calvinism

The Omniscience of God and Determinism

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The future is determined. Even the thought you just had about that sentence was determined from long ago. And what I’d like to do in this post is to demonstrate that this is an orthodoxy issue, not merely a “Calvinist” issue. That is, too many label Calvinists as “determinists” when in reality, any person who … Read more

On the Election of Infants – Part 1

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What Happens When a Baby Dies? Many folks have argued whether babies go to Heaven for centuries. Instead of putting forth an argument, per se, I want to summarize what the possible positions one can take would be, and at least try to eliminate the ones that seem absurd, while explaining some of the implications … Read more

Do ALL Things Without Complaining?

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These guys complained and what happened next will shock you!
Remember Numbers 11? God takes complaining WAY more seriously than many of us think.

My wife posted the quote below on Facebook in regard to complaining:

If you are a sovereigntist, or one who believes in the absolute sovereignty of our God, and you gripe or complain about your circumstances, you’re being a hypocrite; for you demonstrate, with your words and by your actions, that you don’t actually trust God that He is in control. — Gabriel Hughes

One of the commenters offered a perspective I thought was worth considering:

What if I gripe and complain about my circumstances because I see my folly that led me into those circumstances? Yes, I’m a sovereigntist. And yet our God is also one who allows things to happen for his glory. It’s a fine hair because he is still ultimately in control in allowing me to make poor choices.

What follows is my response to that question.

God Really Is Sovereign

First, it is necessary to understand what it means that God is sovereign as well as believe that God is sovereign. That is, he is the supreme ruler, or ultimate power – absolutely. Possessing all power, God is thus able to create any potential circumstance. What we conclude from these facts is that, in a very real sense, we live in the best of all possible worlds. Yes, that is right. Because God is perfect and possesses absolute power and supremacy, we can be sure that there is no world of which we could conceive that would be better in an objective sense. That is to say, the reality we experience is the reality which ascribes to God the glory He deserves.

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How I Became a Reformed Baptist – Part 4

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This is the 4th and final post in a series on my journey to becoming a Reformed Baptist. If you haven’t read posts 1, 2, and 3 do so here, here, and here! 2018 is my 10 year anniversary of being a committed Reformed Southern Baptist. By Reformed Baptist I mean one who holds to … Read more

The Origins of the Calvinist Conversion

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You know the feeling when something finally clicks? I know you know it. It’s the lightbulb that turns on. It’s the moment you scream, “Eureka!” It’s one of those images you hold close to your face, slowly draw it back to reveal an image, but the first ten times you try it doesn’t work. Then, on the eleventh try, you see that rhino, and it’s the most incredible rhino anyone has ever seen.