Only.me80 #8: MacArthur 4A (Reversing God's Word)
Here is footnote #4A (part 8 of the whole series inspired by Only.me80's comment) on John MacArthur's sermon about Limited Atonement, quoted in part 4. (Also see part 1... part 2... part 3... part 5... part 6... and part 7 of this series.)
*4. MacArthur said: "... God enables to believe those whom He has chosen... those who would believe because they were given life because they were chosen."
Notice the Calvinist order: First the Calv-elect are chosen for salvation, then given life, and then, lastly, they believe in Jesus.
And so, therefore, the Calv-elect are saved and born-again after they were elected but before they believed in Jesus (born again so that they could believe in Jesus) - meaning that, in Calvinism, people are saved by election, not by faith in Jesus.
My ex-pastor, October 2014: "God elected, God chose, God drew, God opens your eyes, God saved, and because He did all that, you were able to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and repent."
R.C. Sproul (Chosen by God, pg 10,72): "The Reformed view…teaches that before a person can choose Christ…he must be born again… one does not first believe and then become reborn.… A cardinal doctrine of Reformed theology is the maxim, 'Regeneration precedes faith'.”
John MacArthur (Faith Works, pg 62): "… Regeneration logically must initiate faith."
So according to Calvinism, faith/belief in Jesus is not what we need to do to be saved, but it is the result of already having been saved. The Calv-elect are saved first, in eternity past... and then God causes them to be born-again by giving them the Holy Spirit who regenerates them to cause them to understand and respond to the gospel, to repent of their sins, and, lastly, to believe in Jesus.
My ex-pastor, September 16, 2018: "In the final section [of the Bible passage], God is talking to the redeemed, to those who are born-again, saved, converted, regenerated - and all of this leads to the ability for them to turn from their sins and be repaired by the gospel."
My ex-pastor, September 10, 2017: "And the evidence that someone is believing is evidence that they have already been converted. So once again, this new birth precedes the ability to have saving faith."
Edwin Palmer (The Five Points of Calvinism, pg 18-19): "Then, once he is born again, he can for the first time turn to Jesus, expressing sorrow for his sins and asking Jesus to save him."
If this doesn't make you righteously angry, then (I wish I didn't have to say this, but I do) it has to be because you don't really understand the gospel or the biblical order of salvation - and so you can't see how wrong Calvinism is and how its reversal of the order slams the door of heaven on most people, denying most people the ability to believe, the chance to be saved.
Loraine Boettner (The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination): "A man is not saved because he believes in Christ; he believes in Christ because he is saved."
My ex-pastor, June 2024: "We're not His sheep because we follow Him; we follow Him because we are already His sheep."
According to Calvinism, only those who are pre-saved will believe. And since we don't decide if we're pre-saved or not (Calvi-god decides that), then we can't decide if we believe or not.
And so although Calvinists claim that "salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone," what they're really teaching is that faith (belief in Jesus) is by salvation alone, that being saved comes before and leads to belief in Jesus.
And so - think about this - Calvinists are really not spreading the same gospel as non-Calvinists.
Non-Calvinists say "Repent and believe in Jesus to be saved - and anyone can, because Jesus died for everyone and God wants everyone to be saved and He offers the free gift of eternal life to everyone, but it's up to us if we accept it or reject it." This is why we share the gospel and plead with people to believe it - because it's for everyone, and anyone can believe it and be saved.
And, sure, Calvinists constantly try to seem like they're saying that, but what Calvinism really teaches is "You'll irresistibly repent and believe in Jesus only if you were already saved and born again. And no one gets a choice about it because God has predetermined whom He saves and regenerates, and everyone else is predestined to hell and can't do anything about it. Oh, and by the way, Jesus died only for those predestined to heaven." And so when they share the gospel, it's not really to reach everyone or to save anyone and everyone, but it's merely to make the Calv-elect realize that they were always Calv-elect, that they were already saved in eternity past without making any decision and that all they have to do is realize it. (And, furthermore, it's to seal the non-Calv-elect in their damnation. See this post about Calvangelism.)
A very different gospel, way of salvation, and reason for evangelizing! (I'll examine this a little more in the extra note at the end of the next post.)
In Calvinism, neither belief in Jesus nor the gospel can lead to anyone being saved. Only Calv-election saves. The Calv-elect are saved and born again before they understand the gospel and believe in Jesus, which ... think about it... technically means that they are saved and born again without, apart from, the gospel and belief in Jesus.
My ex-pastor, February 2024: "the unmistakable sign that someone has been born again is that they have the ability to repent and believe the gospel."
Tom Wells (Faith: The Gift of God, pg 58): "A man must be born again in order to exercise faith."
Arthur Pink (The Sovereignty of God): "A man is not regenerated because he has first believed in Christ, but he believes in Christ because has been regenerated."
Therefore, in Calvinism... think about this!... the gospel and faith in Jesus are superfluous, inconsequential, without effect, because they come last and do not affect whether or not someone is saved.
The Calv-elect are chosen, saved, filled with the Spirit, and born again before the gospel of Christ... and the non-Calv-elect can never respond to the gospel of Christ... and so what does the Calvi-gospel and faith in Calvi-Christ really do with regards to Calvi-salvation?
Nothing. It's a result of salvation, proof of previous salvation. Not a cause, prerequisite, or factor in salvation.
And, hmm, I wonder who could possibly be responsible for the idea of making the gospel and faith in Jesus superfluous, inconsequential, ineffective, a minor footnote? I wonder who's smart enough to trick well-meaning (but naive) Christians into spread a theology like that, convincing them that they're spreading the true gospel and glorifying God when they're really spreading an anti-gospel and tearing Him down?
While Calvinism's theology sounds lofty, intelligent, tightly-held-together, and complex (so complex that people are convinced they must accept it without understanding it, as if it can't be understood)... in reality, Calvinism's idea that "salvation, regeneration by the Spirit, and being born again precedes and leads to belief in the gospel/faith in Jesus" is a complete and shameless reversal of what the Bible actually, clearly, and repeatedly says.
Because what the Bible actually, clearly, and repeatedly says is that when (and because) we believe the gospel and put our faith in Jesus, then we are saved and given the Holy Spirit and new life (born again, regenerated, given eternal life).
John 20:31: “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
Ephesians 1:13: "... Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit."
John 3:16,36: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.... Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life...”
Romans 10:9: “… if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Calvinism: First be saved, then get the Holy Spirit who regenerates you and makes you born-again... and then you're able to understand/respond to the gospel, repent of your sins, and believe in Jesus.
The Bible: First hear the gospel, believe it, repent of your sins, and put your faith in Jesus... and then you will be saved and get the Holy Spirit who regenerates you and makes you born-again.
Calvinism reverses what the Bible says and flips the gospel on its head, but it does so in such tricksy ways that many good Christians aren't aware of it, convinced that it's merely "deeper, mysterious truths."
Sure, Calvinism uses biblical concepts, words, and verses, but (unbeknownst to many people) it stealthily twists them, redefines them, takes them out of context, goes beyond biblical boundaries, and reverses the biblical order of things... until it says something completely different, completely unbiblical, and totally alters (destroys) God's character, the gospel, and people's faith and chance for salvation.
But its use of biblical concepts, words, and verses tricks many people (well-meaning but naive Christians who have the good intentions of wanting to learn deeper truths, be more humble, and bring God more glory) into thinking that Calvinism is biblical, that it's "clearly taught in the Bible"... when it's really not.
And, hmm, who is it again that enjoys and benefits from twisting Scripture to deceive people, that's brilliantly-skilled at it?
Oh, that's right...
And Calvinism does this all the time!
Here are some examples (continued in the next posts of this series):
A. Starting with regeneration and belief again, this time from the "dead people" angle:
Calvinists say that "dead people" must be brought to life first in order to seek God, hear Him, and believe in Him, that Calvi-god first removes the veil from the Calv-elects' hearts (spiritual eyes) and then they turn to Jesus.
As MacArthur says in "For whom did Christ die?": "According to Scripture, sinners are dead... blind... total inability... The sinner, on his own, can't do anything.. The doctrine of man's inability necessitates the doctrine of God's divine invasion. Salvation is from God. He must give light... life... sight... understanding... repentance... faith... the sinner can't activate his own will because he's dead."
Or as my Calvinist ex-pastor worded it in his August 16, 2015 sermon (obviously thinking he's being clever and funny): "Dead people can’t choose anything. If you went to the cemetery today with a stack of menus and passed them out among the tombstones and said ‘Dinner’s on me. What do you choose?’, what would happen?... I can guarantee you that zero would order anything because dead people can’t pick. Dead people can’t choose anything unless a miracle happens. And so therefore election is based on nothing we do... It’s why He sovereignly elects and gives grace and mercy to some*."
Calvinists view being spiritually dead the same as being physically dead: totally unable to do anything, even think or make decisions, and especially unable to choose to seek God and believe in Jesus (and yet somehow totally able to choose to sin and reject God😕).
2 Cor. 3:16: "whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away."
John 5:24: “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” When we hear and believe, we cross from death to life, which means "dead people" can hear and believe, which is the opposite of Calvinism which says that first the Calv-elect are brought to life and then they hear and believe.
Even the prodigal son of Luke 15:11-32 was considered “dead”... but then he “came to his senses” and chose to return to his father... and that's when he found forgiveness and became "alive" again in the father's eyes.
As I said, underlying Calvinism's "regeneration leads to belief" error is their conflation of spiritual death with physical death, believing that they are the same thing, that to be spiritually dead is like being physically dead: can't think, can't decide, can't seek, can't want God, can't do anything at all but lay there all dead. "Total inability." No wonder Calvi-god has to bring people - certain prechosen people - to life first so that they can believe.
But this goes above and beyond the biblical teaching of spiritual death, which is simply that we are all sinners and our sin separates us from God (dying in that condition means eternal separation from God, eternal death, hell), and that we cannot work our way to heaven ourselves, which is why Jesus came to die for our sins to make salvation possible for all and available to all. (And contrary to what Calvinists say, believing in Jesus is not a work, but it's simply accepting the work that Jesus did for us on our behalf, accepting the gift of eternal life that He paid for in blood.)
Another severe error that underlies and bolsters that error is Calvinism's fatal misunderstanding of election and predestination. Calvinists believe that election and predestination are the same thing and that both are about God choosing certain sinners ("dead people") for salvation, about what God has decided for people about if they believe, how they believe, and when they believe.
And defining these the same way makes it appears like they have lots of support all over the Bible for their idea that God chooses who goes to heaven, allowing them to point to every verse that contains the words "predestined, elect, elected, chosen" (many verses) and say, "See, the Bible teaches the Calvinist doctrine of predestination/election."
But it's really not so.
Because, biblically, predestination and election are two separate things... and neither are about what God has decided for certain sinners before they believe (about if they'll believe, how they'll believe, or when they'll believe). Neither are about God determining who will believe and be saved. But, when it relates to salvation, both are about what God has determined for people after they believe, what He has planned for all who choose to believe in Him (and anyone can). This is another concept Calvinists reverse.
Specifically, election (when it relates to believers) is about God deciding which roles, responsibilities, and tasks to give those who choose to believe in Him, follow Him, obey Him. Anyone who chooses to put their faith in Him (and anyone can) is now elected to receive the roles, responsibilities, and tasks that He set aside for believers. Election is about being chosen for service, not for salvation. [Election can also be about God choosing to give certain roles or tasks to even specific people and nations (even non-believing ones), such as choosing Jacob/Israel to be the bloodline that brings Jesus and the gospel into the world.]
The point is this: Election is never about choosing people for salvation, but it's about God deciding which tasks to give people and how to use them in His plans, especially those who choose to believe in Him.
And predestination is similar, though not exactly the same. It's not about God predestining who believes, but it's about what He has predestined for those who believe (and anyone can). It's His promises to all believers about where the path of a true believer goes and ends. Anyone who chooses to put their faith in Jesus, to make Him their Lord and Savior, is now predestined to eternal life, to grow to be more like Christ (because of the Spirit's help), to glorify God, to be seen as holy and blameless, and to, in the end, reach glory, get an inheritance, and have their bodies redeemed. Predestination is about God's promises about what happens to us after we become believers, not about who becomes a believer.
Imagine for a moment that there are two buses: one destined for heaven and one for hell. Everyone must choose to board one bus (and if we don't choose to get on the heaven bus, we automatically end up on the hell bus by default). God has predestined the paths and destinations these buses take (and the tasks, responsibilities, and blessings people get if they choose to get on the heaven bus), but He has not predestined who gets on which bus. He lets us decide. We choose which bus to get on, but He chooses where the buses go and what happens to us after we get on the bus we choose.
This is the biblical way to view predestination and election, that it's about God's plans and promises about what happens to all those who choose to believe - unlike Calvinism which defines them both as being about God choosing who believes. Very different!
Don't let Calvinists convince you that predestination and election are about God choosing who believes and causing them to believe (reprobating everyone else to hell) or that spiritual death is the same as physical death... because it will inevitably draw you right into Calvinism.
Hmm, interesting, because the Bible says (emphasis added)...
"For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all." (Romans 11:32)
"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men." (Titus 2:11)
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ." (Romans 3:23-24)
"This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men..." (1 Tim. 2:3-5)
"He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)
Yeah, I can see how easy it'd be to keep interpreting all these "all people" verses as "some people" verses.😆😕😖]
("Reversing God's Word" continued in the next post of this series.)
