Calvinism is the Gospel

So.....in calvinism is the gospel and you do not believe in the gospel (calvinism) then you are not saved?

 

So those who are Christians but not calvinist are not really Christians because they reject calvinism?

 

I will not speak for Icon, but as an ardent Calvinist, my answer to your question is a resounding "NO!" While I would love nothing more than for us to be like-minded in this area of our theology, I have no basis for questioning your standing in Christ. Our theological differences may hinder certain types of joint cooperation in ministry but they do not make us enemies. If we are both in Christ then we are on the same team.

 

I was at that time a Christian who fought against the bit of God's Sovereign Supremacy over all things.

 

Reproof from Spurgeon himself, and the irenic Tom Ascol of several years ago:

[Calvinism enthusiasts invariably snip off the rest of the phrase uttered by Spurgeon early in his ministry]

Spurgeon did not stop with "Calvinism is the gospel", he added "and nothing else"!

[Do Calvinists stick to The Gospel, and nothing else? Many today don't.]

Spurgeon expanded on the "and nothing else" idea as his ministry matured:

from Spurgeon's Complete Works:

"It is one thing to believe in the Doctrines of Grace, but quite another thing to accept all the encrustations which have formed upon those doctrines and also a very different matter to agree with the spirit which is apparent in some who profess to propagate the pure Truth of God."

in his Autobiography:

"I have a dog, that has a rug in which he sleeps; and when I go home to-night, he will bring it out, and shake it before me,—not that he particularly cares for his rug, but because he knows that I shall say, 'I'll have it,' and then he will bark at me, and in his language say, 'No, you won't.' There are some people who fetch out the doctrines of grace just in that way. I can see them trotting along with the doctrine of election just in order that some Arminian brother may dispute with them about it, and that then they may bark at him. Do not act so, beloved."

And some years ago Calvinist Tom Ascol leveled with the Florida state paper the Baptist Witness:

"'I would not say Calvinism is the Gospel, without qualification'....Spurgeon’s other preaching made clear he did not equate the five points of Calvinism with the Gospel itself, Ascol said, 'And though I would have never said it that way either, [in the past] I would have been content to just throw it in the face of people who didn’t agree with Calvinism and let them grapple with it. But now I want to be more gracious'."

 

John 5 also demonstrates Calvinism

37 And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.
38 But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.
39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.

v38, having God's word abiding in you, means you are regenerated, so then you are 'of God', and you will believe in Christ. Jesus taught it here also in John 8.

And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”

v40, the natural state of a man, they are unwilling to come to Christ even to have eternal life, now how deceived is that to not want Christ and eternal life. It is because they are not of God, so are at enmity with Christ and God the Father. Even in the natural, when people try to communicate, if they have enmity, they will not hear you.

 

#3



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It also doesnt apply the way they are claiming

 

HaHa, that is #64
Totally agree with you, scripture is written for us. Unbelievers dont care.

2 Timothy 3:14-17 New King James Version (NKJV)

14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

 

None have been driven away from God by Calvinism. Anyone who departs from the faith are not of US, they are of the devil.

A big problem with non Calvinists, they do not know enough scriptures so they feed on fleshy ideas like your suggestion.

Just one example that Christ loses none of those whom the Father gives to Him, AND THERE ARE MORE FROM SCRIPTURE.
1 John 2
18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the[d] Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.

19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you[e] know all things.

21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

 

Apparently we have one still in the cage.

 

No. You do not get to say that unchallenged. It is an arrogant statement.

The issue is not whether non-Calvinists do not know "enough scriptures", the issue is that they disagree with Calvinist conclusions. Now, on both sides of the issue, there are doctrinally illiterate individuals. I know fellow Calvinists who cannot argue their way out of a wet paper bag but they keep spouting off Calvinist talking points. They annoy me far more than those Arminians who do the same thing.

The problem with arrogance is that it blinds you to the truth. It also shuts down any potential for a profitable discussion. This is true even if you are right. Can you make your points in a gracious tone? It does not mean that you have to compromise what you believe. I certainly do not. Is your goal to persuade your brother of the truth or bludgeon him to death?

 

Your being kind of silly here with your accusations against Calvinism!

 

If they really knew the scriptures as in understood them, they would not say these things.
Why put up with false teaching. Just like Paul telling the Galatians, begin with the spirit and end with the flesh..There is nothing arrogant about telling the truth, Jesus spoke harsh words, to those who are slow to believe all that the prophets had written.