Calvinism. By Mark Mayberry 3/31/2013

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1 Calvinism By Mark Mayberry 3/31/2013 Introduction John Calvin was a 16th century Swiss theologian who became a leader in the Protestant Reformation. The American Heritage Dictionary defines Calvinism as The religious doctrines of John Calvin, emphasizing the omnipotence of God and the salvation of the elect by God s grace alone. Classic 16th century Calvinism, as set forth in the Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536), can be easily remembered by the acrostic T.U.L.I.P., representing the five major points of this system: Total Hereditary Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and the Perseverance of the Saints. Furthermore, to quote Almon Williams, one of my teachers at Florida College, The TULIP of Calvinism grows in the potting soil of God s sovereignty. Many of these concepts existed before his time. For example the doctrine of total hereditary depravity originated with Augustine, a Roman Catholic philosopher who lived in the fifth century A.D. Nevertheless, these ideas were formally systematized by John Calvin. Over time, Calvinistic theology has gained widespread acceptance, finding formal expression in many denominational creeds of the early seventeenth century. It continues to influence protestant denominationalism. Let us examine this doctrine to see if it harmonizes with the Word of God (Acts 17:11; 1 Thess. 5:21; 1 John 4:1). Calvinism is a perfectly logical system, but it is based on a false premise. It assumes that God s sovereignty is absolute, and that, subsequent to the Edenic fall, man s free will is non-existent. Therefore, salvation is sola grace, sola faith. Without doubt, God enjoys complete sovereignty over all spheres. While he could have made us robots/puppets, God created man as a creature of choice. This did not change following the fall. The free will of man is inviolable, God himself does not step across that line. Acts 17: Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. (NASB95). 1 Thessalonians 5: But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; (NASB95). 1 John 4: Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (NASB95). 1

2 Total Hereditary Depravity Defined: Calvin taught the doctrine of total hereditary depravity, i.e., that the guilt of Adam s transgression is inherited by each individual at birth. Accordingly, all mankind bears the guilt of original sin. Completely corrupt in nature, unregenerate man is positively inclined to do evil and completely unable to do good. Exposed: However, the Bible refutes this doctrine. Although we suffer the consequences of Adam s fall (Gen. 3:16-19; Rom. 5:12), we do not inherit a corrupt nature. Man is a creature of choice (Deut. 30:19-20; Josh. 24:15). Sin involves one s practice, not inherited characteristic (1 John 3:4). As sinners, we stand condemned for our own transgressions (Rom. 7:9-11), not because of the sins of our forbearers (Ezek. 18:20). Moreover, Jesus set forth children as models of holiness and purity, not as creatures totally depraved from birth (Matt. 18:1-3). Genesis 3: To the woman He said, I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you. 17 Then to Adam He said, Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat from it ; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; 19 By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return. (NASB95). Romans 5: Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned (NASB95). Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (NASB95) 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, 20 by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them. Joshua 24: If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (NASB95). 1 John 3: Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. (NASB95). Romans 7: I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; 10 and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; 11 for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. (NASB95). 2

3 Ezekiel 18: The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself. (NASB95). Matthew 18: At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, 3 and said, Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. (NASB95). Unconditional Election Defined: Calvin affirmed the doctrine of unconditional election. According to his theology, God foreordained/predestined that certain individuals would be saved, while others would be lost. This choice was not based on any foreseen obedience or virtue on man s part, but rested solely on God s sovereign will. Therefore, the number of the redeemed is fixed and cannot be increased or diminished. Exposed: Calvin distorted the Bible s teaching on predestination. Whereas the Scriptures speak of group election (Rom. 8:28-30; Eph. 1:3-5), he thought in terms of individual election. However, this would make God is a respector of persons (Acts 10:34-35; Rom. 2:11; Gal. 6:7-9), and would nullify the need of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16). Romans 8: And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. (NASB95). Ephesians 1: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, (NASB95). Acts 10: Opening his mouth, Peter said: I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, 35 but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. (NASB95). Romans 2: For there is no partiality with God. (NASB95). Galatians 6: Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. (NASB95). 3

4 Matthew 28: And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (NASB95). Mark 16: And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. (NASB95). Limited Atonement Defined: Calvin taught the doctrine of limited atonement. According to this belief, Christ s death on the cross was not for all mankind, but its benefits were limited to those specific individuals who were unconditionally elected. Since this number cannot be increased or decreased, if an individual was not predestined to salvation, then Christ s atonement for sin was without efficacy. Exposed: Many plain Bible passages refute this doctrine. Jesus died for all mankind (Heb. 2:9; 1 John 2:1-2). Furthermore, God has not set a numerical limit on those who can be saved; he wants all to respond in obedience to the gospel (Rom. 5:18; 2 Pet. 3:9). Hebrews 2: But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. (NASB95). 1 John 2: My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. (NASB95). Romans 5: So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. (NASB95). 2 Peter 3: The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (NASB95). Irresistible Grace Defined: Calvin taught that the elect person is saved in prospect in the mind of God by predestination and then saved in fact when the Lord sends the Spirit into his heart. At the time of God s choosing, the sinner is irresistibly drawn into God s grace. This call cannot be rejected, but always results in conversion. Exposed: There are many errors associated with this doctrine. First of all, it destroys the concept of man s free moral agency and would make us nothing more than puppets (Deut. 11:26-28; 4

5 Josh. 24:15). Moreover, it denies the true nature of God s grace (Eph. 2:8-10). The Bible plainly teaches that we will be held accountable for how we respond to God s word (John 12:47-48). Deuteronomy 11: See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I am commanding you today; 28 and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known. (NASB95). Joshua 24: If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (NASB95). Ephesians 2: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (NASB95). John 12: If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. (NASB95). Additionally, let us consider the role of the Holy Spirit in conversion. In New Testament times, the Spirit was the agent of revelation (Eph. 3:1-5) and confirmation (Mark 16:19-20). God s Word is thus described as the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12-13). An omnipotent God certainly possesses the power to directly affect the hearts of men; yet, this selfsame God chose to convert sinners through the agency of preaching (Rom. 10:5-15). This is evident in the Spirit s interaction with Phillip (Acts 8:29, 39), Peter (Acts 10:19; 11:12) and Paul (Acts 16:6-9). Ephesians 3:1-5 (NASB95) 1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles 2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God s grace which was given to me for you; 3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. 4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; Mark 16:19-20 (NASB95) 19 So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.] [And they promptly reported all these instructions to Peter and his companions. And after that, Jesus Himself sent out through them from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.] Ephesians 6:17 (NASB95) 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 5

6 Hebrews 4:12-13 (NASB95) 12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Romans 10:5-15 (NASB95) 5 For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. 6 But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: Do not say in your heart, Who will ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down), 7 or Who will descend into the abyss? (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed. 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. 14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things! Acts 8:29 (NASB95) 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, Go up and join this chariot. Acts 8:39 (NASB95) 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. Acts 10:19 (NASB95) 19 While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, Behold, three men are looking for you. Acts 11:12 (NASB95) 12 The Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings. These six brethren also went with me and we entered the man s house. Acts 13:2 (NASB95) 2 While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Acts 16:6-9 (NASB95) 6 They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; 7 and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; 8 and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, Come over to Macedonia and help us. 6

7 Perseverance Of Saints Defined: This doctrine is also known as the Impossibility of Apostasy. It affirms that a child of God cannot sin so as to fall from grace and be lost in eternity. Calvin reasoned that all who are chosen by God are kept by His power. If God elected certain individuals to be saved, his will cannot be overthrown by man not even by those elected. As a result, the elect will assuredly persevere to the end and be eternally saved. In fact, they must be saved, and nothing can counteract this fact. Exposed: Many plain Bible passages refute this doctrine. The New Testament warns against the danger of apostasy (Luke 8:13; Gal. 5:1-4; 1 Tim. thy 4:1; 2 Pet. 2:20-21). The Hebrew writer clearly teaches that it is possible to fall from a saved condition (Heb. 3:12-15; 6:4-6). Acknowledgement of this reality does not rob us of hope, but rather instills within us a much needed spirit of caution. According to the Scriptures, salvation is conditioned upon continued faithfulness (Rom. 8:16-17; 2 Tim. 2:11-13; 2 Pet. 1:5-10). Luke 8: Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. (NASB95). Galatians 5: It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. 4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. (NASB95). 1 Timothy 4: But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, (NASB95). 2 Peter 2: For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. (NASB95). Hebrews 3: Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called Today, so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, 15 while it is said, Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me. (NASB95). Hebrews 6: For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen 7

8 away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. (NASB95). Romans 8: The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. (NASB95). 2 Timothy 2: It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; 12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; 13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. (NASB95). 2 Peter 1: Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; (NASB95). Conclusion From beginning to end, Calvinism is a false system. Granted, there are relatively few fivepoint Calvinists today. Most denominations have shifted away from a complete adherence to Calvin s theology. Yet, many groups still espouse portions of this doctrine, especially the first and last points. Furthermore, the doctrine of salvation by grace only/faith only grows out of this thought system. Let us reject all such errors, and stand foursquare upon the truth of God s word. 8