What Are You?

[DiscipleOfIAm]

It seems there has been a lot of discussion recently about Calvinism in here. Sometimes I cannot tell if the poster is in agreeance or not. I'm trying to figure out what most Baptists are in this arena. Also, when you answer please also state your Baptist affilliation (i.e. SBC, IFB, etc) and if most Baptists in your denomination are in the same agreeance.

So, I pose the question, what are you?

I voted Other. I am neither. I am a OSAS, non-charismatic, non-Calvinist, non-arminianist, KJVO, independent fundamental baptist believer.

God Bless!

[RichardT]

I am a Once Saved Always Saved proponent, not a calvinist.

[arunma]

My church is a member of the Baptist General Conference. It is also more or less "officially" Calvinist. That said, we're not legalistic about Calvinism, since there is a fair share of people who don't believe in the five TULIP points.

[daveleau]

I believe these systems are attempts to fit God into a describable box (an impossible task), and focus on parts of Scripture to make it work. Thus, I am neither Arminian nor Calvinistic. I think both have part of the Truth that is laid out in Scripture.

One of my favorite non-Bible quotes is in my signature. It's by Warren Wiersbe: "Don't be a system disciple, as you might get to Heaven and realize it was not His system." IOW, I try to read all systems and take from them what matches all of Scripture. Wiersbe goes on to say (paraphrase) that strict Calvinists magnify the way God uses His sovereignty to such a point as to deny human responsibility. Strict Arminians so focus on free will that they deny God's sovereignty. There is a happy medium that all of Scripture points to.

[TwinCrier]

I believe both doctrines are severely flawed.

The five points of Arminianism:
1.) God has decreed to save through Jesus Christ those of the fallen and sinful race who through the grace of the Holy Spirit believe in him, but leaves in sin the incorrigible and unbelieving.
2.) Christ died for all men, but no one except the believer has remission of sin.
3.) Man can neither of himself nor of his free will do anything truly good until he is born again of God, in Christ, through the Holy Spirit.
4.) All good deeds or movements in the regenerate must be ascribed to the grace of God but his grace is not irresistible.
5.) Those who are incorporated into Christ by a true faith have power given them through the assisting grace of the Holy Spirit to persevere in the faith, but it is possible for a believer to fall from grace.

The Five Points of Calvinism:
1.) That fallen man was totally unable to save himself. (Total Depravity)
2.) That God’s electing purpose was not conditioned by anything in man. (Unconditional Election)
3.) That Christ’s atoning death was sufficient to save all men, but efficient only for the elect. (Limited Atonement)
4.) That the gift of faith, sovereignly given by God’s Holy Spirit, cannot be resisted by the elect. (Irresistible Grace)
5.) That those who are regenerated and justified will persevere in the faith. (Perseverance of the saints)

The Five Points of TwinCrierism:
1.) That Man must reach out to God of his own free will for God to respond.
2.) Forming a will to seek God does not constitute a work.
3.) Christ died for all men and offers salvation as a free gift which man must accept or reject. The saved have the light buden of witnessing the blood of Christ to the lost world.
4.) The saved man is still capable of sin and sinful man is capable of doing good works.
5.) Man cannot "lose" salvation on accident like one loses their keys, and can only be forfitted by total repentance of salvation.

[jsimms615]

I don't see myself as following all four of the points of calvinism nor do I believe that you can lose your salvation. So, I guess I'm in the middle somewhere. I think the Bible affirms both the free will of man and the sovereignty of God.

J:cool:

[RichardT]

The Five Points of TwinCrierism:
1.) That Man must reach out to God of his own free will for God to respond.
2.) Forming a will to seek God does not constitute a work.
3.) Christ died for all men and offers salvation as a free gift which man must accept or reject. The saved have the light buden of witnessing the blood of Christ to the lost world.
4.) The saved man is still capable of sin and sinful man is capable of doing good works.
5.) Man cannot "lose" salvation on accident like one loses their keys, and can only be forfitted by total repentance of salvation.


I agree with this, it's also David Cloud's position and most IFB..

[DiscipleOfIAm]

I agree with this, it's also David Cloud's position and most IFB..

Me, too! :thumbsup:

[Matthan]

I like this:
"I voted Other. I am neither. I am a OSAS, non-charismatic, non-Calvinist, non-arminianist, KJVO, independent fundamental baptist believer."
I didn't realize there was another me running around this site (LOLOLOLOL)

Matthan

PS: TC, except for #5 I would agree with your post.

[GordonSlocum]

I am much closer to the Armenian view than the Calvinist View.

However, I reject the notion you can be lost once saved.

While I reject both camps I would come closer to the Armenian camp in most things than the Calvinist Camp.

I personally do not want to be considered in either camp. I think for myself and respect others while at the same time firmly disagreeing.

We all need to do our own study and stop depending on Jacob and John to answer all our questions. Get in the Bible and let God mold your hearts.

When we start doing our own real home study then and not until then will whatever you believe become yours.

Lay out all the verses, interrogate them. Ask the tough questions and look for meaning in context.

Are there verses at face value that make you cringe toward you established view?

[RichardT]

"I voted Other. I am neither. I am a OSAS, non-charismatic, non-Calvinist, non-arminianist, KJVO, independent fundamental baptist believer."

Wow, didn't even notice this! completely agreed.

[JacobHall86]

Calvinist and Southern Baptist.

[DiscipleOfIAm]

I like this:

I didn't realize there was another me running around this site (LOLOLOLOL)

Matthan

PS: TC, except for #5 I would agree with your post.

I have heard that everyone on earth has an exact twin somewhere! ;)

[rainbowpromise]

I voted other. I attend a small independant Baptist Church. I prefer KJV but will use other versions. I believe OSAS.

[mlqurgw]

I voted Calvinist but am not a follower of John Calvin. I do believe the 5 points of the Doctrines of Grace are an expression of the truth taught in the Bible concerning both God and man. I am not a great fan of the TULIP acronym either. I prefer:Total depravity; the truth that man is totally given to sin by nature and neither will nor can come to Christ on his own. Unconditional election; the truth that God was under no obligation to save any sinner but in Sovereign mercy chose a people to be the objects of His love and left the rest to their wills. Particular Redemption; that Christ came into the world with a mission and a work to do, to save His people from their sin. He accomplished this by His substitutionary death under the wrath of God as their surety and actually redeemed all He intended to redeem. The argument of efficient and sufficient are nonsense hypotheticals. Effectual calling; that God the Spirit come to the elect sinner and gives him ears to hear the Gospel and eyes to see Christ by regenerating him and making him a new creature in Christ. That is what it is to be born again. A man must first be raised from the dead to be able to respond to the Gospel. The Spirit does His work so effectually that the sinner does willingly come to Christ by faith. Perseverance of the saints; That allwhom the Father chose and gave to the Son, whom the Son redeemed by His blood and the Spirit calls are kept by the power of God in faith until the end.

[Sword-In-Hand]

I voted other.

I don't like being an "ism" or an "ist", although I'm more aligned with Twincrierism than anything.:P

I believe in OSAS, I believe salvation is a choice, I believe denominations suck, I believe in ESVO (kidding), and although I'd like to think that people can't renounce their salvation, I believe that they can.

And to steal words from Ron White, I believe if life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Then find a person where life has given them vodka and have a party.:thumbsup:

Kidding again. I don't drink.

[trinityisunity]

I do not label myself as a calvinist or an arminianist, or even a baptist. I am a Christian.

I am not a osas subscriber or a kjvo ist. God speaks to me through all versions of the Bible I have.

I do worship at a Baptist church and it is part of the South Australian Baptist Union, which I think is inline with the Southern Baptist beliefs.

My wife and I are also Charasmatic, we believe the Spiritual Gifts are still ALL evident today.

[DeaconDean]

Effectual calling; that God the Spirit come to the elect sinner and gives him ears to hear the Gospel and eyes to see Christ by regenerating him and making him a new creature in Christ. That is what it is to be born again. A man must first be raised from the dead to be able to respond to the Gospel. The Spirit does His work so effectually that the sinner does willingly come to Christ by faith.

I voted Calvinist, and like my friend, although I do not agree with all Calvin taught, I do agree with most of it. And I especially like the way this was put friend.

I was raised Independant Baptist, but buy the grace of God, I'm now a Southern Baptist.

But what I really am is:

A sinner saved by grace! Not God's "foreknowledge," but by His Grace Alone!


God Bless

Till all are one.

[Jim1927]

If I wasn't a Calvinist, I would be ashamed of myself, and I wouldn't be a Baptist.

The Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada. Mostly Calvinist. No Arminians. (We may have some Armenians. We don't discriminate when it comes to race.)

The Word, both Christ and the Bible, are the final authorities on all matters of faith and conscience. Until we experience the living Word, we cannot begin to understand the word. God is absolutely sovereign, and can do as He pleases to execute His plan for humanity and the world. The order of His decrees determines who we are in His plan, and not some mythical free-will.

Cheers,

Jim

[BBAS 64]

Good Day,

I am a IFB, that upholds the Doctrines of Grace as being nothing more than the Gospel that some have nick named "calvinism".

"The old truth that Calvin preached, that Augustine preached, that Paul preached, is the truth that I must preach to-day, or else be false to my conscience and my God. I cannot shape the truth; I know of no such thing as paring off the rough edges of a doctrine. John Knox's gospel is my gospel. That which thundered through Scotland must thunder through England again."—C. H. Spurgeon

[MatthewDiscipleofGod]

I am not one or the other. A good number of people I know are not one or another so I don't know why we even try to split people into 2 groups. I believe in eternal security which goes against Arminianism but I also don't believe that God only died for a few people which goes again Calvinism.

[Erinwilcox]

I am a Reformed Baptist (aka Calvinist). But you knew that already! :)

[eldermike]

TULIP Evangelists and Southern Baptists.

Most of the disagreements on this forum are based on issues with hyper-Calvinism. I have not seen what I would call a hyper Calvinists post on this forum even though to some all Calvinists seem to be hyper Calvinists. Someone should start a thread on hyper Calvinism.
The TULIP is consistent with the great commission and the gospel ministry. We should not misunderstand this.

Example: God speaks first - man has no idea what he's hearing, it's like the wind no one knows where it comes from or where it's going (from John). The Truth is known by hearing (biblical). All believers are called to SPEAK. God created man a talker, he named every animal by speaking through obediance.

We will not solve the disagreements on this forum until we leave the doctrines of grace and discuss our ministries. We are not that different.

[rustypjr]

First and for most I am a Christian. I serve and worship at a Southern Baptist Church wich the Lord has blessed me to be a part of. We have a preacher that preaches the Gospel and does not conform to the world views. I believe once saved always saved. For I do not think that there is anything that can take me away from my savior. So take it for what you want.





As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.