It could not be any more simple.
God holds everyone responsible. Response - able . Jesus Marvels at peoples ' unbelief ' . God commands all men everywhere to repent. It could not be clearer that Jesus died for all and that all can respond positively to the Gospel.
But Calvinism teaches the exact opposite to the bible . This is a serious issue . One in which should concern us ,as the popularity of Calvinism is currently at its peak ..
What say you?
How many primary or original source books and papers have you read to come to your conclusions? Like Calvin and Zwingli, Martin Luther, and later Reformers? Where did you get your false ideas about Reformed believers? Made them Up? Maybe read some books by some Arminians on Reformers, who don't know much either.
I hope you realize why the Reformation happened. It was the Catholic Church was hierarchal, totally corrupt, and their theology
Was wrong! Salvation by church rites and rituals.
Martin Luther, a monk and doctor of the church, tried to change the church from within. He read.the Bible on his own, in Latin or Greek, and stubbled upon:
Romans 5:1. "Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," (NET) or:
"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," Romans 5:1 - (NASB).
The Catholic Church salvation was through indulgences sold, masses bought for the dead, and the 7 sacraments. Zwingli and Calvin followed, and devised systems which were Biblical that broke the chains of RCC had burdened people with.
For this alone, the Reformers should be admired. God called them, and they heeded that call.
The whole idea of being Reformed or Calvinist. (There is a big difference between them. Do you know what that is?) is following the Bible. And preaching the gospel to "all" of the world is part of that work. Jonathan Edwards and George Whitfield were both Reformed evangelists. They were a major part of the Great Awakening in
the 1700 hundreds.
You see, God is not going to save everyone. I hope you will agree with me, that not everyone will be saved. God knows all our destinies! But we do not! So, we have to share the gospel to everyone, so the Holy Spirit can save all those God called before the foundation of the earth. We are partners with God, in bringing souls to Christ!
Jacobus Arminius was a lot closer to Calvin in his theology, than later Reform leaders, and Arminian leaders!
So, you need to read some books by RC Sproule, or James Boice and others, to find out what they believe before you keep on saying things about Reformers, which they never believed. I always attended Arminian churches, for the first 20 years I was saved. I also read my Bible almost every day during that time. I began to see discrepancies between my NASB and the weak sermons being preached. We changed churches and found real preaching, based on the Bible. So much that we left our Arminian/dispensationalism church, and were introduced to excellent preaching, really understanding what the passage was about/exegesis, instead of topical sermons, with the verses added after. That is eisegesis!
God called me to seminary, where I learned about eternal security. And everything was based on the Bible. Then I met some Reformed people who taught me using the Bible, truths never talked about in Arminian churches. It was very freeing to finally know that God would not leave or forsake me, instead of being afraid I had displeased God, and he would cast me out of the Kingdom of God. Instead, I was able to do so much more for God, not moving in fear, including working as a Chaplain in LTC.
I had a book by Sproule on theology. I could not agree with double predestination. RC explained very clearly what it meant, and it was exactly what I had believed for many years. I was against a Reformed doctrine which was actually a hyperCalvinistic doctrine instead.
So, time for you to back up, go to original or primary sources and read what a Reformed or Calvinist person really believes about doctrine. It's humbling to find that you were against something that wasn't even what they believed!
