Ten Questions for Calvinists on the Doctrine of Unconditional Election

1. Calvinism Ten Questions for Calvinists on the Doctrine of Unconditional Election The Sovereignty of God

2. Calvinism otal Hereditary Depravity nconditional Election TULIP imited Atonement rresistible Grace erseverance of the Saints

3. Introduction • Many warnings of false ideas! • False teachers are deceptive! • They can captivate! • Some are held hostage! • Many are blinded by false doctrine! • Error is the desire of some!

4. Colossians 2:4-8 • “And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”

5. Colossians 2:4-8 • “And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”

6. Other Warning Passages! • Matt. 7:15-20 • Eph. 5:6-14 • Col. 2:18-22 • 1 Tim. 4:1-5 • I Jn. 4:1

7. Background Information • Calvinism the brainchild of John Calvin! • 1509-1564 • Prolific writer! • “The Institutes of The Christian Religion” • Papers, commentaries • Developed a “Theological System”! • The basis of most denominational error!

8. Calvinism otal Hereditary Depravity nconditional Election TULIP imited Atonement rresistible Grace erseverance of the Saints

9. The Foundational Principle The Sovereignty of God • “The confession of the sovereignty of God has become the hallmark of authentic Calvinism” • Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, p. 1039 • What is meant by the term “Sovereignty of God”?

10. Westminster Confession of Faith • “God, from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass…He has not decreed anything because He foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass on such conditions…By the decree of God, for

11. Continued... • the manifestation of His glory, some men are predestinated to everlasting life; and others foreordained to everlasting death…their number so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished.” • Westminster Confession of Faith, 1968

12. Continued... • the manifestation of His glory, some men are predestinated to everlasting life; and others foreordained to everlasting death…their number so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished.” • Westminster Confession of Faith, 1968

13. Calvinism otal Hereditary Depravity nconditional Election TULIP imited Atonement rresistible Grace erseverance of the Saints

14. nconditional Election U • Known as the “doctrine of predestination”! • This point alleges that God elected some to be saved and excluded others. • Those excluded are lost! • They have no hope of salvation! • The saved are the elect! • Their election by God is unconditional! • JW’s claim that only the 144,000 will go to heaven! • Rev. 14:1-2

15. “God, from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass…He has not decreed anything because He foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass on such conditions…By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men are predestinated to everlasting life; and others foreordained to everlasting death…their number so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished.” • Westminster Confession of Faith, 1968

16. Steele/Thomas Quote • “God could have chosen to save all men (for He had the power and authority to do so) or He could have chosen to save none (for He was under no obligation to show mercy to any)-but he did neither. Instead, He chose to save some and to exclude others…” • The Five Points of Calvinism, p. 30

17. nconditional Election U If This Doctrine is True… Then 10 Questions Calvinist Must Answer! Based on article by Larry Ray Hafley

18. Question #1 • Who then is “in danger of hell fire”? • "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.” • Matt 5:22 (NKJV)

19. Question #1, Cont. • It could not be the elect! • The elect cannot be lost! • It could not be the lost! • They are predestined to be lost by God! • To whom does Matthew 5:22 apply? • Remember:“…their number so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished.”

20. Question #2 • Where all those who died in the flood the “non-elect”? • Where Noah and his family the only “elect” ones? • Were they 8 of the 144,000? • Revelation 7:4 & 14:1-3 • JW’s contend “the final number of the heavenly church will be 144,000, according to God’s decree” (Let God Be True, p. 113).

21. Question #3 • Why did Paul say "the weak brother...for whom Christ died" may "perish"(1 Cor. 8:11)? • Calvinism says the elect are those "for whom Christ died” and that they cannot perish. • If this doctrine be true, how could Paul imply that they could be lost?

22. Question #4 • How could anyone "receive ... the grace of God in vain" (2 Cor. 6:1)? • The elect could not, for they are eternally secure! • The non-elect could not because they are not recipients of grace ! • Of whom was Paul speaking when he urged them to "receive not the grace of God in vain"?

23. Question #5 • How could anyone "fail of the grace of God," or come "short of" it(Heb. 12:15)? • The elect could not, for they are eternally secure! • The non-elect could not because they are not recipients of grace! • Of whom was the writer speaking when he urged them to not “fail” or “come short” of Gods grace?

24. Question #6 • Why did Jesus say, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish," when he knew the elect could not perish and that the non-elect could not be saved(Lk. 13:3, 5)? • Let our Calvinist friends tell us!

25. Question #7 • How could Paul say that Andronicus and Junia"were in Christ before me,"if they were all chosen of God from before the foundation of the world (Rom. 16:7)? • Let our Calvinist friends tell us!

26. Question #8 • Why did Jesus say, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," when he knew the elect did not need to come to him and that the non-elect could not come to him(Matt. 11:28)? • Let our Calvinist friends tell us!

27. Question #9 • Why,if eternal salvation is secured by an unconditional election, are all the judgment scenes in the Bible based on what a man has done and how has he lived andnot on the basis of an unconditional election of God? • Matt. 16:27; 25:32-46; Jn. 5:28, 29; Rom. 2:6-11; 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 20:12-15? • Let our Calvinist friends tell us!

28. Question #10 • Why did Peter exhort brethren to make their "calling and election sure" if there was no uncertainty about it (2 Pet. 1:10)? • Let our Calvinist friends tell us!

29. Conclusion • People become sinners by violating God’s law! • Rom. 3:23; 1 Jn. 3:4 • Sinners become saints by obeying the gospel! • Rom. 1:16-17; 6:17-18; Gal. 3:26-27 • Once saved, you must remain faithful! • Col. 1:23; 2:6-7; Acts 8:22; Gal. 5:2, 4; Rev. 2:10 • Calvinism is“not according to Christ”! • Rom. 15:4-6 TULIP FALSE