Does Calvinism Glorify God?

Dr. James White recently brought a rebuke on social media against this quote from Dr. Flowers: "God is most glorified not at the expense of His creation, but at the expense of Himself for the sake of His creation."

Dr. White seems to think that this statement aligns better with Mormonism than Christianity. LET'S EXPLORE! JOIN US!

[jackdabbs]

This episode is gold, Leighton.

In response to James, we can all agree that God's glory is not dependant on man in any way, including giving man immortality. So, the answer to his question would be no. At the same time, your views rather than Calvinism best reflect the glory that God has.

In addition, when we reflect Christ, we 'share' in his glory.

[melissaschubert]

JW is so excited that “no one caught” his Pearl of Great Price reference - he is just reveling in what he thinks is his brilliance - his way of making people believe he is soooo clever and above everyone else. Just be open and honest about what you are saying and clarify so your opponent can refute. But innuendo and veiled talk masks that he doesn’t want to be clear so he can look so wise. Wisdom is fearing God and humbly loving all by making your thoughts clear so all can understand and believe. Great work exposing the truth in love, Leighton!!!

[N.i.E.M.O]

I always question why Calvinists feel the need to get so offensive against any 'fellow Christian' who doesn't ascribe to their views on free-will and predestination. I mean, if their world-view is correct, it's not even our fault that we reject Calvinism, right? I mean, God is still going to punish us for it, of course, but it's not like we actually have a choice, right? So why do they feel the need to waste their time insulting and arguing with us? Why not just sit back and bask in God's Exclusive Grace and take solace in the joy and glory that will come when we non-Calvinists burn for eternity.

Than again, I guess they can argue that God also drives them to act the way they do too. Man, God sure is confusing. Even more confusing when you consider that he said he "isn't the author of confusion".

[truth]

When James Whites lips move the Devil speaks!
TRUTH IN LOVE

[primeobjective]

"Does misrepresenting your father honor him?"
No.

[ln]

It amazes me how some can spend heroic energy fighting against all the injustices and evils in the world while at the same time believing those are all completely determined by God for his own glory, a happy inconsistency I’d say

[Myrdden]

White's smugness and pride is baffling from someone who claims to be a Christian. What does it matter where the statement comes from? "Truth is truth, whether from the lips of Balaam or Jesus." -- George MacDonald.

[R.L.KRANESCHRADTT]

21:40 Calvinists seem prefer focusing on God's "supreme power" as His most significant attribute. To my mind, many, if not most, would worship not from a position of true love but with an ever-present fear of what God might already have planned to do to them in the end, and they must fear the possibility He may use that supreme power as they might if they had it.
Calvinists often prefer to have a laser focus on their lack of their worthiness and "worm-like" status, (as if that mattered after believing in Christ🙄). Because of this, I don't see how they can ever personally accept or positively affirm their status as the ‘righteousness of God in Christ’. They claim to know God loves only the "elect" but nobody seems know who they are.🤔 And because they never really ‘know’ for sure if they were truly ‘chosen’ for salvation, their hope is more that they are truly 'elected to salvation' rather than trusting in Christ himself. For "if" they are not truly among Calvin's 'elect' they cannot have a lasting trust in what they currently 'think' about Christ.

[truth]

Just have to say. I consider Dr. Leighton Flowers as (practically) a modern day Apostle to reach the lost Calvinists!!!!
Keep up your good work Leighton, you have and will win many Calvinist souls to the Lord Jesus Christ.

TRUTH IN LOVE

[jakeofalltradesmusic]

I find it comforting to hear you say that God doesn't get glory at the expense of His creation.

That's taught a lot in Calvanistic churches, and as someone likely dealing with depression and trauma from abuse and bullying in my childhood, I was tortured by the notion that God was no better than the bullies who beat me up and harrassed me at school; that God was no better than my wife who smashed my head against a concrete wall for not offering her the first sip of my Coke; that God was no better than the pastor who reminded us that we, humans, were made for the purpose of exploitation.

There was a part of me, that Calvanists would insist is the evil heart telling me tempting lies, that God is infinitely glorious apart from anything I do, and that if I did something godly, maybe any "glory" I received from it (oh, he's nice to homeless people or whatever), it is in no way able to eclipse the glory of God and actually contributes to it because God's character is found in someone in His creation. The Calvanist would promote the idea that it wasnt5 _me_ who was nice to a homeless person. God took control of me (who is a horrible son of Satan) to do that nice thing to that other horrible son of Satan.

[markpatterson]

Christ the Son, the true Image of God, is the manifestation of God the Father's glory. Through the Son, the Father's glory or goodness, grace, will, power, awesomeness, and creative work is revealed to us, His creation. That glory is true and omnipresent independent of us. Yet as images of God we can reflect that glory back to God in our small way with gratitude, faith, worship, willingness, obedience, and awe. If we fail to do so due to ingratitude, unfaithfulness, impiety, willfulness, disobedience, and indifference, God's glory still is accentuated in contrast to those sins mentioned.

[EmperrHrde]

If God were the kind of being who stood up in heaven, flexing in front of a mirror, then I can understand how Calvinism would glorify God. He's all about himself, after all. And that's exactly how White seems to see God.

[DookieCakes]

Calvinism, literally comes from Augustine who is the father of the Catholic church, and call themselves reformed, to which I ask: What church were the reformers trying to make reforms in? Augustine was the theologian of the Inquisition, the father of the Catholic church, and since Islam is the only other world religion that teaches predestination, by this logic, Calvinists are Islamic-Catholic Inquisitors.

Augustine cited infant baptism as proof of limited atonement (how some babies were chosen to have original sin washed away with infant baptism, and others weren't), and his own conversion experience as proof of total depravity. Their entire Philosophy (I will not insult theology by calling it that) is based on Augustine's conversion experience. That "E-word" Calvinists hate.

Let me also edit and add that if God is the one who decrees our sins, then there is no need for satan in the Bible. If it is God who decrees sin, and satan has no say, but gets blamed for it, then satan is the scapegoat he claims to be, and God is evil, and the one tempts us. This means that God sends satan to tempt us, so God can make us choose to sin, but then blames both us and satan for it (According to the Calvinists view). Satan, literally claims to be the false victim of God's blame, and if Calvinism is true, Satan is telling the truth.

[ACTSVERSE]

I always love this contradiction: the Calvinist god decrees all things, including sin and evil, but he somehow (mystery!) ceases to be the author of the decrees of sin and evil. This same god determines everything that comes to pass, but he doesn't determine sin and evil?

All this nonsense goes away with the fact there is no passage in Scripture where the real God is ever said to decree all things/whatsoever comes to pass/sin and evil, etc. But Calvinism always wants the Bible to conform to their presuppositions.

[JStevensdk]

Thank you for a reminder of all of the verse quotations in this video. I contend that if God tells the world to do something, but then intentionally blocks them from having the ability to do it, that logically and necessarily makes God a liar and deceiver.

White can only resort to logical fallacies because he has no actual truth on his side. Guilt by association and personal attacks is a clear sign of inability to prove ones point.

[robinduncan]

Thank you for another wonderful broadcast, Dr. Leighton Flowers!!
I Praise God for using you as His servant 🙏♥️♥️♥️🙏

[ultramusiq]

Where does Evil comes from? Adam and Eve had the Devil/Satan to tempt them to fall but who Satan had to tempt him, to make him fall from grace, who or what tempt him to sin, if he had the fear and the spirit of the Lord.

[toomanymarys]

"Allah guides whom he wills and leads astray whom he wills." Tons of verses in the Quran say this. Fundamental to Islam. People in glass houses....

[trailtrs]

Well said. The basic truth of the gospel that converts the soul

[JesseChasteen]

1 John 3:7-8
[7]Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
[8]He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.