God has spoken the following to me, and I pass it on to you, "The punishment of America has been decreed. It cannot be turned back. Privation and hunger are determined. America the proud will be debased. And with the church which calls itself by My name, I am especially furious. The earthly church which has cast its lot with those who cried out for the crucifixion of My Son will be burned as stubble. This is only the first punishment. Repent not, and the trumpets of Revelation will sound." (December 29, 2006)
Are the five points of Calvinism supported by Scripture?
Calvinism is a theological construct devised by men. Portions of it are aligned with Scripture while most of it is unbiblical.
The five points of Calvinism can be summarized by the acronym Tulip:
T - Total depravity.
U - Unconditional election
L - Limited atonement
I - Irresistible grace
P - Perseverance of the saints
In essence, man is too sinful to make a choice for God. He is totally blinded by sin. In His graciousness toward a few, God chose to save certain elect individuals. The basis of the election is arbitrary. Christ died for the chosen and for them alone. The Holy Spirit calls the chosen out of their sin and brings them to Christ. The remainder of humanity is not given a chance to be saved, but, yet, are held responsible for their sins. No grace, no love, no kindness is shown to them. In effect, the non-elect were born to be damned.
It is only necessary to quote from one verse of Scripture to bring down the whole house of Calvinism. That verse is John 3:16. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
The Apostle Peter helps us to understand the Biblical doctrine of election. He writes in his first epistle, "To the ... Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, ..." (I Peter 1:1-2) We can see from this passage that God's election is based on His foreknowledge. (Compare Romans 8:29) God's election is not arbitrary. Before the world began, God knew that man would rebel. But God chose to deal with the sin problem through the sacrifice of His Son. He also knew who would respond to His offer of salvation and chose to give these individuals the gift of eternal life.
Peter speaks of man's part in God's election when he counsels his readers, "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:10-11)
We must make our election sure because God's election is dependent on our response to Him. Man's part in election is made clear by Revelation 22:17 which gives this invitation: "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Salvation is offered freely to all who desire. But it is not forced. We must decide to drink of the water of life which is so freely offered to us.
Peter said that the Lord is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) The Apostle John added, "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world." (1 John 2:2) It is clear that Christ died for all men, and that salvation is offered to all.
The Apostle Paul said of God "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:4) God's desire for the salvation of all men motivated Paul to write, "For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe." (1 Timothy 4:10)
Christ died for all men. Therefore, He is the Savior of all. But that salvation only comes to those who choose to believe. The writer of Hebrews wrote, "Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:" (Hebrews 3:8) God does not offer an irresistible call. It is our choice to accept or turn away.
In Paul's great passage on election in Romans 8 and 9, he explains God's rejection of the mass of Israel and His choice of Gentiles. Paul said that there was a great mystery now made manifest, that God would make the Jews and Gentiles one people in Christ. (Romans 11:25; Ephesians 3:3-6) God predestined, or determined from time immemorial, to accomplish this work.
Paul explained that the rejection of the Jews was not arbitrary. He wrote, "But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because [they sought it] not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law." (Romans 9:31-32) The rejected Jews were responsible for their own choices.
But what about Acts 13:48 which states, "and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed"? In this passage, election precedes belief.
All human beings are corrupted by sin. In that sense, depravity is the universal condition. A man cannot singlehandedly reason his way out of sin to God. The Lord must shine His light into our darkened hearts and enable us to believe.
But while depravity is the universal condition, total depravity is not. Total depravity results from the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. The Pharisees blasphemed the Holy Spirit by calling the Spirit's testimony of Christ satanic. (Matthew 12) It was not a one-time act or outburst on their part. For they had so hardened their hearts that they could no longer distinguish between God and satan. These individuals had become totally depraved. They were not born that way.
The perfect illustration of Christ's call to salvation is found in Revelation 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." The Lord Jesus knocks on the door of our heart. We must decide whether we will open the door. But if we choose to open the door, His light will flood in, and He will enable us to believe.
The one and only point on which the Calvinists are right is the perseverance of the saints. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father's hand." (John 10:27-29)
Once we give our heart to God, the Holy Spirit takes up residence, never to leave. God's gift of salvation is eternal and will never be revoked.
Luke 22:36 Then said He [the Lord Jesus] unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
The Lord so commanded. Therefore, do not argue. Every Christian man, and even woman, should own a gun and know how to use it. Gun control laws do not matter. In Christ's day, the Romans made it illegal for subject peoples to own swords. But, yet, Christ commanded His followers to be prepared for their own self-defense. And it is He Who must be obeyed, not man.
Are you a ready to fight for Christian Civilization?
