CALVINISM
By Stan Cox
www.watchmanmag.com

        In the previous article mention was made of Martin Luther, one of the most prominent theologians of the Reformation movement. Because of his influence, most Protestant groups today believe that salvation is obtained by faith alone. His influence on Protestant denominations is rivaled only by John Calvin.

       Calvin was born in 1509, and came to adulthood under the influences of the Reformation begun by Martin Luther. In 1536 he published the first edition of his Institutes of the Christian Religion which contain a systematic theology based on the premises of the total depravity of man, and the individual predestination of the saved. Though few Christian denominations can be said to be fully Calvinistic in their theology, Calvin's writings have had a profound influence upon Protestant doctrine.

        Calvin's theology, when stated plainly, is hardly palatable. Notice the following quote from Sam Morris, a former Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Stamford, TX:

        "We take the position that a Christian's sins do not damn his soul. The way a Christian lives, what he says, his character, his conduct, or his attitude toward other people have nothing whatever to do with the salvation of his soul..."

        "All the prayers a man may pray, all the Bibles he may read, all the churches he may belong to, all the services he may attend, all the sermons he may practice, all the debts he may pay, all the ordinances he may observe, all the laws he may keep, all the benevolent acts he may perform will not make his soul one whit safer; and all the sins he may commit from idolatry to murder will not make his soul in any more danger..."

"The way a man lives has nothing whatever to do with the salvation of his soul."

        While the quote sounds absurd on the surface, and indeed is, it is a simple, honest assessment of Calvinistic doctrine. The tenants of Calvinism can be concisely stated using the acronym TULIP. Each letter in the word TULIP stands for a foundational pillar of Calvinistic theology:

T - Total Depravity

U - Unconditional Salvation

L - Limited Atonement

I - Irresistible Grace

P - Perseverance of the Saints

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Refuting Calvinism

        Below, we will concisely define each of the tenants of Calvinism, and refute them from scripture. It is important to note each of these "pillars" are interconnected. If any one of the five are disproved from scripture, the entire theology crumbles beneath its own weight. As stated previously, Calvin worked from the premise of the depravity of man. Calvin believed, as did others of his time, that we inherit the sin of Adam. In effect, that man is born into the world totally depraved. He rightly reasoned that if the depravity of man is total, he can have no part in his own salvation. His every thought and intent is evil. He is incapable of doing good. Even the attempts to do good are evil, as his depravity is total. Since this is the case, it is God alone who determines who will be saved and who will be lost. Never mind that this makes God a respecter of persons, and a capricious Being who condemns at His whim those who are not culpable in their sin.

        This fatalistic attitude toward redemption has its comforts. After all, if God saves me, I am saved, and there is nothing I can do to invalidate my redemption. Conversely, if I am lost, I can do nothing about it, so there is no use in concerning myself with spiritual matters. Let's examine the major tenants of the doctrine.

        Total Depravity. The Calvinist teaches that the little child is born into the world totally depraved. This contradicts the statement of our Lord regarding the little children, when He said "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:14). Now, unless the Calvinist is willing to concede that the Kingdom of Heaven is made up of those totally depraved, he must admit to the purity of the little children, and the invalid nature of that tenet.

        Further, rather than inheriting the sin of our forbears, the Lord informed Ezekiel that we are responsible only for our own sins. "The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself" (Ezekiel 18:20). No, man is not born totally depraved. He is born with free will, and can choose whether he will or will not serve God. "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:16).

        Unconditional Salvation. The belief that salvation is unconditional is a logical outgrowth of the assumption that man is born totally depraved. If one's depravity is total, then he is incapable of doing anything to secure his salvation. If this is so, then the salvation of man is wholly dependent upon God's choosing. He must do nothing. However, the Bible paints a different picture. One has only to read Mark 16:16, quoted above, to see clearly that our salvation is conditioned upon faith and baptism. The fact that Jesus demanded action on this occasion reveals clearly that there are conditions ascribed to a person's redemption. Too, Peter indicated to the Jews on Pentecost that there are conditions attached to their escape from condemnation. When they asked, "Men and brethren, what shall we do" (cf. Acts 2:37), he did not tell them that salvation was unconditional, but rather exhorted them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).

        Limited Atonement. This tenet of Calvinism is rather silly. It is necessitated by the belief that salvation is unconditional, and the reality that some will be lost. So, the logic is that Jesus only came and died for those predestined to salvation. His blood was shed only for a precious few. However, that plainly denies what Jesus said of Himself in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Clearly the redemptive blood is available not to only a few, but to whoever believes in Him.

       Consider also the rather distasteful consequence of such a position. If God sent his Son to die only for the predestined few, then God has condemned for eternity the large number who, through no fault of their own, lay outside the scope of that redeeming blood. This makes God both capricious and unfair in His judgment.

        Irresistible Grace. According to the Calvinist, if God chooses to redeem you, you can not resist his advances. Again, this is not born out in scripture. In fact, Stephen accused the Jews of doing exactly what the Calvinist says can not be done, "You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you" (Acts 7:51). In scripture, the grace of God is always extended by invitation. No one is compelled to respond. In freely responding to the invitation, we are able to "...Be saved from this perverse generation" (Acts 2:40).

        Perseverance of the Saints. Finally, the idea is promoted that if salvation is solely the work of God, then once you are saved, you can not so sin as to be eternally lost. This is perhaps the most popular tenant of the doctrine, embraced even if other tenants are denied. The logic parallels the rest of Calvinistic theology, but again is not born out in scripture. The Bible is replete with warnings of the possibility of Christians losing their souls (cf. Hebrews 6:4-6; 2 Peter 2:18-22) and with actual names of those who have lost their redemption (Hymenaeus and Philetus come to mind, cf. 2 Timothy 2:16-18). Simon, a former sorcerer, is recorded in Acts 8 to have obeyed the gospel, thus becoming a Christian (vs. 13). When he sinned Peter said unto him, "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!" The question obviously arises, why would Peter threaten Simon with condemnation when Simon was incapable of so sinning as to lose his soul? The answer is that Calvinism has it wrong on this point as well! As the Lord proclaimed to Israel, "But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die" (Ezekiel 18:24).

        Conclusion: In reality, the salvation of man is predicated both upon God's extended grace, and man's response to that redemptive work. In affirming this we do not state that man earns or merits his salvation. Salvation is the freely given gift of God. But, we must be willing to accept the gift. Salvation is conditioned upon our faithful obedience to the commands of God.

        In affirming the fact that a man can lose his salvation we do not state that God is unable to secure our safety. Truly, "...He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25). We do not doubt what God can do, we only realize that it is possible for a man to "concerning the faith... suffer[ed] shipwreck" (1 Timothy 1:19).

        The theology of Calvin offers false comfort. The underlying assumptions have been long held, and the tenants have been accepted without sufficient examination. The doctrine fails the test of scripture, and should be rejected by all Bible believers. We should follow the example of the Bereans, who "received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11).

        Sometimes the commercials are so amusing, one almost fails to notice what they're advertising. One I've seen a few times lately will illustrate. A well dressed man in a business suit stopped at a traffic light runs his window down and with a cranking motion signals the young couple in the car beside him. They roll their window part way down and the man, smiling broadly, says, "I lowered my cholesterol." The light changes and he speeds on his way. In the office building, he steps into someone's office and excitedly tells the couple working there, "I lowered my cholesterol" leaving them with stunned expressions. In a crowded elevator, he turns to the lady standing next to him and just as he opens his mouth to say it, she says, "I lowered my cholesterol" leaving him looking disappointed that he didn't get to tell her first. Well, if what we're told about high cholesterol is true, then any degree of lowering is "good news" even if accomplished by eating Honey Nut Cheerios, the product, I think, being advertised in the commercial.

        A number of years, ago when Michelin steel belted radial tires were first becoming "the cat's meow" for those who wanted the best in tires, I remember a man who was very excited about a business opportunity he was sharing. He used this illustration. "If you go to the tire store and get a set of new Michelins at an unbelievable price, what are you going to do? You'll park your car on the driveway, go around the car and kick the tires as your neighbor watches and excitedly tell him about the good deal" so he can take advantage of it.

        In Luke's account of the healing of the Gadarene demonic man who, after Jesus drove the demons from him, "begged Him that he might be with Him." Having received such a marvelous benefit, it seems only natural that the man would cherish the companionship of his benefactor. However, "Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you. And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him’" (Luke 8:30-39). Can we doubt that this man who had previously been in such despicable condition (see verses 27-29) went about the delivery of his "good news" with a great air of excitement, perhaps even abruptly intruding upon others? He likely did not worry that some might think him a fanatic or strange for his exuberance.

        After Jesus' post-resurrection appearances to the apostles, He gave them a charge to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:15-16). The word "gospel" means "good news, good or glad tidings." The heart of the message is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (I Cor. 15:1-4). The good news is not simply that he died, but that he died that we might live; for He "gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age…" (Gal. 1:4). Its good news because it was "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" making it possible for us to be reconciled to God (Rom. 5:8-10; 2 Cor. 5:18; Eph. 2:16). "He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world" (I John 2:2). And having died, He was buried; but "His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up…" (Acts 2:31-32), yes "raised from the dead by the glory of the Father…" (Rom. 6:4). By that resurrection, He was "declared to be the Son of God with power" (Rom. 1:4). Yes, indeed, He "was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification" (Rom. 4:25). That, dear ones, is "good news" - news worth shouting to the "whole world (that) lies in the power of the wicked one" (I John 5:19).

        How long has it been since we felt a tinge of excitement about the "good news" by which we've been blessed? How long has it been since we share that good news with another, perhaps even to the point of barging into their lives, intruding into their thoughts? We find it easy to share good news about many things, but find it difficult to share "what great things Jesus has done for us." No, we don't have to yell to folk at a traffic light nor make a nuisance of ourselves in the work place; but we need to be alert to the many opportunities that are presented to us day by day to share the message of "salvation in Christ" (2 Tim. 2:10). Like Paul, let's "not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…" (Rom. 1:16).

- Sterling Herald, 3/10/02

        By the start of the third decade of the 16th century, William Tyndale had already been on the run for five years. The king of England, Henry VIII, had declared him a felon. Fleeing Roman Catholic authorities in London (never to return to England), he went first to Cologne, France, and then Worms, Germany. What crime had this "evil" man committed? Of what rebellious act of treason was he guilty? He dared to translate and then print the New Testament in the English
language!

        In England in the 1520's (indeed, throughout Europe during the middle ages), unless you were literate in Hebrew, Greek or Latin, reading the Bible for yourself was impossible. You had to rely upon what the Roman Catholic clergy said the Bible contained. You would not have been able to study the Bible for yourself to discern the truth for yourself - much less be free to practice what you learned therein. Rome ruled with an iron hand.

        The Catholic Church did not want nor permit a wide transmission of the Bible and its contents. When Tyndale's NT was published in Worms, 6,000 copies were shipped back to England. Medieval historian William Manchester reports,
"To the bishop of London this was an intolerable, metastasizing heresy. He bought up all that were for sale and publicly burned them at St. Paul's Cross. But the archbishop of Canterbury was dissatisfied; his spies told him that many remained in private hands. Protestant peers with country houses were loaning them out, like public libraries. Assembling his bishops, the archbishop declared that tracking them down was essential - each was placing souls in jeopardy - and so, on his instructions, dioceses organized posses, searching the homes of known literates, and offered rewards to informers - sending out the alarm to keep Christ's revealed word from those who worshiped him." (A World Lit Only By Fire, 204-205)
Tyndale was eventually arrested and imprisoned for sixteen months in the castle of Vilvorde, near Brussels. In 1536, after being tried and convicted for heresy he was publicly executed, being tied to a stake, strangled to death, and then his corpse burned.

        As we consider Tyndale's struggle and sacrifice to provide the common Englishman with readable, discernable scriptures, we are made to thank God for the daily ease and convenience with which we can open the Bible and study it for ourselves. We are made to cherish the privilege that is ours to pour over the divine text, understand it, reflection upon it, think over it so as to bring our hearts and lives into harmony with it, as well as also teach it to others (Eph. 5:17; 2 Tim. 2:15; 2 Pet. 3:18; 2 Tim. 2:2).

        If you have been neglecting to read, learn and live God's word, please remember the good fortune you have: education and access - the abundant opportunity to read and know God's word. To not drink deeply from its well is to squander a precious blessing (cf. Jas. 4:17).

        The next time you pick up your Bible and read it, remember the sacrifices of countless others who have made that simple act possible. But above all, remember the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave His life on the cross and was then resurrected from the dead so that you know the truth, abide in His word and thus be freed from your sin (Jno. 8:31-36; 1:1-3, 14-18).

- The Spirit’s Sword, 11/25/01

        "Rescue the perishing, care for the dying, snatch them in pity from sin and the grave." We sing this old hymn from time to time. Do we take the time to think about what it really means? What it is calling upon us to do? The attitude we are to have towards those who are lost? I’m sure we do. But we aren’t always acting like anyone needs to be rescued.

        Jude tells us, "and some save, snatching them out of the fire…" (Jude 23, ASV). I am convinced that if we passed by a house that was on fire, and we knew that someone was trapped inside and that we could save them, we would. Yet our friends and neighbors are headed for an eternal fire and what efforts are we putting forth to rescue them? If people are without Christ they are in danger. The only thing keeping them out of eternal fire at the moment is the patience of God (2 Peter 3:9). We must rescue them before it is too late. We must save them, snatch them out of that eternal fire. The power to save is not ours, but the responsibility certainly is.

        When Jesus walked among men, He saw us as being sick with sin (Matt. 9:12). He saw us as lost and in need of a shepherd and a Savior (Matt. 9:36; Luke 19:10). He knew what Heaven was like and He knew what Hell was like. And His love for us caused Him to do what He could to "rescue the perishing." Do we look upon others the same way Jesus did? Do we have the same love for the souls of men?

        Does it bother you when someone dies and you know that they were lost? I know it does. The problem is that it needs to bother us enough before they die to do something about it. As long as a person is alive there is hope, and as long as there is hope we can do something.

        Our old hymn ends with this verse: "Rescue the perishing, duty demands it, strength for thy labor the Lord will provide: Back to the narrow way, patiently win them; tell the poor wand’rer a Saviour has died. Rescue the perishing, care for the dying; Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save."

        How do we win the fight against fleshly lusts? Several answers come to mind. Pray. Fill your heart with God’s word. Fill your time with spiritually beneficial activities. Associate with people who will influence you for good. In Romans 13:14 Paul identifies another key: "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts."

        To make provision for something is to think ahead, to make plans, to provide opportunities. Paul’s word literally means forethought. Its other occurrence is in Acts 24:2, where the lawyer Tertullus praised Felix, the governor, because through his "providence" beneficial reforms were occurring throughout the land.

        Obviously, making no provision for the flesh requires that we not plan ways of fulfilling illegitimate carnal lusts. But it goes beyond that. It requires that we think ahead and, when possible, avoid even the opportunity for such conduct. Here is the principle in action.

        Teens, when you are planning a date, make no provision for fleshly lusts. Do not go to movies that glorify sensuality and fornication, and thereby arouse desire. Stay away from dances for the same reason. Be selective about parties; skip those where alcohol is featured. Avoid dark, lonely sites that provide the occasion for unchaste behavior.

        Parents, when arranging your homes, make no provision for fleshly lusts. It may make me unpopular in some circles to say so, but when you allow your kids to have televisions, phones, and internet-connected computers in their bedrooms, you are providing a world of possibilities for wrong conduct.

        Families, when you are purchasing in-home entertainment, make no provision for fleshly lusts. If you don’t subscribe to cable or satellite channels which air nudity and "adult" content, there will be no opportunity for any family member to watch it. If you refuse to listen to profanity, you will be much less likely to speak it.

        Shoppers, when you are choosing your clothes, make no provision for fleshly lusts. Plenty of modest choices exist for those concerned about such things. Err on the side of caution. Don’t underestimate the appeal of exposed or accentuated flesh.

        Brethren, when you place membership at a congregation, make no provision for fleshly lusts. Realize up front that you won’t always get your way, that others may be more talented than you, that we are all working together for the same cause. Remind yourself of that often and give thinks for your brethren.

        If you want to know what this last point is doing here, read Paul’s illustrations of fleshly conduct in Romans 13:13. Let’s not deceive ourselves into thinking that strife, jealousy, and bickering are any less carnal or any less sinful than drunkenness or fornication. No matter the sin, make no provision for fleshly lusts.

- The Manslick Road Speaker, April, 2002

        Moral conditions in America are deplorable. Drug use has reached epidemic proportions, sexual conduct is depressing, both abortion and homosexuality are advocated and practiced, and divorce ends a million marriages annually.

        You and I believe that Jesus Christ is the answer to America’s needs, but others are saying something differently. Panelists at the first Islamic Cultural Awareness Week conducted on the campus of Vanderbilt University in 1989 advocated that Christianity has failed and Islam is America’s only hope. "The Christian religion has let down its guard, hasn’t kept all the commandments and is slowly giving way to a humanistic society where Darwinism has taken over the schools. Now in 1989, Islam stands as the only beacon of hope for the United States and the world" (Muhammad Kamal, writer for Islamic publications in the Carolinas, The Tennessean 10/5/89). "Why do we look to Islam? Because Islam has given us the guidance, the simple tools, to keep us in touch with God" (Dr. Sahib Abdullas, Murfreesboro physician, The Tennessean).

        We must agree with these spokesmen for Islam that followers of Christ have failed to have the impact upon America that we should. However, this does not signify the failure of Christianity, but reflects the failure of men to apply its teachings and precepts. The statements of these followers of Mohammed remind us that if Christians continue to fail in improving the moral climate of America, then Islam is prepared to step in and gain the advantage. Already there are said to be four million members of Islam in America and around one billion worldwide! If these statements and facts will not arouse Christians to the seriousness of evangelism, the conditions are critical.

- The Messenger, February, 2002