3 Tactics Calvinists Use Against Non-Calvinists
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Romans 9:31 King James Version (KJV)
31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Of course, they that have not attained the righteousness which is of faith, simply because they sought it not by faith and whosever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Whosoever, means anyone that believes is saved. Again it's about a choice of context or not. I abide by the context...(ABC)
31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Of course, they that have not attained the righteousness which is of faith, simply because they sought it not by faith and whosever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Whosoever, means anyone that believes is saved. Again it's about a choice of context or not. I abide by the context...(ABC)
Uh, no.
even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. As He says also in Hosea, “I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, ‘MY PEOPLE,’ AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, ‘BELOVED.’” “AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, ‘YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,’ THERE THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF THE LIVING GOD.”[Romans 9:24-26]
Romans 9 is about God saving His elect, both Jews and Gentiles.
even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. As He says also in Hosea, “I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, ‘MY PEOPLE,’ AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, ‘BELOVED.’” “AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, ‘YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,’ THERE THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF THE LIVING GOD.”[Romans 9:24-26]
Romans 9 is about God saving His elect, both Jews and Gentiles.
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Belief in Christ = salvation + works after = rewards towards inheritance = leading unto appointment, or? = in some cases? hatred.
Ask God concerning Jeremiah!
Ask God concerning Esau!
I dunno anybody who worships John Calvin!
I will say this though, concerning Calvin. He had a "better grip" on the above "formula", then many prior to him, and much much more, then many after him!
The contrast between these 2?
Doesn't give one "cause" to wonder?: "Just what did these 2 do, to warrant such?"
More importantly? "Just WHEN did these things that these 2 did OCCUR?"
The "closer" one gets in "resolving" this contrast between Jeremiah and Esau?"
The more "understanding", one will gain in Calvins "wisdom" concerning the government on the shoulders of Christ. Later "condensed" into T.U.L.I.P.
If you never get "moving beyond the principles of the doctrines of Christ?" Towards perfection/maturity?
You will never understand the "sinful nature", "carnal man" "the spirit of anti-christ", nor, the "wisdom of God."
Just to get started? It has EVERYTHING to do with THIS:
Genesis 6 - Contemporary English Version
3 Then the Lord said, “I won’t let my life-giving breath remain in anyone forever. No one will live for more than one hundred twenty years.”
Ask God concerning Jeremiah!
Ask God concerning Esau!
I dunno anybody who worships John Calvin!
I will say this though, concerning Calvin. He had a "better grip" on the above "formula", then many prior to him, and much much more, then many after him!
The contrast between these 2?
Doesn't give one "cause" to wonder?: "Just what did these 2 do, to warrant such?"
More importantly? "Just WHEN did these things that these 2 did OCCUR?"
The "closer" one gets in "resolving" this contrast between Jeremiah and Esau?"
The more "understanding", one will gain in Calvins "wisdom" concerning the government on the shoulders of Christ. Later "condensed" into T.U.L.I.P.
If you never get "moving beyond the principles of the doctrines of Christ?" Towards perfection/maturity?
You will never understand the "sinful nature", "carnal man" "the spirit of anti-christ", nor, the "wisdom of God."
Just to get started? It has EVERYTHING to do with THIS:
Genesis 6 - Contemporary English Version
3 Then the Lord said, “I won’t let my life-giving breath remain in anyone forever. No one will live for more than one hundred twenty years.”
So, the choosing part accordingly is after salvation. Choosing of what? for Apostleship? No my friend, they were already apostles
The chossing part is Christ chose to work in them to both will and do His good pleasure .He chose us giving us His faith us previously having Zero. So that in turn after he turns us we can follow him who has no from.
He choses who to sent. . .defining the word apostle. Has it sent you as a apostle ?
...."One of the top passages used by those who support the Special Group idea (known as Calvinists, after theologian John Calvin who also endorsed the same view) is Ephesians 1:4-6, where phrases such as “He chose us in Him” (Eph. 1:4) and “in love He predestined us to adoption as sons” (1:5) are used. Calvinists (adherents to John Calvin’s theology) will say, ” The text says that ‘He chose’ and ‘He predestined,’ so what need is there for any other proof that the special group idea is right?” For the Calvinist, “chosen” implies election, and “predestined” means “chosen before time.”
While predestined does mean, by definition, “before the event happens,” and election does mean “choice,” to read the text as “chosen without regard to faith” is to misread what Paul (and John) will go on to say about Christ and salvation.
The truth of the matter is that Calvinists read the first part of the phrases above and miss the end of the phrases. When Ephesians 1:4 says that “He chose us in Him,” the phrase in Him is just as significant as He chose us. What does it mean to be “in Him”? It means to be “in Christ” (Eph. 1:1, 3, 5, 12, 13). What does it mean to be “in Christ”? It means to experience conversion, to believe in the gospel message. As Paul writes in the same chapter (Eph. 1:13):
“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation — having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph. 1:13).
There are three things to notice here about this verse. First, notice that it begins with “in Him,” a phrase that is used some five times in the first chapter of Ephesians (1:4, 7, 9, 10-11, 13). The phrase “in Christ” (Christ is the Him to which the possessive pronoun, Him, refers) is also used in the same passage (Eph. 1:1, 3, 10, 12, 20). Since it is “in Him” that the Ephesian Christians (and all Christians today) believe, then Paul states here that salvation comes by hearing the gospel message (“listening to the message of truth”) and believing in the message (“having also believed”).
What we can gather from Ephesians 1 is that believers come to Christ by way of the gospel message. They must first hear the message and then believe the message in order to be saved. Also, notice something else: Paul says, “having believed, you were sealed” — meaning that the Christians to whom Paul writes mentions the responsibility of humans to believe in the gospel message.
He refers to the gospel as “the gospel of your salvation,” showing that the gospel is central to the salvation of the Christians in Ephesus (and Christians today, see Romans 10:9, John 3:16).
Now, let us return to the question above: “Did Jesus die for all men, or the elect?” To answer this question, you must know who elect are. Who are they? The elect are those who hear the message and believe God is who He says He is and that He gives eternal life to those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). The individuals who come to God, however, must have faith, for “without faith it is impossible (is not possible) to please” God (Heb. 11:6).
All God asks that we give to Him is belief, trust. In the final analysis, the elect are not some special group who are first chosen prior to demonstrating any faith in Christ. It is only after a person confesses that Jesus is Lord (Rom. 10:9) that he or she is sealed with the Holy Spirit and designated as God’s own (Eph. 1:13). Paul also says that “those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness” (Rom. 5:17) are counted as God’s elect.
Once you understand who the elect are, you can then understand the meaning of “the world” throughout the text of Scripture. But before we cover the meaning of “the world,” we must first address a critique made by the group we call Calvinists: that is, those who say individuals must believe before salvation have made faith a work — work being that of which no man can boast or brag (Eph. 2:8-9).
Is Faith A Work?
Ephesians 2:8-9, as I mentioned previously, is used by Calvinists to say that those who believe in human responsibility in faith are those who advocate “works salvation.” Ephesians 2:8-9, which will guide this discussion, reads as follows:
The Calvinist (the one who believes that God picks certain people for salvation and abandons others to eternal damnation) says that, if you believe that the Bible teaches faith as human responsibility, you are implying that faith is a work — and the Bible says we are not saved “as a result of works.” How then, shall the biblically faithful Christian respond to this argument?
First, keep in mind that “grace through faith” (God-given salvation) is “not as a result of works,” so any attempts to merge faith and works in this way is to contradict biblical teaching. If faith is “not of works,” then faith cannot be a work.
“But isn’t faith an action? And doesn’t the word “work” imply action? So, if the Bible says that we are not saved through works, then doesn’t this mean that we are not saved through faith?” This cannot be correct, since Ephesians 2:8 says we have been saved “through faith.” Belief, then, is an integral part of the salvation experience.
If the Bible says that faith is a work, and we are saved through faith, then the Bible would, in effect, be saying that “you are saved through works,” while saying “you are not saved through works.” These two positions, however are opposites. Therefore, we believe the Bible message is consistent throughout and does not contradict in any part.
What explains the attempt here to make faith a work? Those who believe along these lines (Calvinists and others) are those who confuse the term “work” as it is discussed in the Bible. Calvinists say faith is a work, but what they really mean here is that faith is an action. The word “work” does imply action: to mow the grass or lawn is an action.
At the same time, you must remember that the Bible never says that we are saved without any action required on our part; rather, when the Bible speaks of work, the Bible is using work to refer to “circumcision” and “the keeping of the Law.” In Romans 3:19, Paul says that “by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight” (NASB).
In the next verse, Rom. 3:20, Paul says that justification has come “apart from the Law,” reminding us that the Law itself has nothing to do with the salvation of a human soul. The apostle says the same thing to the Galatians:
Verses 6-9 discuss Abraham and states that “those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the believer” (v.9).
Romans 4 is one of those “slam dunks” against this mindset. Abraham is lifted up as the example, and Paul says that,
“if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say?
While predestined does mean, by definition, “before the event happens,” and election does mean “choice,” to read the text as “chosen without regard to faith” is to misread what Paul (and John) will go on to say about Christ and salvation.
The truth of the matter is that Calvinists read the first part of the phrases above and miss the end of the phrases. When Ephesians 1:4 says that “He chose us in Him,” the phrase in Him is just as significant as He chose us. What does it mean to be “in Him”? It means to be “in Christ” (Eph. 1:1, 3, 5, 12, 13). What does it mean to be “in Christ”? It means to experience conversion, to believe in the gospel message. As Paul writes in the same chapter (Eph. 1:13):
“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation — having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph. 1:13).
There are three things to notice here about this verse. First, notice that it begins with “in Him,” a phrase that is used some five times in the first chapter of Ephesians (1:4, 7, 9, 10-11, 13). The phrase “in Christ” (Christ is the Him to which the possessive pronoun, Him, refers) is also used in the same passage (Eph. 1:1, 3, 10, 12, 20). Since it is “in Him” that the Ephesian Christians (and all Christians today) believe, then Paul states here that salvation comes by hearing the gospel message (“listening to the message of truth”) and believing in the message (“having also believed”).
What we can gather from Ephesians 1 is that believers come to Christ by way of the gospel message. They must first hear the message and then believe the message in order to be saved. Also, notice something else: Paul says, “having believed, you were sealed” — meaning that the Christians to whom Paul writes mentions the responsibility of humans to believe in the gospel message.
He refers to the gospel as “the gospel of your salvation,” showing that the gospel is central to the salvation of the Christians in Ephesus (and Christians today, see Romans 10:9, John 3:16).
Now, let us return to the question above: “Did Jesus die for all men, or the elect?” To answer this question, you must know who elect are. Who are they? The elect are those who hear the message and believe God is who He says He is and that He gives eternal life to those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). The individuals who come to God, however, must have faith, for “without faith it is impossible (is not possible) to please” God (Heb. 11:6).
All God asks that we give to Him is belief, trust. In the final analysis, the elect are not some special group who are first chosen prior to demonstrating any faith in Christ. It is only after a person confesses that Jesus is Lord (Rom. 10:9) that he or she is sealed with the Holy Spirit and designated as God’s own (Eph. 1:13). Paul also says that “those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness” (Rom. 5:17) are counted as God’s elect.
Once you understand who the elect are, you can then understand the meaning of “the world” throughout the text of Scripture. But before we cover the meaning of “the world,” we must first address a critique made by the group we call Calvinists: that is, those who say individuals must believe before salvation have made faith a work — work being that of which no man can boast or brag (Eph. 2:8-9).
Is Faith A Work?
Ephesians 2:8-9, as I mentioned previously, is used by Calvinists to say that those who believe in human responsibility in faith are those who advocate “works salvation.” Ephesians 2:8-9, which will guide this discussion, reads as follows:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
The Calvinist (the one who believes that God picks certain people for salvation and abandons others to eternal damnation) says that, if you believe that the Bible teaches faith as human responsibility, you are implying that faith is a work — and the Bible says we are not saved “as a result of works.” How then, shall the biblically faithful Christian respond to this argument?
First, keep in mind that “grace through faith” (God-given salvation) is “not as a result of works,” so any attempts to merge faith and works in this way is to contradict biblical teaching. If faith is “not of works,” then faith cannot be a work.
“But isn’t faith an action? And doesn’t the word “work” imply action? So, if the Bible says that we are not saved through works, then doesn’t this mean that we are not saved through faith?” This cannot be correct, since Ephesians 2:8 says we have been saved “through faith.” Belief, then, is an integral part of the salvation experience.
If the Bible says that faith is a work, and we are saved through faith, then the Bible would, in effect, be saying that “you are saved through works,” while saying “you are not saved through works.” These two positions, however are opposites. Therefore, we believe the Bible message is consistent throughout and does not contradict in any part.
What explains the attempt here to make faith a work? Those who believe along these lines (Calvinists and others) are those who confuse the term “work” as it is discussed in the Bible. Calvinists say faith is a work, but what they really mean here is that faith is an action. The word “work” does imply action: to mow the grass or lawn is an action.
At the same time, you must remember that the Bible never says that we are saved without any action required on our part; rather, when the Bible speaks of work, the Bible is using work to refer to “circumcision” and “the keeping of the Law.” In Romans 3:19, Paul says that “by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight” (NASB).
In the next verse, Rom. 3:20, Paul says that justification has come “apart from the Law,” reminding us that the Law itself has nothing to do with the salvation of a human soul. The apostle says the same thing to the Galatians:
- “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Christ Jesus…since by the works of the law no flesh will be justified” (Gal. 2:16).
- “So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the law, or by hearing with faith?” (Gal. 3:5-9)
Verses 6-9 discuss Abraham and states that “those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the believer” (v.9).
Romans 4 is one of those “slam dunks” against this mindset. Abraham is lifted up as the example, and Paul says that,
“if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say?
‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness'” (Rom. 4: 2-3).
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Umm Hebrews 12:2 is better yet speaking of the enduring faith of God's children, Christ being the originator and the perfecter of this kind of faith exemplified by his suffering.
Here’s the Greek word...
ἀρχηγός: originator, author, founder, prince, leader.
https://studybible.info/strongs/G747
Yes, the faith of Jesus Christ to those who believe. Christ’s faith is given to those who hear the gospel and believe the gospel.
Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
It clearly states, We believe in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by His faith. Believing comes first.
1. Hear the gospel
2. Trust/believe the gospel
3. Sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise.
The promise is the future adoption.
Ephesians 1
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
1. Hear the gospel
2. Trust/believe the gospel
3. Sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise.
The promise is the future adoption.
Ephesians 1
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
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Context is telling us such description of faith:
v1 relates to the word 'patience"
v2 connects is to the word "endured"
v3 again the word related to is "endured"
v4 we have such word of "striving"
v7 such word as "endure" rightfully speaks of this kind of faith
The writer of the Hebrews is not speaking of the one 'saving faith' rather this is the daily faith of the Christians, the saved.
v1 relates to the word 'patience"
v2 connects is to the word "endured"
v3 again the word related to is "endured"
v4 we have such word of "striving"
v7 such word as "endure" rightfully speaks of this kind of faith
The writer of the Hebrews is not speaking of the one 'saving faith' rather this is the daily faith of the Christians, the saved.
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