30 reasons, I am not a Calvinist

[annsni]

Some of the things I've heard/read Calvinists on this board say many times are: "I stopped denying it", "I stopped fighting it"..."I finally gave in to it"....ect.

Why was it so hard to accept if it's true?

Because we want to believe that we are in some sort of control. There was also a time that it was not preached that I know of - at least not in the churches I went to. It was all "free will" teaching so when I started seeing the Scriptures contradict that, I would try to fit the Scriptures with what I learned. But soon that just didn't work anymore and I had to decide if what I had learned all those years was wrong or if the Bible was wrong. It's obvious which way I'd go.

 

[Amy.G]

Thanks Ann.


One thing I remember back when I had just begun to really study the bible was the first time I came across the word "elect". I think it was in Ephesians. But when I read it, I felt panicked that maybe I wasn't one of the elect. How would I know? It was a scary thought and took me awhile to get through it.

 

[Grasshopper]

Let these words discourage others from proudly stating they only get their beliefs from reading the Bible only:


We do not start out our Christian lives by working out our faith for ourselves; it is mediated to us by Christian tradition, in the form of sermons,books and established patterns of church life and fellowship. We read our Bibles in the light of what we have learned from these sources; we approach Scripture with minds already formed by the mass of accepted opinions and viewpoints with which we have come into contact, in both the Church and the world....It is easy to be unaware that it has happened; it is hard even to begin to realize how profoundly tradition in this sense has moulded us. But we are forbidden to become enslaved to human tradition, either secular or Christian, whether it be "catholic" tradition, or "critical" tradition, or "ecumenical" tradition. We may never assume the complete rightness of our own established ways of thought and practice and excuse ourselves the duty of testing and reforming them by Scriptures.

J.I. Packer

 

[Allan]

This is a subject I have wondered about. Did the OT Jews understand that the sacrifice was until Messiah came? Did they understand that Messiah would be the true sacrifice? I don't recall reading where they did. It seems they were just following the Law.
And as Still Learning said, the NT says that until Christ came, it was a mystery kept hidden from them.

Thoughts?

I will respond to yours, and by extension Stll Learning.

Note the wording in the question given:

The O.T. sacrifices were not recognized as the Gospel or types of the Messiah as sin-bearer, but only seen as such in retrospect.

What is the Gospel?
In it basic sense - The Good News is that man can be brought back into a right relationship with God, made possible only by the shedding of blood from a perfect sacrifice for their sins.

Note also it states, to the dispensationalist, the sacrifices were not seen as TYPES of the Messiah AS sin-bearer. This reflects back to the qualifier of the Gospel 'message', specifically with regard for that time (ie. sacrifices for sin)

The point here is that Dispensationalists have held emphatically to the fact that the sacrifices were TYPES or shadows of the Messiah AS sin-bearer. What this statement is trying to establish is that Dispy hold to two salvations. 1. works and 2. grace

This is a common fallacious statement made by many in the covenant group.

 

[Iconoclast]

Thanks Ann.


One thing I remember back when I had just begun to really study the bible was the first time I came across the word "elect". I think it was in Ephesians. But when I read it, I felt panicked that maybe I wasn't one of the elect. How would I know? It was a scary thought and took me awhile to get through it.

Amy....good post. That tension of what if I am not elect is designed by God to have someone prayerfully seek his face and ask for mercy.
Once you view those verses as a believer they give you alot of comfort and blessing.

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

7In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

8Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

9Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

10That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

11In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

 

[Amy.G]

Let these words discourage others from proudly stating they only get their beliefs from reading the Bible only:


We do not start out our Christian lives by working out our faith for ourselves; it is mediated to us by Christian tradition, in the form of sermons,books and established patterns of church life and fellowship. We read our Bibles in the light of what we have learned from these sources; we approach Scripture with minds already formed by the mass of accepted opinions and viewpoints with which we have come into contact, in both the Church and the world....It is easy to be unaware that it has happened; it is hard even to begin to realize how profoundly tradition in this sense has moulded us. But we are forbidden to become enslaved to human tradition, either secular or Christian, whether it be "catholic" tradition, or "critical" tradition, or "ecumenical" tradition. We may never assume the complete rightness of our own established ways of thought and practice and excuse ourselves the duty of testing and reforming them by Scriptures.

J.I. Packer

Or......you weren't taught anything as a child or young adult and end up getting messed up by every wind of doctrine when you're saved.
(That would be me.)

I thank God that He sought me, bought me, and taught me!

(I'm still learning though.)

 

[stilllearning]

Let these words discourage others from proudly stating they only get their beliefs from reading the Bible only:


We do not start out our Christian lives by working out our faith for ourselves; it is mediated to us by Christian tradition, in the form of sermons,books and established patterns of church life and fellowship. We read our Bibles in the light of what we have learned from these sources; we approach Scripture with minds already formed by the mass of accepted opinions and viewpoints with which we have come into contact, in both the Church and the world....It is easy to be unaware that it has happened; it is hard even to begin to realize how profoundly tradition in this sense has moulded us. But we are forbidden to become enslaved to human tradition, either secular or Christian, whether it be "catholic" tradition, or "critical" tradition, or "ecumenical" tradition. We may never assume the complete rightness of our own established ways of thought and practice and excuse ourselves the duty of testing and reforming them by Scriptures.

J.I. Packer

I believe what you are trying to say, is we are going to be influenced by what men say, over what the Word of God says; And there is NOTHING we can do about it.

Well I disagree; We do not HAVE TO be influenced by man’s teachings.
In fact, God’s Word tells us that we can have a complete victory over man’s influence, if we only commit ourselves to God’s Word.........
Hebrews 4:12
“For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

The influence you are talking about, effects “the thoughts and intents of our heart”;
But if we totally give ourselves over, to following God’s Word, He(God), will give us a victory over this influence.
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A Christian “can” start out his Christian life, not being influenced by man’s traditions, and continue to retain this victory, as long as they keep putting God’s Word above everything that man has to offer(Christian tradition, sermons, books established patterns of church life, etc).

We can even come to a forum like this, and read and write thousands of posts and retain this victory; As long as we continue to keep God’s Word as supreme, in our hearts and minds.
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You have been convinced, that this can’t be done, but God’s Word says it can.