Does God “Love” The Non-Elect In Calvinism?

Acts 13:48 de-Calvinized by Dr. Leighton Flowers @Soteriology101

The topic of Calvinism is something that I have personally spent a lot of time studying and thinking about for the past decade. In recent years this theology has grown a lot in popularity, being propagated by popular and prominent pastors and christian leaders like John Piper, John Macarthur, RC Sproul and ministry organizations like the Gospel Coalition, Desiring God, Ligonier Ministries and Apologia Studios.

This theology is based on a particular understanding of passages like Romans 9, John 6 and Ephesians 1, which are interpreted by Calvinists in a way that results in the conclusion that God has determined before the foundation of the world which individuals he will save and has ultimately created a countless mass of humanity throughout history for the purpose of condemning them to eternal torment in hell for committing sins that he himself determined that they commit. This may be a bit more of an abrasive and pointed way of putting it, but I think if you come to understand the claims and beliefs of the theologians mentioned above who teach these doctrines, you will see that this is an accurate and honest representation of their ultimate conclusions.

I personally find the view of God that is communicated in Calvinism to be immoral and a gross misrepresentation of what the bible actually describes God to be like. Although I do have moral and emotional apprehensions toward this theology, that is not ultimately the reason why I came to reject it. I came to reject it on biblical grounds. After examining the many Calvinistic proof texts like Romans 9 and Ephesians 1, I became convinced that Calvinists are simply misunderstanding and misinterpreting these texts.

I make videos about this topic because I believe that bad theology is harmful to people - emotionally, mentally and spiritually. My goal in making videos like this is not to demonize Calvinists who teach these things or to say they are evil heretics or anything of the sort, but to simply explain why I strongly disagree with their conclusions and offer what I consider to be a better way of understanding the many biblical texts that are often used to support these views.

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#calvinism #apologiastudios #noncalvinist #calvinist #LeightonFlowers #soteriology #Predestination #Calvinism #Provisionism #Calvinist #Salvation #calvinismdebate #christianity

[primeobjective]

In Calvinism, God loves the non-elect like a farmer loves the pigs he raises. The farmer; for the day of slaughter to satisfy his appetite. In Calvinism, to burn them forever to satisfy His wrath.

[Ahgsb]

Calvinism or not, those who do the will of God will be saved. pray to God for his miracle and power to change you and you will be fruitful. Amen

[Objectivetruth]

““I have loved you, ” says the Lord. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.””
‭‭Malachi‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

[mikelyons]

It (Calvinism) perverts the Love of John 3:16 & teaches the opposite of John 3:17...so sad.

[aletheia]

2 John 1:6 And *THIS IS LOVE/AGAPE*, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

The doctor of theology can’t even find the correct definition of love in the Bible.

Is God not patient with the ones that he hates?

This guy might be the greatest common in the Internet has ever seen.

[michaellietz]

Yes God’s love is also called agape-love. It is sacrificial love & it cannot fail because it’s a gift given expecting nothing in return.
1Cor 13:8

[timothy]

Leighton Flowers often does this: he says it would be unloving for God to judge sinners for what they're unable to do, but Romans 9:14-24 covers those objections. Agape love isn't defined by us thinking that God displays His love to the unsaved and saved equally. Romans 8:35-39 shows the distinction as it pertains to His love for believers (there's no way this applies to the unrepentant sinner).

In addition, we can't separate God's love from His other attributes, particularly His wrath and righteous hatred. When we read Romans 9:13 and base it on the context of Malachi 1:2 alone without understanding Paul's context of sovereign election in Romans 9, we make the hatred corporal and not personal. But there are still individuals in a corporate group. Plus verses like Psalm 5:4-6, 11:5, and Proverbs 6:16-19 shows that the Lord actually hates and abhors sinners directly. Wicked sinners rightly deserve God's wrath and hatred, but don't deserve the love God shows them by common grace

[larrybedouin]

God's commandments are a transcript of the Divine character which can be summarized in the word love.

[whirlwindmgtow]

I can destroy both Calvinism AND Arminianism using the Bible’s own verses. The problem is that both of these concepts are true at the same time—even though they logically contradict each other. Does God predestine and is God the one who calls? Yes. But can man repent and, as the Bible says, choose to walk the straight and narrow path? Yes. Well, these are seeming contradictions. But the Bible 100% supports BOTH of these concepts. Take it or leave it. Some things we will never fathom.

[starsareangels]

It's unconditional love in the sense that God is sure to save His elect. He will pull the strings and Will keep them. Its not unconditional love towards the nonelect. That's the answer. He uses them to test those who He loves.

There is an uncertainty of salvation outside of the calvinist perspective its up to you to keep yourself. That's the thought anyways. God wants to toss you away or you can hop out of his hand these wouldn't even logically apply at all to the calvinist perspective. I am saying God loves the elect unconditionally meanwhile you guys say things like it's up to us to become loved and stay loved that sounds like an abusive relationship. Just listen to the song perfect by simple plan. That's how most of you see God if you're being honest.

[Echarterisc]

Dr.Leighton, Very few Christians know this, But none of the reprobates will be saved because they are the children of the devil as Jesus revealed.. Only the elect will be saved because they are the children of God..

[markxivlxii]

I have been waiting for Leighton to actually exegete scripture instead of eisegete it. Looks like we'll be kept waiting. He ignores the context and application of scripture such as 1 Cor 13 and attempts to apply this strict reading onto God. He expect God to only act in such and such a way. We as creatures have various way we love and we are finite. How much more could an infinite being, God, express emotions such as love. Leighton seems to think God is not patient and yet....
"What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—"

[cecilspurlockjr.]

Of course CHRIST JESUS loves all of HIS creation and HE loves all of HIS creation so much that he came to reconcile ALL things in heaven and earth unto HIMSELF through the power of HIS BLOOD collossians 1:20 and HE tasted death for every man according to Hebrews 2:9 and is a propituation for our sins and not only ours but for the sins of the whole world 1 John 2:2 therefore the grace that brings salvation has appeared to all men Titus 2:11 .. Thank you, GOD bless you brother Leighton

[troyisakson]

You are trying to understand what we cannot understand. And that's the fact that God knows everything past present and future. To have that ability is beyond our comprehension. We need to stop trying.

[Echarterisc]

Example of the reprobates can be found in John 8:44 where Jesus said :
"YE are of your FATHER the DEVIL, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

Example of the Electcan be found in Romans: 8:14-16 where it says: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
"

[edsnyder]

2 Peter 2:11 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not, and shall utterly perish in their own corruption!

[timothy]

All of God's attributes are interconnected, therefore you can't take God's love and redefine it to me He can only have wrath against who we think He can. That is God that decides that. This is the reason we need to be careful about lowering God to man-made standards; His knowledge and wisdom is beyond our comprehension (Romans 11:33-36) if not laid out in scripture specifically.

And the analogy of a human parent and his child doesn't apply to God and unrepentant sinners. Unrepentant sinners hate God (John 15:18-23, Romans 8:7-8) and they love their rebellious nature of sin (Romans 3:9-20, Jeremiah 17:9, Ephesians 2:1-3, 1 John 3:4, etc.). They are not children of God until God chooses them, saves them through the Gospel message, and sanctifies them unto glorification. Until that happens, unrepentant sinners are enemies of God that don't deserve salvation at all. That is the reason it is the mercy, grace, and love of God that saves them, not because they're children that are disobeying a parent. No, they're disobeying the lawgiver, judge, and king (Isaiah 33:22).

[josephalvinalmedatv]

God's standard of what is good is based in His own standards not human opinions, philosophy. You can argue all day about how God chose to save that He alone knows why. Pointless emotional, rationalist argument. We know you hold on to a semi pelagian gospel.

[lueValentine]

Before the foundation of the world God knew who would accept him & who would reject him (free will). The ones that would accept him are the elect. The non-elect are never going to accept him. That is their choice.
God is Love he sent his only Son to die on the cross for the elect. That is love. I wouldn’t send my son to die for people. God is also just and holy. God has a holy wrath that he must satisfy because he is just.

[larrybedouin]

For the wages of sin is death; (not hell;) but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
{Romans 6:23}

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such *the second death* hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
{Revelation 20:6}

...
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. *This is the second death*

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
{Revelation 20:14-15}

The saints of the first resurrection of life.

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, [hell] where is thy victory?