The doctrine of Calvinist predestination is wrong from page one. It starts off wrong in the battle of Calvinist predestination vs Biblical Genesis creation. You can study many of the scholarly books and articles written about Calvinism. But you don’t have to study very far to know that something is very wrong. It literally starts off against the Bible in the first chapter of Genesis.
If a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step,
you only have to judge which direction the first step is going
to know whether the journey is headed in the right direction.
What does the Bible say?
I have found most misunderstandings can be resolved by simply reading the Bible. This is what it says about creation…
Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth.”
God created humankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them,
male and female he created them.
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I now give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the entire earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the animals of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to all the creatures that move on the ground – everything that has the breath of life in it – I give every green plant for food.” It was so.
God saw all that he had made – and it was very good! There was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day. (Genesis 1:26-31 NET)
The Bible teaches:
- Humankind made in the image of God to be able to rule
- Humankind given dominion over everything on Earth
- Humankind blessed by God
- Humankind told to fill the earth and subdue it
- God saw all that he had made – and it was very good!
However, Calvinist predestination says these things are not true. Or at least not true in the sense we normally think about them. The disagreement between Calvinist predestination vs Biblical Genesis creation is obvious and immediate. It is kind of scary how quickly they redefine words and concepts in unexpected ways.
Calvinism teaches:
- Humankind are only pathetic caricatures of God without any freewill of their own
- Humankind are just puppets who can only do what God foreordained them to do
- Humankind cursed by God except a few he mysteriously chooses to elect
- Humankind created as totally depraved reprobate sinners predestined to damnation
- How can almighty sovereign God determine this creation was very good?
How can this be very good?
God could have created anything he wanted, but according to Calvinism, he purposely designed and built billions of hopeless windup toys aimed straight into eternal damnation except those few he mysteriously elects for eternal life.
Even Calvinists think this is not good. They have no explanation for why God would do this. Why do they believe it? Why do they want you to believe it? If any of their doctrine were actually true, why would it matter?
Does the disagreement between Calvinist predestination vs Biblical Genesis creation matter?
The worldview of Calvinism matters because it infiltrates the thinking of every subject. Words and concepts have to be warped to match Calvinism. But the word of God is living and alive, you can’t cut it like this without doing irreparable damage.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?l Is anything worth more than your soul? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.” (Matthew 16:24-28 NLT)
For deeper study:
- The controversy of sin
- The controversy of evil (If God is good, why does he allow evil?)
- What is the gospel?
- Whosoever will may come
- What is predestination? (Is it foreknowledge?)
- What is predestined? (God’s plan or people’s actions)
- Critical Review of Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp (eating the meat and spitting out the bones)
- The Five Points of Calvinism, Weighed and Found Wanting by George Bryson (PDF) — It is amazing that so many Christians call themselves Calvinists and yet so few actually understand the distinctives of Calvinist doctrine. A careful look at Calvinism in light of Scripture, before it is embraced, is the best possible way for Christians to protect themselves against this error of considerable consequence. In this book, George Bryson not only allows you to hear directly from some of the world’s most famous Calvinists of the past, including John Calvin, but also from leading proponents of Calvinism today. What Calvinists admit may surprise you. Each of the much touted (but little understood) 5 points of Calvinism are carefully compared with the clear teaching of God’s holy and infallible Word. The Five Points of Calvinism – Weighed and Found Wanting offers a serious scriptural challenge and correction to the extremes of Calvinism.
- The Dark Side of Calvinism: The Calvinist Caste System by George L Bryson (PDF) — In the Dark Side of Calvinism you will discover that according to John Calvin: … God … arranges all things by his sovereign counsel, in such a way that individuals are born, who are doomed from the womb to certain death … If you disagree with this statement you must also disagree with John Calvin and Calvinism. If you agree with this statement you must also disagree with our Lord who said: …God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life…Jn. 3:16.
The author here uses one of my reasons to refute the false theology of calvinism, that man was created in the image and likeness of God with free will. The calvinist view on everything in TULIP renders the word of God a lie. It’s refreshing to see someone besides Dave Hunt expose the lies of calvinism.
Thank you for these insights.