Calvinism is always on trial

Calvinism is always on trial by those who dislike Calvinists. When I first learned about Calvnist, I had a problem with an attitude of a person who was a Calvinist. Calvinism as a doctrine is NOT the problem. The problem is those who called themselves "Calvnists" who showed no love while debating the doctrine. Calvinism is theology of John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, Charles Spurgeon, James Montgomery Boice, R. C. Sproul, and John MacArthur. When I think of those men, I never had problems with their attitudes as I met other "Calvinists". I am a "Calvinist" but I do not advertise myself as an "Calvinist" with a icon. I am a Christian FIRST, Calvinist second. While it is still true that some Christians get into trouble through their faults instead of through their likeness to the character of Christ. Faith rests upon character of God. A word is only as good as the character of the one who is a Christian and act like Christ. Creditbility is behaving like Christ when you have the title: "Christian". The cross is a symbol of the selfless, others-centered life of Christ. Love alone can make our conduct acceptable to God. Our Christian testimonies (action, words and motives) are important to God because it is motive that gives to every holy act that glorifies God. Creditbility is evangelism. The cross is a symbol of the selfless, others-centered life of Christ. Love alone can make my conduct acceptable to God. My Christian testimonies (action, words and motives) are important to God because it is motive that gives to every holy act that Glorifies God. Another reason people "dislike" Calvinism Doctrine is God's Authority regarding Salvation. The Bible clearly teaches that no one has true "freewill" except God Himself. God is in control and He will allow us to have freewill only if its according to His will. The "freewill" is always subject to God's sovereignty and His divine freewill. God let's each of us chose whether they will be obedient to Him or not according to His will. The key is that God is ALWAYS in control even in our own freewill. Those of us given the free gift of faith, we have escaped eternal punishment that we rightly deserved because of the mercy and grace of God, and we should be eternally grateful. Christ's atonement which is the actual work, for whoever believe. We believe this is limited to those who believe and were chosen by God, whereas the Arminian side of it would say that everybody’s sins have been paid for. To me Arminian believes that Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of people who don’t believe. That’s the problem I am having because if your sins are paid for already by Jesus and you go to hell, then that’s double jeopardy. It is TRUE that Christ died on the Cross for EVERYONE !! The atonement basically means whoever Believe in Christ will not perish and those who do not believe in Christ will NOT get the benefit of Christ's atonement. Christ's purpose to die for everyone but the atonement is only limited to those who accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. The knowledge of God how and why He choose one and not another is too much to know that ONLY God knows. People can debate all they want "this".. "that" Debating Arminianism vs Calvinistic doctrines... and so on... on.... Proverbs 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. We are so entangled with "reasonings" regarding the doctrine of Salvation. You are either Spirit-Filled by acknowledging the conviction of Holy Spirit or don't acknowledge the Holy Spirit. In efficacious grace we are not merely passive, nor yet does God do some and we do the rest. But God does all, and we do all. God produces all, we act all. For that is what produces, viz. our own acts. God is the only proper author and fountain; we only are the proper actors. We are in different respects, wholly passive and wholly active. Jonathan Edwards

Anabaptist and Culture

If we studied Anabaptist long enough, we would understand better. I have been involved in a Anabaptist denomination for almost 20 years and I found Anabaptist do believe much of the Reformed Theologies except what separates their doctrines (i.e. Baptism, etc). The Anabaptist I was involved in was more into Reformed Theologies (Calvinism, etc) while others are not. Most Anabaptists do not believe in works but rather obedience to the Word of God. Anabaptist do believe regarding salvation within the household but not the exact way we do. Acts 2:39 "The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call." I was part of a Christian family and like most Christian families, they have "lost children" who were taught about Christ but never really accepted Christ from the heart. Not ALL Amish are truly saved. The Amish knows and aware of that which they believe this decision is between God and the person alone. At the same time, they truly believe as Reformed believe regarding "household": Acts 11:14 (NIV) He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved. Acts 16:31 (NIV) They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household. I have relatives who are not saved. I also have relatives are who saved. Assuming that majority of the families around the world will have ONE person who is in Christ and truly saved. If one person is saved, then God can work within that person's family (all generations) to convict their hearts to accept Christ if they are chosen. Culture-wise, depending on Amish tribe and families. Some are really strict and some are not. Nation from the greek word "Ethnos". Strongs defines Ethnos as a multitude (whether of men or of beasts) associated or living together as a company, troop, swarm. A multitude of individuals of the same nature or genus the human family a tribe, nation, people group (Culture). One thing I have learned when I was in the Anabaptist denomination, preferences aren't necessarily a doctrine issue, but can become serious when people in the church can't get along with each other because of their preferences. There are many Christian cultures because there are Christians who will follow their conscience, feelings, beliefs and personal worship preferences. This is between God and each individual believer(s). There are different preferences of beliefs and different style of worship. Some prefer one worship style while other prefer another worship style. The key is that we must worship God in Spirit with other believers regardless our "personal" opinion or loyalty to our movements. I like this from John MacArthur:

A Day With the Amish My wife, Patricia, and I had a wonderful time visiting Lancaster, Pennsylvania some years ago. It is a beautiful part of our country. "Grace to You" is heard on a radio station there, and God has blessed our ministry in that area. Among the people who live in the Lancaster area are the Amish. They live by a different set of standards than many of us. The women wear their hair pulled back and knotted behind the head. They are a domestic people. Many own beautiful, prosperous farms. But they do not believe it is right to travel by any vehicle powered by a motor, so they ride in horse carts. We visited many of those farms while we were there because Patricia was looking for some quilts, and the Amish are known for theirs. We noticed as we visited one farm after another that there were no televisions, radios, or electrical appliances of any kind. And certainly there were no automobiles. But curiously, we often saw an Allis-Chalmers combine, an engine-powered harvesting machine, being pulled by horses! That was a little inconsistent to say the least. When we visited one Amish farm in particular, we met a man who led us into his barn to show us his car, which he kept under secret cover. He also had a radio. Somewhat sheepishly he said to me, "I'd like to ask you some Bible questions. I've been listening to you on the radio and I really appreciate what you teach." It was obvious to us that he had come to know Christ. Many of the Amish do not know Christ; they know only a form of religion. This man was fighting his liberation in Christ. He was starting to let go of some things while still holding onto others. He was letting it be known that he had a radio, and I think he had driven his car in the daytime. He wanted to know all about the book of Revelation because the Amish never interpret it. Patricia and I sat in the kitchen and answered question after question about the book of Revelation and the Second Coming of Christ. As we talked, I could see it was going to be very difficult for this man to ever fully understand the freedom he could enjoy in Jesus Christ. If someone were to play a tape of Christian rock for him, or make him buy a three-piece pin-striped suit, he would be devastated. There are many Christians like that Amish man, and we must love them all. We certainly don't want to do anything to offend them. That's what Paul is saying in Romans 14:1. If there is to be a loving unity among the body of believers, it must start with the strong. The strong must be willing to sacrifice their liberties. I rejoice in doing so because I want to do all I can for the sake of those who might be offended by my liberty. I want to receive them fully into the fellowship. So be sensitive to those who believe people ought to live a certain way, dress a certain way, and restrain from certain habits. Wait until they can grow to understand their emancipation in Jesus Christ.

As long as our conscience is clear and our heart is pure before God, don't be concerned with issues. In Romans 14:5 "One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind." 1 Corinthians 10:28-29 "both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake, the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience?" I have had my battles with those who teaches bad theology and the Anabaptists are not in that category even though we disagree with some of their doctrines. Hey, I was Baptized 3 times (Trinity as in Father, Son and Holy Spirit) by the Anabaptist.

Doubt and Believe

Faith in Jesus replaced our temporal doubts with eternal hope. When we doubt means we disobeyed God. In term of "obedience" we are to present our bodies "as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God." A faithful Christian will learn and see to it that his/her anticipations conform to the revealed Word of God and he/she has nothing to doubt or fear in life or in death. When people are teaching doctrines wrongly, fear is created. Certain doctrines have planted false fear throughout Christian history. Worst case scenerio, fear of something would happen is always often in everyone's mind. Jude 1:22-23 NIV Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. A faithful Christian will learn and see to it that his/her anticipations conform to the revealed Word of God and he/she has nothing to doubt or fear in life or in death. Doubt is doctrinal belief is what we hold in teachings. Real faith is the practical belief is what you hold in reality and what holds you in your day-to-day living as those great faiths in the Bible who didn't have similar doctrines as we do today. The Holy Spirit manifests Christ into our human spirit, not to our physical eyes. Without the Holy Spirit, human pride often create the confusions and seeing contradictions that are plainly outside the field of human understanding. There are people who keep saying that the Bible contradicts because there are many doubters in this world requiring proof, if by knowledge means facts. These doubters often do not trust the Holy Spirit. Therefore, those who believe that the Bible contradicts should blame themselves for unbelief when their trouble is nothing more than inability to visualize. The Bible cannot be comprehended by the human mind alone. We are to rely on the Holy Spirit which will give us divine revelation that will assures us that certain things are true which our human imagination cannot grasp. With the help from the Holy Spirit, we believe but we cannot see in the human mind's eyes. Christian faith is inward, not outward. It is of the spirit and not of the flesh. The kingdom of God is within you, Christ dwells in your heart, and "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27) is the burning core of the Christian faith. So Christianity, the true Christian faith, is inward in nature--we are to be inwardly Christians. Therefore the my personal relationship with God through the Holy Spirit gave me GREAT assurance of my faith. Quotes relating to "Doubt" When you cannot answer a skeptic, be content to wait for more light; but never forsake a great principle. J.C. Ryle Our peace and confidence are to be found not in our empirical holiness, not in our progress toward perfection, but in the alien righteousness of Jesus Christ that covers our sinfulness and alone makes us acceptable before a holy God. Donald Bloesch Can a mortal ask questions which God finds unanswerable? Quite easily, I should think. All nonsense questions are unanswerable. C.S. Lewis Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength. Corrie ten Boom Our twentieth century, far from being notable for scientific scepticism, is one of the most credulous eras in all history. It is not that people believe in nothing - which would be bad enough - but that they believe in anything - which is really terrible. Malcolm Muggeridge Faith recognizes the fact that God is in control of my life. Whether I believe it or not, it's a fact that God is in control of the world. If I don't believe it, I"m just robbing myself of the enjoyment of the fact. Paul Little "Faith never means gullibility. The man who believes everything is as far from God as the man who refuses to believe anything." The Root of the Righteous, 120. Faith A.W. Tozer Some have called me "Doubter". Can you choose to believe? Can you choose not to? How does belief come? On the opposite end of a scale from "doubt", is belief and doubt manifestations of the same substance? Or are they apples and oranges, one effecting the other. "Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15-16). Is the lack of belief unbelief? Or is unbelief simply belief in something opposite of what you are desiring? Example: Belief in sickness is unbelief in health & belief in health unbelief in sickness. Actually, people like me actually believe but in a different way than some of you do. If we could see the end result of things from God’s view point, instead of asking “Why?”, we should be responding in FAITH and allow God to use our disavantage for HIS Glory. In Gal. 4:13-14, he writes "As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself." Paul also suffered from a "thorn in the flesh" which he unsuccessfully petitioned to have the Lord remove (2 Cor. 12:7-9). God does heal but only according to His will, not ours. Those who are not healed are not at fault. Its not about lack of faith or our sins or anything like that. The bible explains that each of our faith always pleases God, because it comes to grips with our own reality. If you know someone who is suffering, be careful what we say because your best guess as to the reason for someone's suffering is likely to be way off. God knows the reasons. We need to remember, God is God and He KNOWS ALL. Ecclesiastes 8:17 then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out, man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it. Matthew 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny ? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. I used to believe such doctrines but I don't. Instead, I believe in God who is able to do ALL things according to His Will. Faith is focusing on God's decision. It isn't that He just hasn't gotten around to doing it, He has a purpose. All circumstances can turn people to God. Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. God will always accomplish His purposes in His eternal time. According to faith, I am whole in God's eternal promises. We must remember that God does not see time from our perspective. It does not mean that God does not recognize time. It does not say that there is no time with God, but time does not impact God the way it impacts us. A Spirit-lead believer (non-doubter) is outlined in Galatians 5:22-23 "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." That we should "not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." (Ephesians 4:30) That if we have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make our joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. (Philippians 2:1-2). Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God (Colossians 3:16). Christians will call other Christians "doubter" simply because of doctrine of faith rather than "faith in God".