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Er, no.
The Reformation's material principle, meaning the substance or stuff of the Reformation, concerned the debate over the gospel in which the doctrine of justification sola fide (by faith alone)—against growing and unchecked Pelagianism—took center stage. Along with the importance of faith, the Reformers saw that this faith was a gift of God, namely, that it was sola gratia (by grace alone). Historians then go on to say that the shape of the debate about the gospel was determined or outlined by the doctrine of sola scriptura (Scripture alone), sometimes also called the formal principle of the Reformation.
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A good introduction to some of the basics of the Reformed faith can be found in my posts scattered about in this thread:
http://www.theologyonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=114680
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http://www.theologyonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=114680
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Foreknowledge of God
Foreknowledge of God
God’s foreknowledge seems a stumbling block to some that may have incorrect understandings about what God knows and why He knows what He knows.
Knowledge of all things is properly attributed to God (2 Cor. 12:2–3; cf. Acts 2:23; Rom. 8:29; 11:2; 1 Peter 1:2). The idea of foreknowledge can be used in two ways: as an expression of knowledge of all things, even prior to their happening in time, and as an act of choice or ordaining. The former is the subject for consideration here.
The idea of foreknowledge relates to the things known by God and the order in which they stand to each other as they are, whether they be to us past, present, or future. All of these things God knows equally vividly from eternity. Things that to us are yet future have been known by God from eternity; His knowledge of the future is so real that when events become “past” to us (based on their actual occurrence in time), God knows them in the same way He always did. Nothing is altered in His knowledge by the passage of time; His understanding is infinite and unchanging.
Some have objected to the premise of God’s perfect and complete knowledge of all things prior to their occurrence. Such challengers point to passages in Scripture that appear to suggest God’s lack of knowledge: God’s fearing or being afraid (Gen. 3:22–23; Ex. 13:17; Deut. 32:26–27); His repentance (1 Sam. 15:10–11); a change or alteration of His mind (Num. 14:27,30; 1 Sam. 2:30); or His testing of men’s hearts to discover their contents (Judg. 3:1,4; 2 Chron. 32:31; Dan. 12:10).
However, each of these passages speaks of God in a figurative fashion, or anthropomorphically. Thus these passages do not describe the nature of God as He is. Rather, God condescends to speak at our level, that is He accommodates our finitude, to express reality in human terms. This idea could be likened to a father’s talking to a newborn. The father babbles in “baby talk” to accommodate himself to the baby’s level.
In other places of Scripture God is directly said not to do these things, for He is not a man (1 Sam. 15:29). Such traits would destroy God’s immutability. How, for example, could God in His omnipotence and true nature properly be termed afraid in the sense that we ourselves experience fear? Furthermore, the abundance of scriptural evidence in favor of God’s knowledge overwhelmingly demonstrates the truth of the doctrine of His foreknowledge.
Scripture attests that God knows all things in all details, whether past, present, or future. He understands all the ways and actions of men, even before their occurrence (1 Sam. 2:3; Ps. 139:2–4; 147:5; Isa. 40:13–14,28; Acts 15:18; Rom. 11:36; Heb. 4:13; 1 John 3:20).
The countless miraculous predictions in Scripture necessitate a detailed knowledge of all things. By His holy prophets God foretold the free actions of men, what they would do and what they should do, long before they were born (Gen. 15:13–14; 18:18–19; Deut. 31:16–18; 1 Kings 13:2; 22:28; Matt. 24:5; Mark 13:6; 14:30; Acts 20:29; 2 Thess. 2:3,4; 1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim. 3:1; 2 Peter 2:1). Thus God perfectly knew from eternity all of the free actions of men before they performed them. This knowledge extends even to those things that deal with the secrets of men’s hearts (Deut. 31:21; 1 Sam. 16:7; 23:12; 1 Kings 8:39; 2 Kings 8:12–13; Job 31:4; Ps. 38:9; 94:11; Prov. 15:11; Isa. 48:4; Jer. 17:9–10; Ezek. 11:5; Matt. 6:4,6,8; Luke 16:15; Acts 1:24; Rev. 3:15).
Some wrongly view God’s foreknowledge of all men’s actions as the logical, a priori cause of His predetermining all things. God’s knowledge, they incorrectly assume, caused Him to shape His plan for eternity. However, while both God’s foreknowledge and His predeterminate counsel occur from eternity (temporally considered), God’s foreknowledge must be viewed as coming after His predetermination (logically considered). God’s knowledge of all men’s future free actions did not cause Him to adapt His workings accordingly—for this would have placed God below man, as One reactive and subject rather than determinate and sovereign. Surely, what is not pre-decreed cannot be certain and therefore cannot be known. Yet upon the determination of God’s sovereign counsel out of eternity, His foreknowledge extends to a grasp of all things—also from eternity.
The above has been adapted from John Owen, Vindiciae Evangelicae, ch. 5, freely available here or from Amazon here.
AMR
Foreknowledge of God
God’s foreknowledge seems a stumbling block to some that may have incorrect understandings about what God knows and why He knows what He knows.
Knowledge of all things is properly attributed to God (2 Cor. 12:2–3; cf. Acts 2:23; Rom. 8:29; 11:2; 1 Peter 1:2). The idea of foreknowledge can be used in two ways: as an expression of knowledge of all things, even prior to their happening in time, and as an act of choice or ordaining. The former is the subject for consideration here.
The idea of foreknowledge relates to the things known by God and the order in which they stand to each other as they are, whether they be to us past, present, or future. All of these things God knows equally vividly from eternity. Things that to us are yet future have been known by God from eternity; His knowledge of the future is so real that when events become “past” to us (based on their actual occurrence in time), God knows them in the same way He always did. Nothing is altered in His knowledge by the passage of time; His understanding is infinite and unchanging.
Some have objected to the premise of God’s perfect and complete knowledge of all things prior to their occurrence. Such challengers point to passages in Scripture that appear to suggest God’s lack of knowledge: God’s fearing or being afraid (Gen. 3:22–23; Ex. 13:17; Deut. 32:26–27); His repentance (1 Sam. 15:10–11); a change or alteration of His mind (Num. 14:27,30; 1 Sam. 2:30); or His testing of men’s hearts to discover their contents (Judg. 3:1,4; 2 Chron. 32:31; Dan. 12:10).
However, each of these passages speaks of God in a figurative fashion, or anthropomorphically. Thus these passages do not describe the nature of God as He is. Rather, God condescends to speak at our level, that is He accommodates our finitude, to express reality in human terms. This idea could be likened to a father’s talking to a newborn. The father babbles in “baby talk” to accommodate himself to the baby’s level.
In other places of Scripture God is directly said not to do these things, for He is not a man (1 Sam. 15:29). Such traits would destroy God’s immutability. How, for example, could God in His omnipotence and true nature properly be termed afraid in the sense that we ourselves experience fear? Furthermore, the abundance of scriptural evidence in favor of God’s knowledge overwhelmingly demonstrates the truth of the doctrine of His foreknowledge.
Scripture attests that God knows all things in all details, whether past, present, or future. He understands all the ways and actions of men, even before their occurrence (1 Sam. 2:3; Ps. 139:2–4; 147:5; Isa. 40:13–14,28; Acts 15:18; Rom. 11:36; Heb. 4:13; 1 John 3:20).
The countless miraculous predictions in Scripture necessitate a detailed knowledge of all things. By His holy prophets God foretold the free actions of men, what they would do and what they should do, long before they were born (Gen. 15:13–14; 18:18–19; Deut. 31:16–18; 1 Kings 13:2; 22:28; Matt. 24:5; Mark 13:6; 14:30; Acts 20:29; 2 Thess. 2:3,4; 1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim. 3:1; 2 Peter 2:1). Thus God perfectly knew from eternity all of the free actions of men before they performed them. This knowledge extends even to those things that deal with the secrets of men’s hearts (Deut. 31:21; 1 Sam. 16:7; 23:12; 1 Kings 8:39; 2 Kings 8:12–13; Job 31:4; Ps. 38:9; 94:11; Prov. 15:11; Isa. 48:4; Jer. 17:9–10; Ezek. 11:5; Matt. 6:4,6,8; Luke 16:15; Acts 1:24; Rev. 3:15).
Some wrongly view God’s foreknowledge of all men’s actions as the logical, a priori cause of His predetermining all things. God’s knowledge, they incorrectly assume, caused Him to shape His plan for eternity. However, while both God’s foreknowledge and His predeterminate counsel occur from eternity (temporally considered), God’s foreknowledge must be viewed as coming after His predetermination (logically considered). God’s knowledge of all men’s future free actions did not cause Him to adapt His workings accordingly—for this would have placed God below man, as One reactive and subject rather than determinate and sovereign. Surely, what is not pre-decreed cannot be certain and therefore cannot be known. Yet upon the determination of God’s sovereign counsel out of eternity, His foreknowledge extends to a grasp of all things—also from eternity.
The above has been adapted from John Owen, Vindiciae Evangelicae, ch. 5, freely available here or from Amazon here.
AMR
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There Is But One True God
There Is But One True God
There is but one true God. These thoughts from Haykin (modified a wee bit) are worth meditating upon.
Within the borders of the universe that humanity inhabits, there are two types of beings. First, there are those beings that are dependent on another. This category encompasses everything from elephants to snails, from angels to demons, from human beings to viruses.
And second, there is that one being upon whom all of this depends. He alone is self-existent—the great Yahweh (Jehovah), who told Moses that His name is I AM THAT I AM (Ex. 3:14; Rev. 1:4). All other beings draw their sustenance and existence from Him. He is utterly unique in that He has no need of anything outside Himself. He alone possesses what all of us students of theology call aseity, the attribute of self-existence (John 1:4; 5:26). Because He gives life to all of creation, from the greatest object to the smallest particle, He is to be confessed as the one and only Creator and God (1 Cor. 8:6).
The Bible’s confession of God’s uniqueness is also found in the statement that He is holy (Isa. 6:3; Rev. 4:8). The holiness of God means first that He is completely different from His creation. God is the Creator, unique and in total control of all that He has made. We human beings are limited in what we can do. Our knowledge is finite, never exhaustive. And our lives on this earth are relatively short in duration and often plagued by painful experiences—"nasty, brutish, and short," (per Thomas Hobbes). This is not so for God. He is immortal, can do all that His good pleasure decides, and has absolutely no logical limitations. Accordingly, to say that God is holy is to speak of His uniqueness, His otherness from His creation.
Men and women worship many gods. Being made in the image of the true God, we human beings have an unquenchable desire to worship. But being fallen, human beings inevitably worship gods of their own making. John Calvin, the French Reformer, rightly observed that the human mind is "a perpetual factory of idols" (Institutes of the Christian Religion, 1.11.8; also Rom. 1:18–25). The sole remedy is God’s gift of spiritual sight, by which, when it is given like a ray of light from heaven, people are awakened to know the true God and know themselves as His creatures.
God is thus sovereign over His creation. He gives life and takes it away, raises up nations and mountains and casts them down, and brings suns to light and extinguishes them. And none can hinder Him. What He has decided will surely come to pass, and in this exercise of sovereignty is His glory.
Human beings have the privilege and duty of acknowledging this sovereignty of God. However, they can do so only when God so inclines their hearts. By nature human beings are rebels, despising God's authority, with some going against what they instinctively know and claiming that God does not exist.
But, of course, God does exist! Of that fact the Christian is more certain than of anything else he or she knows. And it is the Christian’s "sweet delight"—to borrow a phrase from Jonathan Edwards, the eighteenth-century gospel preacher—to submit to this great God, to acknowledge his utter dependence upon Him, and to live for Him and His glory. As such, Christian talk about God is far more than a philosophical discussion about His existence. It is joy itself, for the Christian has come to know the one and only true God, and in knowing Him has found meaning for life and, yes, also life eternal (1 John 5:20)—in which he will forever enjoy knowing, loving, and communing with the triune God, basking in His smile and feasting in His presence.
AMR
There Is But One True God
There is but one true God. These thoughts from Haykin (modified a wee bit) are worth meditating upon.
Within the borders of the universe that humanity inhabits, there are two types of beings. First, there are those beings that are dependent on another. This category encompasses everything from elephants to snails, from angels to demons, from human beings to viruses.
And second, there is that one being upon whom all of this depends. He alone is self-existent—the great Yahweh (Jehovah), who told Moses that His name is I AM THAT I AM (Ex. 3:14; Rev. 1:4). All other beings draw their sustenance and existence from Him. He is utterly unique in that He has no need of anything outside Himself. He alone possesses what all of us students of theology call aseity, the attribute of self-existence (John 1:4; 5:26). Because He gives life to all of creation, from the greatest object to the smallest particle, He is to be confessed as the one and only Creator and God (1 Cor. 8:6).
The Bible’s confession of God’s uniqueness is also found in the statement that He is holy (Isa. 6:3; Rev. 4:8). The holiness of God means first that He is completely different from His creation. God is the Creator, unique and in total control of all that He has made. We human beings are limited in what we can do. Our knowledge is finite, never exhaustive. And our lives on this earth are relatively short in duration and often plagued by painful experiences—"nasty, brutish, and short," (per Thomas Hobbes). This is not so for God. He is immortal, can do all that His good pleasure decides, and has absolutely no logical limitations. Accordingly, to say that God is holy is to speak of His uniqueness, His otherness from His creation.
Men and women worship many gods. Being made in the image of the true God, we human beings have an unquenchable desire to worship. But being fallen, human beings inevitably worship gods of their own making. John Calvin, the French Reformer, rightly observed that the human mind is "a perpetual factory of idols" (Institutes of the Christian Religion, 1.11.8; also Rom. 1:18–25). The sole remedy is God’s gift of spiritual sight, by which, when it is given like a ray of light from heaven, people are awakened to know the true God and know themselves as His creatures.
God is thus sovereign over His creation. He gives life and takes it away, raises up nations and mountains and casts them down, and brings suns to light and extinguishes them. And none can hinder Him. What He has decided will surely come to pass, and in this exercise of sovereignty is His glory.
Human beings have the privilege and duty of acknowledging this sovereignty of God. However, they can do so only when God so inclines their hearts. By nature human beings are rebels, despising God's authority, with some going against what they instinctively know and claiming that God does not exist.
But, of course, God does exist! Of that fact the Christian is more certain than of anything else he or she knows. And it is the Christian’s "sweet delight"—to borrow a phrase from Jonathan Edwards, the eighteenth-century gospel preacher—to submit to this great God, to acknowledge his utter dependence upon Him, and to live for Him and His glory. As such, Christian talk about God is far more than a philosophical discussion about His existence. It is joy itself, for the Christian has come to know the one and only true God, and in knowing Him has found meaning for life and, yes, also life eternal (1 John 5:20)—in which he will forever enjoy knowing, loving, and communing with the triune God, basking in His smile and feasting in His presence.
AMR
Neither Calvinism nor Arminianism grasp the ultimate truth of
The Grace Gospel. (Paul's Gospel)
The Grace Gospel. (Paul's Gospel)
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The Eternity of God
The Eternity of God
The word eternity is easily pronounced but hardly understood. This is due in part to man’s frailty of nature, as a creature bound to time. Eternity, being in conflict with time, is an attribute of God that largely exceeds man’s mind. Eternity is a perpetual duration without succession, having neither beginning nor end; time has both. Eternity and time differ in much the same way as the sea and rivers: the sea never changes place and is always one water, but the rivers glide along and are swallowed up by the sea. Such is time in relation to eternity.
This difficulty in understanding eternity is increased because the term is used to describe things that are only partially perpetual and not properly eternal. Eternity can be used of something having a long duration but possessing an end (Gen. 17:8; Lev. 6:20; Deut. 15:17) or of something having no end though having a beginning (aeviternity)—such as angels and souls.
Nonetheless, when eternity is used of God, it means something further; as the Scriptures attest "even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God" (Ps. 90:2). Therefore, eternity in this sense refers to the duration of God’s essence. When God is called eternal, all possibility of beginning and ending—any flux and change—is excluded. Consequently, the eternity of God is best understood negatively, as a denial that God has any measure of beginning, end, or succession. Endless time is just more of an elongation of time. But eternity differs qualitatively. It differs essentially, not merely accidentally. Eternity is an essential, changeless state of being that transcends moment-by-successive-moment reality.
God is without beginning as the everlasting God (Gen. 21:33; Rom. 16:26; cf. Gen. 1:1; Dan. 7:9). This is necessary according to God’s existence and status as Creator, for, if God does exist, and He has not received His being from another, then He must exist from eternity.
God is without end. This aspect refers to immortality, which is spoken of in Scripture more frequently than the other aspects of God’s eternity. He shall endure forever (Ps. 9:7; James 1:17; Rev. 4:9–10). His years are numberless (Job 36:26–27). This is evident by the name He gives Himself (Ex. 3:14) and the fact that He is life in His own essence (Dan. 6:26; John 5:26; cf. Acts 17:28; 1 Tim. 6:16).
God is without succession. He is always the same (Ps. 102:27; Heb. 1:10–12) and has no new progression of quantities or qualities in Himself. Of a creature, it may be said that “he was,” “he is,” or “he will be,” but of God it can only be said that “He is.” There is no increase in His knowledge (Acts 15:18) or fluctuation in His decrees (Eph. 1:4). There is no abrogation of any of His attributes. Furthermore, if God were not eternal, all His other attributes would be maimed beyond recognition. God would not be immutable (Job 37:23; Mal. 3:6), infinitely perfect (Job 11:7; Ps. 41:13), omnipotent (Isa. 2:22; Rev. 1:8), or the first cause of all.
The eternity of God holds a word for both the unbeliever and the Christian. For the unbeliever, God’s eternity is a terror. What a folly and boldness there is in sin, since an eternal God is offended thereby! All sin is aggravated by God’s eternity. The blackness of the pagan idolatry was in exchanging the glory of the incorruptible God for things contrary to His immortal nature (Rom. 1:23). It is dreadful to lie under the stroke of this eternal God, who is the “living God, and an everlasting king . . . the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation” (Jer. 10:10). God’s eternity makes His punishment more dreadful than His power alone: His power makes it sharp, but His eternity renders it perpetual—ever to endure is the sting at the end of every lash.
But for the Christian the reality that God “remainest forever” (Lam. 5:19–20) is the fountain of comfort. Peace is found in fellowship with the ever merciful, good, wise, and faithful God. His eternity governs His covenant with His people—thereby He swears by Himself (Heb. 6:13,16,17; Rev. 14:6; Rev. 4:3), and so the believer may proclaim, “This God is our God for ever and ever” (Ps. 48:14) and “Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations” (Ps. 90:1; Gen. 49:26). Moreover, the eternity of God ensures that the enjoyment of God in heaven will be as fresh and glorious after many ages as it was at first.
—The above has been adapted from Stephen Charnock, "A Discourse upon the Eternity of God," in The Existence and Attributes of God, available here or here.
The Eternity of God
The word eternity is easily pronounced but hardly understood. This is due in part to man’s frailty of nature, as a creature bound to time. Eternity, being in conflict with time, is an attribute of God that largely exceeds man’s mind. Eternity is a perpetual duration without succession, having neither beginning nor end; time has both. Eternity and time differ in much the same way as the sea and rivers: the sea never changes place and is always one water, but the rivers glide along and are swallowed up by the sea. Such is time in relation to eternity.
This difficulty in understanding eternity is increased because the term is used to describe things that are only partially perpetual and not properly eternal. Eternity can be used of something having a long duration but possessing an end (Gen. 17:8; Lev. 6:20; Deut. 15:17) or of something having no end though having a beginning (aeviternity)—such as angels and souls.
Nonetheless, when eternity is used of God, it means something further; as the Scriptures attest "even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God" (Ps. 90:2). Therefore, eternity in this sense refers to the duration of God’s essence. When God is called eternal, all possibility of beginning and ending—any flux and change—is excluded. Consequently, the eternity of God is best understood negatively, as a denial that God has any measure of beginning, end, or succession. Endless time is just more of an elongation of time. But eternity differs qualitatively. It differs essentially, not merely accidentally. Eternity is an essential, changeless state of being that transcends moment-by-successive-moment reality.
God is without beginning as the everlasting God (Gen. 21:33; Rom. 16:26; cf. Gen. 1:1; Dan. 7:9). This is necessary according to God’s existence and status as Creator, for, if God does exist, and He has not received His being from another, then He must exist from eternity.
God is without end. This aspect refers to immortality, which is spoken of in Scripture more frequently than the other aspects of God’s eternity. He shall endure forever (Ps. 9:7; James 1:17; Rev. 4:9–10). His years are numberless (Job 36:26–27). This is evident by the name He gives Himself (Ex. 3:14) and the fact that He is life in His own essence (Dan. 6:26; John 5:26; cf. Acts 17:28; 1 Tim. 6:16).
God is without succession. He is always the same (Ps. 102:27; Heb. 1:10–12) and has no new progression of quantities or qualities in Himself. Of a creature, it may be said that “he was,” “he is,” or “he will be,” but of God it can only be said that “He is.” There is no increase in His knowledge (Acts 15:18) or fluctuation in His decrees (Eph. 1:4). There is no abrogation of any of His attributes. Furthermore, if God were not eternal, all His other attributes would be maimed beyond recognition. God would not be immutable (Job 37:23; Mal. 3:6), infinitely perfect (Job 11:7; Ps. 41:13), omnipotent (Isa. 2:22; Rev. 1:8), or the first cause of all.
The eternity of God holds a word for both the unbeliever and the Christian. For the unbeliever, God’s eternity is a terror. What a folly and boldness there is in sin, since an eternal God is offended thereby! All sin is aggravated by God’s eternity. The blackness of the pagan idolatry was in exchanging the glory of the incorruptible God for things contrary to His immortal nature (Rom. 1:23). It is dreadful to lie under the stroke of this eternal God, who is the “living God, and an everlasting king . . . the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation” (Jer. 10:10). God’s eternity makes His punishment more dreadful than His power alone: His power makes it sharp, but His eternity renders it perpetual—ever to endure is the sting at the end of every lash.
But for the Christian the reality that God “remainest forever” (Lam. 5:19–20) is the fountain of comfort. Peace is found in fellowship with the ever merciful, good, wise, and faithful God. His eternity governs His covenant with His people—thereby He swears by Himself (Heb. 6:13,16,17; Rev. 14:6; Rev. 4:3), and so the believer may proclaim, “This God is our God for ever and ever” (Ps. 48:14) and “Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations” (Ps. 90:1; Gen. 49:26). Moreover, the eternity of God ensures that the enjoyment of God in heaven will be as fresh and glorious after many ages as it was at first.
—The above has been adapted from Stephen Charnock, "A Discourse upon the Eternity of God," in The Existence and Attributes of God, available here or here.
Last edited:
(If we are going to say that the Methodist are part of the Reformation then they are the tail and not the head.)
How much does freedom play in predestination? Look at all the obstacles placed between mankind and home, (freedom). Everything is set up to stop our march and yet the march is not extinguished. As long as there is breath there will be the march until our square peg finally fits into the round slot predetermined by God.
We are predestined for freedom but we are responsible for our actions. I have been told that this is a contradiction. I also desire the best of both worlds. That comes at a price. And the price is
Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.
That is freedom
(Naturally change is opposed. People get used to things the way they are. The ones demanding change are often misunderstood. But this is not freedom. The Reformation is not home it is change. We are not home yet. Some day. Some day we will be. Some day.)
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Where Did All These Calvinists Come From?
Where Did All These Calvinists Come From?
“If there were so few self-conscious Calvinists in the 1950s,” the pastor-historian asks, “how did we get so many today?”
Mark Dever offers up twelve reasons:
Charles Spurgeon
Martyn Lloyd-Jones (aka, "The Doctor" as he was an M.D.)
The Banner of Truth Trust
Evangelism Explosion
The inerrancy controversy
Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) (My denomination, not to be confused with the liberal PC(USA))
J. I. Packer
John MacArthur and R. C. Sproul
John Piper
Reformed rap
Influential parachurch ministries
The rise of secularism and decline of Christian nominalism
See the full article here:
http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/where-did-all-these-calvinists-come-from
AMR
Where Did All These Calvinists Come From?
“If there were so few self-conscious Calvinists in the 1950s,” the pastor-historian asks, “how did we get so many today?”
Mark Dever offers up twelve reasons:
Charles Spurgeon
Martyn Lloyd-Jones (aka, "The Doctor" as he was an M.D.)
The Banner of Truth Trust
Evangelism Explosion
The inerrancy controversy
Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) (My denomination, not to be confused with the liberal PC(USA))
J. I. Packer
John MacArthur and R. C. Sproul
John Piper
Reformed rap
Influential parachurch ministries
The rise of secularism and decline of Christian nominalism
See the full article here:
http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/where-did-all-these-calvinists-come-from
AMR
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"Calvinist" is an accurate label in theological discussions for those that see God's redemptive plan for His children as being monergistic.
See previous post in this same thread here.
The better question is how can any believer know they are saved. It is certainly not a Calvinist only issue. The answer is something along these lines:
http://www.theologyonline.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4317394#post4317394
Scripture commands us, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2 Cor. 13:5). We need a practical, experiential, and well-tested knowledge of our spiritual condition. Christ pressed this question upon His hearers in His parables (Matt. 7:24–27; 13:1–9,18–23; 25:1–13). John gives us tests by which a Christian can know with assurance that they are saved by Christ, particularly obedience and love (1 John 2:3–5; 3:10,14).
What is assurance? Assurance is a joyous, strong certainty of one’s present and future salvation. We must not confuse assurance and presumption, which is a delusion based on self-love, self-righteousness, and self-flattery (Prov. 16:2). We must also be careful not to confuse faith and assurance. One may have justifying faith without assurance. Assurance is an effect of faith or grows out of faith (Eph. 3:12). Faith is a direct act of the soul toward Christ, taking Him and clinging to Him. Assurance is a reflective act of the soul, perceiving of one’s own faith by the power of the Holy Spirit.
It is possible for a Christian to have an assurance of his salvation. We see in Scripture that God’s people have enjoyed it. David called God his God and thanked Him for forgiving his sins (Ps. 31:14; 32:1). Paul showed his assurance, and based it not on a special revelation from God but on grounds that belong to all the people of God (Rom. 8:31–39). The Christian may have certainty and assurance because the promises of God are yes and amen in Christ (2 Cor. 1:20), and the Spirit of God who renews the heart can also bear witness that we are children of God (Rom. 8:16).
There are signs of grace by which a man may know whether he is in a state of grace or not. A man who lives in the habit of unrepentant sins should be assured that he is presently in a damnable condition, and will be so as long as he lives that way (Gal. 5:19–21). God’s sanctifying grace produces a supernatural life within us. It is the infused principle of a holy life, a new creation produced by regeneration (2 Cor. 5:17; 2 Peter 1:4). The Bible commends seeking assurance when it gives us descriptions of the characteristics of true saving grace in distinction from counterfeits (Matt. 5:3–10). Scripture commands us to make our calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10). We have examples of godly believers who used their graces as comforting signs of God’s love to them (2 Kings 20:3; Neh. 13:14,22; 2 Cor. 1:12; 2 Tim. 4:7–8). Our Savior lays down the principle that “the tree is known by his fruit” (Matt. 12:33).
Therefore, examine your life for the signs of God’s saving grace with wisdom and caution. Do not demand sinless perfection of yourself (1 John 1:8). Also, do not require great spiritual maturity as proof of conversion. On the other hand, do not make signs of grace out of qualities that unbelievers can have, like receiving baptism and the Lord’s Supper, having right doctrinal beliefs, and exercising great ability in Christian service. Test yourself by the true standard, the Word of God (Ps. 119:105).
As you look for evidences of saving grace, never forget to keep looking to Christ alone as your peace with God and basis of your salvation. Deal honestly with yourself, and fight against self-love and self-flattery. If your soul is full of darkness and despair, do not be quick to judge yourself but wait until you can think more clearly. While you examine yourself, pray to God for His Spirit to enlighten your eyes. If you discover that you are not saved, do not delay until you see more signs of grace in yourself, but trust Christ immediately to save you without any worthiness on your part. If the Spirit of God does show you evidences that you are saved, do not resist Him in unbelief, but submit to Him and glorify Him as the Spirit of adoption (Rom. 8:15).
—Above has been adapted from Anthony Burgess (d. 1664), Spiritual Refining, available here.
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God’s Love and Justice
God’s Love and Justice
God’s Love and Justice
The love of God is the peculiar benevolence He possesses as the loving God Himself (1 John 4:8). His intra-trinitarian love is the delight that God has toward Himself (cf. John 5:20). This is the basis for the love God expresses toward His creatures, which can be classified as either general or special. The general love of God relates to God’s desire to bless all His creatures (Ps. 145:9), while the special love of God has the elect particularly as its object (John 3:16; Eph. 5:25).
This is God’s special fatherly delight in His elect as He views them through the lens of Christ Himself (John 16:27; Col. 2:10). This love causes the elect to be accepted for the sake of God’s beloved Son (Eph. 1:4–6). Redemption appointed, redemption accomplished, and redemption applied all flow from this steadfast, ceaseless love of the triune God (Lam. 3:22; cf. Rom. 5:8; 1 John 4:10).
The justice or righteousness of God is His continual perfection according to the standard of what is pure and right—which is Himself. Exercised toward His creatures, the justice of God consists in the execution of judgment, either by reward or punishment, according to what is deserved, as determined by the standard of His holy law. All His works are just (Gen. 18:25; Ps. 7:9).
God’s justice is wholly retributive, whether in His rewarding or in His punishing. This is opposed to justice by way of mutual exchange or remunerative justice. Since men’s works are vile and filthy (Isa. 59:2–12; Rom. 3:10–18), there can be no proportionate relationship between man’s work and God’s remuneration. God is never constrained by or indebted to anyone; rather, He executes His justice according to His perfect standard.
Furthermore, because God acts not in response to man but according to His own way, God is just both in damning some (Ps. 51:4; 119:137; Nah. 1:2–3; Rom. 2:5–6) and delivering others (Rom. 3:21–22). “His work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment” (Deut. 32:4).
The love and justice of God are not incompatible; both are natural to Him to the superlative degree. God’s love is always exercised within the bounds of justice, and He always enforces His justice in a loving manner. His love is wholly just, and His justice is entirely loving—this is the nature of God. All God's attributes inhere one another, none being more to be elevated than another. God is His attributes.
This means that, on the one hand, while He is loving God will not suffer men to trample on His holy law. For Him to allow the propagation of sin to continue would not be love. He must and will punish sin to the fullest degree. This should engender fear of sinning against a righteous God who “hatest all workers of iniquity” (Ps. 5:5–6). Noting God’s justice, men must fear and tremble, allowing the terror of the Lord to move them to seek remission for their great sins through the blood of Christ.
On the other hand, this means that God, within His justice, exercises His wondrous love through His Son, Jesus Christ. We see the love of the Father in sending the Son; the love of the Son in bearing His people’s sin; and the love of the Spirit in applying the benefits of salvation. All three Persons exercise the depths of eternal, sovereign, infinite, immutable love. No man, when gazing on this fountain, can help but stand captivated in amazement at the majestic love of the holy God.
The love and justice of God are understood best by observing the contours of the gospel. Therein God displayed publicly His righteousness (Rom. 3:21–26) and demonstrated His love (Rom. 5:8). Calvary’s cross is where God’s love and justice meet (Ps. 85:10). Within Christ, God’s justice is not against but for His people. Christ’s people are so fully united to Him that God’s justice will not permit them to receive anything but that which is Christ’s wage: eternal life in glory. Additionally, within Christ, God’s love is unrestrained in bestowing His gifts (Zeph. 3:17; James 1:17). The exercising of His justice and His love come together in the gospel, both for God’s glory and for His people’s good.
—The above has been adapted from Wilhelmus à Brakel, The Christian’s Reasonable Service, vol. 1, ch. 3, available here.
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God’s Love and Justice
God’s Love and Justice
The love of God is the peculiar benevolence He possesses as the loving God Himself (1 John 4:8). His intra-trinitarian love is the delight that God has toward Himself (cf. John 5:20). This is the basis for the love God expresses toward His creatures, which can be classified as either general or special. The general love of God relates to God’s desire to bless all His creatures (Ps. 145:9), while the special love of God has the elect particularly as its object (John 3:16; Eph. 5:25).
This is God’s special fatherly delight in His elect as He views them through the lens of Christ Himself (John 16:27; Col. 2:10). This love causes the elect to be accepted for the sake of God’s beloved Son (Eph. 1:4–6). Redemption appointed, redemption accomplished, and redemption applied all flow from this steadfast, ceaseless love of the triune God (Lam. 3:22; cf. Rom. 5:8; 1 John 4:10).
The justice or righteousness of God is His continual perfection according to the standard of what is pure and right—which is Himself. Exercised toward His creatures, the justice of God consists in the execution of judgment, either by reward or punishment, according to what is deserved, as determined by the standard of His holy law. All His works are just (Gen. 18:25; Ps. 7:9).
God’s justice is wholly retributive, whether in His rewarding or in His punishing. This is opposed to justice by way of mutual exchange or remunerative justice. Since men’s works are vile and filthy (Isa. 59:2–12; Rom. 3:10–18), there can be no proportionate relationship between man’s work and God’s remuneration. God is never constrained by or indebted to anyone; rather, He executes His justice according to His perfect standard.
Furthermore, because God acts not in response to man but according to His own way, God is just both in damning some (Ps. 51:4; 119:137; Nah. 1:2–3; Rom. 2:5–6) and delivering others (Rom. 3:21–22). “His work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment” (Deut. 32:4).
The love and justice of God are not incompatible; both are natural to Him to the superlative degree. God’s love is always exercised within the bounds of justice, and He always enforces His justice in a loving manner. His love is wholly just, and His justice is entirely loving—this is the nature of God. All God's attributes inhere one another, none being more to be elevated than another. God is His attributes.
This means that, on the one hand, while He is loving God will not suffer men to trample on His holy law. For Him to allow the propagation of sin to continue would not be love. He must and will punish sin to the fullest degree. This should engender fear of sinning against a righteous God who “hatest all workers of iniquity” (Ps. 5:5–6). Noting God’s justice, men must fear and tremble, allowing the terror of the Lord to move them to seek remission for their great sins through the blood of Christ.
On the other hand, this means that God, within His justice, exercises His wondrous love through His Son, Jesus Christ. We see the love of the Father in sending the Son; the love of the Son in bearing His people’s sin; and the love of the Spirit in applying the benefits of salvation. All three Persons exercise the depths of eternal, sovereign, infinite, immutable love. No man, when gazing on this fountain, can help but stand captivated in amazement at the majestic love of the holy God.
The love and justice of God are understood best by observing the contours of the gospel. Therein God displayed publicly His righteousness (Rom. 3:21–26) and demonstrated His love (Rom. 5:8). Calvary’s cross is where God’s love and justice meet (Ps. 85:10). Within Christ, God’s justice is not against but for His people. Christ’s people are so fully united to Him that God’s justice will not permit them to receive anything but that which is Christ’s wage: eternal life in glory. Additionally, within Christ, God’s love is unrestrained in bestowing His gifts (Zeph. 3:17; James 1:17). The exercising of His justice and His love come together in the gospel, both for God’s glory and for His people’s good.
—The above has been adapted from Wilhelmus à Brakel, The Christian’s Reasonable Service, vol. 1, ch. 3, available here.
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