Dear readers, when I mention Calvinism here, I do not mean to talk about theology or debate in a general way. I see that today’s society, even Christianity, is exalting people more and more. Everything we do in society and in the church is always based on people's self-esteem. In order to protect people's self-esteem, fewer and fewer preachers directly point out people's sins and corruption on the church's pulpit. Today's so-called evangelistic gatherings are all based on people's interests, pleasing people, making people laugh, and sometimes do not even point out people's sinfulness and hopelessness of self-salvation. They think that as long as the human will is willing to raise their hands and make a decision, they will be saved. In order to achieve this goal, they really use all kinds of worldly methods such as movies, dramas, music, dance, parties, entertainment performances, etc., in order to achieve one goal, which is to make people like Christianity, as long as they like Christianity , you will be willing to believe in the Lord! It’s a pity that they don’t know at all that people themselves are incapable of believing in the Lord and are completely helpless in salvation. God makes them willing, not us! We do not need to use methods that displease God to preach the gospel. God will save them according to His will, without us pulling up the weeds. As long as we sincerely preach God’s salvation, exalt Christ, and keep praying for them, God Himself will work. It is absolutely necessary to preach the message of man's complete corruption, because when man realizes that it is completely hopeless to rely on himself, God's work often begins. "Total corruption" is the truth that makes a person truly humble before God, because he knows that he can rely on nothing. Even the will to choose God is not his own, but is given by God! This is true helplessness! When a person reaches this hopeless and helpless situation, he can truly and humbly call on the Lord, and those who call on the Lord humbly are the ones God wants to save. In this generation of people who are arrogant and do everything based on self-esteem, the truth of "complete corruption" is just the medicine we need.
Many people believe that predestination is a product of human logic and is not supported by any biblical scriptures. But in fact, the Bible does directly say that God predestined man to receive the title of son from before the creation of the world, that faith is a gift from God, and that salvation is all God’s grace. No one in the world seeks God. If the Father does not draw anyone, no one will. You will come to the Lord, it is God who chooses people, not people who choose God, and everyone who is destined to have eternal life believes in the Lord, etc. Are we required to object to all of the above verses? There are aspects of predestination that are difficult to fully understand, and I don’t fully understand it because it is a mystery. But I have to accept it even if I don’t understand it. It’s not my persistence, but I can never erase so many scriptures about predestination. First, you can find in the Bible that people are saved by their own will. People choose God first, so God chooses people. God foreknows people’s faith in advance, so he predestined people to believe. People naturally have the ability to come to the Lord and do not need the attraction of the Father. There are always people in the world who naturally seek God, and saving faith comes from their own reasons, etc.
Some people believe that Calvin invented the theory of predestination. In fact, Augustine believed in predestination early on, and he even labeled those who did not believe in predestination as heretics! Martin Luther, Calvin’s predecessor, also believed in predestination! Martin Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, most Puritans, Whitefield, Edwards, William Carey, Robert McCheyne, Charles Hodge, Spurgeon, Warfield ( B B Warfield), John Martyn, John MacArthur, etc. all believe in predestination. Now let’s look at the Bible. Luke believed in predestination: “When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and praised the word of God; and everyone who was predestinated to eternal life believed” Acts 13:48. Paul believed in predestination: “For in love he “predestined” us to be sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will.” Ephesians 1:5; “For God did not “predestinate” us "We are punished in order to be saved through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:9); this passage is even more powerful: "So God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and he will call him." He who is hardened shall be hardened. Then you will say to me, Why does he still accuse others? Who are you who dares to speak against God? Can a creature say to his Maker, Why have you made me like this? Does the potter have no authority to take one piece of clay and make it a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor? Revealing his wrath and his power, he endures aboundingly on vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and reveals the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy prepared for glory.” Rom. 9:18-23. Peter also believed in predestination: “And he said, ‘It is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.’” They disobeyed and stumbled over the doctrine. "Perhaps they stumbled because they disobeyed the doctrine." Their stumbles were also "predestined." ” 1 Peter 2:8. The Lord Jesus even more believed in predestination: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” John 6:44; “You did not “choose” me, I “choose” "You" John 15:16; "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world. It was I who 'chosen' you out of the world, so the world hates you." John 15:19; "I pray for them. Not for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours." (John 17:9). The theory of predestination is actually supported by many clear teachings in the Bible.
If someone wants to believe in free will but not in predestination, he or she must deny all of the above scriptures or force a different interpretation of the scriptures.
Some people think that Calvinism does not emphasize or even prevent people from preaching the gospel. This is wrong. Calvin once sent people to preach the gospel to foreign countries. The first missionary society in England (London Missionary Society) believed in Calvinism. William Carey initiated the world missionary movement. Whitefield and Spurgeon were great evangelists. , all of them believe in Calvinism and predestination. Anyone who does not advocate preaching the gospel to everyone is Hyper-Calvinism. This group of people had criticized Spurgeon for publicly preaching the gospel to everyone, but Spurgeon argued that they were not in line with the truth. Spurgeon himself was a Calvinist. He opposed Arminians who believed in free will (very fiercely), but he also opposed hyper-Calvinists (for details, see "Spurgeon vs Hyper-Calvinism"—Banner of Truth Trust). This is also my position, and I believe it is the position of the Bible.
Some people will definitely ask, since God knows who will believe and who will not believe, why does he preach the gospel? Is this unnecessary or even false? Absolutely not. The reasons why the Lord and his disciples preached the gospel to everyone are:
(1) Preaching is the way for people to be saved. "How can you believe in him, who have not heard of him? How can you hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:14)
(1) People who have been chosen by God and people who have not been chosen by God are in the world They are mixed together, like the metaphor of wheat and rice grains. So realistically speaking, we must preach to everyone.
(2) For those who do not believe in the Lord, the Lord’s way is of certain help to themselves and the world. It turns out that this world is in the hands of the devil, but it does not lead to world chaos (occasionally, such as world wars), sins flooding the sky, cannibalism, hell on earth, etc. This is all because of God’s limiting grace ( restraining grace) to limit the work of the devil and the sin of man. Restrictive grace often brings results through the word of God. For example, God knew that Herod would not repent and asked John the Baptist to preach to him. "Herod feared and protected John because he knew that John was a righteous man and a saint. When he heard what he said, he followed it more. Yes. And listen to him willingly." Mark 6:20. Although Herod did not repent in the end, he did some good deeds because of John's preaching, which was of some benefit to himself and others.
(3) Give those who commit crimes no excuse. When people who don’t believe in God face judgment in the future, they cannot say to God, “I don’t know what sin is, I don’t know how to repent, I don’t know how to believe in Jesus, etc.,” because God has clearly explained it to you (the Lord Jesus said it before, now through the church and believers using the Bible), but you don’t listen.
In fact, Calvinism is a biblical theology that combines God’s sovereignty and human responsibility; free choice (free agent) and free will (free will); God’s common grace and special grace; God’s Issues such as justice (punishing those who deserve their sins) and God’s mercy (God chooses some unworthy people) are clearly analyzed, and the theory of predestination is actually supported by a lot of clear teachings in the Bible! Predestination is absolutely biblical truth.
On the contrary, Arminianism has many contradictions and is really unacceptable:
(1) On the one hand, Arminianism says that human nature has fallen and been corrupted since Adam sinned. , but still insists that human will is free, including the free choice of God and His will.
(2) On the one hand, Arminians say that it is impossible for people to be saved unless they are moved by God’s help, but on the other hand, they also say that people are born with free will and ability. Choose to believe in God.
(3) On the one hand, Arminians say that God has the sovereignty to save people, but on the other hand, they limit God’s sovereignty, saying that God can never and will not save people who do not choose to believe in Him. Choosing God’s will is the most critical factor in people’s salvation. Do they believe in the sovereignty of God or the sovereignty of man?
(4) Arminians say that God loves everyone to the same degree without distinction, otherwise it would be unfair. But the fact is that there are people who live in certain countries and never hear the gospel in their entire lives. Some people who live in pagan countries (such as Islam) have extremely slim chances of believing in the Lord. These are hard facts. There are many people in hell even now. Does God love them as much as He loves His chosen people?
(5) Arminians say that Christ died to atone for the sins of everyone in the world, but the fact is that many people are in hell now! Since the Lord has atoneed for their sins, will they still go to hell? Is there any atonement? What a contradiction.
Maybe you say they don’t cherish the opportunity, so the Lord’s death and His atonement only give the world a chance to be saved, right? So when I said this to you, why did you object?
(6) The Arminians say that God respects people’s will and will not force people to believe (in fact, it is not forcing people, but touching people’s hearts to the point that they believe willingly. Unfortunately, Arminians The sent people exalt man’s will to such an extent that even God does not allow him to do this), so can that person use his free will to give up not believing in God and rejecting salvation after he believes in the Lord? You said no, because once you are saved you are always saved. Then you said at the beginning that God will respect man’s free will? If you say yes, then you are not saved once and for all!
Dear readers, it’s not that I want to attack people, nor that I have no love. I just want to explain that Arminianism is really contradictory and unacceptable. There are things about predestination that are difficult to understand, and there are even more things that I don’t understand. For example, why does God choose these people and not choose those people? What factors does God base his selection on? I really don't know, and I think Paul didn't know either, that it's a mystery, just like the Trinity is a mystery. I don’t understand it, but since it is biblical truth, I will accept it. But I cannot accept some self-contradictory doctrine, such as Arminianism. What about you? If you don’t accept the theory of predestination, I don’t blame you. I just blame me for not speaking well. As long as everyone accepts the gospel of justification by faith, we are also brothers and sisters. I say all this because my conscience truly believes that predestination is God’s truth and is very glorious, and I don’t want anyone to misunderstand it or even hate it. Hope everyone understands.