Calvinism (8)

Jonathan Ledbetter

Back to the Basics • Sermon • Submitted 5 months ago • Presented 5 months ago

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Back to the Basics:

Calvinism

We’re Not Going Back to the Basics of Calvinism…

But Back to the Basics of What the Scriptures Say…

On the Topics that Calvinism Addresses

I’m No Expert on Calvinism

I’ve Never Studied it Deeply

But, I’ve Listening to Several Calvinists Explain Their Positions/Beliefs…

And I Think We’ll Be Able to Discuss this Topic…

Without Doing Too Much Straw-Manning it’s Teachings

So We’re Going to Try to Approach this with Grace & Humility

Calvinism is All about the Sovereignty of God…

And How His Sovereignty Relates to Our Salvation

Essentially, is God Completely in Control of All Things?

And How Does that Effect Our Salvation?

The 5 Main Teachings of Calvinism are Often Summed Up with the Acronym:

T.U.L.I.P.

Total Depravity

Unconditional Election

Limited Atonement

Irresistible Grace

Perseverance of the Saints

LearnReligions.com:

“Calvinism teaches that the Elect cannot lose their salvation. Because salvation is the work of God the Father; Jesus Christ, the Savior; and the Holy Spirit, it cannot be thwarted. None whom God has called will be lost, they are eternally secure. Technically, however, it is God who perseveres, not the saints themselves.”

Allen Parr:

“Those who are truly elect, and thus saved, will persevere in following God for the rest of their lives. The proof of election and salvation is if you persevere until the end. Some refer to this ‘P’ as the ‘Preservation of the Saints’ instead of ‘Perseverance’ because it is God who keeps us from falling”

GotQuestions.Org:

The simplest explanation of this doctrine is the saying: “Once saved, always saved.” The Bible teaches that those who are born again will continue trusting in Christ forever. God, by His own power through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, keeps or preserves the believer forever.

Passages “in Favor” of Perseverance of the Saints:

Jude 24 (NASB95)

24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,

God is Able to Keep Us from Stumbling

From a Calvinist Perspective, this Verse is Saying:

“God Keeps His Elect from Ever Losing Their Salvation”

But, that Doesn’t Fit with the Context of this Book at All

Originally, Jude was Going to Write About Salvation in Jesus

But He Decided to Change Topics

Jude 3 (NASB95)

3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.

Instead of Focusing on Salvation, He Decided to Urge His Recipients…

To Contend Earnestly/Work Hard for the Faith

To Put Every Effort into Teaching & Living the Gospel of Jesus

Why Did He Make this Change of Topic?

He Goes on to Say:

He Changed His Topic Because Certain Ungodly People…

Had Infiltrated the Church He was Writing to

People Who Lived Unrestrained Lives…

And They Denied Jesus’ Identity of Master, Lord, and King

These Ungodly, Unrestrained People Were Influencing the Church

And Jude Wants These Christians…

To Work Hard to Teach and Live According to the Gospel:

To Teach the Teachings of Jesus

And to Live the Life of Jesus

The Body of this Short Letter…

Is Essentially Jude Telling His Readers that These Ungodly, Unrestrained People…

Will Suffer Judgment Like All the Other Ungodly, Unrestrained People of the Past

Jude 20–21 (NASB95)

20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.

Jude Tells His Readers to Keep Themselves in the Love of God

That Concept Flies Directly in the Face of Calvinistic Doctrine

It Says that We have No Control Over Receiving or Keeping God’s Love

That There is No Way for the Elect to Lose God’s Favor

But Jude Tells These Christians to Keep Themselves in the Love of God

This Whole Letter is Jude Warning His Christian Readers…

About Following These False Teachers & Thus Forfeiting Salvation

Let’s Return to the Original Verse:

Jude 24 (NASB95)

24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,

Knowing What the Rest of the Letter Says…

We Know that We Play a Part in Remaining Faithful to God & in His Love

What this Passage Says is:

God Keeps Us from Stumbling…

AND Makes Us Stand Blameless in His Presence

What Jude is Saying is:

In Christ, There is No Condemnation

We are Justified, Righteous, Guiltless By Faith in Christ

This Passage Says Nothing of Christians Being Unable to Lose Their Salvation

It’s about the Blessings of Being Justified By Faith in Christ

1 John 2:19 (ESV)

19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

From the Calvinist Perspective, this Passage is Used to Say:

“The Elect can Never Lose Their Salvation”

“If Someone Begins to Live in Sin or Walk Away from the Faith…”

“They were Obviously Never Even Saved/Elect to Begin with”

But that’s Not What this Passage is Saying

This Passage is Talking about a Specific Group of People…

Not All People, in All Circumstances, for All Time

1 John 2:18–22 (ESV)

18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. 20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.

John is Talking about a Specific People…

Who were Once Part of the Local Church, But Left

He Calls Them “Antichrists”

They are People Who Deny that Jesus is the Messiah

John Says These People were Never a Part of Christ’s Church…

Because You Can’t Be a Christian & Not Believe that Jesus is the Messiah

These People weren’t Faithful Christians Who Believed in Jesus as the Christ…

Who One Day Decided that They No Longer Believed Jesus was the Christ

These were False Teachers Who Intended to Lure Believers Away from Jesus

This Passage Doesn’t Teach that Anyone Who Walks Away from Jesus or the Church…

Was Never Saved to Begin with

This Passage is Specifically about Some False Teachers…

Who were Causing Trouble in the Church of John’s Day

Passages that Teach Against the Perseverance of the Saints

2 Peter 2:20–22 (NASB95)

20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. 22 It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”

Hebrews 10:26–31 (NASB95)

26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Hebrews 6:4–6 (NASB95)

4 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.

We’re Obviously Looking at Christians Here

Let’s Paraphrase the Passage to Make it Easier to Comprehend

“For in the Case of Those Who Became Christians, and Then Have Fallen Away, It is Impossible to Renew Them Again to Repentance”

What Does the Author Mean By “Fallen Away”?

This is the Only Time in the NT this Word is Used

“Fallen Away” = To Fail to Follow Through on a Commitment

When a Person Becomes a Christian, They Make a Commitment to God

They Join Him in a Covenant Relationship

To “Fall Away” is to Not Follow Through with that Commitment

It is to Reject Jesus and His Gospel

“For in the Case of Those Who Became Christians, and Then Abandoned Their Commitment to Jesus, It is Impossible to Renew Them Again to Repentance”

We aren’t Talking About a Christian Who Occasionally Sins

We Aren’t Even Talking About a Christian Who Practices a Sinful Lifestyle

Both of These Could Be Renewed Through Repentance

We’re Talking About a Christian Who Decides They No Longer Want to Be Associated with Jesus

They are Cutting Ties with Him and No Longer Want Anything to Do with Him

Those are the People Who Have No Hope of a Relationship with God…

Because Only Through Jesus Can a Relationship with God Be Enjoyed

This Also Doesn’t Mean that a Person Can Recommit Themselves to Jesus and Be Reconciled to God

It Simply Means that if a Person Continues to Reject Jesus…

There’s No Other Option of Hope for Them

1 Corinthians 10:1–12 (NASB95)

1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 and all ate the same spiritual food; 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness. 6 Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play.” 8 Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. 9 Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. 10 Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.

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