Featured Arminian, Calvinist, Biblicist

You to, my desire is that no one turn away from Jesus, but continue to trust in Him over their own understanding. Jesus will open their eyes.


James 1 :
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verses 16 and 19; and in 2:1, 5, 14; 3:10, 12; 4:11; 5:7, 9, 10, 12, 19.] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

 

Biblicist

When someone is born into this world, they are two parts, inner and outer man. The outer man is conceived in sin(through union of sperm/egg), and it is created in an already fallen condition because of Adam. The soul comes from God(Ecc. 12:7) and is not in the condemned state until God imputes/accounts sin unto said soul.

Biblicist

God chose Israel as a whole in the OT days. Eventhough God chose them as a whole, most died and did not make it to the Promised Land, not for a lack of an atonement, but for a lack of belief. When Jesus died upon the cross, God chose the Gentiles as a whole, and those who place their faith in Christ(the whosoevers), God saves them.

Biblicist

Christ tasted death for every man(Hebrews 2:9), the ungodly(Romans 5:6), God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son(John 3:16), Jesus took the sin of the world(John 1:29), was/is the Scapegoat(Leviticus 16:20-22), was the Rock that Moses smote in the valley of Zin(Numbers 20).

Biblicist

God is not willing that anyone perish. He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. He resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. God wants to save everyone, but will only save those who humble themselves under His mighty hand.

Biblicist

When God saves, He saves them for eternity. There is no power that can seperate us from His love. He is with us all the way, even to the end of the world. Nope, we can not lose/forfeit our salvation.

 

So, do you believe we have the freedom to choose until we are born again, but after that we no longer have that freedom?

 

I see it like this. If we have the power/ability to save ourself, then we would have the power to unsave ourself. If we don't have the power/ability to save ourself, then we don't have the power/ability to unsave ourself.

Why would anyone want to go back into bondage after they have been set free? I remember what my life was like prior to Christ coming in and taking up His abode in my life, and I have no desire to go back there. Sure, satan tempts me, and my flesh rises up, but that sweet Spirit kicks me in the "backside", and I get back in line. Oh how sweet it is to be His!!!

 

I could not agree more.

I have found, unfortunately, that terms like "biblicist" are just words that people who really have no theology of their own to present, systematize and defend hide behind.

There is a term that is worse in this respect, in my opinion. It is the term "non-calvinist".

What does that mean??? What are the doctrines of these people?

How do they work out these doctrines systematically?

I respect people like Skandelon who are not afradi to identify themselves with a particular systematic theology which BEST represents the way they understand the difficult doctrines of the faith.

I wish all of my brethren had that kind of courage, would stop trying to straddle the fence and NAME their theology so that it can be critiqued, examined, dismantled (if possible) and tested in the holy fires of godly scrutiny to see if it is gold and silver or wood, hay and stubble.

Say what you will about Calvinists and Arminians, dear brethren of nameless theologies, but at least we of both stripes have the courage to systematize and publicize ours for all to scrutinize.

 

Hebrews 6 supports the Biblical positions taken. Why not post something specific, i.e quote the "biblical position" and quote the passage from Hebrews 6 and then explain why you think the Hebrews 6 passage contradicts the "biblical position." Any empty suit can post "that's wrong!"

 

We are allowed to make autonomous decisions within the purview allowed by God. For example, as fallen men of flesh we are predisposed to sin and choose something other than God's will. We cannot choose not to be predisposed to sin.

But on the other hand, we can choose to seek God and trust in Christ. And we can choose to go "all in" for Christ, or only bet "part of our pot." It is God who decides whether our faith should be credited as righteousness or not. But if we do commit with all our heart to Christ, and God credits that faith as righteousness, God causes us to be born again from above.
And if we are, then God also protects our faith in order to keep us for our reward in heaven. So we loose our ability to put our heartfelt faith somewhere other than Christ, 1 Peter 1:3-5.

Our walk, our service to Christ is not protected and so we can engage in ineffective ministry where we build on the foundation of Christ with perishable stuff. We still get to heaven but as one escaping from a fire.

 

I don't know what it was like back in 1689 or days way back. If men understanding was influenced by laws, being labeled a heretic and murdered for going against the church belief. That men had to do what they had to, to continue to spread the Gospel within the laws around them.

I do know that men came to America to have freedom of religion without being murdered for it.

Using Spurgeon as a biblicists would not go against the translated word like change all men to fit their doctrine, that is why I have great respect for him, he was able to preach the Gospel in those times.


"My fear is lest the reader should rest content with understanding what is to be done, and yet never do it. Better the poorest real faith actually at work, than the best ideal of it left in the region of speculation. The great matter is to believe on the Lord Jesus at once. Never mind distinctions and definitions. A hungry man eats though he does not understand the composition of his food, the anatomy of his mouth, or the process of digestion: he lives because he eats. Another far more clever person understands thoroughly the science of nutrition; but if he does not eat he will die, with all his knowledge. There are, no doubt, many at this hour in Hell who understood the doctrine of faith, but did not believe. On the other hand, not one who has trusted in the Lord Jesus has ever been cast out, though he may never have been able intelligently to define his faith. Oh dear reader, receive the Lord Jesus into your soul, and you shall live forever! "He that believeth in Him hath everlasting life.""

C. H. Spurgeon

 

God did not force you to believe; you had to accept or reject salvation. You have that same ability after you are saved; God does not force you to stay. To do so would be against His nature and the gift of free will that He bestowed on all His sentient creatures -- yes, even Lucifer in heaven in the beginning.

 

Since I have done that at various times on this forum, that should suffice.

 

God protects out faith, as long as we continue to have faith, but he doesn't take away our freedom of will to be able to turn away from that faith. To do so would violate WHO He is and how He made us.

 

I certainly agree, and my analysis of Hebrews 6 and 10 certainly will suffice to demonstrate the Biblical positions are consistent with all scripture.

 

I will take God at His word, 1 Peter 1:3-5 says "3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

 

The Calvinist claims only two positions exist. However, since some Arminians agree with the idea of total spiritual inability due to the fall, but say God then overrides that and gives folks enough spiritual ability to seek God and trust in Christ, the classic view of prevenient grace, he leaves out the position that the fall did not result in total spiritual inability. So three positions.

And again, the Calvinist only sees individual election before the foundation of the world and is blind to the view that the election before the foundation of the world was corporate and that our individual election for salvation occurs during our lifetime.

The reality is that both Calvinism and Arminianism are unbiblical and are based on shoddy bible study.

 

My belief is that the two positions are, not only wrong in many doctrinal ways, but limit God and His power. God is not an If A then B person. God is ever changing, all powerful, all knowing, ...beyond what we can imagine or hope for. Man limits God by placing a label on themselves or Him. I promise everyone here, God is neither a Calvinist, an Arminian, or a Biblicist...HE IS GOD.

 

When I say He is ever changing I meant that He changes how He deals or calls if you will each person. God's nature never changes but how deals with each person changes according to the need. (If there are errors in spelling etc forgive me...my first post from my kindle)