Tag: Calvinism

Carolyn Moore ~ When Calvinism Becomes Dangerous

September 21, 2016by Carolyn Moore

But that isn’t how it works. People come to Christ every day and every day people resist the grace of God. Not only that, but every day people make horrible choices against the will of God that limit the length or joy of their lives.

Our behavior matters. If I smoke two packs of cigarettes a day, it will affect the length and joy of my life. To persist in such behavior isn’t God’s will, and our behavior matters to God. As Moses said to the Israelites, we have two choices before us — blessings and curses, life and death. “Choose life, that you might live.”

Andrew C. Thompson ~ Our Sort-Of Free Will: How Relationship with God Happens

January 21, 2016by Andrew Thompson

The significance of this dynamic view of God’s grace, as present and active at every stage of the moral life, cannot be overestimated. Whether we are responding in love to our neighbor or whether we are responding in love to God, it is the power of God’s grace that enables the thought, word, or action itself.

Tom Fuerst ~ The Real Problem with Once Saved, Always Saved

December 2, 2015by Tom Fuerst

And the difference between those who knew Christ and those who did not was simply a matter, not of faith or confession or creed, but of fruit and character.

Jerry Walls ~ Conversation: Free Will in Brazil

October 26, 2015 September 13, 2021by Jerry Walls

I think the deepest appeal of Wesleyan theology is that is heartily affirms a God who is truly good and sincerely loves all persons. God does not determine, God empowers, enables, encourages. And the message that God loves us and wants to empower us to love him back, as well as each other is a message of great hope. No one has been “passed over” or determined by God for eternal misery and damnation. To the contrary, there is hope for everyone, and the resources of grace are available to transform even those persons who may seem most hopeless in our eyes.

Jerry Walls ~ God’s Love and Predestination

October 13, 2014 April 16, 2018by Jerry Walls

“Now some Calvinists clearly understand the logic of their position, and do not shrink from this implication. Classic Calvinist theologian Arthur W. Pink wrote: ‘when we say God is sovereign in the exercise of His love, we mean that He loves whom He chooses. God does not love everybody.’”

Jerry Walls ~ Divine Predestination and Human Freedom

October 8, 2014 April 16, 2018by Jerry Walls

“Like divine sovereignty, predestination is not a Calvinist doctrine, it is a biblical doctrine. And indeed, as a theologian steeped in Scripture, Wesley not only affirmed the doctrine, he affirmed a very strong version of it…”

Jerry Walls ~ The Sovereignty of God

September 29, 2014 April 16, 2018by Jerry Walls

The sovereignty of God is a vitally important truth Wesleyans badly need to recover. This is not only because it is crucial for understanding the biblical drama, but also because many Wesleyans have tended to neglect it because Calvinists often give the impression that it is one of their distinctive doctrines. But the sovereignty of God is not a Calvinist doctrine, it is a biblical doctrine, and no one who wants to be faithful to Scripture can afford to ignore or downplay this great truth.

Jerry Walls ~ C.S. Lewis and the Pious Calvinist Confusions of John Piper

September 4, 2014by Jerry Walls

This lecture on C.S. Lewis and Calvinism was given by Jerry Walls at Azusa Pacific University on March 28, 2014.

Jerry Walls ~ I Wish More Arminians were More Like Calvinists

August 27, 2014 April 16, 2018by Jerry Walls

In short, we need more Arminians with an edge. These are Arminians who understand that the claims of Calvinism and Arminianism are mutually exclusive, and they cannot both be right. They understand that there are important issues at stake and that there are large practical implications. Not the least of these is the very character and love of God. Does God truly love all persons, and do we have a gospel of good news for all persons?