Calvinism: A Major Heresy

Calvinism, like any theological framework, has faced various criticisms and challenges from both within and outside the Christian community. Here are some common criticisms of Calvinism:

Limited Atonement:
One significant point of contention is the doctrine of limited atonement, which teaches that Christ's atonement is only specifically for the elect. Critics (like me) argue that this view appears to limit the scope of God's love and the universal offer of salvation presented in the Bible. John 12:47
"if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world." Sounds to me like the offer is for everyone.

Determinism and Free Will:
Calvinism's emphasis on God's sovereignty and predestination has been criticized for seemingly downplaying human free will. I argue that a deterministic view may undermine human responsibility and moral agency, as it suggests that everything, including salvation, is predetermined by God. Mark 7:9 "And he (Jesus) said unto them, "Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition." Sounds like Jesus was referring to man's free will. The Pharisees chose to reject the commandments. Furthermore they were strict about the law, yet routinely broke the law. God couldn't force them to believe the truth?

Fairness and Justice:
Some critics contend that Calvinism raises questions about the fairness and justice of God. The idea that God unconditionally elects some for salvation while passing over others is inconsistent with a loving and just God, especially from perspectives that emphasize God's desire for the salvation of all. 1 Timothy 2:4 "[God] will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." Notice it says ALL men (people). Not some.

Negative Perception of God:
The Calvinistic understanding of double predestination, which includes the notion that God predestines some for damnation, has been criticized for presenting a negative and difficult-to-reconcile image of God. It is impossible to reconcile this view with the biblical portrayal of a loving and merciful Father God. If you want a slave-master God, go follow the Quran.

Difficulty of Assurance:
The concept of perseverance of the saints, while assuring the salvation of the elect, leads to doubt and anxiety among believers. If assurance of salvation is tied to the evidence of ongoing faithfulness, it will be a continual source of uncertainty for believers. God doesn't want us to guess and wonder and fret about our salvation. 1 John 5:13 says "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." He says we can KNOW! Not hope. KNOW!

Emphasis on Divine Sovereignty:
Calvinism's strong emphasis on divine sovereignty overshadows other important aspects of God's character, such as love and relational attributes. Some theological perspectives place a greater emphasis on a relational understanding of God and His interaction with humanity.

The Lordship Salvation heresy:
Reformed theology proposes something called "Lordship Salvation" which seems right on the surface, but is rotten to the core. It says we must make Jesus "Lord of every aspect of our life" to be saved. It says that if you're saved you will act like a saved or changed person. You will demonstrate your salvation. You will show evidence. You will have a change life. This sounds great until you realize that what this is teaching is that you are not saved by the power of Christ's incredible sacrificial act, but by your efforts to be good and bear fruit. This is antithetical to clear scripture and is deceptive in the extreme. This leads people to honestly believe that in order to be saved, you have to act right. We all know that the flesh nature still exists as long as we are in this human body, but the Calvinist expects you to believe that human impulses to sin are indications that you are not one of the elect, not saved, and are therefore doomed to Hell. This leads to doubt, fear, anxiety, and in many cases, a total rejection of God. How many good people have gone to Hell believing this?

Tension with Evangelism:
The Calvinistic emphasis on unconditional election and irresistible grace has led to concerns about the compatibility of Calvinism with active evangelism. Critics question the motivation for evangelism if God's choice is predetermined, and if individuals cannot resist God's saving grace.

If you disagree feel free to defend your perspective using scripture IN CONTEXT! Thanks!

[treybarnes]

Calvinism is not the gospel….. It meets the definition of a false doctrine, false gospel. The preachers preaching this stuff are teaching another gospel. We have been too nice to this in our churches.

[Timenaught]

Regarding the free will aspect; people seem to think that God already knowing everything, such as whether or not one will come to Christ for salvation, somehow negates human agency. God knowing all things, including one’s eternal destination, does not remove humanity’s freedom to make an active choice. I have read, usually from calvanists, that God Himself is the cause of all things, including sin. They use the analogy of the potter who throws away pots thst have cracked after they’ve been fired to suggest this is God telling us He causes our imperfections or our sin and rightly throws us away. The entire idea is contrary to the nature of God. A God who abhors sin is causing people to sin? This would make God responsible for the very presence of sin in the world, as it suggests He caused Adam and Eve to commit the first sin, rather than them actively choosing to disobey God.

[unamusedmule]

So if I sin God determined me to sin and so God punished me for what he determined me to do. This just doesn't work.

[danielsoeharto]

I agree 'Hyper Calvinism' aka fatalism is heresy. But not Calvinism as a whole. Calvinistic Determinism is not even held by all who identify as Calvinist. Do your homework more thoroughly. 'Heresy' is a blanket statement.

[randytusha]

The one thing you're wrong about is that Calvinism originated with John Calvin.

John Calvin studied Augustine, the Catholic Pope from the 5th century who started out as a gnostic priest.

Go look into gnosticism. Nearly 100% of Calvinism, is found directly in gnostic teachings.

When you fully go down the rabbit hole, gnosticism will lead you back to Jewish kabbalism, which is a heresy from before the time of Jesus, and is rejected by the Orthodox Jews.

Calvinism gnosticism and Jewish kabbalism all reject free will on any level and make humanity mere puppets of God. They invalidate the need for Jesus, preaching, teaching, obedience, and all other human activity, since literally everything is pre-destined to occur.

This is the same concept taught in Islam (where literally everything good or bad is merely the will of Allah).

All of these ideas are straight up satanic.

[andrewpowell]

Okey dokey, let's make this as brief as I can. If you want an actual biblically literate critique of Calvinism go check out Mike Winger's stuff on it because it's better represented and properly researched. The stuff on Lordship was just straight up a complete misrepresentation of the actual position. The book of James says that faith without works is dead (this is kind of the theme for the whole book - how salvation and works go together. It's not about works saving you, it's about the guarantee of the holy spirit to do what was promised within believers. This is not a "Calvinist" view, it's held by any who read the book of James and take it seriously. The alternative is Faith = Salvation rather than Faith = Salvation + Works. They're not Catholics who hold Faith + Works = Salvation. It's fine to critique Calvinism biblically, but please represent the views properly and do some actual research rather than attacking strawmen.

[Saiyan]

The only thing predestined is the kingdom of God for the elect. Who are the elect?

*Acts 2:38

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit

[JohnW-zi]

You have some errors:
1)Calvin lived in Switzerland, not France.
2) Jacob Arminius created the points of Calvanism - not Calvin.
3) I Pet. 1:1 "To God's elect" (chosen). The Scripture is wrong - or you are.
4) Rom. 8:28-30. "And those He predestined, He also called". OK, you reject Romans as well.
5) Rom. 9:10-11 "in order that God's purpose in election might stand". Man, you must hate Romans.
6) Eph. 1:4-4. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world", "He predestined us to be adopted". Now you hate Ephesians, too.
Forget your man-made theology and get it from Scripture instead. Either you or Scripture is wrong.

[IamMysterium]

Calvinism is Christianized Islam. However, some form of predestination is the dominant view in Catholicism and Protestantism.

[Drspeiser]

2:08 Yep! NOBODY preaches topical sermons on the assurance of salvation as much as Calvinists!

Are you truly one of the elect? You believe so? But what if you're just self deceived? You do realize there's nothing you can do about it anyway, right? You're either elect or dammed!

[thedragonreborn]

For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son so that WHOEVER believes in him WILL NOT perish but have eternal life.

I am saved not by works but by Grace

[JonathanRedden-whun]

I do not think that George Whitefield, Charles Spurgeon, or Martyn Lloyd Jones, shrugged off unbelievers.

[stevendrumm]

Not all Calvinists believe in Lordship salvation. And many, probably most Arminians believe in Lordship salvation. The doctrine of hell seemingly contradicts God's love for all people more than Calvinism does.

[bryannixon]

Calvinists believe that most people are created for no other reason than to be destroyed in hell. All for His glory and pleasure. As Wesley said, that would make God worse than Satan.

[Mike-qtjp]

In Jeremiah 7 God says, "People built places to sacrifice their children (in fire) to foreign gods, and He (God) says, "I did NOT COMMAND this, nor did it enter my mind." So, who do we believe, Jeff Durbin, RC Sproul, James White, John Piper or God Almighty and His Holy Word, the Bible? So, while God does predestine some things, this verse clearly says NOT everything. It's like a university predestining a football team (they WILL have a team next season) but giving free will to players themselves to decide whether or not to come out for that team. God, in His Sovereignty, has the POWER to give mankind a certain degree of free will to choose to follow or reject Him and His Christ. This free will, given to man by God, started in the garden when God said to Adam and Eve, "You can eat from any tree in the garden except the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil." God did NOT say, "You WILL eat from all of the trees except the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, " rather He gave them a choice to eat from whatever trees they chose, except that one specific tree. And by the way, they CHOSE to disobey and eat from the very tree God said not to.

[rubenjacobs]

I'm not convinced that you're trying to understand these doctrines correctly. feels like you are making these strong claims so that you might pleasure in argumentation.
please tell me who taught you this theology.

p.s. i am an active evangelist attending a reformed church, ask me about the 'tension'

[matthewsoules]

1. Limited atonement is obviously true. The only actual alternative is universalism, which is obviously unBiblical. As for the “world, ” an honest word study will reveal that that word NEVER means “every single human being.” And besides, if you would only go somewhat further into that Scripture you would see atonement limited to “whoever would believe in Christ.” And who but the elect believe?
2. We don’t need free will to say that man is fully responsible for his sin. Scripture makes no such claim, and neither should we. The argument that we need to be able to freely choose to be held responsible is a man-made vain philosophy. Looking to Scripture, we see the example of pharaoh. Who hardened his heart? God did. Who rose him up? God did. Who directed his steps and thoughts before they had crossed pharaohs mind? God did. And who utterly crushed him, that vessel MADE for dishonorable use? God did. Argue from Scripture, instead of using the method invented by the Roman Catholics of substituting human philosophy and logic for the clear truths of Scripture. As for your assault upon God’s sovereignty, I would urge you to repent promptly.
3. This point is silly. Who are you, oh man, to answer back to God? Has not the potter the right over the lump of clay, to make one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? Which is to say, who are we to question the mind of God. As for desiring that all would be saved, I would remind you that God does all that He truly pleases to do; who can stop Him, if He so chooses a path?
4. I disagree wholeheartedly. We aught not alter our understanding of God from what Scripture clearly teaches just because modern philosophy (a product of the evil of man’s heart) would denounce God as evil. If this God, the God of Scripture, is not the God you worship, I would urge you to abandon your idolatrous ways and trust in Christ.
5. Assurance is a gift from the Spirit. Still, I would remind you that the entire book of 1 John reminds us that we who are in Christ WILL be sanctified; and if we pronounce faith yet go on willingly and knowingly sinning, we should have no confidence in our salvation.
6. God is sovereign. This is hardly the only aspect of His character which we praise, though it does provide a comforting backdrop to everything; and why shouldn’t it? Our Lord is no feeble idol, but rather the Living God who upholds all of creation by His word — His plans will not be thwarted, neither by the failings of His children nor by the rebellion of the nations. We take comfort in knowing that His will will be done — as Christ commanded us to do when He taught us how to pray.
7. The Lordship Salvation idea is not necessarily tied to Reformed understanding. And indeed, the issues you take with it ones that I have as well — at least in practice. Having listened/read extensively from its two greatest proponents — John MacArthur and Arthur Pink — they most certainly are not teaching heresy in this area. However, it can be easily misunderstood in the way you described, and you are not wrong in that what you described is damnable heresy. Essentially, MacArthur and Pink (and the Puritans) teach that he who has been saved will bear fruit in sanctification, and that he will love God; and did Christ not teach the same (He did — if any would follow him they must lose their life, bear the cross daily, despise their family in comparison to Him, etc.). Not that these save in any sense, but that he who is saved will certainly endeavor to do them by the grace and assistance of the Spirit. And he who is without them might have cause to doubt whether he is saved — but not because he lacks them, but because lacking them indicates that he is not truly leaning upon Christ for salvation. Still, I’ve see the Puritans write that for every inward look we should give a hundred to our Savior on the cross; for there, the ENTIRETY of our sin was paid.
8. We have little issue with evangelism. I am friends with many Calvinistic brothers who spend hours (some of them 20+) evangelizing on the street each week. Several street preachers, several organizations, many Reformed churches of many denominations, all actively engaged in evangelism. In fact, Reformed churches which refuse evangelism are HEAVILY looked down upon. Any idea that we evangelize less than the Arminians is ridiculous. And why evangelize? Because God calls His elect to faith through hearing; such is His chosen mechanism. Likewise, He brings judgement upon the reprobate through hearing. Of course we preach the gospel! That man is wicked in the sight of a holy God, but should you turn from your sins and trust in the finished work of Christ then you will certainly be saved!

Having heard your final comments… wow. Your hostility towards Biblical truth here is why I worry so much for the Arminian. Your hostility towards the Calvinist — to imply that we hold a false gospel — is also quite appalling. Perhaps you should go listen to Joel Beeke’s sermon on the Gospel, titled “What is the Gospel” (I think). If you listen to that and disagree with the overall message, then you have only ever held to a false Gospel.

I hope, truly that you are a brother in Christ; and I will be praying for you. But if you are, then repent of this vitriolic regard for the God of Scripture.

For the glory of God alone, not of man who would assert himself to be “Lord” if ever give the chance — Soli Deo Gloria!

May the Lord bless you and keep (or call?) you, in accordance with His perfect, sovereign, effective Will.

[michaelbeam]

Ok... then Biblically explain to me...
Just who are these elect of God? Since you seem to be denying scripture yourself.
Or was all this just an emotional rant?
What exactly does the Bible say about those Elect of God from the foundation of the world?
Be careful of the stones you throw.
According to Christ... we will be held accountable for every idol word spoken.
Or do you want to deny that, too?

[gavinparry]

Calvinism is taught in the bible but so is mans responsilbilty .its a paradox .two things that are in conflict with each other but BOTH taught in scripture.its not our job to work this out.its a mytery .its funny when i see both sides trying to convince the other they are right.most calvinist agree with this view .listen to john macarthor on this, he is a calvinist and i have heard hi agree he dosnt know why both are taought in scriptue

[paulphillips]

It would be helpful to actually know what a Calvinist believes before you talk about what they believe. It’s not a secret society, we actually like to discuss it.

Also McArthur’s “Lordship Salvation” is not Calvinist, you have the wrong John my brother.