Note: All Scripture quotations found in this article are from the text of the Authorized King James Version of the Bible.
In this article I will be using God’s inspired, preserved word, the King James Bible to refute the heresy called Calvinism, started by John Calvin. Calvin was in no way a Baptist. He believed in infant baptism, that sacraments were equal to the Bible, Amillennialism and still hurts the work of soul winning today. Warning: Watch out for people that call themselves “Reformed Baptists” because they are not Baptist at all, rather Calvinists using the Baptist name.
Before I start getting into the subject, I want everyone to know that I am neither Calvinist or Arminian. I am an Independent Baptist that rejects both theologies and believes what the King James Bible says.
It is true that we are all sinners, but that does not mean that we do not have a free will. Calvinists teach that man cannot choose to be saved, unless God predestined them to be saved. Ultimately, saying God has predestined people to Hell. Calvin’s definition of “Total Depravity” is not scriptural. In the next verse, man is given a choice between good and bad.
Genesis 2:16 “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” KJV
If man cannot choose between good and evil, then that means man sinned because God predestined it, which is heresy. God gives us choices because He wants us to give Him glory and that cannot be done, if we are His robots. Despite what Calvinists say, salvation is to “whosoever believeth”(John 3:16).
Calvinists teach in the next verse that God has already appointed who will believe.
Acts 13:48 “And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.” KJV
This verse is actually talking about the works of the Gentiles under conscience according to Romans 2:6-8 and Acts 10:1-4.
The below verses are used to teach “predestination”.
Ephesians 1:4 “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,” KJV
If you look at verse 5, you will see that this is talking about the Christians inheritance. Please note that no one was “in Christ” before the foundation of the world because there was no body to be IN yet. When we were born we were born “in Adam(sin)”. To be put “in Christ”, one must trust Christ according to verse 13 in the same chapter. All of the things in verses 4 and 5 are conditioned with being “in Christ”.
Calvinists also use the below verse to say that people are predestined to be saved.
Romans 8:29 “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” KJV
This verse is talking about someone that has already been saved, just like in Ephesians 1. God predestines Christians to be conformed to “the image of his Son”.
Calvinists use the next verse to try to prove that God has predestined who is saved.
Romans 9:11 “(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth” KJV
But, foreknowledge always precedes election according to Romans 8:29-30, 1 Peter 1:2 and Isaiah 48:3-6. Romans 9:11 is an election within an election according to verses 5-7 in the same chapter. God knows who will be saved by his foreknowledge, but he does not predestine people to Hell.
If God has already elected who will be saved, then why would He say that He is not willing that ANY should perish? ”Unconditional Election” goes directly against God’s word.
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” KJV
Calvinism teaches “Limited Atonement”, which means Jesus Christ only died for the “elect”. This is easily refuted with the below verse, which plainly says that He died for the sins of the WORLD, not just the “elect”.
1 John 2:2 “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” KJV
Scripture tells us that Jesus tasted death for every man, not just the “elect”.
Hebrews 2:9 “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” KJV
“Irresistible Grace” teaches that when God calls his “elect” into salvation, they cannot resist and will come to Christ. This gives no glory to God because that means people only accept Jesus because God predestined it. Calvinists often use the below verse to prove this.
John 6:44 “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” KJV
This is easily answered with the below verse, which says if He is lifted, He will draw ALL men.
John 12:32 “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” KJV
Also, the verse below shows us that all of the Gentiles can repent and be saved.
Acts 11:18 “When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.” KJV
Unless God is a liar, if anyone wants to be saved, all they would have to do is ask God to draw them.
Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:” KJV
Many people get the doctrine of the “Perseverance of the Saints” mixed up with Eternal Security. Calvinists teach that “elect” will persevere and if they do not, then they really were not one of the “elect” in the first place, which is the false doctrine called Lordship Salvation.
Not all of God’s decrees are “eternal” and “unconditional”. The below verse is one of many verses that show free will is involved.
1 Kings 20:42 “And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.” KJV
There are men in the Bible that do reject the Holy Ghost by their own free will.
Acts 7:51 "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye." KJV
The Bible even says that Jesus Christ died for false prophets and teachers that bring in damnable heresies. He bought even the men that deny Him. They did not receive Him because they rejected Him by their own free will.
2 Peter 2:1 "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction." KJV
I hope this article will help people understand the dangers of the heresy called Calvinism. If God has already predestined who will be saved, then why witness or pray? See how this doctrine can mess a Christian up? As Christians we should constantly study the Bible(2 Timothy 2:15) pray(1 Thess. 5:17) and witness to the lost(Proverbs 11:30). Honestly, if you are saved and you do not do those things, then you are a poor excuse for a Christian.
I constantly deal with people that tell me that I should spend more time witnessing than typing these articles. I am not saying this to toot my own horn, but I took breaks typing this article because I was showing a man how to be saved via email. Sometimes, I tell people about me witnessing to the lost to hopefully give the same desire, but to tell you the truth, I would rather receive praise from God than man.
John 12:43 “For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” KJV
