Why do most Christians resist Calvinism?

Dr. Leighton Flowers, Director of Evangelism and Apologetics for Texas Baptists, answers the question, "Why do most Christians resist Calvinism" by looking at how prominent Calvinists have answered that question.

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[rayhoskins]

Thank you. I needed this. I just left a Baptist church where I found out the pastor is a Calvinist. He had me and my family questioning our salvation or even if we could be saved at all.

[asg]

I gave my heart to Jesus 40 years ago, and I have been a diligent student of the word every since. It amazes me how complicated people make the gospel of Jesus Christ. You can always interpret the word the way that you think it should go, and I have been studying Calvinism with an open mind and heart, and have found it contrary to the word of God when you put it all together this is the way I see it.

[jonathanmcentire]

Calvinists: "Non-Calvinists are arrogant!"
Also Calvinists: "Non-Calvinists don't believe like we do because they're uneducated."

[bippie]

In my experience... I found most (not all), Calvinist/Reformed to be very arrogant, condescending, and dismissive... and they will often by their words and demeanor boast of their humility. Go back and listen to the Calvinists in this video with these words in mind!

[PETERJOHN]

Have you noticed how important it is for Calvinists to spread their theology, as if these doctrines are the Gospel? In fact, it's a whole other gospel.

[davidm]

Thank you for this!! I have been under great confusion trying to wrap my head around Calvinism. Thank you Christ for Your mercy and grace.

[jeremiahmalsack]

Calvinism kept me under the weight of my sin. It told me I had no ability to accept the empowerment given to me to overcome it. It seemed my wanting to please and serve him because of his grace wasn't enough, It caused me to not believe in his continuing work in my life. I came under the assumption that since he wasn't causing me to act in such a way as to be one who was predestined to be his, I was convinced by that definition that I had no hope of being saved. It was destructive.

[EmperrHrde]

Calvinism drove me away from Christianity. God was patient with me, and gently led me back. I now go to an Orthodox church, and it's the best decision I ever made.

[dorianjohnson]

“God is sovereign over who sees his sovereignty.” 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[rodrocketon]

If you are in, you are in - nothing can change it. If you are out, you are out - nothing can change it. So, they say, "But believers should want to please God and obey Him." This is after they have labored and labored to convince me of Total Depravity and my complete inability to do anything good of my own volition. I have never heard a single Calvinists explain how a just God arbitrarily chooses some to go to hell WITHOUT ANY HOPE OF SALVATION. They say, "You are questioning His sovereignty." I say, "No, I am questioning your view of His character."

[peralopenaify]

JOHN CALVIN


—WHEN A MAN REPLACES GOD, THAT IS A CULT.


—WHEN A CHURCH IS CENTERED AROUND A MAN, ITS A CULT.


-IF BEING RIGHT WITH GOD REQUIRES ME TO BE RIGHT WITH A MAN OF GOD, THAT IS A CULT.

[ninjason]

Why then was it important to “preach the gospel to all nations”. If the true elect will turn to God out of pure predestination then there’s no need for the great commission.

[robanddawnramcharan]

More interesting question: Why is it so important to Calvinist what the reprobates (who can't benefit from belief in Calvinism anyway) think?

[dan-lansingmi]

When you read “chosen” scriptures, just substitute your thinking that it purports “chosen for “salvation” with “chosen for service”.

[theTavis]

"Why do most Christians resist Calvinism?" Because it's a poisoned apple. But if you call a Calvinist out on the poison, they'll just point at the apple and claim innocence.

[milo_thatch_incarnate]

I’m a young Christian, and I have been watching so many videos from both Calvinists and Armenians about this issue, back-and-forth and back-and-forth, without being able to understand any simple and clear answer based on God‘s nature. In 15 minutes, you’ve provided a more clear and more (I believe) biblically sound answer than any other video I’ve watched. Thank you.

[dannymcculloch]

"The true definition of a snob is one who craves for what separates men rather than what unites them"
This quote from John Buchan sums up for me, everything that is wrong with Calvinism.
Calvinism is theological snobbery, plain and simple.

[davidgatzke]

Amen
I don’t know if i was blessed or cursed but I used to work with three calvinist and they would literally almost jump on me every day trying to get me to convert yet I was believer longer than all of them put together and the Bible is clear it is a covenant relationship between him and us it did make me dive deeper into the word testing what they said so my faith grew
And in that i was blessed

[briward]

Why do we resist Calvinism? Well, On balance the Calvinist systematic sees God as primarily a devouring, wrathful being, Who desperately needs to be continually expressing His wrath, condemnation and judgment to be most fulfilled and glorified. Scripture, on the other hand, would show God as reluctantly expressing His wrath and judgment, and desiring to show love, grace and mercy to ALL of His creation.



When you get deep into Calvinism what does it really teach? As in Reprobation.

In their system, God on purpose and irresistibly created only a few people to be LOVED by Him but in stark contrast He irresistibly created many, many more to be the Objects of His HATRED with NEVER an option to be LOVED by Him. This HATRED of man is NOT an outcome of man’s free choice it is totally by God’s purposeful and deliberate design, man had nothing to do with this. All of this was decided by God alone in eternity past before any man existed.



 Yes, a few are created to be Loved BUT many, many more people are on purpose created to be HATED by God and have always been HATED by Him and ONLY ever will be Hated by God.
In Calvinism HE already hates them in eternity past. He created them FOR no other purpose except damnation, judgment and wrath. In Calvinism, God deliberately created and designed these two groups, they were irresistibly created differently by God, one group was ALWAYS created to be “Special and loved” and the other group was ALWAYS created to be “despised, hated and rejected”. Once again it is important to understand God’s eternal hatred of this vast multitude of mankind is NOT an outcome of man’s free choice it is totally by God’s purposeful, deliberate and Sovereign design alone. In Calvinism, this is what it means for God to be Sovereign.


1. Group one is IN – they are designed to be Loved, Accepted, Embraced, destined for heaven. This group has always been Selected to be a part of this “Special Good group”. They were always created FOR HEAVEN and ONLY FOR HEAVEN no other option was ever available to them except HEAVEN. The Calvinist sees himself in this group.

2. Group two is OUT – God never loved them, never intended to love them, He always hated them, He never pursued them, they were never wanted by their creator, they were always created FOR HELL and ONLY FOR HELL. They were irresistibly created FOR this ONE purpose, HELL. No other purpose was ever available to them, this was God’s divine decree, design and choice and HIS alone. The vast majority of His image bearers (people) were created by God deliberately FOR this single destiny and ONLY for this destiny. The God of Calvinism NEEDS the majority in HELL so that HE can be fully glorified that is why He deliberately designed the vast majority FOR HELL and ONLY FOR HELL. Now, the Calvinist sees most of his peers as being created by God for this purpose ALONE.


Scripture, however, shows God as one who reluctantly expresses His wrath and judgment, one who “is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Pet. 3:9. The God of scripture is not one who creates people so that He can express His wrath on them.
Scripture shows God’s heart of genuine mourning over those who reject His gift of salvation genuinely extended towards them.
Mat 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to her, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not!
We consistently see in scripture a God who reluctantly punishes and would rather see all choose to avoid His judgment.
Eze 33:11 Say to them: As I live, says the Lord Jehovah, I have no delight in the death of the wicked, except in the turning of the wicked from his way, and so to live. Turn, turn from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel?

That however is NOT the picture painted by the Calvinist systematic. The Calvinist doctrine shows God as desiring and purposefully orchestrating every event so that the vast majority of people will ONLY be able to experience His wrath, hatred, damnation and judgment. To this sad group, God never gives any other option whatsoever except eternal damnation. His genuine love and mercy are never extended towards them, ONLY His wrath and judgment. That is what TULIP teaches.

Under Calvinism the Reprobate does not experience these horrific things because of their free choices but instead by God’s willful and deliberate design and HE Alone purposing them to be Objects of His wrath. They are objects of His wrath because He deliberately designed them FOR Hell and only for HELL they were never given any other option by their creator. Under Calvinism God seems to get greater glory by expressing His wrath and judgment than by expressing His Love, Grace and Mercy. This is revealed by the disproportionate number of people God purposefully and irresistibly creates to be the objects of His wrath versus the few He creates to be loved by Him.
Warning: The Deeper you go in Calvinism the worse it gets.

[SergeantJackHarris]

"God is most glorified in the grace shown to all His enemies, not His ability to control them." Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. I agree with this 100%. Thank you for saying this.