It has nothing to do with Calvinism

My response to this post on my status is at the bottom.

The post on my Status:
As i have watched and listened to discussions like this i wish to only say one thing and leave it. From what i continue to see Ryan... this keeps coming back to Calvinism and if it doesn't then please pretend i never even spoke.

Jesus Christ, Paul, Peter, Tozer, Ravenhill, Billy Graham and of course Ron Luce... from what i have heard... never even made a thought on Calvanism or Armenianism. Yes of Course Christ, paul, and peter wouldn't but look at history. These men of God changed the world through the Gospel alone. They were too busy preaching to the hearts of men that they didn't have time for such petty arguments and discussions... and indeed it is a waste of time.

Yes this view can help in your theology, but leave it to yourself. This is why though i have read and understand both views, i will not make a voiced opinion on one or the other simply because in this day and age too many of my brothers and sisters in the faith will close their ears to such opinions. So i simply fight the one's that i consider life and death in the spiritual sense.

Beyond this please go back to the very place where Paul spoke on predestination and consider the context all of you. Paul's words were for ENCOURAGMENT, not for argument and mind games. He was explaining to believers why they should be thankful and rejoice in God because they were chosen. He didn't mean for us to use his words as weapons on to one another and i'm sure if he saw this done today he would cry out to God in sorrow. So if you are a Calvanist then go and preach the gospel to others... i find it quite a bit interesting to see how many more people become "Elect" when they are presented the Gospel.

Please hear my words in light of my concern and no personal opinion. I love you guys.


My Response:

In truth it has nothing to do with Calvinism. it has to do with the Gospel it has to do with our preconceived notion that if God is love he is absent of wrath or that a loving God could never send people to hell a loving God would never through people into an eternity without his love and only his wrath (Revelation 20:15, Mark 9:47; Matthew 13:41-42) it has to do with the fact that we refuse and reject the God of the Bible. It has to do with our depravity. It has to do with human nature, our nature is to sin against a perfect, holy, righteous, loving, just, and wrathful God (Romans 3:10-18).

Let me give you an example. if God were to say... I don't know...bring a flood to wipe out all of mankind except for one man and his family, God would not only be perfect, holy, righteous, loving , and wrathful but he would be absolutely just in doing so(Genesis 6:1-8:22). Why? You might ask. I would say because god is sovereign. What does that mean? Well it mean that God does whatever he wants to do, whenever he wants to do it, and He is perfect, holy, righteous, loving, and just for doing it, because he is God (Ps. 115:3, Ps. 135:6, Rom. 11:36).

In regards to keeping “opinions” to myself I am afraid I cannot do that. If I have the truth and I do not speak it, it would be as if I did not care that people were being thrown into hell. I am no lukewarm man, I do not intend to compromise the truth of the Gospel because it makes some uncomfortable, and I will not be on the fence waiting to “see how things go”. Jesus commanded and prefers that we either be hot or cold not in the middle (Revelation 3:15-16).

You are right that the Gospel brings about repentance to those who hear and are elect. But you cannot “become” elect. You either are or you are not, you are a sheep or a goat, you are wheat or weeds, God willed this before anything was ever created. On this point I will not bend Scripture is clear you do not choose God he chooses you. (John 6:65, Jonah 2:9, John 8:47, Ephesians 1:4-5,11, Romans 8:28-30, Matthew 11:27, 13:24-30, 13:36-43, 15:12-15, 22:12-14, 24:22-24, 25:31-46 etc.)

You see it is not about Calvinism, it’s about Scripture and ultimately God. Scripture is complete it is not faulty, God breathed it into existence. Scripture is our only absolute truth it is the thing we know will never contradict God because every bit of it represents God. So it is not about Calvinism it is about accurately representing Scripture and Truth, whether we like what is true or not. The fact that we have distain toward an idea does not negate the fact that it is true. (2 Peter 1:16,20-21, Luke 1:1-4, 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

So I encourage everyone, take a stance, do not be lukewarm, represent truth to the best of your finite ability, and be willing to submit your pride to what scripture says because you more you read the more you mindset will conform to God and the more you realize on some level you were wrong.

For more on Elect read this