What's Wrong with Calvinism?

[TedT]

Belief leads to freedom from condemnation, whereas a lack of belief means a person is already under judgment.

OR: belief means you are not condemned when you sin while a lack of faith means that when you sin you are condemned.

Earthly belief brings you back into Christ is a RETURN to faith:
1 Peter 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray: but are now RETURNED unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
To return, one must have been there before, at least, according to the normal use of the word. Therefore, in this verse, it would be normal to infer that the sheep (those who accepted the proclamation of the gospel they heard as the truth) that had gone astray, were, at one time, part of the Shepherd's flock but had strayed away from HIS care. Since I am sure that the Shepherd was not negligent, the straying away from HIS care must have involved some rebellion.

We are RETURNED TO the faith we had before we sinned, a faith that kept us from being condemned when we sinned....

 

[TedT]

Are you unable to understand that God could know some people would believe in Christ and God therefore determines he will choose to make such to be holy and blameless?

PCE theology explains one way this could happen....but rather than our fates being determined by HIM, we believe our fates were our own choice, what we most hoped for would bring our future happiness.

 

[TedT]

Yet Calvinists will argue that God gives life to men condemned already, totally contrary to what the verse states.

Well, HE does sow the people of the evil one into HIS field, mankind, to live with HIS fallen, elect, good seed to help in their repentance unto holiness, Matt 13:27-30.

 

[TomL]

Well, HE does sow the people of the evil one into HIS field, mankind, to live with HIS fallen, elect, good seed to help in their repentance unto holiness, Matt 13:27-30.

God sows the people of the evil one?

My comment concerns the fact that verses exist that state unbelievers do not see life, while Calvinists claim God unconditionally makes some unbelievers alive.

 

[TomL]

PCE theology explains one way this could happen....but rather than our fates being determined by HIM, we believe our fates were our own choice, what we most hoped for would bring our future happiness.

There is no determination of one's choice in the comment

God could know some people would believe in Christ and God therefore determines he will choose to make such to be holy and blameless

What happens is God chooses to bless those who believe.

 

[TomL]

Did He know them or simply some would ,He just had no idea who?

No one said it would.

It could be that he foreknew who would believe or it could be that he just determined to bless those who would as no one is made blameless and holy until the time of belief in Christ.

However as I noted above

There is, however, no way dead men who do not believe can be given life, as Calvinism holds, without a contradiction to scripture

John 3:36 (KJV 1900) — 36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

John 3:18 The one who believes in him is not judged, but the one who does not believe has already been judged, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.

Mark 16:16 The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who refuses to believe will be condemned.

John 8:24 Thus I said to you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”

1 John 5:12 The one who has the Son has the life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

1 John 5:10–13 (The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. The one who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has testified concerning his Son.) And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The one who has the Son has the life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life.

And that is the critical point.