Hello, I found this place under "Reformed" Christian Chat... been chatting for a few days, only to be told my being reformed is a terrible heresey. The beating went on to the point where I will not chat here again. it was hurtful. Heads up that if reformed peep are unwelcomed in the chat room, maybe let future innocents know before they get hurt and discouraged.
It is amazing how people demonize Calvinism, I have a friend that says it's origins are in gnosticism and that it's not Biblical. But it really makes me wonder when people get up in arms about it. I remember when I was against it. I really don't like the name Calvinism because Calvin isn't the author of it, God is. The Bible is full of God choosing people, nations for His plan to go forward. Man never has anything to do with it. Abram was an idolator when God called him out of his fathers house and the land of Ur.
Out of all the doctrines in the Bible, it is the over riding factor in the word of God.
It was doing a study on the 10 commandments, sin and the holiness of God, that brought me to the doctrines of grace. I don't understand how a person can say they are saved by grace, yet believe that it's their faith as the reason God chose them, grace is God's unmerited favor. If it is by faith, it's not by grace, which disqualifies it as a gift, it would be payment. Romans 4:4
"Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due." If you do anything for something it's not a gift, even if it's one penny or a jumping jack, what is received is a payment for the object or act.
The idea of God choosing people for His will, by His will, for His good pleasure. Can really make the self righteous up set, because that would make their righteousness as filthy rags before God, which it is, yet they want to hang on to it and wave those rags around like a badge of honor. The idea of God being responsible for their salvation makes them madder than heck. We don't even love God because of ourselves, it's because He first loved us 1 John 4:19 "
We love Him because He first loved us."