Mike Winger's "Why I think Calvinism is Unbiblical"

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HeIsHere

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I do not think that God decreed that people will sin.

I don't think that God controls the minds of serial killers.
Of course, God controls every decision that mankind makes.
If God controls every decision that mankind makes then does He not control the mind of serial killers?
 

Evmur

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the only nation of Israel today is that which is made up of true born again believers of the New Covenant. All others who claim to be connected to the Israel of old and are not in Christ Jesus are the imposters which Christ warned of who are of the Synagogue of Satan (Rev 2:9, 3:9) and practice Talmudic Phariseeism.

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Paul does not teach that the church has replaced Israel. Paul teaches that we have been grafted into THEIR olive, if you take away the Jews then to whose olive are you grafted in?

Again Paul teaches that we have become fellow citizens of THEIR commonwealth, co-inheritors of THEIR promises contained in covenants. If you take away the Jews then where is our commonwealth?

The only covenants God has made has been with the Jews.
 

HeIsHere

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Paul does not teach that the church has replaced Israel. Paul teaches that we have been grafted into THEIR olive, if you take away the Jews then to whose olive are you grafted in?

Again Paul teaches that we have become fellow citizens of THEIR commonwealth, co-inheritors of THEIR promises contained in covenants. If you take away the Jews then where is our commonwealth?

The only covenants God has made has been with the Jews.

It is "Fulfillment Theology."

God completely fulfilled His promises to Abraham in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:16). Therefore, Gentile believers have been grafted into the original Olive Tree--the commonwealth of Israel that first accepted the Seed of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 11:17)--and now there is neither Jew nor Gentile. (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11)
 

HeIsHere

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I agree you didn't. I posted that way purposely. The way you just felt is exactly how others feel when you and others make remarks in the same fashion, only on the other side. I hold no hope that certain others will become more sensitive in the use of words, but perhaps you will.
If you don't know what I'm talking about, perhaps you will consider the phrase...kidnapping by God as a part of salvation. You didn't initiate it, but you did say you would remember it.
Also, you well know there are verses that correspond to everything I have shared. Every one of them refers to the estate of natural man. And none were taken out of context. You disagree with them for the very reason you accuse me of...your assumptions.
Just so you know that the interpretation of "dead" is wrong.

Like saying a dead man can't do anything.

The gospel is not for dead people.

We do not go to cemeteries and preach the gospel. The gospel is for alive men that can simply hear someone share the good news of the gospel and simply believe and be saved.
 

HeIsHere

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In the case of Calvinist usage, scripture verses are frequently “cherry-picked” out of context, and forced through the interpretive-lens of “universal divine determinism”, which is the cornerstone of Augustinian theology, and which Calvin adored, systematized, and codified.

Calvinist scripture usage typically takes the form:

A: Extravagant claims that the bible demands their interpretations.

B: When the Calvinist interpretation is followed to its logical conclusion it is found to be self-contradicting and supported only by highly evolved sophistry. Under expert scrutiny, the Calvinist is forced to fall back on the “Inscrutable” argument.

Unfortunately, in this work, the author supplies even less exegetical precision.
(anonymous)
 

HeIsHere

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Well you see it like that and I see your view as not being able to let go of the little bit of credit that you feel you deserve for making the "right choice". That glory belongs to God in TRUTH, and you just can't let go of it trying to claim it as your own. You are trying to take Gods glory the way I see it, and frankly the way the bible clearly spells it out. There is NOTHING a person can do to save themselves, we are dead in our sin, even repentance is a gift from God, the same God that MUST draw us in, salvation is by grace not a met requirement, God is sovereign, have you ever looked up what this word means? The list goes on and on, however I do also believe we clearly have choice. BIG QUESTION, who get's the credit for your choice to choose Jesus? <--- This is the point and main question, who does the glory for this CHOICE belong to? See I was blessed with a personal testimony that completely prevents me from being able to claim I was even aware of what was happening the day I was granted repentance and was born again. I KNOW for a gospel truth fact that I didn't choose a dang thing that day, so ALL glory belongs to Him and Him along. I believe this is just as true when the person is on their knees at an altar call praying to Jesus and is reborn in truth then and there. That was 0% the church house, 0% the preacher, 0% the mans decision to walk up front when called, and it was 100% God lest any one of them boast. That said God obviously used every bit of them to bring that to be. Crazy right?

That's one thing I want to make clear that I believe is the biggest point of disconnection here, I believe in choice, I just also believe in Gods sovereign power, how those two work together to bring about His perfect will is beyond my capabilities, but I feel it's important to be very clear that God gets ALL the glory for my salvation, and even the glory for the just punishment of every sinner, I don't get to be a critic of God.

Just wondering does God ever condemn people in scripture for thinking, recognizing their depravity, being persuaded and making the right choice, the choice which HE has offered to them and wants them to make?

Is this God you describe have such a "fragile ego" that He cannot stand having those He created be persuaded and choose Him?

Instead what you offer is "Poof" conversion, I was completely unaware. I did nothing.
Is that how you evangelize "All ye who want to be saved in this life and the next ask for "poof."

Wait God does not hear the prayers of the unregenerate, such a quandary.

"God is not willing that any should perish" ... seems clear that if we did not have will, we would ALL be saved.
 

Jimbone

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So, if I were to say to that person that night that they are saved, I would be wrong? A person cannot know if they are saved?
They can KNOW when they are truly saved, but can be deceived into thinking they are when they are not.

They may not know they are a false convert. Cameron is 100% right here. You asked if someone can " If someone comes forward and says they want to be saved. So we pray together, and they confess they are a sinner in need of Jesus as their Savior and they ask Him to come into their heart, you're saying they are not saved??
The answer is Yes! they can do all that and even think they are sincere when doling so, and NOT be saved. I did. I "felt it in my heart" at an alter call, went up front and repeated the prayer you're talking about, and was told to write down that date, I was saved. Even went a few weeks later to get baptized. I was not saved. So yes you can do what you said and NOT be saved. A prayer does not save us, our "decision" does not save us. ONLY God can save us.

That's why when I was saved, I did none of this. I was deceived into thinking I had already tried that "Christian thing", so when I hit my knees in the repentance God granted me I didn't recite a prayer, nor did I even call out for God or consider Him at all in this moment, when I hit my knees I knew and said 1 thing and 1 thing alone. "I can't do this anymore". I saw myself in all the glory we have in and of ourselves, I saw my self in truth, as powerless and pathetic as I truly was.

Look, I understand what you mean when you say what you're saying, and in theory what you say is sound. I'm not trying to act like what you are saying is wrong and you need to be corrected. I am just trying to share with you that doing that may be how God saves you, and I am in know way trying to suggest that we shouldn't always be trying to point others to the King and true reconciliation with our Creator. I am trying to point out that we can not guarantee people that once they say these certain words they are born again. That's just not true and we have to submit our way to Him completely, and this isn't a small easy thing to teach or do. Only His Spirit can do it and we have to be very mindful of that at all times.
 

Cameron143

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Just so you know that the interpretation of "dead" is wrong.

Like saying a dead man can't do anything.

The gospel is not for dead people.

We do not go to cemeteries and preach the gospel. The gospel is for alive men that can simply hear someone share the good news of the gospel and simply believe and be saved.
No it's not. The gospel is for all people. But to say it is not for dead people is to deny its power. It's also not to recognize the truth of the metaphor.
 

HeIsHere

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No it's not. The gospel is for all people. But to say it is not for dead people is to deny its power. It's also not to recognize the truth of the metaphor.
The truth of the metaphor is that "dead" means separated not incapable.
 

Cameron143

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The truth of the metaphor is that "dead" means separated not incapable.
Incapable of what? Man retains his natural faculties, but they are corrupted because they are subject to a corrupt heart which is their source of direction. Again, you do not acknowledge all that is true of the natural man.
 

Mem

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...disconnected from power, and love, and a sound mind.
 

Magenta

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Incapable of what? Man retains his natural faculties, but they are corrupted because they are subject to a corrupt
heart which is their source of direction. Again, you do not acknowledge all that is true of the natural man.
The devil has taken them captive to his will. From this condition of being in bondage to sin,
some believe they are free to choose, without the help of God, to choose to believe in God.


It does seem very odd indeed that to affirm the Scriptural truths put forth
about the natural man, we are then falsely accused of all manner of things...


 

Cameron143

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I love my dental team! They take such good care of me .:D
What? You have a whole team? I usually go to see shaky Sammy who rents a chair at Mow's Barber Shop. That way I can get a filling and a haircut in one trip.
I guess I have a team after all.
 

Cameron143

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The devil has taken them captive to his will. From this condition of being in bondage to sin,
some believe they are free to choose, without the help of God, to choose to believe in God.


It does seem very odd indeed that to affirm the Scriptural truths put forth
about the natural man, we are then falsely accused of all manner of things...
They simply won't acknowledge all that is true of the natural man. But that's true on both sides of the argument. It's often the case that when one side of doctrine is overly emphasized that there is an equal opposite reaction...Newton's third law of biblical motion.
 

Magenta

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They simply won't acknowledge all that is true of the natural man. But that's true on both sides of the argument. It's often the case that when one side of doctrine is overly emphasized that there is an equal opposite reaction...Newton's third law of biblical motion.
Clearly there must be some explanation for their extreme confusion. In some cases at least, I suspect pride to be the root, and this is founded on their own claims which plainly suggest they needed no help from God in coming to believe, despite the clear teaching of Scripture to the contrary. Then there are those who confuse the heart's circumcision to mean people are being forced to believe. Somehow in their minds when we speak of this necessary Spiritual phenomenon, people are being kidnapped against their will. This Spiritual phenomenon which allows a person to repent and come to believe is then falsely characterized as making God's offer of salvation a hoax, and God's offer of repentance fraudulent, when the opposite is very much true of such. Well, I am not surprised at all that these things should be said by those who say them, and those who agree with them. That they further compound their falsity by claiming we think that Holy God is a scheming tyrant, unjust judge, kidnapper with wholly nefarious attributes is again hardly surprising given the reprehensible nature of him who said it. The level of ignorance in their responses to what we say makes me wonder just how much of Scripture they actually do understand... and I do agree with your assessment also, that their comprehension of what is entailed in the state of the natural man falls far short of what the Bible has to say on the matter.
 

FollowerofShiloh

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Jan 24, 2024
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I'm a Calvinist, and we believe that God's salvation comes to us purely by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8,9). How is my belief unbiblical?
I would say, and it solely depends upon your perception of Calvin's teachings, that from my own experience learning from other Calvinist's it's a standard belief that God gave you no choice in the matter whether or not you would become one of His.

I tend to go by God's Own words myself.

Jesus' words:

14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words

16 “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.


Jesus said, only the Jews are deafened right now to fulfill the prophesy in Isaiah.
But we know today it's the GENTILES who are the ones hearing and rejecting.

Do you notice something about Jesus' words here?

No mention of natural man and spiritual man.

It's simply they hear, they accept, they reject.
So hearing the Gospel has no bearing to the natural man because Jesus said they will HEAR.
And then they will choose either to Accept or Reject.


This is why I say HEARING the GOSPEL and the condition of natural man cannot be linked together.
When people link it together it GOES DIRECTLY AGAINST THE WORDS OF JESUS/GOD.


.......
Therefore, I believe God presented His words to me when I heard the Gospel and like verses 14, 16, and 48 point out I was able on my own ability to choose whether I accepted them or rejected them. Not that I was forced into doing something I had no choice in the matter.


I believe you are saved.
I believe I am saved.

It's just a mere difference in how we believe we got saved is all (y)
 

Magenta

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This is why I say HEARING the GOSPEL and the condition of natural man cannot be linked together.
When people link it together it GOES DIRECTLY AGAINST THE WORDS OF JESUS/GOD.
What of circumcision of the ears? Just curious to know, where or how does that fit into what you believe? Since the preaching of the gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing, and that would be anybody who does not believe.
 

FollowerofShiloh

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What of circumcision of the ears? Just curious to know, where or how does that fit into what you believe? Since the preaching of the gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing, and that would be anybody who does not believe.
Jesus said we can hear to reject or accept.

14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words

16 “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.


^
There's literally not a single mention about our ears needing to be circumcised to hear.

But even if we go that route, Jesus said when people hear they are able to reject or accept. Which means, ears that have been opened/circumcised can still reject the Gospel.