I am personally a zero point Calvinist. 😉 Well, at least the T.U.L.I.P. anyway and the way Calvinists define it. I take particular issue with the L and the P. Perseverance of the saints is a works doctrine that keep you on a works treadmill and sows fear and doubt. Preservation of the Saints is the Biblical doctrine. I also believe that predestination and free will are both correct and they can freely coexist together. Why? Because God is outside of time and He doesn't need things sequentially ordered like we do. Well — I will say that I feel like I am repeating myself — NOTHING we can do matches up to God’s holiness, righteousness, and perfection …. He is creator, he is sovereign … I understand this is a hard concept for our finite brains but God does not need us, nor is His existence dependent on our worship of Him. He is God, God alone Isaiah 44:6 “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.” the book of Isaiah is full of these such verses for the almighty I AM. 1 Corinthians 8:6 “Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” Isaiah 64:6 “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” Truth - God knows the beginning from the end - yet we believe that we can figure it all out (as created beings, we are rather arrogant). Does God know who will accept Him and reject him, certainly, it would be foolish to believe that He just put it all out there and said run with it, if you can …. Do we know, absolutely not … He gave us a command — Go! Preach/tell! — the rest is up to Him. Isaiah 46:10 “declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’”. Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” I agree with Phil — I will just continue to study the Word as it is given and believe that what my Father, Creator, King, Savior, GOD said and did are truth … man will always twist it to fit what man needs it to fit … I have seen too many change scripture to match culture instead of keeping scripture the main things and allowing it to live in us …. Abide in me and my Words abide in you — John 15 is a great chapter to commit to your heart, very refreshing in these times. My two cents or maybe it is a nickel now with prices rising :mdrmdr: :prayer-hands: Well said, Tammie! First off, I am neither a Calvinist nor Arminian: I am a Biblicist. I think some Calvinists make the Christian faith into like some sort of intellectual exercise or shell game instead of projecting the love of God that scripture reveals. I made the mistake of being on one of their Calvinist forums years ago and there was almost no love or caring shown. All they seem to want is to put down any beliefs that didn't conform to their TULIP Reform creeds and confessions. They didn't seem to care about reaching out with the gospel message to the world because they thought that it had already been divinely foreordained who was saved and who was not. They twist scripture around to fit their creeds and doctrines. I think their site was called "5 Solas.org" or something like that. John Calvin's real hero was Augustine who was the big promoter in the RCC doctrine. Calvin got a lot of his influence from Augustine of Hippo. And this was his inspiration for his TULIP doctrine. All of the 5 TULIP points are false, and particularly the last one "P" perseverance of the saints. What this does is say the saints must follow through with good works or they are not really saved. This is the false doctrine of faith plus works in order to be saved. Loadship Salvation Calvinists would have you looking in the mirror at your conduct instead of looking to the Lord; they are fruit inspectors. I quit a grace believing Bible church in the 1990's because it had become infiltrated with Lordship Salvation Calvinists who promoted books and false teachings of John MacArthur and RC Sproul. Today I attend a small Bible church that is teaches grace alone. Hopefully, they won't become infected with LS Calvinist teachings. Phil 1 Corinthians 3:13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. I have listened to John Mc Arthur for years and believe he is serving the Lord in his ministry. God bless this place :rose: Those verses from 1 Corinthians 3 are talking about the Bema Seat judgement of Christ where we will be given rewards for our faithful service. They are not connected to our salvation. Verse 15 delineates this by saying 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
