Is Calvinism Biblical? Calvinism Refuted With Ephesians 1:3-4

Being chosen by God is a spiritual blessing, and Ephesians 1 says that God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing IN CHRIST. This means that the moment in time where believers receive every spiritual blessing (including being chosen) is the point in time when we come to be in union with Jesus Christ. So at what point in time does this take place for believers? The answer to this question sheds a lot of light on what it looks like for believers to be chosen by God.

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#calvinism #romans9 #reformedtheology

[djohnson]

The thing about Ephesians 1 that is overlooked by calvinism is the fact that nowhere in this passage is salvation mentioned until verse 13, which is when Paul explains when all the previously listed blessings became available to those who are in Christ, which is after trusting in Him after hearing the truth, the gospel of your salvation.

The calvinist doctrine is forced to insert salvation into the text where it doesn't exist.
Calvinists try to claim that adoption, inheritance, holy and without blame, etc are the same thing as salvation.
They're not. They are different words with totally different meanings. They are all a result of salvation.
Are adoption and salvation the same thing? Absolutely not!
The word salvation is used quite often throughout the New Testament... it's used by Paul in other passages.
So why would Paul (or any other author of the Bible) suddenly replace the word salvation with another word that has a different meaning if he really means salvation? Why not just say Chosen for salvation from before the foundation of the world?

The majority of calvinists replace/remove the phrase "that we should be holy and without blame" with the word salvation, making Ephesians 1:4 say "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world for salvation".
This is not what Ephesians 1:4 says in any way, shape, form or fashion.
Verse 3 literally says, "Who has blessed us with every Spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ". Then Paul proceeds to list those blessings.
It's no wonder calvinism starts at verse 4 as a proof text and proceeds to claim that the listed blessings really mean salvation.

Again.... Not one time is salvation mentioned either as a spiritual blessing or implied that only some are chosen for salvation from before the foundation of the world.
Only the blessings are mentioned as predestined for those who are chosen IN HIM. Not those who are chosen "TO BE IN HIM".

With the doctrine of calvinism claiming that Ephesians 1 blessings really means salvation, they are then forced to create other doctrinal beliefs that takes the doctrine even further down an unbiblical rabbit hole, such as regeneration comes before faith, irresistible grace, limited atonement, etc which not one of these beliefs are remotely biblical.
Even one who claims to believe in elected for salvation but doesn't believe in limited atonement is hogwash because one is meaningless without the other. It's the same with the entire TULIP acronym... one piggybacks off the other and if one is removed or "not accepted as true" the rest die a slow, miserable death.

[Bullseyeguy]

Amen brother! I've been trying to point this out to my reformed brother's and sisters for years. Election in the Calvinistic system is outside of Christ and makes Christ secondary. it gives the "elect" some inexplainable connection to the father that is outside of Christ and muddies the water. Scripture is clear that we are chosen IN HIM and anything beyond that is false. Great job on the video, keep it up!

[sigalsmadar]

The question is not, according to calvinists, how does a sovereign God show His love, but rather how does a Loving God demonstrate His sovereignty?
Before God was sovereign over His creation, He was in a loving relationship of Father, Son, and Spirit.
Accepting a gift is no credit to the receiver; it is not a "work" of salvation. Accepting a gift does not involve creating the gift nor offering the gift. That lies within the Sovereignty of God.
Not allowing choice in a relationship is NOT love.

[oldglory]

Very well done! Also, your comment to one of the posts concerning Galatians 2:20 validates “scripture with scripture”. Just as the spiritual blessings of being “crucified with Christ”, or “raised and seated with Him in heavenly places”, did not take place for us in 33 AD, as we were not yet born nor had right relations to Christ been established in space and time, likewise the same applies to the spiritual blessing of being “chosen in Him before the foundation of the world”. It all comes down to a proper understanding of the “in Him”, “in Christ”, “with Christ”, verbiage that Paul uses over and over. Thank you! ✝️📖🙏🏼😇

Thank you for taking your valuable time in giving me your exposition of your above sermon which I totally agree with your concept.

[floriancariazo]

Thank you very much! I can answer now my calvinist Bro.about the chosen before the foundation of the world

[ipaporod]

Since we don't need to believe Calvinism and follow it to be SAVE (only born again Christians from ALL denominations will be saved) then I guess we NON CALVINISTS were predestined (if God has DECREED ALL THINGS, according to Calvinism, then God has DECREED our rejection of Calvinism AS WELL) by Jehovah God to reject both Calvinism and Arminianism and YET BE SAVED.I am a 1-saved by the blood of the Lamb and His resurrection by Grace through Faith 2- bible believing Christian 3-NON_CALVINIST AND NON ARMINIAN AND PROUD OF IT.

[livingwater]

Roman's 16:7
King James Bible
Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, WHO ALSO WERE IN CHRIST BEFORE ME.

Ephesiens 2
 11  Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
 12  That at that time YE WERE WITHOUT CHRIST, being ALIENS from the commonwealth of Israel, and STRANGERS from the COVENANTS of promise, HAVING NO HOPE, AND WITHOUT GOD IN THE WORLD
 13  BUT NOW IN CHRIST JESUS ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

[jarmal]

Love the video! What do you use for the notation on the screen?

[cecilspurlockjr.]

This is simply the traditional view of these passages but because Calvinist discovered u tube they've caused great confusion in THE BODY OF CHRIST as they cramm they're false paradigm into these passages as well as the rest of scripture ..

[craigjoyner]

This is pretty good.

I think scripture is pretty clear. God reconciled the world back to himself, he did so by Jesus shed blood, Jesus sends out the ambassadors of reconciliation (the apostles), and we are urged to be reconciled, by the reconciliation that is now available to us by Jesus accomplished work on the cross, if we have faith in Jesus. No Calvinistic, reformed, regeneration before faith needed.

Calvinism just isn’t biblical.

Colossians 1:20-23 KJV
[20] And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. [21] And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled [22] In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: [23] If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

2 Corinthians 5:18-21 KJV
[18] And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; [19] To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. [20] Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. [21] For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

[christaotto]

This is so well put together! Thank you!

[livingwater]

foreknown is an INTIMATE foreknowledge that only the SON has with the father, Jesus is FOREKNOWN before the FOUNDATION of the world. to be FOREKNOWN by the father is to be in christ, no one was in christ before the FOUNDATION of the world and no one can be FOREKNOWN until you believe and the holy spirit puts you in christ.

[timothyhodges]

God job explaining these truths that are written in Ephesians chapter 1 and 2. We must defend the faith which is in Jesus Christ, not calvinism.

[Joe]

Good explanation but the issue your having if from perspective. From our perspective we are saved in time, but from Gods perspective who is eternal and outside of time we are saved in eternity.
A similar example would be the crucifixion. Jesus was crucified in around 33ad, but scripture also says Jesus was slain before the foundation of the world (Rev. 13).
So yes, in time we are saved from our perspective but from Gods perspective we were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world.

[ipaporod]

Great exposition on salvation/soteriology from a non-calvinist /non-arminian perspective.The bible is very clear, we are saved when we trust Jesus Christ (exercise FAITH in Christ) and after that we are put INTO Christ by the Holy Spirit to be sealed as Jehovah God's chosen people.We CAN NOT be chosen OUTSIDE of Christ.To be IN Christ is exactly the condition that Jehovah God has placed that you MUST meet to be chosen for salvation, outside of Christ there is NO salvation!!!!.

[themasterscall]

Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The Elect are His before the foundation of the world. The Father gives The Elect to the Son. Christ died for His Sheep/The Elect, which is The Bride, that Christ paid for with His blood.

[christopherskipp]

What exactly was "answered?"

[livingwater]

amen amen brother. excellent exegesis of scripture, calvinism just shows that something other then scripture is their authority. God Bless you.
1, 000, 000 LIKES FOR YOUR CLEAR EXPLANATION REFUTING THIS FALSE GNOSTIC BELIEF.

[davevandervelde]

I am a little late to this video but I just read through the comments to see both sides. I met with a older pastor friend of mine earlier this week and explained the non Calvinist interpretation of this text, he chuckled little bit and said this is not new. I will link 2 videos by James White and one by Alistair Begg . I think the only way to see this is that God choose us-personally to create us for the purpose of giving Him glory.