When talking about Calvinism, a majority of it is the 5 points of Calvinism mentioned by LT.
Total depravity - men are both sinful and are unable to choose Christ on their own because he is dead in sin.
God is not a respecter of persons. Acts 10:34 "
Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:" (KJV)
Unconditional election - God chose a group of people (the elect) to be saved without any conditions of the individual.
No. That is only part of the story, but not the whole. God did choose a group of people to be saved, and a group to not be saved. AGREED. However, the group that God called to be saved now possesses the choice to be saved or not. It is an unconditional election, but a conditional victory. (Why else would we need the Bible. You're right, we are without any free will or choice unless God has called us. But for those of us God has called, He has then offered us the opportunity to choose at that point.)
Ephesians 1:4 :"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love" (KJV)
Psalm 69:28 :"Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous." (KJV)
Matthew 22:14 :"For many are called, but few are chosen." (KJV)
(side note: It is easy to search these verses in other translations if you must.)
Limited atonement - Jesus' atonement was only applied to those who were chosen.
Wrong. The world does not end until the gospel is preached to all. Therefore, the choice must be offered to everyone. Therefore, Jesus' atonement had to be across the board in order to justify throwing anyone into the lake of fire because of their unbelief. They have to have something to disbelieve in order to do it.
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." (KJV)
Irresistible grace -Those whom God elected, will draw them to Himself, and to believe in Christ and to be saved by His irresistible grace.
Once again, wrong. God's grace is not irresistible. Before the receiving of the gospel, we are without free will indeed. But after, we are then given the same power of God to make a choice. Therefore why "Many are called, but few are chosen." Then, if one chooses to stay with God, that one has the power of God, and free will. But any who choose to reject God, they have lost free will, their liberty no longer exists, and they are enslaved again, never to return because they wholly rejected God. (Be careful; some have made -mistakes-. But these are not life long mistakes, but foolish happenings. There are indeed those who have rejected the Lord completely after having witnessed His power.)
Hebrews 6:4-6 :"
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." (KJV)
Proof that one is able to reject God after having been called and experienced His power. These were elect, but were not chosen. When you elect someone, it does not mean that they have the position definitely. For one must perform the oath after an election in order to maintain office, and they must keep that oath, lest they be tossed out. (For you political folk out there).
Perseverance of the saints - the believer (the elect) will persevere in faith. Their faith is eternally secure, and will endure to the end.
Not so. See all of the above.
The five points describe the state of a true believer, but they do not describe the reality of the entire situation. These points are out of context and should not be applied to God's creation as a whole because it is not true.
But if one is a true believer, and they have chosen God when He drew them in, then, yes, these points might seem to make sense to one viewing from the outside concerning -that one- they perceive that is saved.
But God gave us the Bible because we needed instruction. If there was no way out of righteousness, or into righteousness, we would not need instruction. God elected Israel indeed. Therefore He gave them His power. THEN THEY USED HIS POWER AGAINST HIM. So He reset.
So keep in mind: There would be nothing to convict anyone of if Jesus had not died for the whole world. Those that burn in the lake of fire must commit the same offense as the devil, the false prophet, and the beast. Therefore, they must KNOW GOD FIRST AND THEN REJECT HIM. We also know that God does not speak to everyone only through the Bible, but also through the heavens, and through the nature He created, and through many other avenues. We also know that there are many languages that have different words for God and Jesus and Christ (anointed, right?) and spirit, etc. Therefore, we know that every language uses different terms. Therefore we also know that someone does not have to say the same word as we do, but in their heart understand to whom it is they are talking, and who it is that they worship. Therefore, there be people who worship the Lord in spirit and in truth that may have never touched the Bible. For the Lord died for the whole world. Now the gospel still must be preached so that the end may come. Everyone in the end will have chosen to accept or reject the Scriptures concerning the Lord. God would not have justice if He had not given His power for a time over to all people so they could have the freedom to make a choice, just like God. This is the same as the liberty given to Adam and Eve. It wasn't until after that sin that they were dead in their sins and without free will, and therefore, God's plan could be set in motion to do all things. But God kept coming back to give His power over to the people He loved. Once He gave His power to them, then they had the choice to accept or reject, every single time.
God would not test people who had no choice. That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. In fact, that's ludicrous. Anyone who claims that God is just playing a puppet show for His own entertainment, and His own entertainment alone, is being silly. God loves us. When you love your children, do you simply crush them, then throw them on stage, and make them look pretty, and dance for you, and then you throw them in the trunk and drive home?
No, you wouldn't. And God is much better than that.
This is surely for God's entertainment, and glory. But it is also for ours. And He considers our joys over His own joys. In fact, His joy is IN our joys.
And I could go on further.
And forever.
And no wonder the Bible was written so short, and yet people think it is so long.
If I could continue all day, how much more could God... and yet, He does.
