John Calvin (1509-1564) was one of the chief leaders of the Protestant Reformation. His followers say that Calvin's brilliant mind, powerful preaching, many books and large correspondence, and capacity for organization and administration made him a dominant figure of the Reformation. His detractors say that he had his dissenters burned at the stake.
What Calvinists believe:
Although many people attribute the acronym TULIP to John Calvin, he wasn’t the one who developed it. But it does accurately reflect his theology. The term TULIP is actually an acronym of the five points of Calvinism. It provides a person a quick understanding of the core beliefs of this doctrine. Listed below are the five parts of the TULIP.
T Total Depravity
U Unconditional Election
L Limited Atonement
I Irresistible Grace
P Perseverance of the saints
Calvinist Doctrine As Explained By A Calvinist:
Total Depravity:
When man fell, sin permeated his entire being. This fall was so complete that man had no desire for God and righteousness. Man is so totally enslaved by sin that he can only choose evil; he cannot choose good. He is incapable of choosing God and His salvation. Man is totally blind and deaf to the gospel. Apart from a supernatural intervention from God, the gospel message absolutely has no effect on a person. This is why Total Depravity has also been called “Total Inability.” Sin saturates every part of man's personality. This includes his thinking, emotions, and will. Total depravity does not mean he is necessarily intensely sinful, it only means that sin has encompassed his entire being.
Unconditional Election:
Unconditional Election is the doctrine that states that God has chosen who will get saved and who will be damned for eternity. Those not chosen to go to heaven are thus condemned to hell according to the doctrine of reprobation. This selection is not based upon the condition of the person’s heart or any of his merits. A person’s humility, love of God, and desire for righteousness are not part of this selection. God has elected some for glory and others for damnation. This election is based solely upon the counsel of His own will. His selection of the elect was done long before the universe was ever created.
Limited Atonement:
God limited His atonement to only those who are elect. When Jesus died on the cross, He did not die for the sins of the whole world; God limited His atonement to only those who are the elect. Christ died to atone for the sins of specific sinners. Calvinists say, “It is obvious that God did not atone for all men, because not all men are saved.”
Irresistible Grace:
The grace that God offers to the elect cannot be refused. God puts into the hearts of the elect an irresistible desire to turn to Him and accept His salvation. This implanted desire is so overpowering that it cannot be resisted or refused. This irresistible desire insures that everyone who has been elected will go to Heaven. None of the elect will ever go to Hell. The Calvinist says “What a comfort it is to know that the gospel of Christ will penetrate our hard, sinful hearts and wondrously save us through the gracious inward call of the Holy Spirit!” The Calvinist will also say, “This doctrine is a great comfort to the Christian who is witnessing; he knows that he will always be successful. When he is witnessing to a person, he has the assurance that if God wants that person to be saved, he will be saved.”
Perseverance of the Saints:
Since God has determined who will get saved and they cannot resist His call, they are unconditionally and eternally secure in that election. Therefore, those who have been chosen to be saved will always stay saved. They cannot resist or lose their salvation. There are no exceptions to the rule. Since there was nothing a person could do to get saved in the first place, there is nothing he can do to lose his salvation. The elect will always do right, if a person sins after he is saved then he was never saved in the first place.
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Continuing on: A Calvinist would say: A main premise of Calvinism is God’s sovereignty and His complete control over everything. This means nothing happens in the world that is outside of God’s control. Another premise of Calvinism is that God, in His sovereignty, has arbitrarily decided who will go to Heaven and who will go to Hell. God pre-determined (predestined according to Calvinistic definition) the eternal state of each person. Those who were chosen (elected) to go to Heaven are called the elect, and those who were chosen to go to Hell are called reprobates. Calvinists are generally not strong supporters of missionaries.
Calvinistic Election and Predestination is the belief that God has chosen to send certain people to Heaven and the remainder to Hell. This selection, which was made long before the universe was created, was not based on any qualities of the person being selected. It was not based on the person’s heart or their future love for God. It was not based on God’s foreknowledge of who will eventually choose to accept Him as their Savior. (Some Calvinists do take the equally odious view that God based His election on who He foreknew would love Him. This may sound good but this, then, puts God in the devilish position of creating souls that He knew He would cast into the lake of fire.) It was not based on their future humility and repentance. This selection was purely random and arbitrary.
Nobody has a say in the matter. The person selected to go to Hell literally has no hope. Although he may desire to go to Heaven and is seeking deliverance, he has no chance of salvation. Even the person selected to go to Heaven has no say in the matter, he is forced to “love” God. This belief system is called Calvinism, Reformed Theology, the Doctrines of Grace, or Election and Predestination.
Calvinism today is often called Hyper-Calvinism, while other somewhat less harsh views are simply called plain Calvinism. It is important to note that Calvinism and Hyper-Calvinism are the same thing! Any theological system less than this is not Calvinism. According to Calvinistic theology, Christ did not die for everyone. He only died to pay for the sins of the elect. Since the person has no say in his eternal state, there is nothing he can do to gain or lose his salvation. As a result, the pre-elected person has “eternal security.”
But What About Calvinism? The truth:
Total depravity…reject total depravity. Natural man is depraved but not totally depraved. “There is none righteous, no, not one.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood.” These and other verses prove that they are depraved. If one says, “Send B-52’s to Iraq and nuke’em,” it would prove that he is swift to shed blood. But if some preacher tells him the gospel and with the wooing of the Holy Spirit he accepts the good news and believes in his heart that Christ died for his sins, then he was not totally depraved. If an unsaved person, such as the “Good Samaritan,” does a good deed this proves that he was not totally depraved. To be condemned a person only needs to be a little depraved. If a person were totally depraved he would eagerly commit rape, murder, plunder and break every other law. Since the “fall” man is totally lost, not totally depraved, but has no power to save himself. Calvinists say that man is so totally depraved that he is incapable of choosing Christ so God must choose for him. But the Bible says that man must believe. Man must choose to believe of his own free will.
Unconditional election…reject this because there are only four groups in the Bible spoken of as God’s elect: the angels, Israel, believing Israel, and Jesus. We are not angels, neither are we Israel, nor believing Israel, so the only way we can be elect is to be in Jesus. If we were “unconditionally elect” why then should we be obedient? Why then should we be submissive? Why then should we be repentant? We are elect only if we are part of the Elect One, Jesus. To be in the Elect One we must repent, that is, to turn away from our rejection of Christ and believe with our heart and confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus. Note that our saying the sinner’s prayer does not save us, that would make salvation a work, something that we do, but if we say it and believe it, GOD saves us, according to His Holy word.
Limited atonement…reject this because God is not a respecter of persons, we are all created equal in His eyes. Jesus death on the cross was efficacious for everyone. Unfortunately not everyone avails himself of this atonement. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” To believe in limited atonement would mean believing that God limits His love to just certain people, instead of whosoever. Finally, 1 John 2:22 says, "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." ...also for the sins of the whole world! That's everyone! He died for everyone!
Irresistible grace…reject this because God’s grace is offered to whosoever and obviously some people do resist His grace.
Perseverance of the saints…reject this. First, it should be rejected because as the Calvinists mean it, it depends upon the principles of the first four points. Calvinists say, God chose to save the elect, so, God makes them persevere. That God makes them do right; that if they don’t do right then they were never saved in the first place. Obviously everyone sins. Nowhere, however, does anyone say how many sins or how heinous of a sin can a person commit before he is deemed to have never been saved in the first place. This is like saying a person can lose his salvation. This system is not eternal security for whosoever believeth. John 3:16 affirms eternal security, but it does not mean that a person will never again sin.
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Arminianism is named after the Dutch college professor James Harmensen, a.k.a. Jacob Arminius (1560-1609). Arminianism is often called the opposite of Calvinism. While Calvinism represents the extreme view of one aspect of Christianity, Arminianism represents an extreme opposite view of the same aspect of Christianity. Both extremes are equally odious. However, one should note that Calvinism and Arminianism are not completely opposite of each other. They do, however, oppose each other on some issues and this has led some to assume that if you are not a Calvinist, you must be an Arminian.
Although there are some Christians who adhere fully to Calvinism or Arminianism, most don’t. Most Christians have a hard time accepting all of the doctrines associated with either of these two views. If you were to ask them if they were a Calvinist or an Arminian, they would say that they are neither, but are somewhere in-between. Some call themselves Cal-Minians. Some will say they are a three, or a four point Calvinist. Many people call themselves Calvinists simply because they know they are not Arminians. They figure if they are not Arminian then they must be Calvinist.
Calvinism is fraught with clichés. Most people who believe in the philosophy of Calvin vigorously deny that they are Calvinists. Instead they say that they believe in the Doctrines of Grace, or that they embrace Reformation Theology. Sometimes Calvinism is called Election and Predestination. These are clichés that simply mean Calvinism. People do not wish to be identified as a Calvinist because the term immediately causes red flags to be raised.
People react, “Calvin? Isn’t he the guy that had people burned at the stake?”
“Calvinism? Isn’t that a controversial viewpoint?”
Or, “I don’t think any Bible doctrine should be named after a man.”
Calvinists trick the unsuspecting by saying, “But who could be against the Doctrines of Grace?” But the truth is that there is but one Doctrine of Grace, and that is God’s unmerited favor toward us.
Or they say, “Yes, Reformed Theology, you don’t believe that old Catholic stuff do you?” Or, “This is the traditional Baptist view.”
God is sovereign. This means no one, or being, is above God. Does God have to answer to anyone? Yes, he has to answer to himself. Therefore, God will always act in a manner that is consistent with His character. For example, God cannot lie. (Heb 6:18; Tit 1:2) God will not sin. Job 34:12, Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment. It is inconsistent with God’s character for Him to choose some people for heaven and condemn others to hell before they have even had the opportunity to live.
When the Calvinists say that God is sovereign, they mean that nothing happens by chance, that God absolutely controls everything that happens. But if this were true it would mean that God is causing babies to be aborted at a horrendous rate. It would mean that God is causing children to be abused. It would mean that God causes sin. Calvinists say that God is causing all these things to happen, but because it is God that is the cause, it isn’t sin. They say God can do anything He wants to because He’s sovereign. How can anyone who has actually read the Bible honestly believe this heresy?
Why did Calvinistic doctrines gain so much appeal 400 years ago? There are three basic reasons. First, the Reformation brought every doctrine under scrutiny and possible reinterpretation. Second, the culture of the Reformers was the upper class and that greatly influenced the formation of the Reformers' new doctrines. Third, there was no separation of the church and state in those days.
The Reformation brought about a large number of changes in Christendom. The Bible was now in the language of the, so-called, common man. Up to this point only church leaders had access to the Bible. But now educated common men could read the Bible. These men were necessarily the upper class owing to the fact that the lower classes were still illiterate, and therefore, couldn't read the Bible. You didn’t have to be a church leader or royalty, nevertheless, you did have to read. Which meant you had to be in the wealthy upper class.
Although it would be nice to say that cultural pressure has not influenced Christian theology, it has. When the Reformers were creating their doctrinal stance, the social culture of the 1500's was fertile ground for the doctrine of Calvinism. The feeling of superiority that was inherent in the upper class Reformers biased their thinking. The upper class felt that they were naturally predestined to go to heaven, while the lower classes were obviously condemned heathens.
Europe, of course, had its royal families who were in a special class all their own because they ruled by divine authority. They had a tremendous feeling of inherent superiority. Although we take equality for granted, the concept was quite foreign to them. The existence of privileged classes was just an accepted fact of life. The superiors lived in excessive abundance while the inferiors lived in deplorable conditions.
Since people were used to the idea that God made special classes here on Earth, the teaching that He would make a special class for salvation didn’t raise any doubts among those who could only believe what they had been told, since they couldn’t read. It actually fit in quite well with the scheme of things. The people promoting this doctrine felt that they were part of the elect. Since they weren’t the ones going to Hell, the idea of Calvinistic Election and Predestination didn’t seem too unfair.
If the feeling of superiority inherent in the upper class, which the Reformers were a part of, had not been a factor, and if the lower classes had been able to read, the Calvinistic teaching of Election and Predestination back then would probably have been quickly rejected. As it was, however, the majority of the people had to believe what they were told, since they couldn’t read for themselves.
While on the subject of classes, some people will deny it but within many supposedly good churches we have classes of Christians. Many of the clergy believe they are in a special class that is superior to the laity. They haughtily view the Election and Predestination teaching they received in their college Systematic Theology course as a mystical teaching that must be kept only among the mature Christians because it is too difficult for the lower class Christians (those who sit in the pews and listen) to handle. The truth is that even Christians with only a little knowledge reject Calvinism.
Interestingly, the reformation started because a priest named Martin Luther read Romans 1:17, “…the just shall live by faith” and he realized that the Roman Catholic Church was leading its flock down a path of destruction. They were teaching a works type of salvation, as opposed to God’s plan that a person is saved by simply having faith in God. But, if the Calvinistic doctrine of Election and Predestination were true, people under Roman Catholicism would have been getting saved all along anyway and the Reformation wouldn’t have even been necessary!
The president of the Synod of Dort erroneously said, “The scriptures must be interpreted according to the catechisms and confessions.” Friends, scripture must be compared and understood in accordance with other scriptures, not with man’s preconceived notions. The Calvinist, Fancois Wendel, acknowledges of Calvin, “Truth compels us to admit frankly that, despite all his fidelity to the Bible, he seems to have been searching the Scriptures more frequently for text to support a doctrine accepted in advance, than to derive doctrine from the Scriptures.” (Wendel, Calvin: Origins and Development of His Religious Thoughts, p. 359)
Since there was no separation of church and state, church doctrines had enormous political overtones. Winners had losers burned at the stake. Henry the VIII broke away from the Catholic Pope not because he favored reformation, he broke away because he wanted to divorce Catherine of Aragon. King James I of England (of AV 1611 fame) claimed that he was the head of the Church, so he became an anti-Calvinist Anglican because Calvinists insisted that no temporal ruler could be the head of the church. Parliament at the time was anti-King, therefore they were sided with the Calvinistic Puritans. The Calvinistic Parliament won out for the time and the Calvinistic Westminster Confession was thus written. Later the Anglican King gained the upper hand. So the losing Calvinistic Puritans, facing persecution chartered the Mayflower and immigrated to America.
Colonial Americans were against everything the King was for. He was Arminian, so they were Calvinists. Obviously for political reasons, Benjamin Franklin wrote the Philadelphia Confession of Faith in 1742 which is a copy of the Calvinistic, Westminster Confession.
The Puritan immigrants on the Mayflower were upper class, having the funds for provisions and passage. They arrived at Plymouth Rock off the coast of what is now Massachusetts and settled in New England. Anyone who dared disagree with their Calvinistic stance was declared to be a witch or warlock and suffered the penalty thereof.
Since children tend to acquire and maintain the same religious views as their parents, if American Colonials had not been Calvinistic that view would not be so widespread in America today.
The popularity Election and Predestination gained during the reformation is still felt today. It has been handed down from generation to generation. Many Christians say, “I can’t understand how Calvinism ties in with the salvation that we hear preached, but since so many denominations and popular preachers teach it, there must be some truth to it.” Even though it appears to contradict the rest of the Bible they assume that it must be one of those “hidden mysteries.”
For example, the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon was a well-known, highly respected preacher. He said, "Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else… I thank God that He early taught me the gospel, and I have been so perfectly satisfied with it, that I do not want to know any other… I learned the doctrines of grace in a single instant. Born, as all of us are by nature, an Arminian…
Spurgeon also said, "Did not God Himself appoint our parents, native place, and friends? Could He not have caused me to be born with the skin of the Hottentot, brought forth by a filthy mother who would nurse me in her "kraal," and teach me to bow down to Pagan gods, quite as easily as to have given me a pious mother, who would each morning and night bend her knee in prayer on my behalf?" One can see the attitude of superiority here. To be fair to Spurgeon, in later life he repudiated Calvinism and claimed to be a Biblicist.
Another well-known and respected preacher was the late Dr. J. Vernon McGee, but he was a Presbyterian, and a person must take his Calvinistic bias into consideration when reading his works.
The word theology means: the study of God. Most seminaries have a course called Systematic Theology, but it is not a course in theology, it is a course in philosophy! John Calvin was not a theologian, he was a philosopher! John Calvin espoused his philosophy of religion. Colossians 2:8 says, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” If one wants to study theology he should study it in the Bible, it tells us about God.
Psalm 118:8 says, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” Those people who claim to love God should read the Bible, listen to the Holy Spirit speak to their hearts, and seriously think for themselves, don’t let some self-serving man tell you what to believe. Reject this man-made heresy variously known as Calvinism, the Doctrines of Grace, or Reformed Theology. Pastors must tell the truth! People should reject the leading of their pastor if he is spreading heresy.
Did God foreknow who would accept Christ, repent and accept by faith the gift of eternal life? Yes, possibly. And with His foreknowledge condemn others to hell? No. People are neither saved nor condemned by God’s foreknowledge, but by God according to their faith.
The shed blood of Christ Jesus is sufficient to atone for all the sins of all mankind. Hebrews 10:10 says, “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Once for all, means once for all men and once for all sins. This does not mean that all men get saved, because men must, of their own free will accept Christ, that is, believe in Him, to put one’s trust in Him. When one believes in Him, by that act he repents of his rejection of Christ and is no more at enmity with God.
The process of salvation is like this: All mankind is born with a deathly illness and will die because of that sickness. But when Jesus died for us He left behind a big batch of medicine. That medicine can cure anyone who takes it. The only catch is that you’ve got to actually take it, and if you refuse to take your medicine you will go ahead and die. Some people refuse to take their medicine. They say, “That medicine won’t work,” so they die. You’ve got to believe it works. If you want to live you’ve got to take Jesus’ medicine (His blood atonement). Now, Jesus didn’t make this medicine effective for just a few people, when He formulated that medicine it became effective for everyone who takes it.
“It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” Why preach if God has already chosen who will be saved? Do the elect believe, or, are believers the elect?
If it were determined beforehand that a certain man would not accept Christ and was therefore condemned to hell before being born, that man would have a legitimate complaint when he stands before God at the Great White Throne Judgment and accuses God, “Why are you judging me now? You prejudged me before the foundations of the world! I never had a free will. I might have accepted You if You had not already decided that you were not going to save me. I never had a chance.”
ONE HUNDRED verses which disprove the validity of Calvinism:
Matthew 25:41 says, “Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and His angels.” Here we find Hell was created for the fallen angels and not for man. It seems that if Calvinistic Election and Predestination were true, Hell would have been prepared for mankind from the beginning.
The following verses prove that God doesn’t have favorites, nor does He have different classes of people. He does not predetermine, or prejudge some people to go to heaven and others to go to hell. God does not discriminate; we are all equal in His eyes.
Acts 10:34, Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons.
2 Sam 14:14, For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.
Chr 19:7, Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.
Rom 2:11, For there is no respect of persons with God.
Eph 6:9, And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
1 Pet 1:17, And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
Salvation is offered to ALL men:
1 Timothy 4:10, For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
1 Timothy 2:3,4, For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:6, Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
1 Timothy 2:1, I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
1 Timothy 2:4, Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:6, Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
2 Cor. 5:15, And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
2 Peter 3:9, The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Acts 17:30, And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Isaiah 45:22, Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
John 12:32, And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
Luke 2:10, And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Matthew 11:28, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Romans 8:32, He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Romans 3:22, Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
Titus 2:11, For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
2 Peter 3:9, The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Salvation is offered to WHOSOEVER believes:
1 John 2:23, Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
John 11:26, And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
John 3:15, That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 4:14, But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
John 6:54, Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Luke 12:8, Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
Luke 9:24, For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.
Mark 16:16, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Mark 3:35, For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
Mark 8:35, For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
Matthew 10:32, Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 16:25, For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
1 John 4:15, Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.Romans 10:11For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
I Jn 5:1, Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
Acts 10:43, To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
Acts 2:21, And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Joel 2:32, And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
Romans 10:13, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Salvation is offered to ANYONE:
Revelation 3:20, Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
John 6:51, I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
John 7:37, In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
John 8:51, Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.
Salvation is offered to the WORLD:
1 John 2:2, And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 4:14, And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
2 Cor. 5:19, To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
John 1:29, The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:17, For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
John 4:42, And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
John 6:51, I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
Salvation is offered to EVERY person:
Hebrews 2:9, But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
John 1:9, That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
John 6:40, And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Romans 1:16, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Salvation is offered to he who BELIEVETH:
Mark 9:23, Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
Mark 16:16, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
John 3:15-16, That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:18, He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:36, He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
John 5:24, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
John 6:40, And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:47, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
John 11:25-26, Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
Rom 1:16, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Rom 3:26, To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Rom 4:5, But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Rom 10:4, For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.Rom 10:10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
I Jn 5:1, Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
Miscellaneous verses showing anyone can accept the gospel:
1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 Peter 2:6, Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
Ezekiel 34:16, I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment.(NAS)
Isaiah 28:16, Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone {for} the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes {in it} will not be disturbed. (NAS)
John 11:25, Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
John 6:35, And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
John 6:47, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
John 6:58, This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
Luke 19:10, For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.Luke 5:32I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Mark 1:15, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Matthew 18:14, Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
Revelation 22:17, And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Romans 5:6, For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Romans 9:33, As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
John 1:12, But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
John 10:9, I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
John 11:25, Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
John 3:18, He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:36, He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
John 5:24, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, andbelieveth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
John 6:56, He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
John 7:38, He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
John 8:12, Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
1 Cor. 15:34, Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
Ten verses that appear to prove the doctrine of Calvinism:
Ephesians 1:4, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:” Answer: Sometimes we forget that God chose to save the fallen human race, but not the fallen angels. Some angels, too, have rebelled against God, but it appears He has made no provision to redeem them (I Peter 1:12). Yes, God chose us to be saved. He didn’t have to, but He chose to make salvation available to the human race. Before the beginning of time God knew we were going to sin and He knew Jesus was going to have to die on the cross to provide us salvation. God had/has a plan (Revelation 13:8 and 1 Peter 1:20).
Ephesians 1:5, “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,” Answer: The word predestination is not found in the bible. The word predestinated is found and it has nothing to do with a destination. It means, “pre-destined.” God’s plan for mankind was conceived before the universe was created, and is our pre-destiny. We are predestinated to receive the adoption of sons. It is our destiny to obtain an inheritance from God and to be joint-heirs with Christ. We are predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son.
Ephesians 1:11, In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: See above.
I Peter 1:2, Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Answer: This says we are elect according to the foreknowledge of God, however, we are not elect because of the foreknowledge of God. We are elect because of the sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. II Thessalonians 2:13.
Romans 8:29, For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Answer: It is God’s foreordained plan from before the universe was created that those who placed their trust in Christ would be conformed to the image of His Son.
Romans 8:30, Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Answer: See Ephesians 1:5 comment on Predestination above.
John 17:9, I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. Answer: This is Jesus’ prayer for the apostles. This is proven by the context, especially 17:12. In 17:20 He begins His prayer for all believers.
Hebrews 4:3, For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. Answer: It has always been God’s plan that we should enter into God’s rest.
Revelation 17:8The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. Answer: Two books. One is the Book of Life, wherein every person’s name was written from the foundation of the world and from which a person’s name could be blotted out for lack of faith. The other book is the Lambs Book of Life wherein a person’s name is written when he gets saved.Ps. 69:28; Rev. 13:8; 17:8; 20:15; 21:27.
2 Thessalonians 2:13, But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Answer: From the beginning, according to His plan, He chose to save anyone who would believe in him, not condemn them.
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