This Week in Calvinism - June 28, 2013
- Jerry Faught writes, "For now at least, fundamentalism is the new center holding the SBC together, despite the repudiations of post-takeover SBC seminarians who continue to assert that they are either conservative evangelicals or Reformed evangelicals."
- Is Al Mohler "the most important Calvinist on the planet"?
- Some of the wording in the SBC committee's report on Calvinism has Roger Olson worried about disingenuous Calvinists:
I tend to think that no self-respecting Calvinist can or should ever say that "God loves everyone and desires to save everyone" without following that immediately with "but sovereignly chooses to allow some he could save to go to hell for eternity without any real opportunity to be saved." That would be totally honest and forthcoming. Less is not.
- American Vision's Joel McDurmon wants to know: "Is the PCA on a similar path as the PCUSA?"
- Kevin O'Brien calls Calvinists "narcissistic nihilists" who might as well support abortion because they "see rights resulting from power only. If you [have] enough power to have a solid claim to life, you have a right to keep it; if you don't, or if you prove useless to someone who has more power than you, you have no rights." Yep. It's a good thing we Calvinists all know exactly which individuals are elect and which are not.
- If you can't stomach reading Paul Dohse's anti-Calvinist rants, you probably won't want to watch these videos from his anti-Calvinist 2013 Conference on Gospel Discernment and Spiritual Tyranny.
"I tend to think that no self-respecting Calvinist can or should ever say..."
ReplyDeleteBut there's no such thing as a self-respecting Calvinist. "I'm a worm; I'm nothing; I'm human feces." That's what Calvinism is about, a war on self-respect. They tell their children from the earliest age that they are nothing, and as I've seen several Calvinist bloggers who think they are expert in childcare saying, the Calvinist teach that you should tell your children "You are what is wrong with the world." Well, at 4 or 5 or whatever age they are told this, they aren't yet what is wrong with the world, but after having been told that for so long, they will become what is wrong with the world, namely, a Calvinist.
CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD?
ReplyDeleteWhat is the meaning of calling on the name of the Lord? Many assume that believing in Jesus and saying a form of a sinner's prayer constitutes, calling on the name of the Lord. The problem with that theory is none of the conversions under the New Covenant support that assumption. Not one time is anyone ever told to believe and say the sinner's prayer in order to be saved.
The apostle Peter on the Day of Pentecost quoted the prophet Joel, Acts 2:21 And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." (NKJV)
The apostle Peter preached the first gospel sermon under the New Covenant. Peter did not tell the 3000 converts to believe and say the sinner's prayer.
Peter preached the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. He preached Jesus as both Lord and Christ. When they heard this they asked Peter and the rest of the brethren what they should do?(Acts 2:22-37) Peter told them what to do. Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.(NKJV)
How did the 3000 on the Day of Pentecost call on the name of the Lord and become saved?
1. They believed that Jesus was both Lord and Christ.
2. They believed that God raised Jesus from the grave.
3. They repented. Repentance is a change of heart. Repentance means to be converted so that God may forgive your sins. Repentance is to make the intellectual commitment to turn from sin and turn toward God. (Acts 3:19, Acts 2:38)
4. They were immersed in water (baptized) so that their sins could be forgiven.
How did the 3000 on the Day of Pentecost not call on the name of the Lord?
1. They did not say a sinner's prayer.
2. Not one person was asked to pray for forgiveness.
3. Not one single man was told to be baptized as a testimony of his faith.
4. No one was told that water baptism was a just an act of obedience.
5. No one was informed they were saved the very minute they believed.
6. Not one person was told that water baptism was not essential for the forgiveness of sins.
7. Not one person was told to be baptized so they could join a denominational church.
Jesus said he that believes and is baptized shall be saved. (Mark 16"16) Jesus did not say he who believes and says a sinner's prayer shall be saved.
You ARE INVITED TO READ MY BLOG POSTINGS--Steve Finnell
Honestly, Steve, I don’t think anyone here gets all that hung up on the sinner’s prayer. It’s more the “faith-alone” doctrine that you hate so much.
ReplyDeleteActs10:43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.” 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, 47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.
“What God has cleansed you must not call common or unclean.” God cleansed them – Jesus washed them with the Holy Spirit. (Mark1:8; Acts 11:16) Yet I’ve heard Baptists like you argue that these Gentiles were not clean till they were baptized afterwards with mere water. Madness.
Rom4:3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. 5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness… 10 How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also…
20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, 24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead…
Circumcision was a physical sign of cutting away uncleanness, just as water baptism points to washing away uncleanness (1Pet3:21). Was circumcision “optional” in the OT? Anyone refusing to be circumcised would be cut off from the people of God. (Gen17:14) When an OT gentile believed in God and wanted to join the Jews in worshiping God by sharing the covenant meal, they could do so…by being circumcised (Exod12:48). It seems from Exod4:24-26 that God went on a rampage when Moses failed to circumcise his children. Yet Rom4 makes very clear that Abraham was declared righteous (or “clean”) by faith alone.
The NT teaches that salvation has always been by faith (Heb11), and Abraham remains the covenant father of the faithful in the NT (Rom4:11-16; Gal3):
Gal3:5 Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham…9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham…29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
So is Abraham your “father” or will you continue to promote a new law and count yourself among the Pharisees (John8:44)?
-Charles