Thursday, July 29, 2010
 


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HYPER-CALVINISM REFUTED

This page has a collection of important links to articles that reveal the errant and even dangerous spiritual nature of Calvinism. This expose is not meant in any way to condemn Calvinists or cast aspursions upon their salvation. There have been many great Christians that have had some Calvinistic theology and were still greatly used by God. Hyper-Calvinism is the extreme version held by some that is a dangerous belief system. There is a good percentage of truth in Calvinism but it is warped to create an artificial system to explain salvation. Jesus is not a method or system and His salvation cannot be deduced to some pseudo intellectual, legalistic interpretation. The major mistake of Calvinism originates in it's belief that not all humans have the choice of receiving Christ and being born again, when Jesus' own words make it crystal clear that "whoever believes in Him, has eternal life!" Calvin's own actions belie the fact that he acted less than Christian in the way he persecuted, punished and killed "heretics", and was no better in practice than was the Vatican. Calvin was an oppressive control freak, void of mercy. He didn't tolerate even the most innocuous infractions of his legalistic and extra-biblical rules. The doctrine of "election" in Calvinism is particularly warped and leads hyper-Calvinists to hold themselves to be in a special, elite class since they have been especially "chosen by God to be saved" while others have not. Salvation in Christ is obtainable by every human being, not just certain elite people. By God's grace, we are ALL invited to receive Jesus and are given the free will (by a gift of God's grace) to accept Him or reject Him. Jesus forces Himself on no one, though He knows exactly who will receive Him because He is all knowing. Concerning "eternal security": Those who have truly received Christ and His wonderful Spirit, find it nearly impossible to then reject Him completely. God NEVER gives up on us after we have been saved, though we may fall away from fellowship with Him. Calvinist thought would say that the backslidden were never really chosen nor saved and would tend to permanently reject such a person. True Calvinists must struggle with such Biblical concepts such as repentance and restoration among Christians. Denial runs deep in some Calvinists as does a type of spiritual arrogance that I find particually repugnant. I get many letters from offended Calvinists who are clearly intelligent though haughty, who have turned Christianity into a mind science, thereby curtailing the work of the Spirit in their lives.


*****An excellent and succinct overview of the wrong doctrines and beliefs espoused in Calvinism offered by the Todd missionary family, which they call 1 Timothy 4:13: "Till I come, give attendance to Reading, Exortation, And Doctrine (READ)


*****Quotes from Dave Hunt's book refuting Calvinism. The Hyper-Calvinists really hate what Dave has to say! Keep it up Dave!


*****Paw Creek's Joseph Chambers delineates major dichotomies found in Calvinism while examining the Calvinist teachings of John MacArthur


*****An excellent and exhaustive overview of the pitfalls of reformed theology and Calvinism offered by Middletown Bible Church


****Bible Life Ministries offers a great article about Calvin: the "Pope of Geneva."


*****An excellent list of anti-Calvinist articles