CALVINISM AND WHY WE ARE NOT CALVINIST:

CALVINISM AND WHY WE ARE NOT CALVINIST: This is not an attack post. It is a clarity post. Calvinism is a theological system built around the absolute sovereignty of God in salvation. It is commonly summarized by the acronym TULIP: Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints. Many godly men hold this position. But after careful study of Scripture in context, we do not. Let’s walk through why. First, Total Depravity. We agree that humanity is fallen. Romans 3 makes that clear. Ephesians 2 says we are dead in trespasses and sins. Sin affects every part of man. But Scripture never says man is unable to respond to God when confronted with truth. In Acts 17:30 God commands all men everywhere to repent. A just God does not command what is metaphysically impossible. Dead in Scripture often means separated, not incapable. The prodigal son in Luke 15 was called dead, yet he still returned. Second, Unconditional Election. Calvinism teaches that God chooses specific individuals for salvation without regard to foreseen faith. We believe Scripture teaches election, but election is consistently described as “in Christ.” Ephesians 1:4 says we are chosen in Him. The sphere of election is Christ, not an arbitrary pre-temporal selection of individuals apart from response. Romans 8:29 says those whom He foreknew, He predestined. The Greek word proginosko carries the idea of relational foreknowledge. God knows beforehand who will believe. That does not diminish His sovereignty. It reflects His omniscience. Third, Limited Atonement. Calvinism teaches Christ died only for the elect. Scripture repeatedly states Christ died for the world. John 3:16 says God so loved the world. First John 2:2 says He is the propitiation not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the whole world. First Timothy 2:4 says God desires all men to be saved. If Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient only for a predetermined few, those verses must be redefined. We do not redefine them. The atonement is sufficient for all, efficient for those who believe. Fourth, Irresistible Grace. Calvinism teaches that when God internally calls someone, they cannot ultimately resist. Yet Acts 7:51 says, “You always resist the Holy Spirit.” Jesus wept over Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37 and said, “I would have gathered you, but you were not willing.” Grace can be resisted. Love that cannot be refused is not love in any meaningful relational sense. Fifth, Perseverance of the Saints. We believe in eternal security for those truly saved. John 10:28 is clear. But perseverance is the result of abiding in Christ, not evidence of preselection. Salvation is secure because of Christ’s finished work, not because someone was unconditionally elected before birth. Now here is the deeper issue. Calvinism, when pressed logically, makes God the ultimate determiner of who will be saved and who will be condemned before they ever exist. Yet Scripture consistently presents God as just, not arbitrary. Second Peter 3:9 says the Lord is not willing that any should perish. That is not theatrical language. That is God’s revealed heart. We affirm God’s sovereignty. We affirm human responsibility. We affirm that salvation is entirely by grace through faith. But we reject the idea that God withholds saving grace from most of humanity while commanding them to believe. Scripture presents a real offer. A genuine call. A legitimate response. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13. Whosoever means whosoever. Study deeply. Do not inherit positions. Test everything against the full counsel of God. - More Joy Ministries #MoreJoyMinistries