CALVINISTS BELIEVE ONE MUST BE REGENERATED BEFORE THEY RECEIVE FAITH?

[Lon]

I don't see Him the same way as the average Calvinist.

No, most don't. For the most part, I simply think it a difference in perspective. It was a paradigm shift from what I was doing, to what God was doing on His side of things. That in a nutshell, is the difference. Since we are men, I'm not sure that we shouldn't be manward focused on bringing all men to Christ etc.

God is capable of pure love, wrath, perfection, judgment, justice,
and righteousness.

Not to overtly digress, but for me, not only capable, but rather what His nature is, thus the actions follow the character of God.

The Grace of God is a free gift to all men in this
Dispensation of Grace.

I used to believe this, this changed my mind (among other scriptures, but this was primarily it) Genesis 3:22

It's open to anyone (Jew and Gentile) who hear the Grace Message and place their entire faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their one and only Savior.

I have a harder time, these days, with paraphrasing scriptures and so try to directly quote them where salvation is concerned. This does three things: 1) Ensures the one hearing is hearing from God 2) Cuts out me, the middle man and 3) Assures them of salvation. I generally walk the Romans Road: Romans 3:23; 5:8; 6:23; 10:9&10

How did you become a child of God?

Not to obfuscate, or digress, but this is important: Generally a Calvinist is looking Godward to answer this question. Generally, a Free-will theist, assuming free-will is a gift, expects a free-will decision such as an altar call, and thus the two don't always give satisfactory answers.

With that: I was in Sunday School in June, 1972, I believe the 11th. I had heard John 3:16 from the lesson and knew I needed forgiveness for sins, needed a Savior. My Sunday School teacher asked me to wait until the next week to come to Christ and I told her no (Hebrews 3:12-15), that I needed Christ now.

Did you hear the Grace Gospel

Yes, that I was a sinner, that it had dire consequences, that Christ came to seek and save that which was lost. That His work completely takes care of sin (though the Arminians at the time would have me second-guessing that for quite some time), and that all who call on the name of the Lord would be saved. I called. The Sunday School teacher and I were a little late for church.

and place your faith in Christ?

Romans 10:9&10 and Ephesians 2:8-10

Did you have an epiphany?

Romans 10:14 I am not sure that I haven't had many ah ha moments along the way. There is either an epiphany or a gradual coming to know one is a new Creation created in Christ Jesus 2 Corinthians 5:17

Did you have an experience or feeling? What's your personal Testimony?

I think the best testimony we can give, is one wrought with scriptures, that another can follow it back to Christ him/herself and so briefly, I try to walk the Romans Road:
1) I was a sinner Romans 3:23
2) I knew that there were consequences Romans 6:23
3) That God had provided Jesus Christ to give me life, an abundant life Romans 5:8; 6:23
4) That whosoever calls on the Name of Lord, will be saved Romans 10:9,10, meant me and that I confess and believe in Jesus Christ and His work on the Cross to save me.

 

[Grosnick Marowbe]

No, most don't. For the most part, I simply think it a difference in perspective. It was a paradigm shift from what I was doing, to what God was doing on His side of things. That in a nutshell, is the difference. Since we are men, I'm not sure that we shouldn't be manward focused on bringing all men to Christ etc.

Not to overtly digress, but for me, not only capable, but rather what His nature is, thus the actions follow the character of God.


I used to believe this, this changed my mind (among other scriptures, but this was primarily it) Genesis 3:22
I have a harder time, these days, with paraphrasing scriptures and so try to directly quote them where salvation is concerned. This does three things: 1) Ensures the one hearing is hearing from God 2) Cuts out me, the middle man and 3) Assures them of salvation. I generally walk the Romans Road: Romans 3:23; 5:8; 6:23; 10:9&10

Not to obfuscate, or digress, but this is important: Generally a Calvinist is looking Godward to answer this question. Generally, a Free-will theist, assuming free-will is a gift, expects a free-will decision such as an altar call, and thus the two don't always give satisfactory answers.

With that: I was in Sunday School in June, 1972, I believe the 11th. I had heard John 3:16 from the lesson and knew I needed forgiveness for sins, needed a Savior. My Sunday School teacher asked me to wait until the next week to come to Christ and I told her no (Hebrews 3:12-15), that I needed Christ now.


Yes, that I was a sinner, that it had dire consequences, that Christ came to seek and save that which was lost. That His work completely takes care of sin (though the Arminians at the time would have me second-guessing that for quite some time), and that all who call on the name of the Lord would be saved. I called. The Sunday School teacher and I were a little late for church.

Romans 10:9&10 and Ephesians 2:8-10

Romans 10:14 I am not sure that I haven't had many ah ha moments along the way. There is either an epiphany or a gradual coming to know one is a new Creation created in Christ Jesus 2 Corinthians 5:17


I think the best testimony we can give, is one wrought with scriptures, that another can follow it back to Christ him/herself and so briefly, I try to walk the Romans Road:
1) I was a sinner Romans 3:23
2) I knew that there were consequences Romans 6:23
3) That God had provided Jesus Christ to give me life, an abundant life Romans 5:8; 6:23
4) That whosoever calls on the Name of Lord, will be saved Romans 10:9,10, meant me and that I confess and believe in Jesus Christ and His work on the Cross to save me.

Excellent post Lon

 

[bsmitts]

I am totally certain that Calvinism is a false doctrine and
a cult like belief system. They believe that one must
be regenerated before receiving the faith to believe.

They believe that God chose certain people for eternal life
and the rest for eternal damnation. They believe that, without
God's intervention, man is too depraved to place his faith in
God and even if he wanted to (according to them he wouldn't/
couldn't do so anyway) he would be unable to.

Their god choose whom he would call the elect. The so called
elect have no choice because they were chosen before the
foundation of the world. On the other hand, the non-elect
do not have any choice either, because they're doomed to
spend eternity in Hell by the choice of their Calvinist god.

Calvinists do not believe in the free choice of mankind and
some Calvinists go so far as to say, God creates all sin,
debauchery, evil, etc. They believe their god is sovereign
and controls the entire world and all the evil that goes on.

Calvinists MUST change the character and intent of the God
of the Bible in order to make Him fit their belief system. They
misinterpret, misunderstand, and misrepresent the Scriptures.

According to the Calvinists, if their god chose you to be one of
the elect, you'll spend eternity with him. If he didn't choose you
then, you're eternally damned. Mans faith and choice has nothing
to do with salvation according to Calvinism. Because, their god
first, regenerates them, then he, gives them the faith to believe.
(in that order)

I believe Calvinism (a cult created by men that came out of the
Catholic church) Someone once said: "You can take Calvin out of
the Catholic church but, you can't take the Catholic Church out
of Calvin." He was called, "The Pope of Geneva." He was partly
to blame for the execution murders of over fifty human beings
during his reign.

Google Calvin the Pope of Geneva to find out more history about
this evil man.

In my opinion Calvinism is at war with the true Gospel and
is used by Satan as another false doctrine to sway people away
from God's Grace Gospel.

Romans 10:13-14 says you go from hearing to believing to calling upon him to salvation.

Romans 10:9 here we see practically the same thing, with the exception of hearing. But in Romans 10:17 here we see that faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by the Word of God.

I see Calvinism, although scripture does support it, as a belief system which focuses mainly on one's understanding of God's ultimate plan and authority as much as believing his word. Not saying they don't believe, but they apparently want to believe as equally to "understand" if you will, the redemptive plan of God. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the way I see it until further notice.

 

[False Prophet]

It is impossible to please God without faith.