Calvinism

Verses Supporting God’s Sovereignty

The following verses support that God has the right to do with His creation as He desires:

Job: 37: 6-13
6 “For to the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
And to the downpour and the rain, ‘Be strong.’
7 “He seals the hand of every man,
That all men may know His work.
8 “Then the beast goes into its lair
And remains in its den.
9 “Out of the south comes the storm,
And out of the north the cold.
10 “From the breath of God ice is made,
And the expanse of the waters is frozen.
11 “Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud;
He disperses the cloud of His lightning.
12 “It changes direction, turning around by His guidance,
That it may do whatever He commands it
On the face of the inhabited earth.
13 “Whether for correction, or for His world,
Or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen.

Psalm 135: 6
6 Whatever the Lord pleases, He does,
In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.

Proverbs 16:1
The plans of the heart belong to man,
But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

Mark 4: 11-12
1 And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, 12 so that while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not understand, otherwise they might return and be forgiven.”

John 5:21
21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.

Acts 17:26
26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,

There are many more scriptures to support God’s sovereignty.

God Bless

Brian Mason

Terminology Tuesday: Arminianism, Arminius

*A system of theology founded on the thought of James Arminius (1560-1609), a Dutch theologian and pastor. Arminianism as a theological system developed mainly as a response to Lutheran and Calvinist views on the doctrine of predestination. Unlike Calvinists (and Lutherans), who saw predestination as an unconditional action of in electing individuals to salvation, Arminius taught that predestination was based on God’s foreknowledge in seeing whether an individual would freely accept or reject Christ. The resulting theology also asserted that insofar as salvation is freely chosen, it could also be freely lost – a concept foreign to Calvinist and Lutheran understandings.

*Stanley J. Grenz, David Guretzki & Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), p. 15

God Bless

Brian Mason

Terminology Tuesday: Supralapsarianism

*Supralapsarianism is an issue within Reformed Theology (Calvinism) dealing with what may have happened in God’s mind regarding the logical order of his considering whom to elect into salvation before the foundation of the world. The word means “before the fall.” This position holds that God first decided that he would save some people and then second that he would allow sin into the world. By contrast, the infralapsarian (“after the fall”) position is the reverse in that it holds that God first decided he would allow sin into the world and second that he would then save people from it.

God Bless

Brian Mason

*www.carm.org

What is “Reformed Theology” and the “Five Scripturas”?

It is a movement that originated by Martin Luther in the 16th Century. Since that time it has perhaps been better known as Calvinism. Calvinism is a biblical focused Theological movement, that objectively states that God is Sovereign, God’s elects and redeems, they are secure in Christ’s work and the recognize the sovereignty of scripture.

Reformed Theology believers follow the Five Solas.

1. Sola Scriptura – Scripture Alone
2. Sola Christus – Christ Alone
3. Sola Gratia – Grace Alone
4. Sola Fide – Faith Alone
5. Soli Deo Gloria – Glory of God Alone

Calvinists will also call the Five Solas the “Five Points”, “TULIP”

1. T – Total Depravity
2. U – Unconditional Election
3. L – Limited Atonement
4. I – Irresistible Grace
5. P – Perseverance of the Saints

You may hear of the term “Hyper Calvinism” and it can be defined as; “the denial of the necessity of missionary work. It denies common Grace and any form of love that God might have for the unbeliever”. This is non-biblical. Not all Hyper Calvinists hold to this position.

God Bless

Brian Mason