Swanca99.....this is a description of Calvinism:
T – Total Depravity - Calvinists believe man is in complete rebellion to God, and by his free will CANNOT and will never make a decision for CHRIST even when presented with the GOSPEL. However, that is unscriptural. Whereas it is true that all men are in complete rebellion to God (See - Rom 3:10-12), it is not true that men cannot respond positively to the GOSPEL when it is presented to them. According to John 12:32, every man is drawn by the power of the GOSPEL and can be saved if he so chooses. That is why salvation is a “whosoever will.” (See - Rev 22:17 & Jn 3:14-16 & 4:14 & 11:25,26 & 12:46 & Acts 2:21 & 10:42,43 & 13:26 & Rom 9:33 & 10:9-11,13 & I Jn 5:1)
U – Unconditional election - Calvinists believe man obtains salvation because God choose him for salvation before the world began. They believe that God has chosen some people for heaven and the others to hell. However, that is unscriptural. According to Acts 2:36-40, Peter pleads with the Jews to “save yourselves” from the hell to come. Men do have a choice in salvation because it was offered to ALL (See - Mt 28:19 & Lk 2:10 & Jn 3:16 & II Pet 3:9). To say that God chooses some to go to heaven and others to go to hell is to breach the very nature of God (See - Ezk 18:23).
L – Limited Atonement - Calvinists believe CHRIST only died for those who would be chosen for salvation. However, that is unscriptural. According to John 1:29, John the Baptist proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the SIN (singular) of the world.” CHRIST died for the whole sin package. Salvation is not limited to a few, but is freely offered to ALL (See - I Jn 2:2 & II Cor 5:14,15,19 & I Tim 2:6 & 4:10 & Titus 2:11 & II Pet 3:9).
I – Irresistible grace - Calvinists believe man can do nothing to resist salvation if God has chosen him. However, that is unscriptural. According to Genesis 1:26, man is made in the image of God. Like God, man has a “mind” to process thoughts, a “heart” to stimulate those thoughts, and a “will” to activate those thoughts. If irresistible grace is true and man has absolutely no power to decide concerning salvation, then he was not made in the image of God. The problem with irresistible grace in Calvinism is that it is built on a misunderstanding of the doctrine of man. Man does have a choice in salvation. It is a part of his three-part nature (See - Mt 19:16-22 & Acts 26:19-28).
P – Perseverance of the saints - Calvinists believe that Christians will persevere to the end of their lives because their salvation is dependent upon God’s irresistible grace. However, that is unscriptural. According to II Tim 4:10, Demas, an earlier co-laborer of Paul’s, left the faith because of the allurement of the world. Obviously, Demas was not able to “persevere.” Whereas every Christian is eternally secure, not every Christian finishes his or her race. Even the great apostle Paul worried about finishing his race (See - I Cor 9:27) (See also - Acts 5:1-11 & I Cor 11:30 & I Jn 5:17,18).T -
