Charles Spurgeon on Calvinism

A small portion of many quotes taken from the sermons of Charles Spurgeon on Calvinism.

[timothy]

I am greatly encouraged by Charles Spurgeon's sermons; my wife bought me a 10 volume set of his preaching. It will take more time than I have to read it all. The sad part about his comment about Calvinism is the fact that the word Calvinism is used to describe doctrines in the Bible. Calvin didn't invent it at all and when others hear the word, they believe Christians are following a mere man's ideas per 1 Corinthians 1:12. This is not true at all, unfortunately the doctrines presented are hard to swallow and bring up common objections. And most objections are based on what the Bible says about God's sovereignty and man's depraved sinfulness. Objections I've heard or read are as follows:


1) It makes God an author of sin or evil (a view God answers in Romans 9:14-18).
2) It makes mankind mere robots (which the Bible doesn't support since it shows man has a will).
3) God predestined some to hell, so they don't have a chance to go to heaven. (The thought here is that God viciously sends sinners to a place they don't deserve while saving others at his whim. We forget the wretchedness of sinful man just based on Romans 3:10-18, 5:5-8, Jeremiah 17:9, Ephesians 2:1-3, and John 15:18-23 for starters.)
4) Calvinists are gnostics. (Which means Calvinists think they have "secret knowledge" that others don't have, like the cults. Yet when Bible verses are clearly presented to support the doctrines, people still think it's something "secret" we have that they don't have. No, they have the same Bible; they either don't believe it or haven't studied it fully.)
5) Calvinists twist scripture, proof-texting all the time. (In other words, Calvinists quote Ephesians 1:4, Romans 9, John 6:44, and other verses, yet they are proof-texting. Yet the opposing side quote John 3:16, 1 Timothy 2:4-6, 2 Peter 3:9, 1 John 2:2, and other verses and they don't proof-text. Wouldn't it be better to study all these verses with an open Bible and prayerful hearts to see what the whole counsel of God says?)
6) Calvin was a wicked murderer. (A form of Ad Hominem attack to avoid going to the scriptures.)
7) Calvinists are arrogant, know it alls. (Yet non-reformed believers never say or write anything nasty? The claim of arrogance can be shown on both sides. While the attitude should be Christ-like on both sides, the plain fact that scripture is what we should be searching for answers per Acts 17:11.)
8) Why would God ask, offer, or command something man is unable to do? (Again, this question is covered in scripture, asked and answered in Romans 9:19-24.)
9) God is a god of love, mercy, and grace. (Agreed. But God is also sovereign, holy, righteous, just, omniscient, and self-existent. In making an argument for God's love in salvation, the non-reformed Christian tends to limit or negate God's other attributes in order to make God's love above all. God's love is great indeed, but it is in concert with His other attributes.)
10) God gave man free will. (Yet nowhere in the Bible does it declare specifically that God did. We have to infer this because God tells sinful mankind to repent, believe, or choose. And God should since mankind knows all about God (Romans 1:18-23) though we don't want to believe. The Bible does show that man's nature is the motivating factor of his will. Mankind can't come to Christ unless God the Father draws them according to John 6:44.)


The bottom line, the objections to these doctrines are easy to attack when you use the word Calvinism as your go ahead. It is also easy to attack when it is based on your feelings and not the whole of scripture. God's sovereignty and man's depravity is the crux of the objection. Even Christians hate the fact that salvation is of God alone; if they don't have something to do with it by their "free" will, then these doctrines are heresy and from the pit of hell. They elevate their finite, wicked will about the holy, infinite (and good) will of God. It took me two years of study before I was fine with the fact that God is God and we are not. Unfortunately many believers are not there yet, but they will find joy unspeakable once they understand it.

[kragoofthemountains]

Thanks for posting this, I remember reading it years ago. So uplifting on a hard day.

[crankycalvinist]

My apologies for misspelling the word "Pelagian". Caught it too late to change it.

[MrSamadolfo]

🙂 yup, i remember back in the day most nonCalvinists bringing up this Preacher, praising him and stuff, nowadays more and more nonCalvinist christians are openly hostile to anyone that is a Calvinist, they treat us like we are in some sort of cult or secret society ✌️☺️ lol ⚖️⚔️

[johndisalvo]

If I was a heretical blasphemous Calvinite, I would be Cranky too, just anticipating the Evanescent grace I’m gonna get very shortly! Can’t repent either! Doomed from the womb!!

[skafan]

sorry but no one is born a "Arminian" and calvinism is far from being anything close to truth in scripture.