Butch5
Member
You don't have to deny much of the New Testament, you just have understand it in context.I disagree, as "Calvinism" is not heresy, any more than the "free-will" theory is. It is simply misunderstood, as was Paul's writings, attested by Peter.
Yet, the scripture clearly states that believers are predestined - Eph. 1:5,11, Rom. 8:29. In the context of John 6 when they asked what they must do, Jesus replied that to believe in Him is the work of God. It becomes obvious, then, that in order for someone to believe in Him, that person must already have had God working in his heart to set up the disposition for believing. Thus, He says in John 6:44-45 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me."
So here there are people who are taught of God, who end up coming to Christ, and there are those who are not taught of God who do not come to Him. IMO you have to completely disregard much of the NT in order to deny that God predestines believers.
Concerning this statement "all has already been predestined for us" what exactly do you mean by "all"? Are you talking about determinism, which is the idea that nothing happens unless God causes it?
The problem with the "free will" idea is that it confuses man's natural abilities with what only God can do in the spiritual realm. Natural man obviously has a free will in relation to other people. But when the Bible says that "the whole world is under the control of the evil one," don't you think that unregenerate man is depicted as a slave of the devil, rather than someone who has the will power to control his destiny?
Jesus said "he who sins is a slave to sin" (John 8). Of course, this offended the religious leaders. They too thought they had a free will, and thought they were obeying God. But in reality, Jesus told them they were of the devil. How then, do you claim that they had a free will, when Jesus clearly stated they were slaves? It is the will of man that is in slavery and bondage, and this is what Jesus was talking about.
It depends on what you mean by "complete control." If you're talking about determinism, then you're the one confused, because Reformed Theology does not teach determinism. The only people who are free to choose Christ are the ones whom God has prepared the disposition of their heart to do so. They are the ones who received mercy as Paul taught in Rom. 9. Everyone else who will end up in eternal judgment, God "endures with patience" until that time when He enacts His perfect justice on them.
According to how I read scripture, God does indeed predestine believers, as it clearly states. And in my view, it is your "free will" salvation idea that is the heresy.