Calvinism Is Harmful

[@peterfox7663]

The old "who are you to question God?' line. To which I respond: I'm not questioning God - I'm questioning you and your understanding of what God said

[@GreatLightStudios]

Exactly Peter! 😅

[@iglesiadedios.8816]

Exactly, we are questioning your interpretation. Not God, well said.

[@daddada2984]

Nice reply.

[@reheahuls646]

But isn’t that question in the Bible? Rom 9:20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, Why have you made me like this?

[@peterfox7663]

@@reheahuls646 That's the passage, and the Calvinists accuse me of questioning God. I'm not questioning God.

[@JOB1925pk]

Calvinism damaged my view of God and I'm struggling to recover...please pray for me that I might find the peace and joy of the true and living God

[@ipt3000]

U are being prayed for! Please also pray for my husband - also battling this! His name is Israel - please pray for him!

[@Kay-br7by]

I promise JMac almost damaged mine 💔 I thank God I got out of this entanglement very early

[@alphablitz1024]

In your prayers, brother, remember the words of Christ: "Blessed is he who is not offended by me."

[@TheBereanVoice]

@JOB1925pk It is likely your view of God needed to be damaged.

[@dinoboihere]

Calvinism is simply what God wrote for you to Understand his view of what he wrote. Calvin did. Any other view distorts the sovereignty that God intended for you . He is the boss as far as I'm concerned.

[@Redimido42]

Paradox: When my doctrine contradicts scripture, but it has to mean what I say…..

[@jackcarraway4707]

The biggest thing I notice with most Calvinists is that they tend to lack empathy and are woefully out of touch with people.

[@krissyyoung9264]

I agree with your thoughts about Calvinism. And I love the way you present your position; straightforward, with humility and grace. Very impressive. Really looking forward to hearing more!

[@GreatLightStudios]

Thanks Krissy!

[@DavidEmailman]

It is so important that this man is out there countering Calvinism like Leighton Flowers, Frank Turek and others. There needs to be many more doing this as never before. Thank you sirs.

[@ChristianOkafor-q4o]

​@@GreatLightStudiosif you can give me your mail , I will like to get in contact with you

[@BobF1950]

@@krissyyoung9264 who are you talking to and about??

[@depabooks]

2008 in a Q&A John McArthur said that during the tribulation if you received the Mark you can still be saved...Rev 14 says NOT TO GET THE MARK and if you do you will be cast into the Lake of Fire...

[@ipt3000]

He is an instrument of SATAN

[@GaylaKenney-i2f]

Exactly, that’s what I’ve always been taught about the mark, it totally separates you from God.

[@Alpha_Echo-00]

Will Christians go to Tribulation?

[@Steven-nd1pz]

In my Christian "youth," I many times pointed out to ministers of religion why certain of their beliefs were irrational and not supported by scriptures. On every occasion I was attacked or looked upon as a madman. After years of this, I came to the conclusion that ministers of religion know full well that some of their teachings are wrong. They willingly put human organizations and their bundle of truth mixed with error theology before God. They worship their church rather than God.

[@SSNBN777]

And their 501c3 tax exempt status.

[@ipt3000]

They worship Satan

[@noahcole6856]

I don’t know about that

[@jabberwocky8021]

Calvinism is just . . . wrong. I've seen the outworking of this theology and it isn't pretty. Unchecked, it can suck the faith right out of you and most certainly any vestige of joy you might have in the Lord.

[@clauszirbo]

I wonder if calvinists when they evangelize would wear a t-shirt with the words SOME LIVES MATTER, how many converts they would have?

[@R.L.KRANESCHRADTT]

🎯🎯

[@Tigerex966]

OEM Only elect matter

[@jasonmason6909]

“A bit monstrous “ is exactly right!

[@shelmariemoe5271]

AMEN!

[@jeffreybomba]

It’s roots are found in Gnosticism and Stoicism, two things labeled by the Apostles as HERESY. Every other group we define Cults rely on these same HERESIES. Augustine tried to inject all of that into orthodox teaching. Half of his HERESY was accepted by what became the Catholic church and the other half was finally taken up by Luther and Calvin, but we accept those systems of reasonable instead of cultic.

[@elmerfudd2402]

Was God "monstrous" in Genesis 7?

[@jasonmason6909]

@@elmerfudd2402that’s a good question….. no God was not monstrous in Genesis….. nor did he decree every action done by man in Genesis…. God is righteous in his judgement because man is responsible for their action …

[@r.crompton2286]

@@jasonmason6909 Assuming that you are one of God's elect, were you 100% responsible before God for your sinful actions (including words and thoughts) thereby deserving of His forgiveness because you girded up your loins and responded positively? ; or were you simply shown mercy/favour from God as was Noah (cf. Gen. 6:8 ; Lot Gen. 19:19 ) and the rest of us since then who have been graciously drawn by God to Himself (cf. John 6:44,65 ;Romans 9:15,18, 22-23). Would you then censure God as a monster because He showed no salvific favour/mercy to the rest of humanity who have perished in their guilty state?

[@bobwaughman6259]

Believers should not be following slavishly the teaching of any person. This is where cults come from.

[@TheBereanVoice]

@bobwaughman6259 Remember that the next time you listen to Leighton Flowers.

[@kels729]

Jordan you should do a master class video on how to have religious conversations in a respectful manner, this is a perfect example of that

[@GreatLightStudios]

Thanks Kelsey! That’s a great thing to hear.

[@TheBereanVoice]

@kels729 Except he would have to ask forgiveness for the lies he is spreading.

[@kels729]

@@TheBereanVoice Jordan has demonstrated over the years how to have a good-spirited debate and he doesn’t push his beliefs on anyone. I’ll listen to his videos any day

[@TheBereanVoice]

@@kels729 What he is demonstrating now is his dishonesty. I am still waiting for him to admit that he took the quote from Calvini out of context and that Calvini was not suggesting that God is the proxmiate cause of any sin. I have sent him quotes from Calvin that clearly show that Calvini believed that God has determined to permit certain evil actions of wicked people because He has a good purpose fo r allowing them to occur/ Honesty would be better than fake niceness.

[@dronelocations1339]

Calvinism in a nutshell: Satan wants everyone, God doesn't.

[@matthewbrown9029]

Wow. I've never thought of that. That's insane.

[@dustincampbell4835]

Satan wants to destroy man because man is created in the image of God whom he hates. I suppose if you're suffering under the delusion that people are basically good, then God only choosing to save some, seems unfair. But seen correctly, the true miracle is that God in His great grace and mercy is willing to save any of us; rebellious wretches who deserve only the curse and wrath of God.

[@dronelocations1339]

@@dustincampbell4835 according to Calvinism doctrine and Baptist Confession of Faith chapter 3, "God hath decreed Himself from all eternity, by His wise and holy council of His own will, freely and interchangeably, caused all things to come to pass"... if true, then God is no doubt the author of sin and evil resulting from his decrees he has set to all humanity. Please don't tell me "you don't understand Calvinism" I've heard it all before as I was once a calvinist and after studying and doing my own research I started to understand that Calvinism is a false doctrine, that depicts God as fatalistic pagan monster.

[@dustincampbell4835]

@@dronelocations1339 so you think sin just showed up as a surprise to God and is completely contrary to His permissive will? Like Satan just snuck into Eden without God noticing or allowing him to do so? Have you read the book of Job?

[@dustincampbell4835]

@@dronelocations1339 also if that was your final conclusion of reformed theology, then you never understood it, my friend.

[@PsychoBible]

John Piper provides a wealth of evidence of how Calvinism promotes a view of God that is arbitrary and cruel. Studying his book on suffering solidified me as a non-Calvinist.

[@GreatLightStudios]

The only justification for God's apparent injustice and immoral way of dealing with humanity is to say "who are you oh man to question God?" - It basically becomes an escape car for every inconsistency and contradiction - at least as it relates to how Calvinism paints a cruel picture of God. Which book on suffering was it? Providence?

[@PsychoBible]

@@GreatLightStudios "Suffering and the Sovereignty of God" edited by Piper and Justin Taylor. I had to read it in grad school. In it, Piper argues explicitly that it is God that wills a girl to be molested, just to use the most abhorrent example to state his point.

[@GreatLightStudios]

@@PsychoBible - That's horrific.

[@dfischer5878]

@@PsychoBible that God allows it ; it must pass through His hands is not the same at all. Huge difference between willing it and allowing it.

[@PsychoBible]

@@dfischer5878 i know there's a huge difference. But the honest Calvinists don't see that difference.

[@KlintonSilvey]

There's a reason Calvinist preachers preach like non-Calvinists from the pulpit. IF they ever actually talked about *all* of the logical outworkings of Calvinism, plainly, the churches would empty out in a hurry.

[@GreatLightStudios]

Agreed. If Calvinists communicated their position clearly and plainly many would rightly reject it. This is why there are certain Calvinist circles that operate in a covert way... attempting to take over churches and transform them into Calvinism without ever being clear and honest about their intentions or beliefs. They conceal the full extent of their beliefs and try to slowly wean the congregation to Calvinistic soteriology. Unfortunately, this is the exact same tactics that cult groups like Shincheonji utilize. To be clear, I know this isn't how ALL Calvinists operate. But there are certainly those who do, and I believe that it says a lot about the difficulty of swallowing the full implications of TULIP.

[@KlintonSilvey]

@@GreatLightStudios I witnessed it happen first hand but didn't realize what the pastor was trying to do until years had gone by. Literally called it "subversive leadership" as if that's a term that makes any sense. I guess if you're convinced it's right then the ends justify the means (although if you're right then God will make it happen if He wants it to happen so it's all very confusing...)

[@cherylallis2458]

​@@GreatLightStudios Stealth Calvinists subtlety took over 6, yes 6, of the churches I used to attend. When they take over, they drive out the true believers and say that they are "purifying the church." The way they treated my father, who was trying to help them rightly divide the word of truth, was despicable. But, having had this experience as a very young teenager, I gained the skill to spot Calvinist preachers immediately- even those trying to hide their Calvinism while trying to win the trust of the people.

[@catharsis77]

@@GreatLightStudios I understand what you were trying to say, but wean means to take off, not draw unto, so you might want to fix that.

[@judylloyd7901]

​@@catharsis77 Yes, wean off the gospel and into Calvinism, is what I took him to mean. 😊

[@williammarinelli2363]

You're more noble than I. The first time I encountered Calvinism was in a American Lit class in high school. I was unsaved, Catholic, and it seemed intuitively wrong. Turns out that it simply is intuitively wrong. Years later, as a young believer, I encountered a brother, ideologically possessed by it, maybe he read a J I Packer book (dating myself.) And he slaughtered me in a proof-text tit for tat. Confronted, in my immaturity, with the possibility that the Bible may indeed teach Calvinism - at least I had no answer then - I basically pushed pause on Christian growth and quit the faith. Not a model of perseverance. College. Parties. God is good, I'm still alive. Years later, saw a correspondence in which a one pointer pastor (affirming the T) answered a 5 pointer on every point of contention and I saw the 5 pointer had no where to run on Matthew 23:37. Now I'm back in the game, reading my Bible, witnessing, and approaching the level of ordinary, decent citizen (which is leaps/bounds beyond what I was.) I'm also in truce mode - maybe the Bible supports position here and another there - see Spurgeon's parallel lines meeting in eternity - so years later I reached the position that Calvinism is false doctrine with no Bible foundation. A Calvinist would probably dismiss me as emotional and that would be understandable. And while emotion should not rule, we are emotional people and who am I to question God for making us such. About that Lit class in (public) high school. The topic was Arthur Miller's _The Crucible_ and it dealt with Puritan rule, which he mapped to conservative pushback against another ism - communism (Martin Dies HCUA, Sen McCarthy.) A witch hunt is a witch hunt (hint hint). But for a perspective on how life goes when Puritan Calvinists are running the show, imagine that after George Washington died, his cadaver was exhumed, beheaded, and thrown on a dung hill because he was so hated. His decaying head is placed on spike. Then a delegation travels to England asking if we (the US) could be taken back into the British empire and be subject to the monarchy. Imagine that, after the death of Stalin, the Soviets disbanded communism and found the closest relative to Tsar Nicholas the re-instate that monarchy. That's what it was like in England following the 1653 to 1658 reign under the sovereign "Lord Protector" Oliver Cromwell after the monarchy was abolished and the king (Charles 1) was beheaded in the late 1640s! It wasn't just the dictatorship, it was thousands of delegated dictatorships. Churchill calls it the worst time to be an Englishman ever. You can think of a dozen countries that moved on from monarchy, and then google dozens more. How often does one abolish their monarchy and, a decade later, say, "My bad, can I have a mulligan?"

[@bowmadman9562]

I understand exactly how you feel about this. Romans 9 made me look into Calvinism as well. I feel like you have to do mental gymnastics to understand what they believe. And it complicates the gospel.

[@GreatLightStudios]

Yes, with Romans 9 you have to totally abandon Paul's train of thought of faith vs works - law vs grace - to end up at Calvinism.

[@jeffreybomba]

A Reformed reading of Romans, abandons what Paul is plainly and simply writing from the mid point of chapter 1. Paul clearly establishes that God made Himself clearly known, man understood, man willfully rejected, and God gave them over. From then on Reformers pick and choose when Paul writing to YOU in the present tense refers to professing christian’s and when it does not. It does this in chapter 7 when Paul speaks of himself in the present tense and yet they assume he is referring to his past.

[@gregpech]

Exactly how I feel about it

[@SandyFerguson-o8z]

The Apostle Paul says twice in Galatians 2:8 and 9 that if anyone preaches any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached, let him be accursed. Are the Calvinists not perverting the gospel? If so, how can we be so sure they are our brothers? Just asking.

[@Yoran87935]

Calvinists believe that you are saved by believing in Christ.

[@losnfjslefn8857]

​@@Yoran87935 No. Calvinism teaches that you must first be Regenerated (in other words, saved) to even be able to believe in Christ. "After a person is regenerated, that person cooperates by exercising faith and trust. But the first step is of God and God alone. The reason we do not cooperate with regenerating grace before it Acts upon us and in us is because we cannot." -R.C. Sproul "Understand this, when you go to give someone the gospel, because it's the truth, they can't believe it. Because it's the truth they can't receive it because they are preprogrammed to believe lies." - John MacArthur

[@Nobody.s_business]

​@@Yoran87935but they don't have faith in the God of the Bible. Their god predestined people for hell

[@mrmcgowan]

Do you think that Calvinism contributes to a great deal of the "deconstruction" that we are seeing now?

[@GreatLightStudios]

That's a good question. I cannot really say because I don't know of any, actual statistics on this. I would be of the opinion that it certainly does influence many people's decision to leave the Christian faith as well as causing many unbelievers to want nothing to do with Christianity when they consider the view of God propagated by prominent pastors like Piper, MacArthur, etc. -- a God who both unchangeably ordains all sin and evil and then condemns to eternal torment those who act out what he decisively causes them to do.

[@Alpha_Echo-00]

Isn't this one of the problem/s with Calvinism? "If you fall away, you were never saved to begin with"?

[@Alpha_Echo-00]

Isn't this one of the problem/s with Calvinism? "If you fall away, you were never saved to begin with"?

[@mrmcgowan]

@@Alpha_Echo-00 Yes, that's what they say. But how can you fall away from something unless you were part of it to begin with?

[@Alpha_Echo-00]

​@@mrmcgowan 1.) Is conviction when you feel uneasy when commiting sin? 2.) Is conviction when you hurt people and then felt bad and then felt uneasy until you apologize to that person? 3.) Is conviction when you cheat in school or lie and then feeling uneasy? 4.) Is conviction when you commit sin and then feel the urge to apologize to God? Am I a False convert?

[@cherylbusch6236]

How many centuries OLD is this debate? There are scriptures validating and presenting both freewill and predestination. I believe Christians of all denominations create controversy and ENDLESS debate when they become “hyper” in their view-ALL OR NOTHING. There is a great mystery at work as to WHY and HOW, GOD can be both, but the scriptures are clear that HE is. WHY, can’t we just HUMBLE ourselves to THAT fact and let GOD BE GOD??!! When one can “command the morning”-then perhaps we can debate GOD on a platform worthy of HIM and “how HE can be BOTH.” Until then, let us humble ourselves to the simple faith of a child and rest in denominational peace-“that HE said so.. .”

[@cherylallis2458]

Because of Eph. 5:11 "And have no fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness but rather expose them."

[@michellelewis6247]

So grateful to the Lord that I stumbled upon your channel. I am a (very recently) former Calvinist who has just recently come to the conclusion that it is harmful. It has taken me years of back and forth to come to this point, but the lightbulb finally came on and now I am devouring everything I can related to this topic. Your videos have been refreshing to watch and a helpful reminder I am not alone in my thoughts about this subject. Thank you so much! Blessings to you.

[@GreatLightStudios]

Thank you for sharing that Michelle. that makes it all worth it to me!

[@depabooks]

Rev Nolan from cornerstone church calls it blasphemy...he pulls no punches

[@Thinking-Biblically]

Well come back because it's biblical. If u left it you never understood it.

[@brianjones7660]

its a hellish abomination that appeals only to narcissists like you.....@@Thinking-Biblically

[@nathancjarrett]

​@@Thinking-BiblicallyI understand it, I left it. Stop using this line. We understand self-contradictory statements, and we rightly reject them.

[@mikelyons2831]

Good introduction to this man-made theological system that came along centuries after the Gospels & Epistles were penned.

[@jeffs744]

Arminianism came along centuries after the Gospels and Epistles were penned, too..

[@mikelyons2831]

@jeffs744 Ok. I am not Arminian. Jacob Arminius studied under Theodore Beza an all-in Calvinist. He had some refutations against Calvinistic theology, but unfortunately held on to much of it. He believed in total depravity/inability. Believed one could lose their salvation from sinning/ poor performance. He praised Calvin's works publicly & never fully got Calvin out of his head. When you study his works you will find it's not the polar opposite of John Calvin-ism.

[@alephtav7344]

TRUST IN THE LORD NOT IN MAN

[@ipt3000]

Problem is Calvin say that nonsense all the time because what they do is they just sort of stop saying that the way they read the Bible is because a John Calvin’s ideas most of these teachers don’t even speak the word Calvin because they know better and they pose it is simply reading God’s word that’s the whole problem here!!!

[@J316-18]

I missed the moment where he used the Bible, can anyone help?

[@joshuahuff2672]

Ill give u passages about what I believe in my bible How to be saved (salvation) John 3:15-17 King James Version 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. Acts 16:31 King James Version 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Commands of christ or will of the father if anyone says need to follow his comandments yada yada John 6:39-40 King James Version 39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. assage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content Matthew 22:36-40 King James Version 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. The gosple is simple and easy to all men in pride make it hard believe on the lord Jesus christ and you are saved through salvation do good and love for it fills the law are we saved by the law No we are saved by christ alone

[@DNYS8N]

I still shake my head that so many well meaning PhD in theology teachers that love the Lord put themselves and everyone else under the heavy yoke of Calvinism or Arminianism. I don’t know how the big names are not apologizing and preferring to be small even unknown. But I appreciate you saying your not a heresy hunter and it reminds me to not be either but love the Lord instead.

[@IHatePickles32]

“God sovereignly decreed that man should be free to exercise moral choice, and man from the beginning has fulfilled that decree by making his choice between good and evil. When he chooses to do evil, he does not thereby countervail the sovereign will of God but fulfills it, inasmuch as the eternal decree decided not which choice the man should make but that he should be free to make it. If in His absolute freedom God has willed to give man limited freedom, who is there to stay His hand or say, 'What doest thou?' Man’s will is free because God is sovereign. A God less than sovereign could not bestow moral freedom upon His creatures. He would be afraid to do so.”-AW Tozer. One of my favorite quotes.

[@aletheia8054]

So God is sovereign over his degree not you.

[@IHatePickles32]

@@aletheia8054 Yeah it means God’s decree is not jeopardized by the free will we have since that’s part of his decree.

[@aletheia8054]

@@IHatePickles32 OK so God’s not sovereign over you. You’re on your own.

[@IHatePickles32]

@@aletheia8054 I have the choice to follow God or not. Whether I chose him or not does not compromise Gods sovereignty. Are you a Calvinist?

[@aletheia8054]

@@IHatePickles32 God doesn’t have any sovereignty if it’s all you Sounds like your gods sovereignty doesn’t actually accomplish or do anything in your life .

[@elaineauo]

thank you brother!! may the Lord continue to use you!

[@GreatLightStudios]

Thank you Elaine!

[@johnstewart4350]

"For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, ~ Romans 9:15-23

[@CodyANeal]

Please keep these videos on Calvinism coming. I appreciate and benefit from your approach.

[@GreatLightStudios]

Thanks Cody!

[@the7thousand]

What do Calvinists believe about Satan? If God predetermined some people for evil, then what’s the point of Satan being the tempter? Calvinism reminds me a lot of Yin and Yang, like there’s some kind of balance God is playing. I also feel like Calvinism is kind of cult-ish, no offense. A lot of Calvinist people are very stealthy about their Calvinism. I’ve seen good people go to seminary and come out of it reformed and doing things they normally would never permit in their lives before they changed their theology.

[@ironmatto3]

It is a cult!

[@holygeneration7]

What does "reformed' mean please?

[@calamitycoccyx2127]

Of course they left seminary reformed. After all, they went to school to get an education.

[@gracemercywrath8767]

Great video if you need any help let me know. I'm working through some of the Calvinist proof texts and making videos on them and I can share the resources I have with you.

[@GreatLightStudios]

Thanks! I'm glad more people are making content about this. It's needed.

[@davevandervelde4799]

Correction - TULIP is not the Gospel. I have heard a lot of Piper, but that short clip I couldn't even make sense of. I don't know what the context of his comments were. Be careful to select something so small and really not see the whole picture . Thanks for being clear on your views and I see you pointed out that making using a short clip can be deceiving. I commented a bit to soon. Love your closing statements. These 2 videos are short and very helpful. We must submit to the God that the Bible explains. Not the God we prefer based on our interpretation. Gods character is complex - He never had a beginning or an end , He holds everything together at every moment in time, He is all powerful and just and loving. We are created beings inside His created world. He is the only being who has autonomy ( self rule). We live in a world that is broken with sin and we cannot see God for who He truly is we can only see him through His revelation of His word and evidence of Him in creation. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bIrFgIuagZmsaLs kzbin.info/www/bejne/aIuVppeQn9msmdk

[@R.L.KRANESCHRADTT]

I came across John Piper's book, "Don't Waste Your Life"... I laughed out loud... If he's right about his theological, deterministic, position.... How could you???. And how could he consider 'whatsoever' you do, which he affirms is absolutely brought about by God's eternal, unchangeable, decree... to be a 'waste' by any definition? ? I appreciate John MacArthur's positions against abortion, and other moral and political matters, but, again, he's protesting against what he affirms God himself has decreed. It seems more consistent and logical that he should be rejoicing to see God's will done in the earth... but, if he's correct, how could it be otherwise.🤔🤔 So, in the final analysis, these men are determined by God to protest those evils which God has also determined (but not culpable for)????... and likewise determined by God to become very wealthy and popular for doing it... how lucky can a guy be??? Calvinism has the supreme, omnipotent, creator of the universe playing checkers with himself to keep from losing. It's nonsense.

[@patrickbarnes9874]

The ultimate implication of Calvinism is something I haven't seen any of the Christian youtubers address. The end of the road for Calvinism is that none of us is real. The claim of Calvinism is that whatsoever comes to pass is determined by God. "Whatsoever" would include the neurons in your brain. Those neurons determine everything about your existence as a human. It's not only that Calvinism claims that the course of history is pre-set, but also that every nerve signal in every human body was determined. It means that not only your actions are determined, but all your sensory input and awareness are also determined. That being the case, you as an individual entity do not exist. Your identity does not exist. For example, the electrical signals traveling along your optic nerve from your eye to your brain are individually pre-planned by God according to Calvinism. This means that you do not actually see anything. Sight itself does not exist. It's not just that God has decreed which direction your eyes will be pointing at any given instant and thus controls what you see, but the decree also controls every part of the process we call sight. Everything about the entire process of sight from start to finish. You only think you see. You don't actually see reality any more than you see your dreams. With the motion of every atom in the universe being determined by divine decree, the cause-and-effect relationships involved in the process of sight become meaningless. Sight is not actually a sense in the way we think of senses, it is merely a description of a particular portion of the divine decree. It's just a specific arrangement of particles and electricity. The same applies to everything about you. Every experience, every emotion, every thought has been predetermined so you are no more a living being than is a character in a book. Just as everything about a character in a novel exists nowhere but in the particular arrangement of alphanumeric symbols on the page, everything about you as a person exists nowhere but in the divine decree.

[@cherylallis2458]

Just like the God of Islam, Allah. "Nothing happens without the decree of Allah."

[@elteacher6410]

Thank you, and thank God, for your work. Be ready to suffer a lot for your ministry. Know that, if even one person is rescued from that thought prison, all of your work will have been worth it. May the one true God, the God who is good to all, continuously bless you.

[@1Tim24]

Very well said. Your presentation is kind and gracious. I agree with your thoughts and look forward to your future videos!

[@lindahartranft9135]

It IS problematic to say that God is condemning to hell people who had no choice to a horrible eternity in hell, but--Jesus ALREADY PAID for their sins and rose again on their behalf!!! John 1:29, 1 John 2:1-2 and other places.

[@GreatLightStudios]

Agreed! Thanks for sharing.

[@aletheia8054]

It’s problematic for the people that have no choice.

[@BillyMenno]

Well done, I'm glad to have found this channel.

[@GreatLightStudios]

Thanks Billy!

[@Kay-br7by]

God is my witness when I say this... When I really decided to get serious about my walk with God that was around late 2020 early 2021 I first joined TikTok and decided to like Christian videos so they're recommended more and I started seeing more videos of JMac and I mean I was like hey he's preaching the gospel right? Fast forward 2022 I see some videos of him preaching really questionable doctrine on the pulpit and it started festering really serious doubts about this whole Christian walk. Until I started to really study the bible on my own and for myself, I can boldly say people like JMac preach from their understanding and not what the bible is really saying.

[@blipit]

Does no one else find it insane that God ordained Jeffrey Dahmer before creation? To think God would even think or consider and ordain someone to those actions seems depraved in of itself.

[@ipt3000]

That’s the point that Satan is trying to make through this! essentially what Satan is trying to do through Calvinism is lead you to your own conclusion that you’re not so keen on God after all, he is presenting the same idea of God he presented in Genesis, which is that God is sort of the trickster who’s trying to keep things from you really in control for pleasure and power the same idea disguised now as Christian theology people who honestly follow Christ need to get a lot more serious and a lot more DETERMINED in kicking this nonsense out of the church

[@losnfjslefn8857]

The best way to see just how "loving" the god of Calvinism is, is not by looking at how he treats those he has chosen, but how he treats those he has NOT chosen. That's where the god of Calvinism and the God of the Bible differ: the god of Calvinism only loves those he causes to love him back; the God of the Bible loves all, even those that hate Him, so much so, He sent His Son to die for the sins of the world.

[@BornAgainJohn]

@@losnfjslefn8857the Bible says God hates the wicked…

[@donaldjoy4023]

​@losnfjslefn8857 You need to learn what's actually in the Bible lol, not some Joel Osteen feel-good distortion

[@4godisholy]

@@losnfjslefn8857 Exactly!

[@joshualloyd2915]

Calvinism unavoidably makes God arbitrary and duplicitous.

[@OmarM-j7u]

I agree we must not demonize our Calvinist brethren. However, if Calvinism is a false teaching and those teachers teach false teachings, by definition they are false teachers, right?

[@cherylallis2458]

If they believe in a God not found in scripture, are they our brethren?

[@Grounded_InThe_Gospel1]

Absolutely!! So many people are scared to admit it for whatever reason... If Calvinism is not biblical and full of lies, that would make those who preach it....liars....sooo how much do they ACTUALLY love Jesus??? WHO is leading them in ministry by having them spread false doctrines and lies??

[@TheBereanVoice]

@Great Light Studios Cerca 8:10, you misquoted Calvin whose quote you just put on the screen by omitting the word "otiosely." If you had actually read the entire treatise, you would know that Calvin speaks over and over again about God determining to PERMIT the wicked actions of sinful people. It should be clear to anyone with a modicum of intelligence that if God permits sinful actions, He has done so because He decided to do so and if He has decided to permit them to occur, it is certain that they will occur. That doesn't mean that His determination to permit them to occur is the proximate cause of their occurrence or that He has permitted then for no purpose..

[@truth7416]

1 Timothy 2 : 3-6 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. John 3:16 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. Calvinists are Calvinists. Christians are Christians. Funny how a system that gets you to hell talks about what it's like! Calvinists believe god created all things, and controls all things, predetermined all things, and made all things exactly the way they are.... thus god also created evil. therefore since calvinists believe god created evil. they are blaspheming against the holy spirit ... the only unforgivable sin. calvinists also believe the only people who will be saved have been predetermined by god. and since calvinists believe god predetermined who will be saved ... they have removed free will - the gift of god to humans, and removed jesus from the equation. since god (according to calvinists) has already determined who will be saved ... (and who will not be saved) ... those who will be saved do not need christ and those who will not be saved cannot come to christ. thus calvinists are not christians. Can a person be saved trusting in something other than Christ Jesus? NO! They are trusting in the hope of election not Christ! Is it possible to be in a reformed church and be saved. Yes but that is in spite of the heresy. They must have put their faith in Christ separately from what is taught. Just like those in the Catholic Cult. There could be baby christians that have no clue what they are sitting under. If they wake up and listen to the Holy Spirit they would run out of the Hive screaming! Calvinism is NOT just another Christian denomination. It is a Cult. A doctrine of demons. Strangely how those in it, defend it to their deaths. That is how Satan, not God blinds them to the truth. But that is their God given right of free will, to do so. Truth in Love

[@willw5930]

CALVINISM RUINED MY LIFE. I came to make my faith my own when I was 15. When I first came I had doubts about the goodness and truth of God because of things my peers were telling me. I needed the message of the Love of God, but rather I was faced with the hateful, insecure, selfish, purely evil God of Calvinism. I still believed in him because I was afraid of hell, but I deeply, deeply hated him, and my sense of justice and morality entirely rejected him. I fell into a deep depression with tremendous anxiety. I went from being one of the most promising kids at my school academically and athletically, and being so joyful all of the time that people quite literally thought I was on drugs, to my life being destroyed because of this doctrine. My grades plummeted, I lost many meaningul friendships, my parents were in shambles because of my depression. Two years later, still in depression and anxiety I painfully left the Christian faith. I had dedicated myself to deconstructing and finding evidence that the Christian God was not real. I did not want to leave the faith but my morality could not agree with it. Because of my view of God being evil, I thought being a Christian would make me evil, and I was worried that the help of the holy spirit would only destroy my goodness and morality. A year later, I have returned. I am picking up the pieces of my life. I am balding at 19, and scraping up the energy to make it through college courses and maintain friendships. The number one thing that is aiding me in my journey to return to normal life is the true Christian God and faith. I am rediscovering God for who he really is

[@willw5930]

I was way too young to think about such things. Calvinism poisoned my relationship with God in my most vulnerable moment, and because of my faith, poisoned my life. I hope that God can use what remains of me in order to help those who are struggling with the same pain.

[@willw5930]

Nobody should live thinking that God is evil

[@willw5930]

It is a good thing that Calvinism in itself leads to discouragement to spread the word, because when baby Christians like I once was are fed this poision, it leads to terrible outcomes.

[@willw5930]

Also, nobody should live thinking that they are going to hell because their morals go against the evil God. No wonder people become satanists.

[@AVB2-LST1154]

I was raised a Calvinist, praise God. I was taught that "all things work together for good to those that love God and are called according to His purpose." So I believed that. EVERYTHING I have experienced in my 76 years on this planet God has been in charge of. The loss of a wife, a child, the Vietnam War, yet in all of these sufferings I knew that God is good all the time and all the time God is good.

[@itlupe]

You don't, necessarily need to be respectful. After all Jesus called the Pharisees snakes.

[@cherylallis2458]

Eph 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather, EXPOSE THEM. I agree with you. We should not agree to disagree with Calvinist teachings.

[@itlupe]

@@cherylallis2458 You see? Even the Bible tells us to stay away from darkness (Calvinism). Pray that those in the darkness see the light and turn to Jesus as their savior.

[@TheBereanVoice]

and Paul wrote that he wished the Judaizers would emasculate themselves. So much for being nice to synergists.

[@andrewtsousis3130]

I always ask Calvinists why they don’t share the Gospel the way they believe it. Ie their gospel is “Jesus died for you, if He regenerates you and gives you the ability to believe in Him you will be saved and are one of the elect.” They are the first to say “that’s not the gospel”. They can’t see how paradoxical that is. Ie they don’t share the gospel the way they believe it because it’s not the gospel.

[@jolookstothestars6358]

I've said for a while now that if I was to become a calvinist I would be an extreme or hyper calvinist because at least they are more honest. They don't think it is a real offer to the non-elect. Thus they don't evangelize because they don't know who the elect are.

[@darrenmaki7806]

How many preachers who hold to the idea of eternal election ( before the foundation of the world) actually preach that in their churches?

[@andrewtsousis3130]

If someone hears the Gospel, accepts Christ then attends a Calvanist church, they find out later about election etc, this then has the potential to generate all sorts of doubt. Instead of them trusting solely in Christ for their Salvation as they had, they now have to question if they are one of the elect. Calvinism distorts the Gospel.

[@SugoiEnglish1]

Not me. Stop painting with a broad brush. That's ignorant. Our gospel is you are a sinner and an enemy of God. What is the remedy? Romans 10.

[@andrewtsousis3130]

@@SugoiEnglish1 yep agree Roman’s 10. Particularly vs 13 “everyone who calls on the name of the lord will be saved” . Love how the gospel is for everybody.

[@atyt11]

Great job as usual. If challanging Calvin's dogma is getting some to squirm, you must be doing something right....👍👍👊👊

[@truth7416]

Yes lets hang on every word John Piper teaches. John Piper quote:... "God . . . brings about all things in accordance with his will. In other words, it isn’t just that God manages to turn the evil aspects of our world to good for those who love him; it is rather that he himself brings about these evil aspects for his glory (see Ex. 9:13-16; John 9:3) and his people’s good (see Heb. 12:3-11; James 1:2-4). This includes-as incredible and as unacceptable as it may currently seem-God’s having even brought about the Nazis’ brutality at Birkenau and Auschwitz as well as the terrible killings of Dennis Rader and even the sexual abuse of a young child . . . Luther also adored by Calvinists also endorses that god plans and forces all sin and evil on by Angels and man puppets: Martin Luther “Man is like a horse. Does God leap into the saddle? The horse is obedient and accommodates itself to every movement of the rider and goes whither he wills it. Does God throw down the reins? Then Satan leaps upon the back of the animal, which bends, goes and submits to the spurs and caprices of its new rider… Therefore, necessity, not free will, is the controlling principle of our conduct. God is the author of what is evil as well as of what is good, and, as He bestows happiness on those who merit it not, so also does He damn others who deserve not their fate.” (‘De Servo Arbitrio’, 7, 113 seq., quoted by O’Hare, in ‘The Facts About Luther, TAN Books, 1987, pp. 266-267.) So you see as disgusting as Calvinism sounds to you it is even worse. Truth in Love

[@losnfjslefn8857]

That is genuinely disgusting...

[@truth7416]

@@losnfjslefn8857 It is a Cult in every sense of the word. Consider this bed time story that "NOT ONE TRUE CALVINIST PARENT can deny spells out Calvinism so clearly. (could you ever dream that Jesus would be pleased by telling your children this lie about His love?) Little Johnny, God has predestined the minority of people to be saved and go to heaven forever, and He has predestined the majority of people to be eternally damned and burn in the fires of hell. We have no idea, little Johnny, if God has predestined you to be forever damned or forever saved. We love you, little Johnny, but we accept the fact that God might not love you, and that He may have plans to send you to hell for your future sins. If you do find yourself one day burning in hell because He hasn’t elected to save you, just remember that we will always love you, even if God hates you. Take comfort knowing that we are not like God. We will be in heaven forever only because we were unconditionally chosen for salvation before we were born. That would be the only reason that we won’t be in hell with you if you find yourself there. It won’t be because of anything we did. So also take comfort in knowing that. It may not seem fair, but who are we to judge God? So again, if you find yourself in hell, remember that we will always love you as we forever worship the God who loved us but who hated you, the God who sent His Son to die for us but not for you. Please, we ask, don’t let it bother you-if you find yourself in hell-that we love the God who hated you and showed you no mercy. We must accept the fact that God is sovereign, and He does what He pleases. My dear beloved Calvinist, will you teach that to your children or grandchildren? I suspect that your answer will be “never.” But why not? Why would you ever hide the wonderful “doctrines of grace,” the “Bible truth,” from your own children or grandchildren? TRUTH IN LOVE

[@donaldjoy4023]

You're saying Romans 8:28 is disgusting. What's disgusting about it? Furthermore, many scriptures indicate that God uses evil for His purposes. Lam. 3:38; Jer. 18:8; Amos 3:6; 1 Sam. 16:14; 18:10. You may not like that fact, but God and the Bible aren't supposed to conform and submit to your will, it's the other way around.

[@timbmedina]

I recently left my Calvinist church i was a part of. It was really difficult because the pastor and many of the congregation members are such lovely, kind, and devoted Christ followers, but I just wasn't accepted into the church because I am outspoken. I never caused trouble. I was always respectful, but it was clear i wasn't wanted there.

[@mrnoedahl]

The only way to fight a false doctrine is with scripture. You cannot say it’s harmful or it makes God a monster. Those comments don’t hold any weight. Only scripture does. And if there are scriptures against Calvinism then it doesn’t matter how many scriptures they have to prove it. ALL scripture has to support a doctrine for it to be Biblical. And 1 Timothy 1:1-6 is one of my favorite. 1I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for ALL people- 2for kings and ALL those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in ALL godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants ALL people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for ALL people. Any objections sir Calvin?

[@holygeneration7]

wonderful and Truth !!

[@yourshingingnovaedits394]

How can I be saved? I see myself as Christian but don't know if I'm part of the elect... I'm scared I'm doomed to hell without choice

[@mrnoedahl]

@@yourshingingnovaedits394 The Bible says you have a choice. Moses and Joshua said you have a choice. Joshua 24:15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Israel was the chosen nation, but they still had to choose individually whom they would serve.

[@Arvak777]

Another good one is 2 Timothy 2:10 Where Paul hopes the elect may receive salvation. Well if they're elect shouldn't they already be saved? Or are they saved but they just don't know it so why bother at all? Also Romans 11:20-23 where apostate Israel was the old cut off branches because of unbelief and the new grafted branches are the gentiles but there's a risk of being cut off and a chance of the old branches being grafted in again.

[@Arvak777]

​​​​​​​@@yourshingingnovaedits3941 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. Just being able to believe and say Jesus is Lord is part of being saved. Remember that it's a relationship too. You need to choose daily to believe and love. You will doubt, and fail, and like Peter even deny God in moments of weakness. Remember it's not work to get saved but you still have to believe.

[@epsyuma]

Even Calvin knew that God was not the author of evil. Evil comes from a person's fallen nature. God's nature is pure and holy. He is perfect in his being. You lifted the passage from Calvin out of context. Here is how Calvin answers: "Whence, then comes this wickedness to man, that he should fall away from his God? Lest we should think it comes from creation, God had put His stamp of approval on what had come forth from himself. By his own evil intention, then, man corrupted the pure nature he had received from the Lord; and by his fall drew all his posterity with him into destruction". Institutes, 3:23:8. God did not 'create' evil. Evil is the absence of holiness. Ultimately God permits evil to bring about good. Consider the story of Joseph.

[@TheBereanVoice]

@epsyuma--Careful, you are going to confuse them by stating the facts.

[@bradenalexander2477]

The ultimate implication of Arminianism is that God has been thwarted by His creation and that He is not ultimately sovereign.

[@AVB2-LST1154]

Amen. Some Arminians teach that on the day of creation God had no idea who was going to receive Christ so He took a little peak behind the curtain of eternity to see who got saved and then predestined them to salvation! They also teach that man has a will that is free to do whatever it wants to do. Unsaved man can choose to do sin or he can choose to do righteousness. The bible says our will is under the power of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience; the prince of the power of the air. (Eph 2:2) Unsaved mankind cannot do ANY righteousness. Jesus said a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. But hey why let some antiquated scriptures get in the way huh? They also teach that we can tell God's Holy Spirit "don't bother me right now I have more important things to do right now (a crossword puzzle) in fact QUIT BUGGING ME." So what does the Holy Spirit do? He leaves, since we can order the Holy Spirit around that shows that we are more powerful than God! We can also pluck ourselves out of God's hand any time we want irrespective of what God says in John 10:29! "No one" does not include us.! Lastly we are NOT guaranteed eternity in heaven. We don't know if we are actually saved until Judgement Day! We must, by works, maintain our salvation and even one sin will send us to Hell regardless of the fact that God chose us. Oops, I almost forgot WE CHOOSE GOD. HE DIDN'T CHOOSE US! That must make God scratch His head especially since the bible says over 40 times that God chooses us.

[@allanbarnwell7601]

One more thought: if people ultimately have ANY control over their salvation from an eternal perspective, then that “power” would certainly be something of which to deservingly boast. Yet we are told that none can boast in their salvation. I think that also points to the ultimate reflection of even our own will power being derived from God, measured out by His choosing, but amazing grace.

[@losnfjslefn8857]

Anyone who is inclined to boasting is going to boast no matter what, regardless of whether or not they actually have reason to boast. But the thing is, no Christians I've known have ever boasted that they "saved themselves", not one. That's just an accusation that people of the Calvinistic persuasion toss at Christians that disagree with their systematic. No one "saves themselves" because salvation is all of God, but it is each person's responsibility to believe God's gospel. Faith is the prerequisite to salvation that God put in place. Faith in and of itself saves no one. It's only because of God's grace that He chose, *in His sovereignty* , to acknowledge man's faith and save them that believe. (Titus 3:5, 1 Corinthians 1:21)

[@pwnzindaface]

As a new believer, I have always attended non-calvinistic churches. However, I started to watch and enjoy preaching from pastors the like of John Macarthur, Voddie Baucham, and Paul Washer... even youtubers like Gospel of Christ etc. It wasn't until I learned about the Tulip that I discovered these pastors were Calvinist - and learn scripture from pastors like Kerrigan Skelly and other sola-scriptural pastors, that TULIP is completely unbiblical and read into scripture by man. It is easy to fall for calvinism teachings. It itches the ears, and takes blame and responsibility off the sinner and puts it on God. Praise the Lord I learned that there are pastors out there who refute calvinism so strongly with scripture.

[@TheBereanVoice]

@pwnzindaface NO!!! Calvinism's teachings don't take the blame and responsibility off the sinner and pus it on God. Feel free to argue against what we believe. but please state accurately what we believe. Calvin wrote, " I have, with equal constancy, asserted that the eternal death to which man rendered himself subject so proceeded from his own fault that God cannot, in any way, be considered the author of it. Now, if I had ever asserted that the departure of the first man from God proceeded in any way from the inspiration or motion of the Spirit of God; if I had not, on the contrary, uniformly contended that Adam fell by the instigation of the devil and by the impulse of his own heart; then, indeed, Pighius might justly have made his furious attack upon me. But now, removing as I do from God all the proximate cause of the act in the Fall of man, I thereby remove from Him also all the blame of the act, leaving man alone under the sin and the guilt. While I thus teach, then, why does my opponent calumniously and wickedly slander me by asserting that I make the Fall of man “one of the works of God”? The Eternal Predestination of God.

[@donaldjoy4023]

​@@TheBereanVoiceInteresting. Calvin himself seemed to abandon the concept of God's sovereignty when attacked over it. To me it's obvious that God ordains everything that has happened, happens, and will happen. Human faults are built-in.

[@TheBereanVoice]

@@donaldjoy4023 Perhaps you can give me an example of Calvin abandoning the concept of God's sovereignty when attacked over it. It should be obvious to anyone who has read the Scriptures that God has ordained all that occurs. That does not mean that he is the proximate cause of all that occurs.

[@donaldjoy4023]

@TheBereanVoice Either you believe that God is omnipotent or you don't. Apparently you don't. But that's normal; most people back down from the concept of God's sovereignty, and entertain the idea of man's "free will" when pressed.

[@TheBereanVoice]

@@donaldjoy4023 Of course, I believe God is omnipotent and sovereign. What are you smokin'? A person's will is free in terms of the ability to make free, voluntary and meaningful choices. That has nothing to do with whether God is sovereign and has decreed all things or not.

[@danthemanbardo]

Some ppl r so troubled by Calvinism. Constantly questioning are they elect are there family elect. This constant fear of doom

[@holygeneration7]

That word 'elect' has always boggled my mind, even now what does it mean please?

[@Yoran87935]

@@holygeneration7in reformed theology it means elect to believe in Jesus Christ

[@learn-about-God]

Amen

[@GreatLightStudios]

Thanks for watching!

[@gybx4094]

I recently joined a large church. It seemed fine at first, but then I heard negatives from the ministers about many things. I found out it has adopted Calvinism. Now I understand why there is no joy allowed. No one asks anything for fear of being ostracized. It's all about fear.

[@AVB2-LST1154]

Things of the spirit are not normal to sinners. We prefer darkness to light.

[@TimBarr-e8p]

Calvinists are False Teachers of God's might Word. If the Apostle Paul were ministering today he would be exposing Calvinism and Calvinist's the same sort of way. The TULIP is the only flower the Devil has ever loved. The Truth about God will set you free. Free to love God and People they way Jesus Loves Truth.

[@BobF1950]

No one here seems to have any idea what I said and quoted from Phil. 1:6...

[@bryannewsome9739]

“God doesn’t do evil, He just ordains it.” What on earth is the difference between causing and decreeing? I’ll never understand higher calvinists.

[@TheBereanVoice]

The difference between causing and decreeing is that decreeing deternines that an event or action will occur using the free decisions of fallen sinners who do not need to be caused to sin. God predestined all the actions of those who crucified Jesus and yet God did not cause any of their actions. As Thomas Watson wrote, "God has a hand in the action where sin is but no hand in the sin of the action."

[@BobF1950]

@bryannewsome9739 the word "ordained" should be replaced with "allows for His purposes". God wants us to fully know His grace, mercy, and love!!!

[@4godisholy]

@@TheBereanVoice That sounds nice and is basically what most if not all non Calvinists believe. The problem is that it’s not really what calvinism teaches. “Everything” is decreed by God. I think it’s Sproul that said, “if there is one rogue molecule then God is not sovereign”, or something very similar. That is what is known as exhaustive divine determinism and has been the predominant view among reformed leadership since its inception. Bottom line is that under calvinism there is no secondary causation because God is the first cause of everything. Apparently you don’t believe the aforementioned for which I am thankful…but Reformed doctrines do teach these things either directly or strongly implied.

[@TheBereanVoice]

@@4godisholy Apparently, you haven't read the Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 3 that speaks clearly about God using SECOND CAUSES to accomplish what He has determined.

[@TheBereanVoice]

@@BobF1950 there are some things that God causes directly, others that he has determined to permit for His purposes. You should read Calvin on this issue. The problem with replacing the words ordained or determined to be done is that those are terms the biblical writers used in writing the inspired Scriptures.

[@NicksJourney]

Romans 9 is specifically about the national election of Israel through which the Messiah would be born. It has nothing to do with individual salvation.

[@pipkinrahl7264]

The logical conclusion of Calvinism is that God created billions of souls that he never had any intention of offering Salvation, making God a monster. This is not Biblical.

[@aletheia8054]

So you think he created billions of souls that he intended to offer salvation too, but knew they would fail, but he created them anyway?

[@pipkinrahl7264]

@@aletheia8054 Yes.

[@aletheia8054]

@@pipkinrahl7264. Then you’re in the same boat as the Calvinist. He determined they would go to hell by creating them in the first place.

[@pipkinrahl7264]

@@aletheia8054 Nice backwards thinking there, you should try reading the Bible.

[@aletheia8054]

@@pipkinrahl7264 you’re the one that said yes. you believe God made all those people knowing they were going to hell in the first place. He didn’t have to make them like that. You believe in a god that makes an end for people that he doesn’t want to happen . Go figure

[@sgg00dchild]

So, appreciating your view/theology of your arguments to not support a Calvinist view, what are your views and application of those scriptures that Calvinist use to support their premise?

[@Sam-fp8zm]

They have choseness wrong. Someone becomes chosen after they believe in Jesus not before.

[@GreatLightStudios]

Right. We are chosen IN CHRIST... not BEFORE CHRIST... or TO BE in Christ... or OUTSIDE CHRIST.

[@Sam-fp8zm]

@@GreatLightStudios amen

[@holygeneration7]

Wow, I think thats where Ive been missing it !!

[@Sam-fp8zm]

There was the predestined elect remnant in the NT (Paul, 3000 in Acts, and the 144 000 in Rev 7. Rev 1-12 happened first century) but again they were first century AD Palestine. Calvinists reject that to fit their commandments of men. @@holygeneration7

[@TheBereanVoice]

@@GreatLightStudios Strange that the text clearly states that it was God's choice and that choice was made before the foundation of the world.

[@michaelfalsia6062]

John the pied Piper is harmful, but Calvinism? I don't think so. The godliest saints I know and associate with are Calvinists. Most free will universalists I know and have been around are spiritually weak shallow and seriously lack doctrinal depth and discernment. That is just the facts in my 40 years of walking with the Lord. Calvinism is dangerous? Pure nonsense and demonstrably false. The greatest scholars and Christian writers are Calvinist over the last 500 years. Not even close. And these anti Calvinists today are pathetic. Evangelicalism today speaks for its empty and shallow self!

[@maryhirst9127]

The way calvanism is affecting people's faith in a very negative way and even destroying faith speaks a 1000 words, it is a completely wrong understanding of scripture.

[@dianecollier7177]

Message continued. I am not a calvinist but I believe in what God has said and when you read it and you understand it and you hear it preached on. I don't see how you could see it any other way

[@ipt3000]

It s demonic!

[@Dulc3B00kbyBrant0n]

I can hardly believe this is being taught in seminaries

[@ipt3000]

@@Dulc3B00kbyBrant0n considering that technically seminaries are essentially extensions of the Pharisees, but in the realm of Christianity instead of Judaism, one should not be surprised because always when we try to intellectualize the knowledge of God, and take it out of the heart and spirit realm - always always the devil is involved and that’s what seminaries want to do. They want to intellectualize understanding God to become a pastor - they want to school u on understanding the faith to become a pastor. It’s like all schooling. Schooling is dangerous - and should be approached with caution. Once you go to school you’re innate instincts are manipulated and challenged , and that’s for everything - you could be a healer and have a natural understanding or talent of the body and medicine - but as soon as you go to medical school, most of that is going to be erased and replaced unless you’re incredibly strong to know what parts are helpful and what parts are incredibly misguided.

[@bradbrown2168]

When lawyers do theology, the Church goes off the rails.

[@GoodBerean]

Nice job brother on this video!

[@GreatLightStudios]

Thanks! I've been enjoying your videos as well. I'd love to have you share some of your story on my channel sometime if you'd be up for that?

[@amyclutter7259]

I have been studying union with Christ recently, and have also rejected Calvinism in the last year, but I never connected them. Love your perspective.

[@TheRomans9Guy]

You couldn’t be more right.

[@GreatLightStudios]

Thanks for watching!

[@timelessdevotionals]

Hello, I would currently call myself a Calvin's, but I would admit that the problem of evil presents the best argument against it. I am sure you have a collection of videos that go into further explanation but it would be good to hear more specifics. One of the verses I quote below comes from Isaiah 45, verse 7. It seems clear that this would support Dr. Piper's argument. I would be curious to hear how you would interpret it. God bless! "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things."

[@vitaignis5594]

The Patristic witness does NOT support Piper's interpretation of Scripture. In fact Piper's interpretation is in line with the heretical Marcionites. I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things.' - Isaiah 45:7 Now (like many other persons nowadays, especially those who have a heretical proclivity), while morbidly brooding over the question of the origin of evil, Marcion’s perception became blunted by the very irregularity of his researches. When he found the Creator declaring, “I am he that creates evil,” Marcion had already concluded from other arguments that satisfy only twisted minds that God is the author of evil. So Marcion now applied to the Creator the figure of the corrupt tree bringing forth evil fruit, that is, moral evil, and then presumed that there ought to be another god, after the analogy of the good tree producing its good fruit. Accordingly, finding in Christ a different disposition-one of a simple and pure benevolence, differing from the Creator-Marcion readily argued that in his Christ had been revealed a new and strange divinity; and then with a little leaven he leavened the whole lump of the faith, flavoring it with the acidity of his own heresy. - "Against Marcion 1.2" - Tertullian of Carthage

[@phil3924]

God’s sovereignty really bothers people. The fact is that God didn’t have to save anybody and could have justly saved nobody. Gods sovereignty and man’s free will is a balancing act and we won’t figure it out here on earth. The tenets Calvin taught are straight from scripture. The Calvinist/ Arminian debate is a waste of time to argue about. Believers are told to preach the Gospel to all no matter what. That’s what should happen.

[@calamitycoccyx2127]

Agreed, but rather than doing what God has commanded, it is so much easier to argue at the keyboard and accomplish nothing for the kingdom.

[@suzannedebusschere1607]

The tenets are not straight from scripture. They are distorted interpretations out of context. You must use eisegesis to support them. That's a fancy word for finding ways to fit scripture to doctrine rather than the other way around. TULIP is incoherent and has its roots in gnosticism. Please be willing to learn more about the scriptures, and know the God whose character is incomprehensibly loving and just and fair at the same time, and completely coherent. The one who eagerly wants everyone to be saved, and works to that end. The one who loves you more than you can imagine.

[@johnstewart4350]

@@phil3924 "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, ~ Romans 9:15-23

[@johnstewart4350]

@@suzannedebusschere1607 "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, ~ Romans 9:15-23

[@suzannedebusschere1607]

@@johnstewart4350 thanks, but I have no idea what you're responding to. Is it a comment I made somewhere? This looks like you might have cut and pasted part of Romans 9. I know there is a lot of disagreement about what Paul is saying in context there.

[@IanBartleson]

What’s the outro song? I dig it.

[@ByTheBook777]

First, thank you for laying out the reasons for your concerns with Calvinism. Second, as someone who believes in the doctrine of election and predestination according to what the Bible teaches, I don't go around calling myself a Calvinist, nor do I base my biblical understanding of that topic on his works. However, the fact that he believed the way he believed is evidence to me that he, indeed, read his Bible. :) For the sake of this comment, though, I will just call it Calvinism. Incidentally, I'm a little late to this video because all of sudden your channel started popping up in my feed, and I'm guessing it's because I recently watched a couple of Dr. Leighton Flowers' videos. More directly, I believe it was by God's ordination that I watch and comment on both of your channels to help free you of your false and pharisaical understanding of His Word. :) I only say that as matter-of-fact, not to be rude. The good-choice free will believers today are modern day pharisees, and your video gives ample proof of that fact. Though, you obviously don't see it that way.....yet. Your primary concern with the teaching of "Calvinism" is how a "loving" God who is full of "grace" and "mercy" could create people only to wire them in such a way that they can ONLY choose evil and then ordain them to suffer in hell for eternity. Now let's for the sake of argument say that "Calvinism" is true 100%, and God in fact did create vessels of wrath, fitted to destruction and brute beasts made to be taken and destroyed... You just judged God by setting yourself up above Him. You said (If Calvinism is true) that that would make God monstrous and unjust and all of those people that wind up in hell are victims of God. You should really be careful because both you and Dr. Leighton have set yourselves up above God. Was God monstrous and unjust for having the Israelites destroy nations, including women, children, and even babies? If you think God is monstrous for ordaining people to hell according to His own will and purpose, then by the same measure of that self-righteous judgment, you HAVE to believe that He was a monster for commanding His people to put what most would describe as "innocent" women, children and babies to death. Be very careful, as you're making the same mistake that Peter made in Matthew 16:22 when he rebuked Jesus because he (Peter) was thinking with a fleshly mind. Had Peter gotten his way, he would have prevented Jesus from fulfilling His plan of Salvation. Though Peter thought he had good intentions, they were really of the Devil, and meant to hinder the work of Christ.

[@donaldjoy4023]

You said it so well. Calvinism is purely Biblical, albeit Arminians raise plenty of legitimate counterpoints. Where Arminians go off the rails is when they denounce Calvinism as non-scriptural and therefore invalid, harmful, etc. Because, as you said, they are saying they know better than God and His word, according to their own likes and dislikes, etc.

[@ByTheBook777]

@@donaldjoy4023 Agreed, and it's much easier for someone to slap a label on a particular biblical doctrine, and then reject that label, than it is to outright deny the Word of God, even though that's what they're doing. Though, I hope and pray we all have the same mind in Christ one day.

[@TheBereanVoice]

Calvin wrote, " I have, with equal constancy, asserted that the eternal death to which man rendered himself subject so proceeded from his own fault that God cannot, in any way, be considered the author of it. Now, if I had ever asserted that the departure of the first man from God proceeded in any way from the inspiration or motion of the Spirit of God; if I had not, on the contrary, uniformly contended that Adam fell by the instigation of the devil and by the impulse of his own heart; then, indeed, Pighius might justly have made his furious attack upon me. But now, removing as I do from God all the proximate cause of the act in the Fall of man, I thereby remove from Him also all the blame of the act, leaving man alone under the sin and the guilt. While I thus teach, then, why does my opponent calumniously and wickedly slander me by asserting that I make the Fall of man “one of the works of God”? The Eternal Predestination of God.

[@beautifulbuds]

Thank the Lord for your you tubes. You are helping so many to get out of this deception

[@GreatLightStudios]

Thank you!

[@SupernaturalIsNormal]

Thought I would make a comment so that the comment number is 667. You are a responsible and objective and are listening to the scriptures!

[@Richard_Rz]

Powerful!

[@jesuscross9]

I love your heart brother. It can be difficult to know how to treat Calvinists. I mean they are brothers in the faith, and yet their doctrine is very harmful. Someone wise once told me "division over essentials, and liberty over non essentials." So the question is this, "Is this an essential issue?" When you really think about it, I don't know a more essential issue than salvation. in any war, its to your best advantage to know what the enemy's main objective is. Satan's main objective is always to silence the body of Christ. To make us shut up about this Jesus. It was his goal in the first century, and its his goal in the 21st century. One tactic is to get us believing false doctrine. If you come to faith in Christ for real, you immediately have a desire to have your loved ones, friends, and family come to faith in Christ. The first thing I did as a new believer was to start making my own gospel tracks and passing them out. That sense of urgency to reach everyone you can for Christ is placed on our hearts by the Holy Spirit. But if Satan can convince you that God already predetermined who will and wont be saved and nothing you do can change that... then of course that sense of urgency is quenched. The voice of the Holy Spirit is quenched. Calvinism is like a form of leprosy on the body of Christ. When a limb is infected, its still part of the body, but it becomes numb. It has no feeling. They are more concerned with infecting other members of the body with their doctrine than they are for reaching the lost. They are literally the "Frozen Chosen."

[@beautifulfeetpreachingsc]

Who exactly are you speaking for when you state, The sense of urgency is lost on a Calvinist. I don’t like labels, but if you wanna call me a Calvinist, so be it and yet I go street evangelizing with a heart for the lost and because I believe 100% that God has his elect, his chosen, and yet I do not know who they are and neither would you so then out of love for Christ and love for my neighbor I proclaim the gospel, and then I trust the sovereign God to work out his perfect will. See the problem with people that hate the sovereignty of God , and the doctrines of grace otherwise known as Calvinism can do nothing other than rail against it, but if the Holy Spirit leads you along to believe this you will find it truly is a humbling and beautiful doctrine.

[@donaldjoy4023]

Nonsense. Calvinists do ardently evangelize, because they hold to the doctrine that faith comes through hearing the gospel, and that God ordains the ends, and he also ordains the means. God predestines many believers to awaken others to belief via evangelism. It's part of how He draws them. Pretty easy to understand.

[@Dyerdrummer]

Thanks for the video, brother. I am in the middle of a battle with Calvinism. I felt the same way you do about studying it. Some things seemed logical, but in my heart, it doesn't feel like thats what God created us for. Every time I see something in the bible that may point toward the TULIP doctrine God reveals something else that debunks it. Going to the Calvin quote at the end. Does the story of Job not show exactly how God interacts with us? It's obvious that God wasn't the author of the bad things that happened to Job Lucifer was. Yes God allowed Lucifer to take from Job, but God knew what Job could handle.

[@trickydancemove]

Let scripture interpret scripture.

[@dfischer5878]

If we do we can not walk away without fully acknowledging God’s sovereignty in all things.

[@GreatLightStudios]

@@dfischer5878 Right. I'm certainly not debating that God is FULLY sovereign over all things. However the Calvinist has massive assumptions about what the word "sovereignty" actually means. Sovereign simply means "rule" or "authority." The Calvinist however - implicitly and sometimes explicitly - would define sovereignty as God's meticulous control and determination of ALL THINGS including every sinful desire and action of every human that has ever lived. This is not what sovereignty means.

[@dfischer5878]

@@GreatLightStudios not so, with all due respect the fact that God allows evil does not means He causes it.

[@GreatLightStudios]

@@dfischer5878 - I agree that God ALLOWS evil and does not CAUSE it. However, Calvinists like John Piper and even John Calvin explicitly teach that God is the "decisive cause" of every evil thing that comes to pass. I'm glad if you do not hold to this form of Calvinism, but some of the most prominent Calvinists do.

[@Alpha_Echo-00]

1.) Is conviction when you feel uneasy when commiting sin? 2.) Is conviction when you hurt people and then felt bad and then felt uneasy until you apologize to that person? 3.) Is conviction when you cheat in school or lie and then feeling uneasy? 4.) Is conviction when you commit sin and then feel the urge to apologize to God? Am I a False convert?

[@cecilspurlockjr.9421]

The first statement made in this video was blasphemy . It was blasphemy by definition and in my opinion, to say what he said about GOD causing people to sin is a type of insanity when considering what scripture tells us about THE CHARACTER OF GOD and how sin is the opposite of HIM and HIS CHARACTER. To make this claim he has is to accuse GOD of being a hypocrite and to say that HE isn't powerful and holy enough to play by HIS OWN rules. GOD doesn't have to cheat or take shortcuts to achieve HIS goal . Thank you , GOD bless you brother.

[@annikaelisaa1879]

I could not be in the same room with a self professing “christian” that would say something like this. Not even Satan would have the audacity to say this! What in the world is wrong with these people

[@cecilspurlockjr.9421]

@Annikaelisaa they've obviously been deceived my friend . We should pray for them . GOD bless you

[@johnstewart4350]

PRAISE CALVINISM THE LORD JESUS GOT ME OUT OF LEGALISTIC LOSING SALVATION ARMINIANISM... BECAUSE ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED ("BY GRACE") !!

[@theinsidescoopaccordingtor4252]

I really enjoy your teaching. We recently left a church where the pastor was introducing Calvinism. I’ve watched other on this subject, Leighton Flowers and Andrew Farley. I thank God for all of you. But I don’t understand how or why Calvinism is not being exposed as a false religion. They don’t believe in the same God or the same Jesus. The believe in a god who ordains evil and a Jesus who did not die for the salvation of the world. Would really appreciate a response. Thanks.

[@GreatLightStudios]

Hi, glad to hear the videos are helping. I have no issue with clearly identifying "Calvinism" as false and portraying distorted views of God. However, I do not identify all "Calvinists" as "false converts" or "unsaved" or anything of that nature. That's not to say that all Calvinists are walking with God... but by the same token neither are all self-proclaimed, Christian non-Calvinists. I do agree that Calvinism is a significant problem and should be clearly identified for what it is.

[@donaldjoy4023]

God either ordains everything or He doesn't. Your position is, according to what YOU think the way things are and should be, that God doesn't. Yet you claim Calvinism isn't Biblical lol

[@laurah.7696]

If God causes someone to do evil, then what does Satan do?

[@itlupe]

You go brother! Your videos should bring MANY out of the evil of Calvinism. The ONLY truth is set before us in Scripture. All we need do is READ IT.

[@foodfortalk3597]

Thank you so much for your loving, respectful, and thoughtful discussion on this controversial subject. Much appreciated. And I look forward to hearing more of the meat of your personal digging into this topic on the harmful effects of Calvinism. As a journalist, I was always taught to "not bury the lead," so after listening to 10 minutes of this excellent video I still did not have 3-5 bullet points of why Calvinism is harmful. I agree with your assertion, but would like to hear your reasoning in a concise 3-5 minute video. Thanks again, keep up the great work, and God bless!!!

[@cactusblob1688]

THINKING YOU CAN LOSE YOUR SALVATION IS EVIL.

[@willwidrick8039]

Well said brother!

[@GreatLightStudios]

Thanks!

[@markloeffert1114]

Men are not going to hell because God has preordained them to hell. Calvinism teaches that men are condemned because they love their sin and they reject the knowledge of God that they have. THEY CAN'T COME TO CHRIST BECAUSE THEY REFUSE TO COME

[@ipt3000]

Putting the word CANT instead of aren’t , or won’t is an extremely devious turn of words. Everyone who comes to Christ in the moment of coming to Christ is a sinner and is in a state of turning from god and disconnection - because Christ IS SALVATION AND A LIFE LINE DURING UR DURESS from sin. In other words you got to come to Christ first and when you come to Christ you’re coming as a sinner NEEDING A LIFELINE you can be a sinner and actually want God. Just like you can be drowning and want help.

[@ipt3000]

There is no one who can’t come to Christ even the Bible says that there are simply people who want or who don’t but everybody can no matter how destitute your situation is literally nothing blocks you from the salvation of Christ the only thing that loves you as your lack of willingness to ask and accept it!

[@emorysmemoriesTRAVEL]

Keep up with these videos. We need voices to speak against and undress the unbiblical beliefs of Calvinism that is harmful to ones faith and their communities. It insults God's character and His work.

[@TheBereanVoice]

@eorysmemoriesTRAVEL Do you think the fact that God intended the sinful designs and actions of Joseph's brothers because He had a good purpose for those actions? See Genesis 50:20 Does it insult God's character and His work that He determined the sinful actions of Herod, Pilate, the Gentiles and the people of Israel in crucifying Jesus before they ever acted (See Acts 4:28).

[@thesmiffers]

I like your work refuting the doctrines of Calvinism, but I would ask you to slightly change your statement concerning Calvinists, saying they are, "the most influential organizations and individuals in Christianity today," to "They are the most influential organizations and individuals in American Christianity today." Today 2/3s of believers are not in the west, and most don't even give consideration to the issues and debates we engage in.

[@GreatLightStudios]

Yes, I usually try to specify "western Christianity" but sometimes I don't. Thanks for watching!

[@EL_FIN_ESTÁ_CERCA]

Calvinism is absolute garbage

[@eddiesprain8243]

Making God the author of evil is blasphemous.

[@VoiceUnder]

Calvinism = Christian Elitism & Christian Superiority. While their religion is technically correct their hearts are hardened with pride.

[@jerrystatic256]

Love channels like this and Soteriology 101.

[@TheBereanVoice]

Please read what Calvin wrote in the treatise from which you claim to have taken this quote. You will find that Calvin wrote about God permitting evil, not about Him CAUSING evil.

[@aar0n709]

No, The Calvinist doctrine is evil