Calvinist or Arminian, both could be lost

[Guest]

I was asked this week, “Do you believe that a person who does not believe the doctrines of grace is lost?” Often I am accused of preaching that a person must be a Calvinist to be saved. Nothing could be further from the truth. I could care less whether a person is a Calvinist or an Arminian. It is quite possible for both to be lost. Believing a system of doctrine never saved anyone. Saul of Tarsus was as orthodox as a man can get; but he did not know God.

The issue is not what do you believe, or how much do you know, but who. I am thoroughly convinced that anyone who believes in a god whose will or work can be thwarted or hindered by either men or devils, a christ whose blood was shed in vain for even one who ultimately perishes in hell, and a holy spirit whose gracious operations can be successfully resisted has an idol for his god. Such a god has been carved our of the trees of the dark forests of depraved minds. Such a god, such a christ, such a spirit no more resembles the triune, glorious sovereign God of Holy Scripture than sin resembles holiness.

The Word of God is crystal clear. There is no possibility of saving faith apart from a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ as he is revealed in the Scriptures; and there is no possibility of a sinner obtaining such knowledge apart from the revelation of the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the gospel. Read Romans 10:9-17 and 1 Peter 1:23-25.

I am weary of men attempting to justify Arminian, free will, works religion. They do so only to the eternal ruin of their own souls and the eternal ruin of those who follow them. It does not matter in the least what the opinions of great men in past ages have been. If those great men speak contrary to the Word of God, they must be rejected and the Word of God received (Isa. 8:20). It matters not that our doctrine is not in conformity with mainline religions. We never claimed such conformity, and would be embarrassed to call ourselves Christians if we wore the garments of Babylon and drank of the wine of her fornications, conforming to her ways.

Until it can be shown from the Word of God that a sinner can be saved while trusting an idol, clinging to the filthy rags of his own righteousness, and worshipping at the altar of his own, imaginary free will, we will continue to insist that there is only one God, one Savior, one Holy Spirit, and one gospel; and that all others are damning delusions (Gal. 1:6-9; 1 John 4:1; 2 John 7-10).

donfortner.com

[_JC]

gracemonger, I'm not sure you're interested in others responding to your essays so I'll proceed with caution. What you've written here is simply incoherent. There are thousands of instances in scripture where God tells people to make a choice. So it only makes sense that a person has the ability to choose. Didn't God tell Cain, "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?"

I think that Calvinists have to jump through too many hoops to make their doctrine of irresistable grace seem scriptural. I don't doubt your sincerity or obedience to Christ, but I think you've painted yourself into a corner unnecessarily. Have you forgotten Ezekiel 18?

"Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live? But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die."

[Guest]

Exactly right, JC.....

The problems with Calvinism are innumerable. And the scriptures that give men the opportunity to choose or reject Christ are just as innumerable. God has not made programmed Christian robots. He's made man with the freedom to choose or reject Him. Joshua told the people to choose whom they would serve, well according to Calvinism this is pure rubbish and should be stricken from the word of God....How can man choose to serve God. Impossible they would say.

I don't discount that God chose us, but he did so based upon our desire to know Him. Look at Zaccheus interested to hear from Jesus. So much so that He climbed up into a tree to hear Him. Well, to Zaccheus' surprise, Jesus came through town looking for Zaccheus too. Zaccheus didn't even know He knew his name, but He wanted to dine with him that evening.

When we begin to seek God, He will be found of us. He wants people with a genuine desire to know Him, not a programmed conversion that cannot be resisted.

[_JC]

double post