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Were the reformers right?

Van

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
God tells us that He gives his children faith. I find it interesting how much you dislike this truth.

*2 Peter 1:1*

Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

*Ephesians 2:4-9*

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Where is the blame placed on God, Van? Be honest, you hear what I say and you think that I blame God. How you come to this conclusion is a mystery.

Van, you prove my point when I say that you pluck verses out of context. You chose part of one verse in Luke 7 (verse 50), but that is a small part of the bigger story, which shows us that the faith the woman had as her own, was a gift given to her by God.

*Luke 7:37-50*

And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Why do you refuse to give God the glory?

1) The way the lost "obtains" faith is they hear and heed Christ's gospel. Thus the faith is their faith and not God's instilled faith.(2 Peter 1:1)

2) Being saved "through faith" means the individual had his or her faith BEFORE they were saved, or even chosen for salvation. (Ephesians 2:8-9) The "gift" is salvation not the faith through which the gift is obtained.

3) Putting the blame on God for our each and every sin is Hyper-Calvinism. Saying God causes whatsoever comes to pass but is not the cause of sin is the main stream Calvinism absurdity, peddled as a "mystery." Lucy pulling the football comes to mind.

4) My issue is with Calvinism and its false doctrines, not with those who have been ensnared.

5) I do not pick verses out of context, I cite them and allow them to be studied in context. Your charge is yet another falsehood.

6) Nothing in the foregoing text coming before Luke 7:30 indicates Jesus was mistaken when He said "your faith has saved you."

7) Since I say salvation is God's gift, He gets the glory. For you to charge me, but without a quote, for denying God His glory is despicable.
 

atpollard

Well-Known Member
Did Atpollard address these points? Nope.
You ignored the answer every time you read Ephesians 2:8-10 on your own.
You ignored the answer in post #43 when I quoted Ephesians 2:1-10 (not stopping at Verse 9).
What would be gained by repeating that we are saved BY GOD through faith ..."for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."
James agrees with Paul that if you are not walking in the good works, then you are not saved by God through faith.
Repenting of sin is part of walking in good works ... that is why repentance is not a "once and done" event.
 

atpollard

Well-Known Member
Did Atpollard address these points? Nope.
Did Van address what Calvinists really believe:

"Calvinists deny that people have the power to choose God unless God has first chosen to give them that gift. That is what Calvinists deny … synergism."

... Nope.
 

AustinC

Well-Known Member
1) The way the lost "obtains" faith is they hear and heed Christ's gospel. Thus the faith is their faith and not God's instilled faith.(2 Peter 1:1)
Jesus speaks their name and they are quickened, exactly as Paul tells us in Ephesians 2. We were dead, but God made us alive with Christ. Their faith is given to them. Obtained by gracious gift of God. It is their faith because it is God's gift. It's right in scripture, Van.

2) Being saved "through faith" means the individual had his or her faith BEFORE they were saved, or even chosen for salvation. (Ephesians 2:8-9) The "gift" is salvation not the faith through which the gift is obtained.
They were spiritually dead, Van. It's right in the text. If they had faith, then they were spiritually alive and they would have been saved at birth since they had faith that justifies. Yet, you and I both know that is not what God says.
You are attributing to man what man does not have until God makes that person alive.

3) Putting the blame on God for our each and every sin is Hyper-Calvinism. Saying God causes whatsoever comes to pass but is not the cause of sin is the main stream Calvinism absurdity, peddled as a "mystery." Lucy pulling the football comes to mind.
No Calvinist puts any blame on God. Here you show us just how ignorant you are of Calvinism. You have concocted a narrative from your own mind in order to justify your false doctrine.
God certainly gives allowance to evil for purposes that fulfill his perfect will. This is hardly God causing. It is God giving man over to his own perversions and corruption.

You really don't see at all.

4) My issue is with Calvinism and its false doctrines, not with those who have been ensnared.
Your issue is with a corruption you have created in your own mind and utterly blinds you.

5) I do not pick verses out of context, I cite them and allow them to be studied in context. Your charge is yet another falsehood.
Sure you do. Your quote of the second half of one verse in Luke 7:50 is a perfect example of doing just that.

6) Nothing in the foregoing text coming before Luke 7:30 indicates Jesus was mistaken when He said "your faith has saved you."
First, I believe you mean Luke 7:50.
Second, you cannot conceive that God did exactly what Paul tells us happens. God quickened her spirit to reveal her sin and Jesus as her only hope. Upon being quickened the faith God gave her brought her to repentance. It's the same thing we see in Acts 2 when the Spirit reaches in, convicts and quickens the masses to give them faith and subsequent repentance.

7) Since I say salvation is God's gift, He gets the glory. For you to charge me, but without a quote, for denying God His glory is despicable.
His salvation is a gracious gift. Along with that gift comes the gift of faith. But, for some unknown reason you keep pushing faith in dead people. That...is where we mostly disagree. You just outright dismiss humans being spiritually dead and incapable of faith until God saves them. You just will not accept this, no matter the scripture provided to you.
 

Van

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Once again the mindless assertions of Calvinism are posted with total disregard for scripture.
Jesus speaks their name and they are quickened, exactly as Paul tells us in Ephesians 2. We were dead, but God made us alive with Christ. Their faith is given to them. Obtained by gracious gift of God. It is their faith because it is God's gift. It's right in scripture, Van.​
Does this verse address the faith of the person God makes alive? Nope So rather than specify Ephesians 2:5, the false teacher refers to Ephesians 2 so he can cobble together two verses to make a fictional point not actually found in the text!!! And he has been allowed to commit fraud over and over.

Ephesians 2:4-6
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together ]with Christ (by grace you have been saved),and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,​
Does this passage say the person was made alive before God credited his or her faith as righteousness and set them apart within Christ's spiritual body? Nope. But 2 Thessalonians 2:13, once again ignored says those chosen for salvation were chosen through being set apart in Christ on the basis of their faith in the truth.

All the Calvinists deny this truth over and over, non-stop. They rewrite verse after verse and claim being chosen through faith means being chosen without faith, then given faith. Absolute hogwash.

Next the idiotic claim is made a person cannot have faith is still spiritually dead. No verse even suggests this falsehood. On the other hand, prior to being set apart in Christ, the individuals of 2 Thessalonians 2:13 have faith. So once again an obvious falsehood, unbiblical nonsense, is foisted upon the readers.

Next rather than stick with the Calvinist doctrine of God causes whatsoever comes to pass, this poster says God gives the person over, i.e. ALLOWS the person to sin sins not caused by God. Talk about speaking out of both sides of your mouth. :)

Last point, read Luke 7:40 to 7:50. Does is say she was quickened? No, of course not. But this falsehood poster said she was. Thus Calvinism is defended by rewriting passages to add what is never said.
 
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Van

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Did Van address what Calvinists really believe:

"Calvinists deny that people have the power to choose God unless God has first chosen to give them that gift. That is what Calvinists deny … synergism."

... Nope.
Once again we have denial of Calvinist doctrine. And no clear statement of the claimed alternate doctrine. So he knows what is not taught or so he claims, but is unable to say what is taught. This is the hot steaming mess of Calvinism's defense.

Does God give "dead faith?" Nope. Thus individuals commit to follow Christ to varying degrees, some with "dead faith" others with live faith. Does not sound like the one size fits all nonsense of Calvinism.

Calvinists deny Christ when He says "Your faith" has saved you, or healed you. They rewrite "Your faith" to mean "your God instilled by irresistible grace faith!" Not how it reads. Calvinists are as bad as liberal supreme court judges. They find their ideas in what is not said.
 

AustinC

Well-Known Member
Once again we have denial of Calvinist doctrine. And no clear statement of the claimed alternate doctrine. So he knows what is not taught or so he claims, but is unable to say what is taught. This is the hot steaming mess of Calvinism's defense.

Does God give "dead faith?" Nope. Thus individuals commit to follow Christ to varying degrees, some with "dead faith" others with live faith. Does not sound like the one size fits all nonsense of Calvinism.

Calvinists deny Christ when He says "Your faith" has saved you, or healed you. They rewrite "Your faith" to mean "your God instilled by irresistible grace faith!" Not how it reads. Calvinists are as bad as liberal supreme court judges. They find their ideas in what is not said.
Van, when I receive a gift from someone they ask, "how do you like your gift." When Jesus says "your faith", that in no way takes away from the one who gifted them that faith. "Your faith" may be thought of as similar to saying "your pace maker has saved you." Is that pace maker something you do to save yourself, or is it a device, implanted in you, that works to save your life?
Van, God implants faith into a person's life and Jesus tells the person "your faith has saved you."

But, you won't accept that. You keep making faith a man-made action.
 

Van

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Van, when I receive a gift from someone they ask, "how do you like your gift." When Jesus says "your faith", that in no way takes away from the one who gifted them that faith. "Your faith" may be thought of as similar to saying "your pace maker has saved you." Is that pace maker something you do to save yourself, or is it a device, implanted in you, that works to save your life?
Van, God implants faith into a person's life and Jesus tells the person "your faith has saved you."

But, you won't accept that. You keep making faith a man-made action.
Give me a break. Do all you guys borrow the same old books from your Calvinist library? I have addressed this question dozens of times.

The question is: Does God's gift of faith save a person, or does a person's faith provide access to God's gift? So simple a child could understand. We should believe what scripture says, not rewrite it to conform to man-made fiction.

Scripture says God credited "his faith" (Abraham's faith) as righteousness. Would God need to credit His own faith as righteousness? Nope. So much for the absurdity of Calvinism's claims.
 

AustinC

Well-Known Member
Give me a break. Do all you guys borrow the same old books from your Calvinist library? I have addressed this question dozens of times.
Yet, no one quite knows what you are actually saying.

The question is: Does God's gift of faith save a person, or does a person's faith provide access to God's gift? So simple a child could understand. We should believe what scripture says, not rewrite it to conform to man-made fiction.
What is your answer to this question? Which one do you specifically choose?
1) Gift of faith saves a person
2) Person's faith gives access to God's gift (by the way what Gift of God are you referring to here? Is it the gift of salvation?)

Now, are you aware that faith justifies?

Scripture says God credited "his faith" (Abraham's faith) as righteousness. Would God need to credit His own faith as righteousness? Nope. So much for the absurdity of Calvinism's claims.
You understand the analogy of a pacemaker, don't you?
A doctor credits your pacemaker as keeping you alive. So God credits your faith as righteousness. A pacemaker is something given to you and placed within you to keep you alive. Faith is something given to you and placed within you to make you righteous. God and the Apostles call it "your faith." It is given particularity by and from God to you, thus you are declared righteous by virtue of your faith.

Instead, you make faith a human endeavor (#2 in the above choices you give).
 
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