The Gnostic Gospel of Calvinism in the Westminster Confession of Faith

Discussing the Gospel according to Calvinism, showing what they believe in the Westminster Confession of Faith to prove it teaches a false gnostic gospel. We also hear briefly from Leighton Flowers of Soteriology 101 and Alana L discuss whether or not Calvinist believe the true Gospel of Jesus Christ while at the same time believe the 5 points of Calvinism known as the Doctrines of Grace or TULIP. Is that even possible?

Correction: At approximately the 17 minute mark I said James White adheres to the Westminster Confession of Faith. While James White affirms the distinctive doctrines of Calvinism in the Westminster Confession of Faith, he often refers to adhering to the other fully Calvinistic confession of faith, the 1689 London Baptist Confession of faith.

#Calvinism #Doctrineofelection #ReformedTheology #JesusIsLord #FaithonFire

[marymckay]

I have no words to express how much this message helped me. It was the word Gnosticism in the title that did it. It would take too long to explain the burden I have had as of late concerning a Bible study group I'm attending. I thank God mightily for both the message and your heart for HIM and HIS sheep to bring it.

[salvadaXgracia]

"A different Jesus than the one you know." I feel this. I was raised Calvinist but it wasn't something we focused on and I didn't really think about it. I was so young and there was still so much I didn't understand that it was easy to brush it aside and just think "I'll understand when I'm older." But I got saved as a young child and fell in love with the real Jesus from the Bible. When I grew up and got married we found a good church and everything was great. We moved a couple times and found good church each time but when we moved again we started attending a Presbyterian church and really got confronted with Calvinism. I was primed to believe it but really letting myself think about it and its implications made me feel like God was way less loving and less merciful than I thought he was. But we were led astray for 11 years by some bad proof texting and bad philosophy. I wish I had listened to the voice inside (the Holy Spirit?) that said "something isn't right". But we are taught that our hearts are deceitful and we are hopelessly sinful (yes even as Christians) so we can't trust our own thoughts, just trust the Bible (but really it's their interpretation of the Bible which is deterministic philosophy). I am so thankful to be free of that and know the true and loving and merciful Jesus that He is!

[freeguy]

Amen. I don't care if every preacher in American is a Calvinist, I will never accept this false doctrine.

[historymajor]

Thank you so much for this series…I didn’t know what Calvinism was until I started going to college (Liberty University), and a lot of my friends are Calvinists. Over time, both their influence and the influence of some professors had made me start looking at Calvinism/Reformed theology and I have found myself gradually aligning with it (with many reservations, since I have always seen Calvinism’s blatantly unbiblical aspects like limited atonement). There is definitely a pressure from these people that you HAVE to pick a position or you aren’t saved/are lukewarm or something, and for someone like me who grew up nondenominational or Baptist at best, these topics were new to me and, having no way to answer these hard questions about “election” and “predestination”, I clung to what I was familiar with (my friends’ Calvinism).

It has been a struggling point for me for a LONG time because of how passionate, knowledgeable, and seemingly genuine Calvinists are, which contributes to how convincing their theological position is. Thank you for helping me finally reject Calvinism as a legitimate belief system for a born again Christian.

[sharonlouise]

Good segment. The biggest problem is that Calvinism creates a world-view for the Christians who believe it. If only stayed within a certain category, then it wouldn't be as bad, but it doesn't. It infects every single way that you read Scripture and the way you live out your Christian life. Bottom line: Calvinism begins its life as a philosophy of determinism. Determinism is a philosophy that even many atheists believe. When you begin with that belief then you have to make everything you read in Scripture conform to that belief. It doesn't begin with Scripture but with philosophy and Calvinism is full of philosophy.

[ShowCat]

Calvinism: a puny doctrine for a puny god. I was walking with Christ for 20 years when I began to be gaslighted, descending into a Calvinist cavern for 23 years. But praise God, the Way, the Truth, the Life, and the Word led me out of the darkness into the bright sunlight of God's love once again.

[terencealbertmcbain]

Thank you, Brian, I was a big follower of Pastor John MacArthur for a number of years and never knew what Calvinism was so thank you for opening my eyes to this false gospel.

[bellkatz]

Last year, our family left a United Methodist Church after many years. We began attending a non-denominational church and have been fed and filled by the depth of the scriptural teaching. However, in time, we have come to realize there is a heavy push of Calvinism. I began researching the TULIP model they adhere to and am unsettled by questions I have about this. Thank you for your clear explanations and scripture references that have helped immensely!

[walkwithtom]

This is why I say I'm going to heaven like the thief on the cross, because I asked and he said I could.

[malvokaquila]

By the way for anyone interested in more information on the Gnostic roots of Calvinism please read, "The Foundation of Augustinian-Calvinism" by Dr. Ken Wilson. In the later period of Augustine's life he imported the Gnostic interpretations of the text right out of his Manichaeism roots to combat Pelagius. After his conversion out of this Gnostic cult he wrote like every other church father all the way back to Jesus. Literally no one in the whole of church history interpreted the text of scripture in this manner until Augustine.

[marialamb]

You know what got me about Calvinism when I got into it briefly for a year ….first I was wow I don’t deserve it, that God chose me, but then my next thought was about those who are not chosen by no choice of their own and I felt for them and I thought if I feel sad for them, certainly God does and why would God do that to himself Because I certainly can’t love sinners more than God does. I did not like this at all and I just prayed and prayed and said Lord, if this is of you help me to accept it, but I don’t like it.
Well, God delivered me out of it. And that’s why I believe Calvinism has a spirit of bondage about it……their spiritual eyes are darkened. They cannot see. They absolutely cannot see.

So now I can see both sides which is really cool. And I see how they are false.
After God delivered my mind from this nonsense, I was so happy and I was like “oh thank you thank you thank you. I’m so glad that you love everybody and everybody can come to you if they will choose to come to you.” ❤❤❤

[MichaelAndrews-uygl]

Why would God create someone and just throw them away, because they were not chosen? Why would he make promises to people if they couldn't accept what he said? There would be no point in making promises, if they didn't have the capability to accept it. The chosen part is easily understood, if we realize that God has foreknowledge, and can see into the future and see who accepts or rejects the Gospel. Only He knows for sure who will be saved and who won't be. We don't...that's why we are free to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. God does the saving by the Holy Spirit...leading them to Christ through His word.

[cecilspurlockjr.]

When people make the claim that calvinism is the gospel of CHRIST then those people are teaching a false gospel and become not only an enemy of the gospel but an enemy of CHRIST JESUS HIMSELF as well .

[springflowerblosomnorris]

There's two options for the people:
1. Believe the bible and put the scriptures in practice as it is written.
2. Believe man's interpretation of the bible.

Please consider Jeremiah 17:5 before you make your choice:

Jeremiah 17:5 KJV — Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.


And here's the blessing for those who choose GOD'S scriptures and REST in it.
Jeremiah 17:7-8

Jeremiah 17:7 KJV — Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
8For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

All glory to Lord God Almighty and Jesus Christ my savior, blessed be his NAME forever and ever.
Numbers 6:24-27
Revelation 22:16-17

[bryannixon]

I really believe that this recent surge in Calvinism has reached its peak. You are seeing a lot of people such as yourself pushing back against it, exposing the heresy of it. I think it is about to start declining, and hopefully won't see another upsurge during our lifetimes!

[st.christopher]

Thank you for defending the true faith once delivered to the saints nearly 2000 years ago. The spirit that influenced John Calvin was a demon of false doctrines which has shipwrecked the faith of many saints. It leads to arrogance on one hand (for those who believe they are special as one of the few that God loved rather than one of the many that God hated) and fear, hopelessness, and depression for those who struggle with doubt that they may not be one of the elect. Do not quench the Spirit of God and continue to stir up that gift that is within you. We need more like you. Grace and peace in Christ.
✝️🙏🏼😇

[richbaker]

I was asked by a Calvinist pastor, "Would you be glad you made a choice for Jesus when you get to heaven?" I said "Yes!". he said, "Then you stole the glory from God". Huh? Because I'm happy in Heaven for choosing Jesus, then that somehow TAKES glory from God? Hogwash. Basically, the Calvinist makes "belief" a work, and since we can't get there by our works, then God must have believed for us? Hogwash. God gave EVERY ONE OF US FAITH. It's up to us to either ACCEPT it or REJECT it. That isn't work, it's faith, and Paul beats a dead horse saying the faith and works are completely DIFFERENT THINGS. But the Calvinist says otherwise?

Nope, I'll stick with the Bible.

[melissaschubert]

Oh my - this is just so so so so true - false and destructive!! But He is always faithful to pull His children out - praise our magnificent Savior❤️

[clarkl]

@14:00😮Whoa...so, YOU just made this make sense! It seems that Being saved by Election is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT than being Saved by Christ🤯

[FC-qimy]

Thanks for unpacking this historic confusinng subject on calvinism n opening the teaching of the true gospel. The gospel as the whole Bible has to be taught correctly in its context.