Transcript John Calvin 1509-1564

“Institutes of the
Christian Religion”
(
)
Calvinism’s Terrible Tulip
• Total Hereditary Depravity
• Limited Atonement
• Irresistible Grace
• Perseverance of the Saints
• Westminster Confession (1646) – “God has
predestined & foreordained some men &
angels to everlasting life out of His free grace
& love without any foresight of faith or works
in man or perseverance in either of them, &
others are foreordained to everlasting death
& the number of either is so certain & definite
it cannot be either increased or diminished”
(chapter 3, art. 3, 4, 5; chapter 10, art 2).
• Confession of Presbyterian Church U.S.A. –
“God, from all eternity, did by the most wise &
holy counsel of His own will freely &
unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to
pass…By the decree of God, for the manifestation
of His glory, some men & angels are predestined
unto everlasting life, & others foreordained to
everlasting death. These angels & men, thus
predestinated & foreordained, are particularly &
unchangeably designed; & their number is so
certain & definite that it cannot be either
increased or diminished” (chapter 3).
• Baptist Confession of Faith (1689) – “Those of
mankind who are predestinated unto Life,
God, before the foundation of the world was
laid, according to His eternal & immutable
Purpose, & the secret counsel & good
pleasure of His will, hath chosen in Christ to
everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace &
love, without any other thing in the creature
as a condition or cause moving Him
thereunto.”
• Calvin’s Institutes – “All are not created on
equal terms, but some are preordained to
eternal life, others to eternal damnation; &,
accordingly, as each has been created for one
or the other of these ends, we say that he has
been predestinated to life or to death.”
• Greek proorizo is translated “predestinated”,
“ordained”, “determined before” (KJV).
• Translated “foreordained” (ASV).
– “To mark out beforehand; to determine before,
foreordain” (Vine’s).
– “To limit in advance, i.e. (figuratively)
predetermine (Strong’s).
• Predestination refers to God knowing
beforehand the choices we will make, &
determining before-hand the consequences of
those decisions.
– God determined before to initiate His plan of
redemption through Jesus (Luke 2:21-22).
– God determined before to use the evil Jews to
fulfill His plan (Acts 2:22-23).
– They were not made to believe the gospel; of
their own free-will they believed it.
– Those who believed the gospel were “appointed to eternal life”; they were the ones who
obeyed Christ.
– These words relate to only one class of people:
THOSE WHO LOVE GOD!
– They “are the called according to His purpose”
(8:29-30).
– The gospel, not the people, was “ordained
before the ages for our glory” (Eph 3:3-4)!
– God “choose” & “predestined” a group or class
of people who are “in Christ” to receive His
every spiritual blessing.
– Those who are “in Christ” came into that
relationship of their own volition (Acts 19:3-5).
.
– But commandments imply free choice.
• Deut 6:4-5 – Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is
one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart, with all your soul, & with all your strength.
• Ezek 18:23 – Do I have any pleasure at all that the
wicked should die?” says the Lord God, “& not that he
should turn from his ways & live? … 33:11 – Say to
them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in
the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from
his way & live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why
should you die, O house of Israel?’
.
– But judgment implies personal accountability.
• 2 Cor 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment
seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things
done in the body, according to what he has done,
whether good or bad.
• Eccl 12:13-14 – Let us hear the conclusion of the whole
matter: Fear God & keep His commandment, for this is
man’s all. 14 For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.
.
– But the Lord’s invitation is a choice between two
outcomes.
• Matt 11:28-29 – Come to Me, all you who labor & are
heavy laden, & I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke
upon you & learn from Me, for I am gentle & lowly in
heart, & you will find rest for your souls.
• Rev 22:17 – And the Spirit & the bride say, “Come!” And
let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts
come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life
freely.
.
– But a Christian’s influence will lead others to
salvation in Christ.
• Matt 5:13-16 – You are the salt of the earth; but if the
salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then
good for nothing but to be thrown out & trampled
underfoot by men. 14 You are the light of the world. A
city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do
they light a lamp & put it under a basket, but on a
lampstand, & it gives light to all who are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see
your good works & glorify your Father in heaven.
.
– But a Christian’s influence will lead others to
salvation in Christ.
• 1 Peter 3:1 – Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own
husbands, that even if some do not obey the word,
they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of
their wives,
• Rom 14:7, 8, 13 – For none of us lives to himself, & no
one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord;
& if we die, we die to the Lord…13 Therefore…resolve
this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in
our brother’s way.
.
– But God stated that He is NOT a respecter of
persons (acceptor of face) at least 11 times.
• Acts 10:34-35 – Then Peter opened his mouth & said: “In
truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in
every nation whoever fears Him & works righteousness
is accepted by Him.
.
– But why is God waiting to execute judgment
against sinners who will not repent.
• 1 Tim 2:3-4 – [Prayer for all men] For this is good &
acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires
all men to be saved & to come to the knowledge of the
truth.
• 2 Peter 3:9 –The Lord is not slack concerning His
promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering
toward us, not willing that any should perish but that
all should come to repentance.
.
– But without preaching people will be lost
eternally in sin.
• Mark 16:15-16 – And He said to them, “Go into all the
world & preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who
believes & is baptized will be saved; but he who does
not believe will be condemned.”
• Luke 24:46-47 – Then He said to them, “Thus it is
written, & thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer &
to rise from the dead the third day, 47 & that repentance & remission of sins should be preached in His name
to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
(Eph 1:4-5).
– Hearing, believing, trusting the gospel (Eph 1:13).
– Repenting & confessing sins (Acts 20:21; 19:18-19).
– Baptism (Acts 19:3-5).
(1 Thess 1:4; 2 Thess 2:13-14;
1 Thess 2:12).
– By receiving God’s word & turning from idolatry
(Acts 17:1-4; 1 Thess 2:13; 1:9).
(1 Pet 1:1-2).
– Redeemed by the blood of Christ (1:18-19).
– Born again by the word of God (1:23).
– Saved by baptism (3:21).
– Purifying their souls in obeying the truth (1:22).
.
– Her election was general (Deut 4:20, 37; 7:6-8).
– Her salvation was individual, contingent upon
obedience to God (1 Cor 10:1-12).
He has set the conditions of
,
&
for man’s
election in Christ, &
to Him must be
maintained (Rev 2:10).