"Calvinism really is a bad doctrine" was the knock-out punch from "Chuck" who called into Open-Line on Monday night which is a bi-weekly radio program hosted by Pastor Donald Cole and part of the Moody Broadcasting Network. This was said right after Pastor Cole said quote: "Everybody is among the elect" and all you have to do is to "activate it" referring to salvation and that "until you activate it, it's useless" just like a credit card. Then a 11 year old girl called in and quoted John 6:44 and asked about predestination, and Pastor Cole said "what Jesus is really saying is that if your not a lover of God you won't like me either". Now I know that Pastor Cole is a very well loved and respected Bible teacher and my goal is not to attack Pastor Cole's faith in Christ, as I truly believe him to be a brother in the Lord Jesus, but do these statements really line up with scripture? Now I don't think that Pastor Cole really believes you have to love God before you come to Christ. And I am pretty sure the Bible teaches that men are DEAD in there transgressions and sins (Eph 2:1, Col 2:13) and I don't think men dead in sin love God. So my question to Pastor Cole is why in the world would the Apostle Paul asked the question in Romans 9:14a "What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God?" if he wasn't teaching the doctrine of election? I guess I shouldn't be shocked since Moody himself tended to lean more toward the Arminian side.
Anyway, you can download the whole program in mp3 format HERE and pick up the discussion almost 17 minutes into the show, I would love to hear your comments on this one.
2 comments:
From an Arminian perspective, of course Calvinism is a bad doctrine. It takes away anything that man can contribute to his salvation. The well-known Billy Graham even believes that God does 99% of the work in salvation, but man has to do his 1%. Scripture teaches that "salvation is of the Lord". Jesus told Nicodemus " you must be born again". There was a reason that terminology was used. We did not contribute to our first birth just as we do not contribute to our second. A dead man never did anything except rot in his grave. Just as Lazarus was in the tomb 4 days before Jesus resurrected him, he had already begun to decay. Jesus alone called him out, and out he came.
I was raised in the Arminian persuasion and am so thankful that our Lord opened my eyes to His sovereignty. No matter what man or Christians of another persuasion may say, salvation is of the Lord. I'm thankful that He does it all, through Christ Jesus our Lord.
I agree, and it's just so sad when people attack God's sovereignty and the doctrines of grace in the name of Christ just because it has been given the nick-name of Calvinism.
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