Simply Stated: Why is Calvinism a False Gospel?
Simply stated, Calvinism is a false gospel because it denies that salvation is a onetime event in the life of the believer. In other words, when a person believes in Christ, all of their sins are not forgiven once and for all time. The sins we commit in our Christian life go against our just standing, so we must continually revisit the same gospel that saved us in order to maintain our just standing. This is a problem because we have to do something to keep our just standing. The Reformers taught that salvation as a onetime finished work is a false gospel.
In our present day which is experiencing a resurgence of the original Reformation gospel, we assume that the mantra, “We must preach the gospel to ourselves everyday” is just a popular opinion about the best way to grow spiritually in our Christian life. Not so. The revisiting every day of the same gospel that saved us is necessary to maintain our just standing before God. “The same gospel that saved us also sanctifies us” is another popular mantra that is deceptive; a re-visitation of gospel is a must for keeping ourselves saved according to the Reformation gospel.
This is why the Reformers redefined the biblical new birth. Instead of the new birth being a onetime event in the life of the believer, making us a new creature, they made the new birth a continual rebirth experience only needed to maintain our salvation. Another way this could be stated follows: a perpetual re-salvation experience. Contemporary Reformed theologians call this “mortification and vivification” in their systematic theology.
paul
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
Reblogged this on Clearcreek Chapel Watch.
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You are wrong. As usual, it seems to me you do not understand the reform and calvinism doctrines; are you an arminian – dispensationalist? I believe yes…You have to read the canons of Dortdredge, which talks about the “5 points of CALVINISM”, start with those doctrines…and correct your articles…may the grace and love of God be with you…
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&— comment-reply@wordpress.com wrote:From: Paul’s Passing Thoughts <comment-reply@wordpress.com>To: vicarte@adondemail.comSubject: [New post] Simply Stated: Why is Calvinism a False Gospel?Date: Sun, 24 Nov 2013 14:16:29 +0000
paulspassingthoughts posted: “Simply stated, Calvinism is a false gospel because it denies that salvation is a onetime event in the life of the believer. In other words, when a person believes in Christ, all of their sins are not forgiven once and for all time. The sins we commit in o”
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Oh, thee Reformed philosopher king has spoken. The citations don’t really mean what they say. Thou has the keys to the kingdom–let us bow low.
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Your article reads like an April fools joke. If you could just get some facts straight about what you knock down, it may help your case. Get the feeling that’s not going to happen.
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Andrew,
What a brilliant argument! Utterly profound. Did you go to Westminster?
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[…] via Simply Stated: Why is Calvinism a False Gospel?. […]
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well, the discussion here….
“The sins we commit in our Christian life go against our just standing”
I don’t know of any serious calvinist who believes that. Our just standing cannot be lost, because it is based on Christ’s completed work, not our actions.
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P duggie,
Calvin believed that specifically–he’s a pretty serious Calvinist.
“…by new sins we continually separate ourselves, as far as we can, from the grace of God… Thus it is, that all the saints have need of the daily forgiveness of sins; for this alone keeps us in the family of God” (John Calvin: Commentaries on the Catholic Epistles; The Calvin Translation Society 1855. Editor: John Owen, p. 165 ¶4).
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well, the discussion here….
“The sins we commit in our Christian life go against our just standing”
I don’t know of any serious Calvinist who believes that. Our just standing cannot be lost, because it is based on Christ’s completed work, not our actions.
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P duggie,
Calvin believed that specifically–he’s a pretty serious Calvinist.
“…by new sins we continually separate ourselves, as far as we can, from the grace of God… Thus it is, that all the saints have need of the daily forgiveness of sins; for this alone keeps us in the family of God” (John Calvin: Commentaries on the Catholic Epistles; The Calvin Translation Society 1855. Editor: John Owen, p. 165 ¶4).
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That quote does not say that we separate from our just standing. But it does say that forgiveness is ongoing.
Let me ask you
1) do Christians need to repent of present sins?
2) in 1 John 1:3-7 what does it mean that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from sin in the present tense. It would seem on your reading that John should instead say that the blood of Jesus cleansed us from all sin. Are you ignoring the present tense of ‘cleanse’
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1. For justification, NO. To prevent consequences as a son/daughter, yes. Calvin, like all of his Neo-Calvinist heretic followers,teach “deep repentance” in order to keep ourselves saved. As CJM stated: we must preach the gospel to ourselves to “keep ourselves in the love of God.” As heretic John Piper states: the gospel continues to save believers. These guys are heretics.
2. Are you saying that 1JN contradicts John 4 and 13?
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third question
3) if faith in Jesus is supposed to be ongoing, not a one-time event, what kind of faith is it? Do we cease trusting Jesus as the one who suffered for our sins?
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That’s the wrong question. Does our initial faith bring about the new birth or not? It’s almost like asking if a newborn needs to continue breathing or not. Your question seems to imply a requirement rather than an expected natural result.
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hat quote does not say that we separate from our just standing. But it does say that forgiveness is ongoing.
2 questions
1) do Christians need to repent of present sins?
2) in 1 John 1:3-7 what does it mean that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from sin in the present tense. It would seem on your reading that John should instead say that the blood of Jesus cleansed us from all sin. Are you ignoring the present tense of ‘cleanse’
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PD,
Whatever kind of forgiveness it is, it “keeps us in the family of God.” Uh, this seems pretty clear–just standing and being in God’s family is certainly synonymous.
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I would answer both of your questions with John 13 and John 4. As far as justification, we are washed ONCE and we drink once. 1JN must be interpreted in that context and the fact that 1JN is a pushback against the Gnosticism that was plaguing the assemblies during that time.
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in John 14 we are washed totally, once, but Jesus does promote the idea that there will be future washing of feet. If there are future washings of feet, are they by Christ’s blood, or another means?
In John 4, we are to drink once, but that one drink becomes a reserve that refreshes continually. The substance that refreshes is the same (Christ’s salvation, in an ongoing manner).
Calvin sums up “The sum of what is said, then, is, that the faithful know of a certainty, that they are accepted by God, because he has been reconciled to them through the sacrifice of the death of Christ. And sacrifice includes cleansing and satisfaction” For Calvin, the cleaning is ongoing, because there WILL be new sins, and 1 John tells us there are new sins. WERE IT NOT FOR the ongoing cleaning and forgiveness, we would exit the family of God, but the faithful know of a certainty that this cleansing is ongoing and present.
(In general Calvin is arguing against the position of the rc church that after faith, the one cleansing for sin cannot be ongoing, and must be made up by works of repentance: in that context, which is no gospel at all, the news that Calvin states, that cleansing continues for the christian with faith is quite encouraging.
Did you demonstrate Powelson-type ‘deep repentance’ in Calvin, btw?
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PD,
1. The Scriptures are clear: the blood is only applied once. A perpetual reapplication of Christ’s death is extremely dangerous territory.
2. What “refreshes”? Christ said that we will never thirst again. Refreshing is not needed where there is no thirst.
3. Justification is a finished work and does not power sanctification. I share company with the likes of Dr. Adams on this.
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