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There are many Christians who just have the wrong ideas about Reformed Theology. I dislike when I'm trying to study and there's 1,000 "Calvinism or Reformers Exposed" articles that I have to try to sift through just to get some of my studying done. These articles are spewing out many false accusations about the reformed faith and I'd like to answer some of them since this topic is about whether or not Calvinism is a false denomination. Don't worry, you can argue with my points if you wish, or add additional arguments or questions I'm always open to discussing and studying virtually all Christian theology.
1. Calvinists only believe a few people will be saved and many people will go to hell.
Completely 100% wrong. We believe the exact opposite actually. We believe in what God told Abraham in Genesis 15:5 & Genesis 22:18. We also believe that the "Great Multitude" that John saw during his visit to heaven in Revelation 7:9 are the very sheep that God promised to Abraham and are the very sheep that he chose from before the foundation of the world. I suggest you read these verses carefully because they might change your mind about Reformed theology if you believe in this lie. A few people aren't going to be saved. People as vast as the stars that no man can count are going to obtain salvation. God's sheep come from all around the world from virtually every mainstream denomination, people, and tongue. To deny that is to deny scripture itself and call God a liar.
2. Calvinists believe in a "Wicked, cruel and unjust God."
We do not. We believe the exact opposite. If we believed in a wicked, cruel and unjust God that god would not be the God of the Bible. If anything, Reformed Theology accelerates the grace of God. Look at it this way. If you lived your entire life in ignorance of God not knowing that from the moment you were born (and before that) God was watching over you, eagerly awaiting your birth and had chosen you to be his Child from before he made anything? (Galatians 1:5, Isaiah 44:24, Ephesians 1:4 & tons of more verses). During that time, he made sure you grew up just the way he wanted you to, cried when you cried (Matthew 5:4) just... all out grace throughout your entire life. And then at just the right moment in your life, you hear the gospel. You think about it for a few days but you're like "There's no way that can possibly be true, there's no way it's that easy" and then finally at just the right moment a few days later God completely opens your heart and you just find yourself on your knees pleading with God for forgiveness and to wipe out your sins and from that day foreward you crucify your old self along with Christ. That was my personal conversion experience and if you're completely honest with yourself, yours.
True, there's the issue of the unsaved and how we as humans think that it's "unfair" for God to choose some for hell when he "wanted the whole world to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9). God DOES want the whole world to come to repentance. But, God knows that he desires something that is impossible. God waits for the perfect moment in a persons life to completely open their heart so they come to him in perfect repentance, the way he desires them to. There's a reason Christ hasn't come back yet. And it's not so that more people can freely accept the gospel. It's so that everybody who is written in his book of life will be saved, then he will come with fire and fury. (I didn't forget about the 144,000 Jews that will be saved at the end. But, they're saved and spared on Earth while the tribulation is going on.)
Yes, it seems unfair that God chose some for hell. But who are we to tell God how to be God? To me, this whole free will thing is something that mankind has just come up with to somehow make the reality of hell more bareable. The Bible says time and time again that God chose his sheep from before the foundation of the world, that means YOU were chosen if God gave you faith. And if he didn't, you never know when someone will come to you with the gospel at just the right second and God opens your heart. It can happen at ANY time of your life, even on your very deathbed. As Peter says, God is patient with all of us and comes to us at just the right time in our lives.
3. Calvinism/Reformed Theology isn't Biblical.
To answer this question, I suggest reading Genesis to the end of Revelation with an open mind and an open heart. The apostles say time and time again that Christians were chosen from before the foundation of the world by God, God himself in the Old Testament Calls the Jews "My Chosen People." He promises Abraham time and time again that he chose people from all across the globe in numbers that Abraham nor no man couldn't count. The Angel who came to Joseph and told him not to divorce Mary said "She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) Christ himself says in the gospels "I give my life for the sheep," "I'm dying for the sheep." He seperates the Sheep from the goats, and many of his parables are about his sheep. He says that he knows who his sheep are and his sheep know him. Just... all kinds of stuff.
All throughout the OT God says that a book exists that means life or death and threatens to blot people's names out of said book but, never actually does it. He's always prevented somehow by Moses or some other major biblical figure. We learn about what exactly this book is in Revelation. Revelation confirms everything that Calvinism says. That a book of life existed that God wrote before he formed the world. He wrote everyone who would be saved in that book and God will NEVER erase anyone's name from that book. Those who are written in the book will join God in heaven, those who are not will be judged along with the Devil and his Angels "according to what they have done." Which tells me, there will be varying degrees of punishment for the unbelievers.
All five points of T.U.L.I.P are actually found and taught in scripture. There's a reason that virtually every Christian denomination (and Christian) accepts at least one point of Calvinism as truth. Because, It's a biblical doctrine found in the Bible. Some Churches accept Preserverence of the Saints and Predestination, Some only accept Predestination but put a different spin to it than the Reformers believe it just... goes on and on. If Reformed theology wasn't at least Biblical to a point, don't you think it would have died out a long time ago? Or at least not been partially accepted by virtually every Christian?
4. Calvinists are an unsaved cult like the Mormons or JW.
I wasn't going to touch this but, I figured I'd clear the rumor. First of all a Cult is a religious organization that has beliefs and practices beyond what is traditionally accepted in Christianity.
So, I have a question for you guys now. How do Calvinists have religious beliefs that are outside normal Christianity? We believe in the Trinity just like every other major demonination, We do believe the Gospel as Paul defined in his books, Just like every other Major Denomination, We do accept the divinity of Christ, We do accept that Christ died for the sins of the world (although I have to admit we do look at it differently but only because we have different interpretations of scripture than Arminians do), We do accept that the Triune God as omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient just like everyone else... the list goes on.
Just because we don't believe in freewill (Because the Bible just doesn't really teach freewill when you look at it as a whole. The Bible is chuck full of God saying "You didn't choose me but I chose you.") all of a sudden that's the straw that broke the camels back? What is wrong with believing that God completely sovreign and is in control of everything? The bible teaches that from front page to cover! If God WASN'T completely sovreign and Omnipotent than Satan would have won and overtaken God! But, yet we read from the Bible that he doesn't win and cannot even do a single action without the permission of God! (Job 1:12, 1:6, Matthew 4:1, Revelation 20:10)
If that's not complete sovreignty I don't know what is.
I could go on and prove that Calvinists are in fact just as saved as any other major Christian denomination with scripture but, I honestly see it unnecessary since most of what I said in these "myths" just about covers that Reformed Theology is in fact, solid and Biblical. If it wasn't no major Christian denomination would accept even parts of their beliefs and practices as truth. How can something be a cult when virtually every Christian believes in at least part of what Calvinists do?
You don't see mainstream denominations adopting the belief of Mormons that Jesus was born of the archangel Michael (Or whatever they believe I'm honestly not educated on cults), Or that we all will inherit or our own planet someday, or that hell isn't real and Jesus isn't God in the flesh do you?
Of course not because not only are they unbiblical but they're blasphemy. So... what's the problem with a major religious demnomination consisting of almost 100 million members believing in something only a tad different than Arminianism again? I could attack Arminians for the same reason! (Just because they believe in free will, or that some of them reject preserverance of the saints) but, I'm not going to because God commanded me to love other believers.
There's more, but these are the main ones and this has gone on long enough. I'm interested in your replies and to see what you all think about Reformed Theology.
1. Calvinists only believe a few people will be saved and many people will go to hell.
Completely 100% wrong. We believe the exact opposite actually. We believe in what God told Abraham in Genesis 15:5 & Genesis 22:18. We also believe that the "Great Multitude" that John saw during his visit to heaven in Revelation 7:9 are the very sheep that God promised to Abraham and are the very sheep that he chose from before the foundation of the world. I suggest you read these verses carefully because they might change your mind about Reformed theology if you believe in this lie. A few people aren't going to be saved. People as vast as the stars that no man can count are going to obtain salvation. God's sheep come from all around the world from virtually every mainstream denomination, people, and tongue. To deny that is to deny scripture itself and call God a liar.
2. Calvinists believe in a "Wicked, cruel and unjust God."
We do not. We believe the exact opposite. If we believed in a wicked, cruel and unjust God that god would not be the God of the Bible. If anything, Reformed Theology accelerates the grace of God. Look at it this way. If you lived your entire life in ignorance of God not knowing that from the moment you were born (and before that) God was watching over you, eagerly awaiting your birth and had chosen you to be his Child from before he made anything? (Galatians 1:5, Isaiah 44:24, Ephesians 1:4 & tons of more verses). During that time, he made sure you grew up just the way he wanted you to, cried when you cried (Matthew 5:4) just... all out grace throughout your entire life. And then at just the right moment in your life, you hear the gospel. You think about it for a few days but you're like "There's no way that can possibly be true, there's no way it's that easy" and then finally at just the right moment a few days later God completely opens your heart and you just find yourself on your knees pleading with God for forgiveness and to wipe out your sins and from that day foreward you crucify your old self along with Christ. That was my personal conversion experience and if you're completely honest with yourself, yours.
True, there's the issue of the unsaved and how we as humans think that it's "unfair" for God to choose some for hell when he "wanted the whole world to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9). God DOES want the whole world to come to repentance. But, God knows that he desires something that is impossible. God waits for the perfect moment in a persons life to completely open their heart so they come to him in perfect repentance, the way he desires them to. There's a reason Christ hasn't come back yet. And it's not so that more people can freely accept the gospel. It's so that everybody who is written in his book of life will be saved, then he will come with fire and fury. (I didn't forget about the 144,000 Jews that will be saved at the end. But, they're saved and spared on Earth while the tribulation is going on.)
Yes, it seems unfair that God chose some for hell. But who are we to tell God how to be God? To me, this whole free will thing is something that mankind has just come up with to somehow make the reality of hell more bareable. The Bible says time and time again that God chose his sheep from before the foundation of the world, that means YOU were chosen if God gave you faith. And if he didn't, you never know when someone will come to you with the gospel at just the right second and God opens your heart. It can happen at ANY time of your life, even on your very deathbed. As Peter says, God is patient with all of us and comes to us at just the right time in our lives.
3. Calvinism/Reformed Theology isn't Biblical.
To answer this question, I suggest reading Genesis to the end of Revelation with an open mind and an open heart. The apostles say time and time again that Christians were chosen from before the foundation of the world by God, God himself in the Old Testament Calls the Jews "My Chosen People." He promises Abraham time and time again that he chose people from all across the globe in numbers that Abraham nor no man couldn't count. The Angel who came to Joseph and told him not to divorce Mary said "She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) Christ himself says in the gospels "I give my life for the sheep," "I'm dying for the sheep." He seperates the Sheep from the goats, and many of his parables are about his sheep. He says that he knows who his sheep are and his sheep know him. Just... all kinds of stuff.
All throughout the OT God says that a book exists that means life or death and threatens to blot people's names out of said book but, never actually does it. He's always prevented somehow by Moses or some other major biblical figure. We learn about what exactly this book is in Revelation. Revelation confirms everything that Calvinism says. That a book of life existed that God wrote before he formed the world. He wrote everyone who would be saved in that book and God will NEVER erase anyone's name from that book. Those who are written in the book will join God in heaven, those who are not will be judged along with the Devil and his Angels "according to what they have done." Which tells me, there will be varying degrees of punishment for the unbelievers.
All five points of T.U.L.I.P are actually found and taught in scripture. There's a reason that virtually every Christian denomination (and Christian) accepts at least one point of Calvinism as truth. Because, It's a biblical doctrine found in the Bible. Some Churches accept Preserverence of the Saints and Predestination, Some only accept Predestination but put a different spin to it than the Reformers believe it just... goes on and on. If Reformed theology wasn't at least Biblical to a point, don't you think it would have died out a long time ago? Or at least not been partially accepted by virtually every Christian?
4. Calvinists are an unsaved cult like the Mormons or JW.
I wasn't going to touch this but, I figured I'd clear the rumor. First of all a Cult is a religious organization that has beliefs and practices beyond what is traditionally accepted in Christianity.
So, I have a question for you guys now. How do Calvinists have religious beliefs that are outside normal Christianity? We believe in the Trinity just like every other major demonination, We do believe the Gospel as Paul defined in his books, Just like every other Major Denomination, We do accept the divinity of Christ, We do accept that Christ died for the sins of the world (although I have to admit we do look at it differently but only because we have different interpretations of scripture than Arminians do), We do accept that the Triune God as omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient just like everyone else... the list goes on.
Just because we don't believe in freewill (Because the Bible just doesn't really teach freewill when you look at it as a whole. The Bible is chuck full of God saying "You didn't choose me but I chose you.") all of a sudden that's the straw that broke the camels back? What is wrong with believing that God completely sovreign and is in control of everything? The bible teaches that from front page to cover! If God WASN'T completely sovreign and Omnipotent than Satan would have won and overtaken God! But, yet we read from the Bible that he doesn't win and cannot even do a single action without the permission of God! (Job 1:12, 1:6, Matthew 4:1, Revelation 20:10)
If that's not complete sovreignty I don't know what is.
I could go on and prove that Calvinists are in fact just as saved as any other major Christian denomination with scripture but, I honestly see it unnecessary since most of what I said in these "myths" just about covers that Reformed Theology is in fact, solid and Biblical. If it wasn't no major Christian denomination would accept even parts of their beliefs and practices as truth. How can something be a cult when virtually every Christian believes in at least part of what Calvinists do?
You don't see mainstream denominations adopting the belief of Mormons that Jesus was born of the archangel Michael (Or whatever they believe I'm honestly not educated on cults), Or that we all will inherit or our own planet someday, or that hell isn't real and Jesus isn't God in the flesh do you?
Of course not because not only are they unbiblical but they're blasphemy. So... what's the problem with a major religious demnomination consisting of almost 100 million members believing in something only a tad different than Arminianism again? I could attack Arminians for the same reason! (Just because they believe in free will, or that some of them reject preserverance of the saints) but, I'm not going to because God commanded me to love other believers.
There's more, but these are the main ones and this has gone on long enough. I'm interested in your replies and to see what you all think about Reformed Theology.
