and Bible scholar Adam Clarke makes this statement:

           "Many suppose that it simply means that those in that assembly who were fore-ordained; or predestined by God's decree, to eternal life, believed under the influence of that decree. Now, we should be careful to examine what a word means, before we attempt to fix its meaning. Whatever & may mean, which is the word we translate ordained, it is neither nor which the apostle uses, but simply, which includes no idea of pre-ordination or pre-destination of any kind. . . .Though the word in this place has been variously translated, yet, of all the meanings ever put on it, none agrees worse with its nature and known signification than that which represents it as intending those who were predestined to eternal life: this is no meaning of the term, and should never be applied to it. Let us, without prejudice, consider the scope of the place: the Jews contradicted and blasphemed; the religious proselytes heard attentively, and received the word of life: the one party were utterly indisposed, through their own stubbornness, to receive the Gospel; the others, destitute of prejudice and prepossession, were glad to hear that, in the order of God, the Gentiles were included in the covenant of salvation through Christ Jesus; they, therefore, in this good state and order of mind, believed."

           Therefore there are many reasons that the interpretation is not that God choose certain individuals to eternal life and condemned other not allowing them to be saved or allowing them to believe and receive God's grace.

           I have an article that explains the matter of the false teaching of Calvinism and Arminianism which can be found at https://bible-truth.org/election.htm "Is Calvinism or Arminianism Biblical"? Please cut and paste the link into your browser to read the article.

           The biblical principle of hermeneutics that applies to interpreting this verse is called interpreting in the "analogy of the faith." In other words God cannot contradict Himself. He is says He loves the world and wishes all men to repent and be saved and further that Jesus paid the sin debt of the world and that all who will believe will be saved.... Therefore God cannot then condemn anyone to hell by electing to withhold His love from them. God is love...and cannot do anything that would make Him unloving. He loves His creation and wants to them to be saved. Thus in His great love for man He send His Son to suffer and die for the sins of the world. The fact of God's love is plainly and overwhelming taught in His word.

           So if a verse seems to be saying something contrary to what the rest of the Word of God teaches, then we must look further for the correct interpretation that does not violate other teachings in the Bible. The biblical doctrine of God's love for the world is contradicted by he interpretation that He has only elected (loved) some and condemned (not loved) most of mankind to hell not allowing them to be saved.

           Sir, if you are going to present yourself as a Bible teacher you should first learn how to properly interpret God's word. I have an article at https://bible-truth.org/Principles.htm which teaches how to biblically interpret God's word. One key principle is to interpret in the analogy of the faith which simply recognizes that God cannot lie nor contradict Himself. For example: If God says in 1 John 2:2 that "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2) then we must accept that as God's truth and if we find some teaching that ignores this truth or denies it then we know a teaching that contradicts it is wrong. If Jesus said in John 3:16 that God so loved the world...then He loves the world.

          To apply this to the teachings of Calvinism. The Calvinist says Christ only died for the "elect" and not for the whole world. These verses contradicts that teaching stating plainly that Christ did pay the sin debt of the whole world. The Calvinist then to support his false teaching says the word "world" here applies to only believers and not the whole world. However, the word "world" by definition and use refers to all mankind. It is never used to describe believers. So the normal usage of the word, the grammar and analogy of the faith, all sound proper hermeneutical principles, prove the Calvinistic teaching to be unscriptural and therefore false doctrine.

           John 6:44 correctly states God does draw all men to Him, but most of mankind reject Him. Jesus stated the basis of man's condemnation in John 3:19-20. "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved."(John 3:19-20)

           Nowhere do you find in God's word that He says the basis of condemnation of man is because He chooses who He will save and reject, that He condemns most of the mankind to the Lake of fire because He desires to do so in His sovereignty. The Calvinists idea that God withhold grace from most of the word contradicts God own statements. The basis of condemnation as Romans 1:18f and John 3:19-20 is that man is a sinner and rejects God offer of salvation. The drawing of God is in that God reveals Himself to men which is the work of the Holy Spirit, but sin loving men reject His offer. Sir, God respects the will of a man in that He will not violate a man's will and will let him reject His grace. The offering and allowing to acceptance or rejection is all of God...it is not done in man's ability and therefore not a work. God enables a man to accept Him or reject Him.

           There is no merit or work in a man, enlightened and enabled, to believe to accept God's truth and be saved. Most men even when drawn by God to salvation, use their wills to reject God because they love their sin and do not want to give it up. That is what Jesus plainly stated. You cannot ignore Jesus' words and God's statements in Romans 1:18f and honestly believe you have correctly interpreted God's word...which means accept what He meant by His statements.

          There are dozens of other unbiblical teachings of Calvinism that twist and misinterpret God's word in order to make Calvinism fit the Bible's teachings. Sir, that is dishonest and is in truth willingly perpetuating a lie.

          If God says His very nature is love....He cannot be unloving which would go against His very nature. It would be an extreme act of being unloving to send most of the world to hell simply because He decreed or chooses to do so and does so by withholding His offer of grace from them. That is so simple a truth I am amazed that anyone could miss it.

           Calvinism is heresy because it denies God's own nature and His stated word.

           "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."¯ (John 6:37-40)

           Jesus continued by telling these hard hearted Jews that they were responsible to Him and that He was the source of salvation. He explained that those whom the Father gave Him, meaning those who believed His message, He Jesus would not cast out. Some have used the verse to support the false idea that God has predestined some to be saved through that they called irresistible grace and the rest of mankind to with hold his mercy and thus condemning them to the Lake of Fire. The verse does not say or imply this. Those who make this false interpretation are reading into the text their erroneous Calvinistic presuppositions. No one upon reading the verses alone would come up with the idea God was saying He predestined who would come to Jesus. God's word repeatedly states that those who believe and put their faith in Jesus Christ will receive everlasting life. That is God's plan and stated in John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."¯ (John 3:16) The scope of the love of God is to the world, not just to a predestined few. Jesus stated that all the Father gave to Him shall come to Him and He would not cast them out. That is God the Father's plan and it is Jesus Christ to whom one must come to be saved.

           There is no question He was stating that salvation rested with Him. He made it clear that He was not simply some man seeking to draw them to Himself, but that He was come from God in heaven, on God's mission, and doing God's will in the full power of the Father. He was declaring His deity in that all that would be saved, He Jesus would raise up at the resurrection in the last day. He was strait forwardly telling them He was the promised Messiah. The Messiah would bring salvation and God's plan of salvation is clear, all who see the Son, meaning with spiritual and believing eyes, and who believe on Him, are given eternal life and that Jesus Himself will rise that person in the resurrection.

          "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day."¯ (John 6:44)

           Jesus' statement is two fold. First He said that no one can come to Him unless the Father draw him, and secondly, He teachers eternal security that once a person comes they will never be cast out. The Calvinists falsely use this verse to teach that God has predestined who He would save and who He would not allow to be saved. They claim the "drawing" indicates God predestining who He would saved and who He would reject. The verse does not support this false idea. John 6:35 says "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." The ones who would never hunger or thirst, Jesus said were those that believed on Him.

           The verse only states that unless God "draws"¯ the a person He cannot come to Christ and be saved and thus raised us in the "last dayā€¯ which is the resurrection. There is a difference between "drawing" a person to salvation and forcing them to be saved through the Calvinistic false idea of "irresistible" grace. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to bring conviction in a man's heart which is God's drawing him to Christ. The word "elkuw" (draw) is used in John 6:44, 18:10, 21:6, 11; Acts. 16:19, 21:10, James 2:6) Clarke states, "The best Greek writers use the verb in the same sense of alluring, inciting, etc." (Adam Clarke Commentary on the Bible,London, 1810-26, John 5:44) No man is able to draw himself to Christ and salvation, as salvation is the work of the Lord alone. Thus God, in His grace and mercy, reveals to man his state as lost in trespasses and sin and then attracts and compels the sinner to believe and accept His Son Jesus Christ for remission of sin and salvation. The verse does address nor does it mean the sinner cannot resist God's offer. Men can and do resist the Gospel. Often a person, who eventually believes, the first time they are confronted with the Gospel struggles with belief. Many then in time believe though they initially resisted God's drawing. Others resist and refuse to believe which also is an action of their wills.

          The question is to whom does God draw?

          Romans 1:18-19 state "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them."¯ (Romans 1:18-19) This passage states the basis of the lost man's condemnation, referring to the lost as in "all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.ā€¯ Specifically the verse referring to those who "hold the truth in unrighteousnessā€¯ which clearly refers to the unsaved. John proclaimed that Jesus was the Light that came into the world ". . .which lighteth every man that cometh into the world."¯ (John 1:9b) Men willingly reject Jesus Christ, the Light, and thus condemn themselves. They are not condemned by some supposed decree of God in which He wills to withhold grace from them and not allow them to be saved, but rather they are condemned because they knowing rejected the truth.

           Let us labor the point a little. Paul explains that these persons are without excuse as verse 19-20 states, because "that which may be manifest of God"¯ He has shown them. "Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse"¯ (Romans 1:19-20) Therefore God plainly states the basis of man's condemnation is because men know the truth but refuse to believe or accept it thus condemning themselves.

           Jesus also stated the basis of God's judging the unsaved. "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved."¯ (John 3:19-20) Jesus revealed the reason that the unsaved are punished is that "light"¯ meaning the knowledge of God and of righteousness was come into the world, but men reject it because they love their sin and do not want to be reproved. In other worlds they do not want to be told their sins are wrong and will destroy them, thus they willingly ignore the truth that is always before them. The vital point of Jesus' statement is that these who refuse salvation, know the truth.

           Nowhere in God's word does it say that God condemns the unsaved because in God's sovereignty He chose to extend His grace and mercy to some, but to withhold it from the rest of mankind. The Bible teaches the basis of God's condemnation is not in God's sovereign choice, but in man's rebellion at truth God reveals to all.

           Jesus gives the scope of His redemptive act as being the lost. "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."¯ (Luke 19:10) God the Father draws all men through the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. Peter proclaims this truth, "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."¯ (2 Peter 3:9) It is not God's decree or desire that man reject Him in unbelief and thus condemn themselves to the Lake of Fire. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."¯ (John 3:16)

           It is not the intent of this commentary to go into the various claims of Calvinism, but Calvinism teaches that a man who believes God's revelation is thus willing himself to be saved and thus salvation is not wholly of Jesus Christ. If it is God who seeks, reveals Himself to man, and then enables the man to believe and accept Him as Savior, where is any merit on the man's part in his earning his salvation? It is like the drowning man reaching out for a life preserver or rope to keep from drowning. It would be completely foolish for a man to say, God sought me, showed me the truth, enabled me to believe, however the boast that he had a part in the atoning work of Jesus Christ and thus to some degree saved myself. That is silly, foolish, and is simply a straw man, invented by the Calvinist to justify his false beliefs. God is love and His love and justice are absolute. He justly sends the man, to whom He reveals Himself and salvation to, to the lake of fire if that man rejects Him and the truth. Thus the man, not God is responsible for a man being condemned as Jesus stated in John 3:19-20 and Paul in Romans 1:18f. God is absolutely sovereign in all things, but He cannot in His sovereignty deny His own righteous nature and condemn men because He arbitrarily wills to withholds His grace. Those who hold to this erroneous idea callously degrade God and His absolute nature to love.

           When I clearly show them the plain and simple contradictions with God's word and false ideas of Calvinism they mostly respond by personally attacking me instead of addressing the tenants of the issue.

           I am very sensitive to the feelings of others and try to be very respectful even to those who disagree with me. This was confusing until I realized that the heart of their blindness lay in pride. I honestly believe that many of them know deep in their hearts the seriousness of the biblical problems with their belief but succumb in hypocrisy handing on doggedly to Calvinism. Also peer pressure from those who taught them the teaching is a factor too. I have worked with the Mormon cult here in Utah for over twenty five years and I see the same thing in their responses.

           I have never had them , in hundreds of encounters and discussion with Calvinists, answer these questions straightforwardly.

1. How do you know you are one of the "elect" (Calvinism's definition)?
2. Please give me the reference from God's word where it states that He in the past decreed to withhold grace from most of His creation and will not allow them to be saved?
3. Is it an act of love to bring a life into the world in order to send a person to the Lake of Fire for all eternity by withholding God's mercy?
4. Does sovereignty mean that God can do anything He wishes and does His righteousness limit any ability to do wrong such as Titus states "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began" (Titus 1:2)
5. On what basis does God withhold His grace? (Most will reply that God is sovereign and can do what He wills and so I then ask them, the next question.
6. If God's nature is love, which means to offer unmerited favor, can God violate His own nature and withhold grace?
7. What Bible verse or passage teaches irresistible grace that God forces salvation on those He chooses?

           These are seven revealing questions expose the false teachings of Calvinism and hopefully will get them to think about what they have been taught. However, in many cases I never hear from them again and do not attempt to answer these important questions. I think you can see why. It is quite humbling to be looked down on, by professing Christians, simply because you believe God. Thus, I too have to keep pride in check.

           I wish you well in seeking to rescue your friends from this false teaching. Heresy is a strong word, but that is exactly what is Calvinism.

           In Jude 4, the word translated "ordained" means to announce or write before hand, meaning what the apostates did was foretold or written earlier in time.

           The word the Calvinists use is "elected" however, as my article shows that biblically election is not to salvation, but to what salvation accomplishes in the life of the one who believers, such as being forgiven of our sins, given eternal life, conformed to the image of Christ, being heirs and the children of God, etc. We believe and are saved and God gives us the rewards and benefits of His plan of salvation. The New Testament does not say we are elected to salvation, but are elected, if we believe, to His what His grace bestows.

           Jesus said of the work of the Holy Spirit. "And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me" (John 16:8-9) Thus the work of the Holy Spirit is to bring conviction to the hearts of men. John 6:44, says that "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:44) The is a lot of difference between Jesus saying no man can come to Him unless the Father "draws" him and the Calvinists idea of "irresistible grace" in which God forces a man to be saved. There is no such term or even hint of any such process in God's word where God forces His grace on a man and makes him believe. In fact if that were so, you would have a man saved before belief. The Calvinists has God regenerating a man so he can believe. That is simply not taught in God's word. Regeneration follows saving belief of one's heart. There is so much wrong with Calvinism it is hard for me to accept anyone would believe it. Even the simplest truths in God's word are distorted by the false teaching.

           Note what Paul said. "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:14) Those who are saved, called on the Lord when they heard the Gospel. They could not be saved apart from hearing the Gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit to illuminate God's word in their hearts. No save person was saved because they in their power "willed" themselves to be saved. It was the Holy Spirit that enabled them to response. They could also reject the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 4:20 plainly states the Holy Spirit is grieved when men reject the truth. The verse is speaking to saved believers. If a saved person can grieve the Holy Spirit which means reject His leading, certainly a lost man can also. That should challenge the Calvinist to examine his ideas. The sinner needs to hear the Gospel, spoken by a preacher (a herald or witness). The Holy Spirit bring conviction to men's hearts, enabling them to accept or reject God's salvation and if they believe God's saves them. Yet, many do not believe...why? Jesus told us that....

           "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." (John 3:19-20)

           If God sends a man to hell, even though he is a sinner and does so because He withholds His grace from the man that means the man had no opportunity to be saved. Thus even if the man is a sinner as all men are, God is a party to the man's unbelief and it is God ultimately who unjustly sends a man to hell by refusing to offer the man His mercy and pardon. If God offers salvation to some and refuses it to others is this fair? God says all men are sinners. So the man who is saved is a sinner the same as the man the Calvinist says God refuses to save. Where is the impartiality or justness in such an action? That is so plain...I do not understand how any Christian can accept such a outrageous degrading of God. He is love and just He cannot do wrong and it would be wrong to create a man to spend eternity in hell and not allow the man to receive Christ's redemption. Those who are in hell are those who choose to reject God's grace and mercy, because they willingly did not believe on Him because they loved their sin. God is not responsible for sending the unbeliever to hell.....the unbeliever is.

           The Bible does note teach "irresistible grace" or God electing who would be saved and who He would not allow to be saved. What He did elect was that all who believe will be forgiven of their sins and given eternal life and become the children of God. Could a loving and just God do what the Calvinists say He is doing? By the way, that is a rhetorical questions....No absolutely not.

           I am not sure I understand that what and how we believe could be considered minor and not effect one's salvation. How could one agree to disagree on what is biblical salvation and how it is received? God is very clear on how one is saved. Your friend sounds like she does not believe in God's word being as being absolute. It is a trend today to accept anyone's religious beliefs if the person is sincere. This not what God's word plainly states.

           I do believe their are some Calvinists who are saved. They are not those who are really understand what it teaches and have never really questioned it from God's word. That one reason I wrote the article was to challenge them to take the blinders off and consider what they believe. However, the one's I do not think are saved are those that once you show them what God's word states and how Calvinism degrades God and distorts His word and they then continue to persist in rejecting God's truth. They are believing a a false teaching and not God's truth. A good questions is to ask them how they got save and how do they know they are saved or "the elect".

           Most Calvinists do not know that their teachings is that God regenerates a person and then makes them believe thus you have a person regenerated or saved before belief. Most of them have never really thought the matter through.

           However, you ask about the general and the effectual calling. The Calvinist says the general calling is to everyone, right? Think? If God gives a general calling to everyone, but only gives a effectual calling to a few what is the point of the general calling? Where is the scripture that teaches these two tenants of Calvinism?

           Note what Phillip Ryken explains about Calvinism.

           "God issues a general call to all who hear the gospel (Matt. 22:14). All who hear are invited. But because the reprobate are totally depraved, they resist this call and the work of the Spirit. So far, most evangelicals agree, but again Reformed theology goes a step further. Out of his special love for the elect, God does something that guarantees that they will accept his invitation. In addition to the general call to all men, God gives them a special call (Rom. 8:28-30) by his special grace (Gal. 1:15). By this Irresistible Grace God draws the elect irresistibly to himself with special lovingkindness (Jer. 31:3). He causes the elect to come to him (Ps. 65:9), drawing us to Christ (John 6:44) and compelling us by divine omnipotence to come (Luke 14:23). (What We Believe - Reformed Theology, By Philip Ryken (based on James M. Boice"™s essay "Reformed Theology"¯ and Curt Danielsā"™ booklet ā€Biblical Calvinismā€¯)

           In other words, the general call cannot be responded to.....God will not allow them to receive His grace. The saved need an "effectual" call. Does that make any sense at all. Why issue a general call if no one can respond to it. Ryken states all men are equally "depraved" (not the proper word), and cannot respond, so God shows His selected love to some of these depraved whom He chooses because He is sovereign and can do so.(?) My question is this....if He gives His "loving special loving kindness" to a few why not to all? Both the ones He gives irresistible grace to and the ones He withholds it from are both the same...."depraved." Why is it loving kindness to only allow a few to receive His grace and the rest He sends to the Lake of Fire?

           Can you see how distorted and illogical is the human made theology of the Calvinists? It degrades God, makes Him to be unloving and unjust which denies who He is. That is what all false religion does and is the same thing the cults do. They in glowing terms say how much the love the Lord and how wonderful He is and at the same time destroy God's very being and character.

          There is but one call to all men...... Note: "Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." (Romans 5:18) How can anyone read this verse and say that "all men" are under judgment and "all men" "free gift came upon all men unto justification of life."

           There but one call and that is a general call to all me everywhere to believe, repent of their sins and be saved. There is no effectual or special call.

          I hope this helps. Sir, read God's word and with the word of God in hand, t h i n k....and see how Calvinism distorts and destroys the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ. Also consider this....when the Calvinist preach speaks of God's love, does he every explain that it is only for a few select few? When he compels men to believe and receive Jesus Christ as their Savior, isn't he in effect lying to most who hear his invitation, because on a few select people can respond. It is not a lie to offer salvation to someone in God's name, when God (according to them) will not allow them to be saved?!

          Sir, believe our loving and merciful God. He loves us all and Jesus died for the sins of all men, yet most men will not believe and Jesus explains why in John 3:19-20 "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." (John 3:19-20) What did our Savior say was the reason that most men are condemned? Was it as Jesus said, their fault because they loved their sin even when they had the light, or was it because God did not love them and created them to burn in the torment of the Lake of Fire for eternity?

          Thank for writing. I hope I have challenged to you think....about what God says and how His word is twisted by the Calvinist. "God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. (Romans 3:4) In other words....Let us believe God's word, and accept it alone as truth and reject men who contradict it.

           I do believe there are some Calvinists who are saved? I think anyone has a legitimate reason to question the salvation of someone who really understands what Calvinism teaches and dogmatically holds to it. However, there are some who have been taught this false doctrine and have never really questioned or examined it from God's word. That one reason I wrote the article to challenge them to take the blinders off and consider what they believe. However, the ones I do not think are saved are those that once you show them what God's word states and that how Calvinism degrades God and distorts His word and they persist in rejecting God's truth...then they are believing a false teaching and not God's truth. A good questions is to ask them how they got saved and how do they know they are saved or "the elect".

           Many Calvinists do not know that their teachings is that God regenerates a person and then makes them believe thus you have a person regenerated or saved before belief. Most of them have never really thought the matter through.

           Also many Calvinist are cult-like in their dogmatic beliefs. They pride themselves in being special, intellectuals, scholars who are more enlightened than us who reject their teachings. We are uneducated, ignorant, simple minded folks who are not sophisticated enough to understand there "deep" theological truths. Many actually believe God has special secret like theological truths only the can perceive.

           So are Calvinists saved? I am sure some are and sure many are not.

           I think often the problem comes from peer pressure from other pastors. You are correct they most of the Calvinists think themselves quite superior in their thinking to those of us who reject their false teachings. If I have friends who appear intellectual, then I appear to be of their caliber too. Many well known men who have TV ministries and write books are Calvinists. In truth they degrade God and His character all the while supposedly upholding His sovereignty and glory. The glory of God is in His majesty, power, love, and grace. However, by teaching that God has condemned most of mankind to the Lake of Fire and will not allow them the offer of grace, but forces grace on some, it takes away completely His being a God of love and mercy. God does not show favoritism we all stand equal at the foot of the cross and He loves us all equally. Those who reject His love and grace tragedy condemned themselves.

           One popular TV preacher said that in sending those God created to send eternity in hell, He shows in glory to those He decree's to receive irresistible grace. What a misguided way of thinking!

           Sadly, many pastors and teachers have simply not really studied the teaching and accept it not on it biblical merit, but on what someone else wrote or believes.

           You are right in going to your pastor and sharing with him your concerns. Maybe it would help if he read my article? Pray for him that he will be strong and contend for the faith.

           One popular TV preacher said that in sending those God created to send eternity in hell, He shows in glory to those He decrees to receive irresistible grace. What a misguided way of thinking!

           Sadly, many pastors and teachers have simply not really studied the teaching and accept it not on it biblical merit, but on what someone else wrote or believes.

           You are right in going to your pastor and sharing with him your concerns. Maybe it would help if he read my article? Pray for him that he will be strong and contend for the faith.

           Years ago I purchased a number of John MacArthur's books and still have them. On many subjects he is excellent. I think many times when a Calvinist is preaching most people do not really understand what is his theology. Calvinists are very careful not to openly state that they believe that God has decreed to send most of mankind to hell, buy withholding his grace and mercy and will not allow them to be saved. Further, they also do not state that they believe grace is irresistible and God has predestined who will be saved by irresistible grace and who will not.

          It bothers me that a man will teach these false ideas, believing that God will not allow most people to be saved and think their belief does not contradict God's nature as a God of love. Further, it bothers me that a man will stand in a pulpit and preach that if a man will believe and by faith receive Jesus Christ alone for their salvation....all the while believing that most who hear his message God has commended to hell. If a preacher believes Calvinist teaching, then he is lying to most of the people in the congregation who God will not allow to be saved.

          So this is the question? Does a Calvinist really believe God's plan of salvation and understand God's grace? If they really believe what Calvinism teaches their belief is heresy and they are preaching a false Gospel.

           I know they will counter and say that God uses preaching to reach those he has decreed to be saved so that is why they preach that men should believe. But honestly, that is a such a foolish defense. I have asked a number of them this question and they have no answer, but that God is sovereign and can do what he wants. God's sovereignty does not mean He can contradict Himself.

           I am amazed at how these men who think themselves to be so superior intellectually can defend Calvinism. Even though I have been criticized for saying this, I honestly believe Calvinism is a cult. In the forefront of every cult are the teachings of some man. (John Calvin) All cults claim to have superior knowledge and intelligence. All cults deny or ignore clearly stated doctrines of God's word. (God's nature to love His creation) Cults refuse to acknowledge they could be wrong and seriously examine their beliefs by examining God's word. They seem to be blind to God's truth. All cults have a cardinal teaching that emphasize above everything thing else (God's sovereignty)

           Thanks for writing. I am not sure I helped, but maybe I have alerted you to some of the elements of the false teaching that is spreading so rapidly. 1 Peter 3:14-18

          Jesus and the New Testament teaches that salvation and God's grace is received by faith. (Eph. 2:8-9) The saving Gospel is as 1 Corinthians 15:1-5f says the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Romans 10:9-10 says that "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."¯ (Romans 10:9-10)

          Clearly a person who is saved has heard the Gospel, accepted that they are sinners, repented of their sins, and have put their faith alone in Christ's sacrifice for our sins. That said, if a person truly believes that, from their heart, they have been saved.

          Calvinist do profess they believe these truths. However, they say God elected them to salvation and imparted to them "irresistible grace"¯ meaning it was not their choice, but God"™s choice to save them. So the question is did they believe from their heart as Romans 10:10 says? They say they did not exercise their wills and salvation was forced on them by God's electing them to receive His irresistible grace. But that is not what the Bible teaches anywhere?

          They hold to their acrostic TULIP, that if carefully examined, you will not find any of he tenants to be biblical. They are in fact trusting in their supposed election....they believe because God made them believe by electing or predestinating them to salvation. One thing they do not address directly is repentance for sin. Jesus said "But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."¯ (Matthew 9:13) Repentance is having a change of mind in which one's former belief is seen as wrong and a correct belief or truth is now accepted. It also entails a compunction toward guilt or regret for sin. They really do not repent, but God"™s chosen time He forces the change on them and they had nothing to do with their change of mind. I personally know Calvinist who have sinned repeatedly and blatantly without repentance and they consider themselves elected and thus it makes no difference if they sin or not, they are going to heaven.

          Jesus said in John 3:36 "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."¯ (John 3:36) The Calvinist believes God elects to send most of mankind to hell because in His sovereignty He can and wills to do so. Thus they teach the unelected cannot be saved because God withholds His grace and predestines them to hell. That again is not what Jesus said nor found anywhere in God"™s word. A person who reads God's word will find that God is love and just in all He does. Who then is the God whom the Calvinist say they trust who is clearly not a God of love or just because He has created most of mankind to burn in the fires of hell and will not allow them to be saved?! Is that our true God and Creator? Is this what Jesus said "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." (John 3:15-17) Is their Savior Jesus Christ or one made up in the minds of corrupt men? Note what God says about men who change the nature and person of God, "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves" (Romans 1:22-24)

           These are but a few of the serious problems with Calvinism. After all these years of dealing with them I have come to believe that Calvinism has all the marks of a cult. In the same way the cult do they distort or ignore clear teachings in God's word that refute their false beliefs. The devout Calvinist presents himself as being superior to non-Calvinist in their intelligence and understanding of the Bible. After dealing with Mormons for over 25 years...I see the same spirit in them. They present themselves as being very proud of their superior position. So the matter of their salvation is in question. On one hand they appear to believe the Gospel, but on the other they have a different plan of salvation than the New Testament teaches. The Gospel to the Calvinist is their false view of election.

           Many Calvinists simply call themselves such and really do not know its details and full beliefs. Their understanding is superficial. There are also many who do not hold to all the points of Calvinism because preaches and churches they trusted taught them these false beliefs. It is a matter of one"™s heart. However, Calvinism is a false teaching and God cannot bless or have any part in doctrinal error....so the Calvinist if saved in not in a good relationship with the Lord.

           John Calvin was a Protestant and believed in heresy of Pedo baptism. His writings founded the false teachings of Calvinism which are not God"™s word. He believed in a modified version of transubstantiation in which Jesus was spiritually, but not physically present in the elements of the Lord Supper...another false teaching. He actively persecuted anyone who disagreed with him. His writings "Institutes of the Christian religion"¯ were promoted the level of scripture and anyone who disagreed with his writings could be arrested. One such man Jacques Gruet, was arrested tortured and beheaded for putting a letter on Calvin"™s pulpit calling him a hypocrite. Under Calvin, who was the magistrate of Geneva, Switzerland ruled as a tyrant. He was a murderer at whose hand many innocent people died, mostly because they rejected his unbiblical beliefs. In five years he issued 58 sentences of death to those who opposed his views, and exiled 76 persons from the country and many others to prison. He believed in a church-state in which the church ruled the state. He as supreme magistrate passed laws requiring people to attend church and arrested those who broke his laws. Are these acts consistent with God's word and true child of God. Did John Calvin love his neighbor as himself as Jesus said was the second greatest commandment? (Matt. 22:39) Did he show the love of God in loving the children of God as 1 John 5:2 says. In both counts the answer is no.

          The fact is that if a Bible believing Christian of today, many who claim to be Calvinists, were to have lived in Switzerland in Calvin"™s day they would have been persecuted, imprisoned and possibly executed for their biblical beliefs. It is amazing to me that any Bible believing Christian would call themselves by the name of this religious tyrant and murderer. A close reading of his "Institutes"¯ show gross doctrinal errors.

           Hope this helps. There is an article athttp://www.biblelife.org/calvinism.htm which presents a great deal of Calvin"™s history. I will soon post an article on the life and beliefs of John Calvin, probably this coming year. One closing remark, if a professing Calvinist wanted to join our church, unless he recanted his Calvinist views our church would not allow him to be a member. Of course we would try to show him what the Bible teaches and hope he would accept the truth.

           Election is not thoroughly addressed in my article, but will be, along with several other subjects, included in a coming revision. It is plain to me that although most of those in Reformed Theology passionately hold to their beliefs they ignore that they are not well thought out. They are apparently blind to their defending the glory and sovereignty of God, but at the same time degrading Him. The tenants of Calvinism, election, and double predestination are not logical. I think it comes from their founder and I am working on a new section dealing the John Calvin and the many inconsistencies and contradictions in this man both personally and theologically.

           I try to point out in my article that I cannot find in God's word anywhere that God's election is to salvation, meaning that the Bible does not say God elected which individuals would be saved or not. What I find is that He instituted His plan as to what is salvation. What He elected, or ordained, is what His plan of salvation would be and would accomplish in the life of the believer to fulfill His plans for eternity. He did not elect who would obtain it. His plan states how a man can be redeemed and become a part of the goal of His plan. Further, His plan was elected to encompass the structure or elements of salvation.

           Logically, if salvation was by election, then the "Good News" would be the Gospel of Election. However, the Gospel is "Good News" of redemption through faith in Jesus Christ. God's plan of salvation is that a man will be saved, forgiven by belief and faith in Jesus' in whom only salvation exists. This also reveals another inconsistency of reformed theology. God says in Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6) Several truths stand out sharply. Plainly, the heart of God's plan is man's faith in God that without it is impossible Him. A robot, which is the Calvinist's view of man, cannot express faith, nor believe or seek God. (irresistible grace!?) Further, faith is inseparably tied to "diligently seeking Him." A robot cannot seek anything, but only can respond to the programming he is given. How can a "totally depraved" man desire to seek something he is incapable of knowing exists? The context of God's statement is of the saving faith of men who heard God's promises and by faith received them. God's very definition of faith Calvinism is refuted. (1:11)

          As you point out, Calvinism is a maze of inconsistencies and unbiblical conclusions that defy any logic. There are no inconsistencies with God as He is a God of order, organization and logic.

           I listened a few days ago to a Christian radio station for a few minutes on my way home. I heard John MacArthur, clearly and passionately present the Gospel. He calls his programs Grace to You, but plainly believes that God's grace is only for the "few." What baffles me is he and the Calvinists cannot see the contradiction in their beliefs and message. I get some criticism for saying this, but Calvinism is cultic. I believe it to be the cleverest of Satan's deceptions. After twenty five years of working upon the Mormons I see the same phenomena in many levels in their beliefs.

           I am certainly not a scholar, but I do not understand why it is so plain to me and yet it eludes these great intellectuals.