Arthur W. Pink, HyperCalvinist

[Martin Marprelate]

Those who are not Calvinists understands that God acts sovereignly when he wants to.

That is the very definition of sovereignty. If God acted sovereignly when He didn't want to, He wouldn't be sovereign

 

[DaveXR650]

What does this mean? It means that men who disobey God willfully and do their own things are acting in sovereignty. Why do you think Jehovah calls on gods to repent?

The Reformed, including the best teachers such as Lloyd-Jones, do not merely get all biblical doctrines wrong with the so called doctrines of grace, they get them backwards. I do not recommend trusting them with your spiritual well-being.

I agree that men who disobey God are doing it willfully and are solely responsible and cannot blame God for their sin. In the context of a forum debate format I think it's OK to argue my views on Calvinism or God's sovereignty. I think it is stimulating and leads me to know more about other writers and other scriptures I have not considered. But in real life, I owe too much to men like John R. Rice, Billy Graham, John Owen, Jonathan Edwards, John Bunyan, Richard Baxter, Wesley and to groups like Campus Crusade for Christ, to dismiss anyone based on what I might disagree with on their theology.

You mentioned Lloyd-Jones. I have listened to quite a few of his sermons, and read his book on the Puritans, which is basically notes from a Puritan conference they had every year through the 60's and 70's. In his book, he spends a lot of time explaining how Calvinism without some Methodism mixed in can become cold and intellectual. And he spends a lot of time praising Baxter and Wesley, who were much different than him theologically.

I do not recommend trusting them with your spiritual well-being.

Absolutely! They are all just men living in a set time, with limited vantagepoints, and most were responding to some error or problem that we may not be aware of. But I can promise you, grab some sermons and papers from Owen or Bunyan, from on-line (where they are free) and you will be greatly blessed. Same with Baxter and Wesley.