Featured Is Acts 17:30 only the elect or the entire human race?

"Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

Now, Calvinists teach that the will of man is in bondage, and therefore no able to chose whether to follow the Lord Jesus or not. This, they say is only what the "elect" can do, since they have been predestined, and enabled by the Holy Spirit to come to Jesus.

However, the Holy Bible, as we can very clearly see here, states that GOD COMMANDS ALL MEN EVERYWHERE TO REPENT, something that is IMPOSSIBLE, if ALL MEN, that is, the ENTIRE HUMAN RACE, does not have the God given capacity to repent. How can God COMMAND something from the WHOLE WORLD that is IMPOSSIBLE, if, as the Calvinist would have us believe, that they CANNOT?

It is very clear from the many posts on this forum, that Calvinists have a PROBLEM, in that THEY do NOT want to see EVERY LOST SINNER repent and come to Jesus Christ for salvation. They will also CHANGE the meaning of words like "WORLD" in John 3:16-17, to refer to only the "elect", even though JOHN CALVIN himself is AGAINST this! So, we challenge the Calvinist of twisting the meaning of the Bible, and instead of admitting this, which is what they do, and repenting from this, they instead attack you and issue warnings! SUCH is the love that they have for their fellow brothers! I wait to see how they deal with this passages from Acts, and see that cunning they use to make it say other than what is intended by the Teaching of the Holy Bible. [Edited: Discussing Mod actions in open forum.]

 

YES, and the greatest sin is the rejection of Jesus Christ as the Saviour of the entire world!

"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36)

 

Your arguments are more to do with Calvinistic "theology" than what the Bible actually teaches. God will NOT ask anyone to repent and come to Him for salvation is He were not SERIOUS about it! Calvinists may like to play silly games with people by teaching non-Bible stuff, but the God of the Bible has MORE Compassion and Love that He is indeed WILLING and also PLEADS that ALL must repent and accept Jesus as their personal Saviour. I simply cannot understand WHY are Calvinists so AGAINST the salvation of EVERY SINGLE HUMAN BEING that ever lives, as GOD IS??? John 3:16-17, which is rightly called "The Gospel in a Nutshell", is just that, The Gospel of HOPE of a hopeless world that is hell-bound, unless they repent and turn to Jesus for their forgiveness and eternal life with him. WHY do Calvinists ALWAYS like to contend with others who preach the LOVE of Jesus for the entire human race, and the FACT that He loves them SO MUCH, that He actually DIED FOR ALL??? You guys do more DAMAGE to the Gospel of Jesus than any others who are True believers in Jesus!

 

I speak of Calvinists, as far as I recall, I asked you if you were one and you declined to answer! The fact remains whether you like it or not, that no true Calvinist really loves ALL of the lost, as they do NOT believe that Jesus cares enough for ALL because He did not die for ALL. Forget your theology about sufficient and efficient, as your STRAW MEN, this is NOT what the Bible teaches. I do hate anything that is opposed to the True Gospel Message of the Bible, that God is not willing that ANY should perish, and not try to keep on twisting their meanings to something other, because it does not suit our "theology".

So why don't Calvinists preach what they ACTUALLY BELIEVE, tell the lost that God may not love you, and that it is very possible that Jesus did not die for you, so there is a greater chance that you will end up in hell, because you are not one of the chosen! This is is warped teaching of Calvinism, but Calvinists are afraid to preach what the believe! It is Calvinism that teaches that God has foreordained ALL that comes to pass, which then would include the sinful acts of man.

 

Answer me this, does Calvinism teach that God has decreed all that comes to pass?

By the way, just how anyone can call themselves a Calvinist, after John Calvin, is beyond me? Is not he the person who approved of the murder of a heretic?

 

Shorter Catechism: "Q. 7. What are the decrees of God?
A. The decrees of God are his eternal purpose, according to the counsel of his will, whereby, for his own glory, he hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass."

READ: "FOREORDAINED WHATSOEVER COMES TO PASS", which is complete rubbish and UNBIBLICAL as this says that mans SINS are foreordained by God! That is what "WHATSOEVER" means. Whether it is "decrees" or "foreordained" it is the SAME thing!

 

Greetings in the Mighty Name of Jesus! Thanks for taking the time to share your views.

Firstly, I don't know what you mean by "Calvinist witch-hunting"? In case you forgot, this forum is on the Calvinistic issue, which means this is discussed here.

Secondly, my best Christian friend of over 33 years is a 5 point Calvinist, and I have Facebook friends who are also 5 point Calvinists, so you are way off by your unfounded remark!

Thirdly, In my 35 years as a believer, I have found that those who are more interested in defending what MAN says, rather than what GOD says in His Word, have been the Calvinist. Even after they have been shown conclusively from the Word, that "Limited Atonement" is NOT taught in the Bible, and that Calvin himself did NOT believe this, they will disregard this and continue to argue their position.

Fourthly, I am very much angered that the position of Calvinism on the Atonement, has done very much damage to the Christian Faith of Jesus Christ, and put MANY off Christianity, because they consider that their position is right, regardless of FACTS from the Bible.

Fifthly, I have seen from remarks on this very forum, that it is the Calvinist who will attack others who do not go along with their unbiblical nonsense, because they are so deluded that what they hold to is what the Bible Teaches.

Sixth, I believe very strongly that the position of Calvinism on the Atonement, which is central to the Christian Faith, is abhorrent to the Lord, as it reduces His Great work for the sinful human race, whereby ALL can come to Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins and attaining eternal life. How DARE they LIMIT the finished work of Jesus on the cross?

Seventh, I, like the Lord, VERY MUCH love the lost, and greatly desire that ALL are saved and spend eternity with the Lord Jesus, as NO person should go to hell.

I hope this clears my position

May the Lord grant us understanding

 

I feel that you are self-blinded to the Truth on what anyone says that goes against what you believe. You think that because you have been a Christian a long time, that you have all the answers. You always come back with your rather lofty responses, even though they are completely wrong! Instead of admitting that the Reformed position of the "decrees of God" are indeed unbiblical, and DO make God the author of sinful actions of man, you and the rest of those who follow this, will do everything to defend the undefendable!