A professing Christian stated, If a person must be willing to reform (change) to be saved, then what about the young couple who are shacking up in fornication and have no intentions of getting married? Does this mean that God will not save them unless they are willing to marry? In the real world its not that easy to just “stop sinning.” Thats why a person needs Jesus Christ, that is, to get saved and then the Holy Spirit of God can begin to work in that persons life, but it TAKES TIME, depending how far gone a person has sunk into the depths of Satan (Revelation 2:24). The matter of salvation has nothing to do with a willingness to reform or change. Pastor Harry Ironside makes this abundantly clear in his excellent sermon, WHAT IS THE GOSPEL? God saves any sinner that trusts upon Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, without any demand that the sinner be willing to change. Please read the following excellent explanation of the Gospel by former Moody Memorial Church pastor, Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951): “The Gospel is not a call to repentance, or to amendment of our ways, to make restitution for past sins, or to promise to do better in the future. These things are proper in their place, but they do not constitute the Gospel; for the Gospel is not good advice to be obeyed, it is good news to be believed. Do not make the mistake then of thinking that the Gospel is a call to duty or a call to reformation, a call to better your condition, to behave yourself in a more perfect way than you have been doing in the past … Nor is the Gospel a demand that you give up the world, that you give up your sins, that you break off bad habits, and try to cultivate good ones. You may do all these things, and yet never believe the Gospel and consequently never be saved at all.” Clearly, Ironside correctly taught a Free Grace view of the Gospel. Amen! Dont mess with the Gospel. Just believe it! ________________ Excerpts taken from Why I Am Not A Calvinist: How Reformed Theology Contradicts Scripture – Jesse Morrell. Calvinism denies man’s role, responsibility, and choice to cooperate with God in regeneration or in the changing of his heart as taught by the Bible (Deut. 10:16; Eze. 18:30-32; Ps. 78:8; Ps. 95:8; Heb. 3:15; Act 7:51; 17:30-31; Jas. 4:8; Col. 3:9-10; Eph. 4:22, 24; 1 Tim. 4:16). Calvinism denies that there is deliverance available from all sin in Jesus Christ, or the possibility of overcoming sin in this life by the grace of God as taught by the Bible (Matt. 1:21; Jn. 8:36; Rom. 6:18, 20, 22; 8:2; 1 Cor. 10:13; 1 Thes. 3:13; 1 Thes. 5:23; Titus 2:11-12; Jude 1:24; 1 Tim. 6:14; 1 Jn. 1:9; 3:9). The Westminster Catechism says, “No man is able, either of himself, or by any grace received in this life, perfectly to keep the commandments of God; but does daily break them in word, thought, and deed.” Calvinism denies that man’s choice to repent of all his sins is a necessary condition of forgiveness, but rather teaches that justification by grace through faith is nothing more than justification in sin and impenitence (Antinomianism), as opposed to what the Bible teaches: (Isa. 55:7; Eze. 18:30; Prov. 28:13; Matt. 7:21; 19:17; Lk. 13:3; Acts 8:22; Rom. 2:5; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1112; Jude 1:4; Rev. 22:14). The doctrine that God forgives us without repentance unto holiness or while we continue in our sinning, which is nothing more than a license to sin, is certainly not “good news” to the universe as it completely endangers and threatens the public’s well-being. Sin is a violation of rights of the public and therefore forgiveness without repentance cannot be good news to the public. Also, the doctrine of a limited atonement is only “good news” to a selfish mind who believes he is part of the elect. But if the atonement was limited and not for all, then there is no good news for “every creature.” Thus, Calvinism is not the gospel as they allege, rather, Calvinism is a denial of the gospel. Calvinism grieves my heart and it disturbs me to see so many Calvinistic posts on Facebook and Calvinistic materials and preachers being so popular in our day. Scriptural problems I have with Calvinism: 1. Calvinism says that God decreed all sin when the Bible says sin breaks the heart of God and wills holiness and obedience from His subjects. 2. Calvinism says that men are under the wrath of God for the sin of Adam when the Bible says that the son does not bear the iniquity of the father and we will all give an account for our own deeds. 3. Calvinism says that man’s free will was lost by Adam’s original sin when the Bible never says this but instead continues to appeal to man’s free moral agency after Adam’s fall. 4. Calvinism says that all men inherit a sinful nature from Adam when the Bible never even says that Adam’s nature was sinful but instead asserts that God forms our nature in the womb. 5. Calvinism says that all events are the eternal will of God when the Bible represents God as grieved, disappointed, and surprised over many events that have occurred. 6. Calvinism says that God has irresistibly decreed all events from eternity past, when the Bible says that God has canceled and reversed some of His own prophecies and teaches that the future is not yet entirely fixed and settled. 7. Calvinism says that God has given man a moral law which He is incapable of keeping when the Bible says that God is just, never allows us to be tempted above our ability, and only obligates us to love Him with all of our ability. 8. Calvinism says that Jesus Christ came and took our punishment when the Bible says that our punishment is eternal hell. 9. Calvinism says that Jesus Christ came and paid our debt when the Bible says that God forgives us our debt. 10. Calvinism says that Jesus Christ took the punishment of our sins when the Bible says that God forgives us our sins. 11. Calvinism says that Jesus Christ came and took the wrath of God when the Bible says that God still has wrath after the atonement, that sinners are not saved from God’s wrath until conversion, that the atonement was instead a justification of His mercy, and that believers who return to their sins return to the wrath of God. 12. Calvinism says that Jesus Christ became sinful and guilty on the cross when the Bible says He died the just for the unjust and offered Himself without spot or blemish to God. 13. Calvinism says that those for whom Christ died can never perish when the Bible warns that those for whom Christ died can perish. 14. Calvinism says that Christ only died for a few elect when the Bible says that Jesus died for the world and all men. 15. Calvinism says that God wants most sinners to remain in their sins and die and go to hell, to somehow glorify His justice, when the Bible says God wants all men to repent and be saved. 16. Calvinism says that men cannot repent and believe when the Bible commands men to repent and believe and blames them if they do not. 17. Calvinism says that men cannot repent and believe because they are born spiritually dead because of Adam when the Bible says that men are dead or alienated from God because of their own trespasses and sins and says the prodigal son was able to return to the father even though he was dead to the father. 18. Calvinism says that God predestined individuals for heaven or hell when the Bible says that God has chosen to offer salvation to the Jews and the Gentiles, grafting in some and cutting off others based upon their faith or unbelief. 19. Calvinism says that God predestined some for Heaven and most for hell according to the pleasure of His will, when the Bible says that God sent Jesus to die for all, commands all men to repent and believe, is drawing all men unto Himself, is not willing that any should perish, and takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. 20. Calvinism says that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to believers when the Bible says that our faith is imputed as righteousness. 21. Calvinism says that God doesn’t see believers if they sin, but see’s imputed righteousness instead, when the Bible says God is omniscient and nothing is hide from His eyes. 22. Calvinism says that true believers will persevere unto the end when the Bible exhorts believers to persevere, warns of damnation if they do not, and speaks of some who have departed from the faith. My list can go on and on but these are just some of the major points. youtu.be/Tx76GpPEUh0
Posted on: Wed, 04 Dec 2013 03:26:37 +0000
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