Calvinists Must Face these Challenges 🙏🏼
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- Опубликовано: 23 июл 2024
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Wow this is one of your most sobering, insightful videos on Calvinism yet. Thank you so much for fighting for the truth and love of Christ
That wrenched my heart when that woman asked for assurance of her salvation. One of her responses showed a struggle all calvinists seem to have with works: they help provide evidence of salvation but they can never be enough and her answer proved that: but I can’t do this in my own strength! The only assurance we have of salvation is Jesus. Faith in his finished work. I use to look to myself to find evidence that I was saved to soothe myself instead of trusting only in Jesus and his grace. Now I’m soothed by the truth of his promises through faith in his shed blood for me. Here’s one of those promises made to each saved person: the Spirit bears witness to their spirit that they’re a child of God. I always enjoy listening to your loving challenges. How you keep encouraging people to seek God in his word even if people may not respond in a loving way. I admire that, sister❤
Rejecting particular redemption leads to a cross that only provided an impersonal potentiality, people in hell covered by the blood of Jesus that they didn't activate/apply, and a Trinity that's in disunity, at odds in their salvific work.
You have a Jesus that POTENTIALLY paid the full ransom price. When Jesus said it is finished, tetelestai, what He really meant was that it is potentially finished. He didn't ACTUALLY take all your sins and pay the full debt you owed. If He had, then your debt would be gone. If Jesus paid the full ransom that was needed to release a captive, and the captive wasn't released, would God be just or unjust? The cross had to only create an impersonal potentiality. In this theology God must have not known who would believe, so He couldn't actually be a personal Substitute. He had to only create an opportunity for a nameless faceless group and hope someone would take advantage.
This is not the what the Bible reveals about the cross. The work of salvation is a work of the Triune God for His glory. Each Person has a role. The Father elects a specific people, not based upon any foreseen merit in them or anything else, solely on the basis of His will (Ephesians 1), to give as a love gift from the Father to the Son, the Son dies for these people by name, providing actual propitiation, and the Holy Spirit regenerates these people in God's appointed time to new life in Christ, persevering them to the end. Definite atonement is simply the recognition that the Son acts in perfect harmony with the Father and the Spirit in bringing about the redemption of God's people. Salvation is the work of the Triune God for His glory. Election, propitiation, regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification are all the one work of God, if God elects, then the rest are certain to follow. From God's viewpoint, all of these parts to salvation are just one work because they're certain for His people.
This is the number one reason to believe in a definite atonement : the unity of the Triune God.
Christ died for His sheep by name (John 10:3, 11)
Christ died for those the Father gave Him (John 6:39)
Christ died for His people (Matthew 1:21)
Christ died for His friends (John 15:13)
Christ died for His Church (Acts 20:28)
Christ died for His Bride (Eph. 5:25)
Christ died for those chosen in Him-the elect (Eph. 1:4)
Christ died for the same group He purchased /ransomed. (Rev 5:9)
Christ died for the elect for whom who He makes intercession. (Romans 8:31-34) (Hebrews 7:25)
Jesus is the actual Savior of His people, He is not a potential Savior.
Matthew 1:21
Romans 8:31-34
"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for US, who can be against US? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for US all, how shall He not with Him also freely give US all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s ELECT? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for US."
One of the clearest, most compelling statements of the particular redeeming work of Christ there is.
You have to ask, why would someone want to escape this truth?
Because there's no place for us to shoehorn in our own glory.
There is no one God could not have saved had He chosen to do so.
Good stuff!
Thank you for sharing these videos that explain the differences between Calvinism and what the Bible teaches. I have similar beliefs to you. What I struggle with is explaining clearly to those I attempt to persuade why I don't believe in it. You're assisting me in making my explanations more clear and precise.
I was reared RCC (from birth to 11 years old), performing all of the duties that I was taught each week in catechism courses and Catholic Daughters. At the age of 11, I received my salvation in a small Baptist church that was neither Calvinist nor Arminian.
When my husband and I married, we went to a few churches that were not Calvinist/Arminian, so I never studied everything there was to know, but I knew enough to know I didn't believe in either.
After 6 years of attending one church after another, we watched each of these churches shift in their orientation after roughly a year or so of our attendance. We ended up leaving them and being churchless as a result of their conversion to the false gospel of purpose driven -“Find God and you will find yourself, and you will find your purpose in life.” In other churches, we discovered emergent/progressive new age social justice/gospel teachings, or a combination of the two. We had a difficult time finding churches in our small town in western South Dakota that did not teach those things. (We never considered attending mainline Protestant churches since we disagree with certain of their views.) So, after much filtering through congregations, we began searching at reformed churches, unaware that they were synonymous with Calvinism. We assumed it had something to do with the Protestant Reformation and the distinctions between it and the Roman Catholic Church.
During this time, I also began to listen to a few sermons by John MacArthur. There were biblical themes he lectured on that I agreed with, primarily dispensationalism, erroneous doctrines of the many things we had left behind, and so on, but it became evident to me after a while that something was amiss about what he was saying about salvation.
One night while listening to one of his sermons, he started down the Lordship Salvation path, which didn't set well with me. I had never heard of this concept before; it went something like this: (quoted from GotQuestions)
”John MacArthur, whose book The Gospel According to Jesus lays out the case for lordship salvation, summarizes the teaching this way: “The gospel call to faith presupposes that sinners must repent of their sin and yield to Christ’s authority.” In other words, a sinner who refuses to repent is not saved, for he cannot cling to his sin and the Savior at the same time. And a sinner who rejects Christ’s authority in his life does not have saving faith, for true faith encompasses a surrender to God. Thus, the gospel requires more than making an intellectual decision or mouthing a prayer; the gospel message is a call to discipleship. The sheep will follow their Shepherd in submissive obedience.”
He has taken out of context in regards to “what does the will of My Father” in Matthew 7:21 -23 means and is referencing, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many works in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” He is saying what the will of the Father is, is being ‘the doers’ and not repenting of sin and submitting to the Lordship of God instead of what is stated in John 6:40, “For this is the will of my Father: Everyone who sees The Son and trusts in him shall have eternal life, and I shall raise him in the last day.” It means not everyone who calls him ‘Lord. Lord.’ has done this. (Emphasis on “ …Everyone who sees The Son and trusts in him shall have eternal life,…”.) John MacArthur and those who teach Lordship salvation are mistaking sanctification and discipleship with works saying they have to come before salvation.
We receive salvation at the very moment we believe On Christ, and then, only after we receive salvation by faith in Jesus, The Holy Spirit will lead us, the believer in Christ, in sanctification and discipleship. In Matthew 7:22 they reference their works which they thought were what saved them not the will of the Father. They never believed on Him, trusting in Him to receive eternal salvation.
MacArthur seems to believe repentance is about repenting of sin. It’s much more than that. Repentance comes from the Greek word metanoia- meta =change noia=mind It is to change one’s mind, not a turning from sin. In relationship to salvation, repentance is a change of mind from an embrace of sin to rejection of sin and from rejection of Christ to faith in Christ. Repentance and belief are two sides of the same coin. That is to say, these two ideas-belief and repentance-go together.
It was startling to me that a man who was so highly revered taught this.
Right. How can post Millennialists believe the world will be "Christianized" and peaceful before He Returns, when the churches are falling away more everyday into the same works salvation as the RCC (which is NO salvation)?
Thank you for sharing that! I agree it is startling! My old pastor used to tell us - don’t just take my word for it, go look it up and study for yourselves.
THAT WAS EXCELLENT!!! I will share this video with many !!! Thank you for your obedience to God’s word!
Wow! This is such a profound concise and powerful point you are making!
❤ what a great video Alana ❤ so thankful for you!!
Keep putting out this content your ministry is of great value
May the Lord bless your ministry as you simply explain the fallacies of this false doctrine in your humble way! Keep up the fight!
Absolutely fabulous! So well spoken and from the "right place"
God bless 🙌
Love this so much!! Never feel bad about addressing this topic (not saying you do, but just in case you do), it is helping so many people!
Oh I do!! Thank you for the encouragement:)
@@AlanaL3 Aw, you are such a blessing to the kingdom and to me! 7 years of Calvinistic thinking really damaged my relationship with God, so it feels like there can never be enough videos confronting it lol!
@@AlanaL3please help me, when Jesus was praying in the garden before His cruifixion, when He prayed, that He’s not praying for the world,but for those the Father gave Him before the foundation of the world. Those are His, and His are mine. But in so much more detail. It’s in John Chapter 17, God bless
@@AlanaL3Jesus said you can’t even see the Kingdom of God, much less than enter it. You have no more to do with your physical birth than your spiritual birth. It’s a supernatural work of the Holy Spirt. Salvation is of God! We have nothing to add to it, or we would be dependent on what we have done instead of Jesus Christ
I think this will be one of my go to videos to share when I see someone is drawn toward Calvinist theology. Thank you!
As a person beginning to lean Calvinist this doesn’t refute anything
@@YoungGenevanZoomer But this video is not intended to refute anything. There are many other videos that seek to do that. This video is simply intended to make plain some of the ultimate implications of Calvinist theology. Alana is trying to show people that Calvinist doctrines lead to some pretty strange implicit beliefs that don't seem to align with the loving, logical God that we know Him to be. When people see this is logically where Calvinist doctrines lead, they'll hopefully be compelled to rethink their beliefs and search the scriptures in a fresh way.
@@jacobhundt5314 it definitely is a refutation
Thankful for you!
LOVE that you called out the emotion of being challenged as fear first, before anger. I think that is so true. God bless you!
As always, thank you for sharing these videos, Alana.
11:30 I honestly wish more people would challenge Calvinism in this way! It would've shown me just how horribly wrong Calvinism is much sooner. Just state the implications plainly, even if they seem "emotional". Our emotions in this case are telling us that Calvinism is inconsistent with God's love and God's perfect moral nature!
Does she even know what Calvin's really teaches?
I really felt for rouge Calvinist the other night when he was struggling with belief in Christ being a “philosophical problem”. (Ie How do you believe?) We as humans believe in all sorts of stuff all the time. Believing and trusting that when I sit on a chair it will hold me up, is an example. The Bible says that we can recognise our sin condition, and the order of salvation is to believe that Jesus died for your sin and that God raised Him from the dead, repent and receive the Holy Spirit to become a new creation. We believe in the chair because we can see it and trust in it. JEsus says in John 20:28-29 You believe because you have seen me, blessed are those who have not seen, but have believed. There is no philosophical problem of “how do you believe?”
Today. The day before Christmas, 5 point Reformers (Calvinists), across the world are going to act and preach as if the love and forgiveness found in Jesus is available to all. What a deception.
Thank you! Please continue this great work.
I love your videos on this topic Alana, you are very well spoken and wise. I’m so glad this one came through my feed because I haven’t seen you in a while.. I realized “the bell to notify me” wasn’t highlighted (and I know it was before!) God bless you Sister! 🩵
Hallelujah to the most high God! Bless you sister❤, watching from Zambia.
16:13 Alana, God has blessed you with an ability to communicate this message with a lovely countenance, and we're thankful you're not wasting it. 🙏🏻
Calvinism claims no one is able to believe in God or Christ apart from God's effectual act. So, whatever they believe is only what God has determined for them to believe.... but this is also true for those who 'backslide' and leave the faith.. 'Apostasy' is also only by God's decree. Consequently, they never know if apostasy is their fate or not. They cannot cling to what they 'believe' about Jesus because it's not really their own belief, just a manifestation of God's decree.for now.🤔. And the same is true for whatever Christian 'activity' they can point to. They are not evidence of salvation within Calvinism, only a demonstration of God's decree... which may not last.. by God's decree.
This question 'how do I know 'I'm elect" is probably the most consistent in all their seminar Q&A's. The leaders always handle it like MacArthur... they have no 'answer', they can only share the misery. Calvinists are forced to measure their works and Christian efforts as a way of finding some form of reassurance they are saved..... They know their works do not save them, but having explained away every verse about believing unto their own salvation... they cling to their works like broken planks of a shipwreck at sea... because it's all they have.
How sad for a believer in Christ to be robbed of the confidence that they are truly loved by God by the unavoidable claims of their own doctrine.
Satan likes that best about Calvinism.
In the coming days, people cannot survive on the light of others. They'll have to get their own light. So, challenges is good Alana L. because you're doing your due diligence of reading, studying and praying over the scriptures.
You're a treasure for the church❤ God bless you and keep using you😊
Keep up the good work Sister👍🏼
to the calvinist...."I hope your kids are elect otherwise you love them more that God does." Scary.
Rebecca had 2 sons, Jacob God loved and Esau God hated. Do you not think that Rebecca loved Esau more than God did? Romans 9
I am a mother of 2 boys and I love both the same. How much more God❤ John 3:16
Love you Alana❤ I’ve been around for a long time and still love your videos.
I enjoy your theological insights
Keep spreading the good news .
You have a lot to share !
Great points! I’ve learned so much from you on this. Thank you!
Excellent discussion on the true interpretation of Ephesians 1 and 2 and the timeline contradiction that Calvinism presents and cannot answer logically. Keep up the great work Alana!!! 🙂
Well said Alana 😊
Good stuff. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Alana, I'm going to face these challenges in a blind reaction on my live series "Over the Board" Calvinism after Dark tonight. I hope they strike me down with biblical truth
I'll be listening.
I hope they lift you up with Biblical truth.
@@JohnK557 you have to be struck down before you can be lifted up, your flesh, that is
2 Samuel 8:2
And he defeated Moab and he measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground. Two lines he measured to be put to death, and one full line to be spared. And the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute.
Thank you Alana!
I find the typical Calvinist response to these videos to be an amazing example of spiritual warfare. As Romans 1 prophecies, Long-term commitment to Cognitive Dissonance (= suppressing the Truth of God’s Word = Twisting God’s Word to match my presuppositions) does tremendous damage to the mind so these people become literally unable to comprehend simple statements or simple words on a page.
This is strong evidence of spiritual warfare.
Very clearly spoken - thank you for speaking the truth in love!
Well said and scripturally backed. Thank you!
This channel needs to grow bigger. Your content is great, and you deserve a larger audience. I wish RUclips would push your content more.
Calvinist Challenge Accepted (Part 1): Responding to @AlanaL3
ruclips.net/video/SeffyjZykL8/видео.html
Brilliant. God Bless. ✝️
Great job, thank you for allowing the Lord use you even when under such attacks! Will be praying for you, the Lord continue to sustain you through this, and continue being HIs vessel to bring people out of confusion!
👏👏👏👏 good job!
Thank you! Appreciate your support:) I enjoy your channel !
I actually commented on your Kirk Cameron Christmas movie one earlier today. :) merry christmas!
Great video and I love your approach. Calvinists will claim, "you're being too emotional". Nope, that's not it at all. What is happening that one is drilling down the belief to it's logical conclusions. This is what all of us must do if we are to love the Lord with our minds. And what we must especially do with Calvinism which begins, not with Scripture, but the man-made philosophy of determinism.
Thank you!
My, My, you do such a great job in debunking Calvinism. Totally agree .
No she is just an echo chamber to your biases.
Not really
She didn't prove anything, only that she doesn't understand the soverignty of God.@@YoungGenevanZoomer
@@Busytech109 please, explain the sovereignty of God.
@@Busytech109
And…..YOU understand the Sovereignty of God?? That’s a big claim. I think we all would have to say God is more sovereign more powerful more glorious than we could ever understand.
Really good.
Great Light Studios has a few videos on the whole 'in Christ' section of Ephesians. Does a good job showing this.
"But... It makes me sad. It's out of my hands." YEAH, it's in God's hands!
This is so good. I first heard of Calvinism on July 1st 2018 a few weeks after I buried my sister and I was grappling with the grief of losing her and wondering if she believed. A Calvinist told me could be my sister was not elect..
😢😢
And, that’s all anyone needs to know about Calvinism.
So sorry you were treated that way.
Oh my goodness I am so sorry... That's something I notice across the board among Christians of all different theologies... They tend to care more about their ideology than the broken heart of a fellow believer. It can really damage someone's faith! ❤😢❤ So sorry for both your loss and the spiritual grief that comes from stuff like that.
Praying for people I know who are Calvinist. Thanks for doing what you do I pray this brings many out of this. I never became a Calvinist after coming out of word of faith and prosperity gospel. I studied God’s character and his attributes and then I studied the scripture and I saw what you saw Calvinism doesn’t line up with God’s word.
the new creature argument is a good one
It's not only an emotional but philisophical arguement that warrants attention.
Fellow Challenger here
Applauding over here! So well said. Praying that many more of our "reformed" brothers and sisters come to see the Truth. Thank you so much for all that you're doing.
No such thing as a former Calvinist. No one would ever learn the true sovereign God and then leave and go to a man centered theology. These people, like this girl, never understood Reformed Theology.
Alana, I just found you on RUclips and have been enjoying your videos very much. I was wondering if you have discarded all five parts of TULIP, as I have? Or have you kept the “P” of TULIP as I have discovered many ex-Calvinists have done? Thank you.
Nope. I reject all 5
@@AlanaL3 Really glad to hear that. 😀
Here's a thought ... many (most?) people who call themselves Christian seem to think that they will get into the Kingdom of God by having the right Church dogmas or going to the "correct" denomination, etc., but did you notice that in certain passages of Scripture,(like the 10 virgins -- 5 got into the kingdom, 5 were shut out, for example) that Jesus reminds everyone that if you don't know Him and He doesn't know you, you don't get to go through the door of the Kingdom. You are turned away ... forever. On the outside, in everlasting darkness. He is the door, we need to have a one-on-one relationship with our Saviour to be in His presence forever. No amount of doctrine or scholarly credentials will open that door, the same as no amount of wealth or money will, either.
Calvinism lead me to atheism and Satanism.
the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob rescued me from Atheism and Satanism, and led me to be an open theist :D
i was raised in the Southern Baptist denomination, very Reformed leanings... i still remember praying at night "i ask for forgiveness of my sins, but I already know you've already forgiven me"... the thought process of Calvinism is that God is the one who decrees, predestines, and causes man to do wicked and horrible things, and it all brings God glory, yet somehow God is not responsible for their actions (even though He is the author of all)... this lead me into homosexuality, cross-dressing, questioning my gender as a child... it eventually led me to denying God existed on a picnic bench in Longview, Texas at a place called Heartlight Ministries
after i got out of that place, i went from atheism to Satanism. i fell into black metal, and my behavior, my attitude, and my view of life turned to hating God. i hated my family, myself, and my life. i tried to end things multiple times in three weeks, but on the fourth try, in a moment of desperation, that's when I cried out to the Lord, and begged Him to show Himself, to prove that someone out there actually loved me... and He did, with Isaiah 41:10.
it wasn't until later in life, when the Lord pressed onto me the need to press into Him for guidance, teaching, discipline, chastening.. and it was then when i started to learn with scripture that Reformed theology is not what the Bible teaches
Holy smokes. I’m so glad God rescues you out of all of that. Thank you for sharing.
Same, it lead me to atheism and Islam. Calvinism is just a different type of gnosticism
"Your only hope is your election"-what a simplistic conclusion!
Hello there. Greetings to you in Christ! The way I see this passage is that the “us” is key. Who did God choose? Us. Who is the “us”? That is the question. From the context, it seems clear that “us” is referring to Paul himself and his audience of believers. So how could God choose us before the foundation of the world if we did not exist yet?
Here is another passage to consider:
“who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,”
2 Timothy 1:9-10 ESV
Notice how Christ is given to us before the ages began.
So both the choosing of us and the giving to us is before the world existed. How? Unless we existed in some way at that time, or God predestined it. Etc.
Not a Calvinist, but I always wondered why a Calvinist would want to have kids. My anxiety over them not being “elect”would get the best of me.
You still have that issue if your kid grows up to reject Christ. How do you handle that? Does it make it better when your child chooses the way that leads to eternal punishment?
AMEN!!!!!
The Calvinist doctrine of Total Depravity is a smoke screen, designed to silence & pull the wool over the eyes of the opposition, from seeing the logical flaws found within their own systematic.
For example, John MacArthur says "When you give some one the gospel. Because it's the truth, they CANT believe it."
In other words, "Calvinism is true, and if you deny it, that's evidence that your will is in bandage to sin."
I equate "the gospel" with "Calvinism" for 2 reasons:
1. Calvinists themselves boast that "Calvinism IS the gospel."
2. If Limited Atonement is true, the reprobate rightfully denied the gospel, since they NEVER had propitiation for their sin to begin with, and NEVER had a Savior to repent to. The wrath of God was purposely designed for them "since before they were born or had done anything either good or bad, in order that God's purpose of election might continue", according to their teachings of Romans 9.
As a matter of fact, within Calvinism, the calvinist God sends His followers to command the reprobate to "repent and believe" a gospel that was NEVER for them to begin with, AS A MEANS of revealing more "Elect", and further damning more reprobate.
This is where they err, because they do not know the Scriptures.
The God of truth does not command sinners to believe lies.
In Calvinism, He most certainly does.
Total depravity entails that you can never have assurance of salvation.
Since one can never know if she knows truth.
So they have to rely on works to try to find assurance.
I’ve watched all your vids on Calvinism. Thank you!!
I know you probably don’t get personally involved, but would love to ask a couple questions privately. ??
Sure:) hectoralana@gmail.com
Any born again Christian is one of the elect, God chose you and wrote your name in the book of life from the foundation of the world.
Alana, thank you for sharing your thoughts. How would you call your theology now?
Facts 💯
They put their hope in a doctrine they created!!!!!
“The true Character of God!” That’s what’s at stake here. Forget us and getting the gospel wrong. This is why scripture tells us to be mindful of doctrines of demons. Doctrines that do nothing but cause confusion and trample on God’s true character. He is good! He is righteous!
Besides talking about the specific arguments for and against, never stop talking about the interactions and the style of calvinistic argumentation you encountered. This is what people, searching for the truth, relate to: the experience of confusion, fear of 'heresy', gaslighting, accusation of misrepresentation, deflection to 'mystery' etc.
They write books and preach a detailed and complete doctrine, but the moment you ask any difficult question, it's suddenly *mystery*. It's deflection under the guise of humility.
One Sunday you're told 'a Christian should stop sinning', the next Sunday you're told 'you cannot stop sinning'. Keeping you trapped in listening to these preachers in the hope for an escape.
It's SO SAD so see someone in turmoil and fear!! That's not of God!!!!
A great cross reference to Ephesians 1:4 is Ephesians 5:27 using the the exact same phrase. We as regenerate members of the body of Christ were chosen in the Son before the foundation of the world to be in the position of "holy and without blemish" before the Father ! What a gorgeous verse!
The Reformed understanding fails by assuming that Ephesians 1:4 is speaking of lost unregenerate people, but it has nothing to do with such whatsoever. Ephesians 1:4 is not about lost people becoming saved, but about the position of already saved members of the body of Christ being blessed" "with every spiritual blessing IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES [there's the "before Him" in verse 4] in Christ" (Eph. 1:3 LSB).
This is a distinction without difference.
I was hurt by a Calvinist (Westboro Baptist). Those Christians have hurt me back in 2021.
I’m so sorry. Yeah, they’re very extreme. I hope they didn’t turn you away from Jesus
@@AlanaL3 I’ve questioned if he cares for me and thought maybe he predestined me to
Hell. Calvinism confused me
@@AmberDennis001 terrible:(
Merry Christmas Alana.
What are some of your favorite classic christmas shows?
Mmmm…I don’t really have any, I love little women the 1992 movie. It brings back many childhood memories and feels like Christmas to me.
@@AlanaL3
I have always loved "A Christmas Story" from 1983. I highly recommend it. 🎅
Hi Alana, really loved this video. It sparked a thought last night I would like to share. It takes your point about the problems with God unconditionally electing "some" for salvation. You brought up the personal side of it with not knowing if all your children have been chosen for salvation. But let's look at this with more distance, globally. I did some research and here is an example of what I found :
US
332 million pop
63% christian
India
1.4 billion pop
2.3% christian
Saudi Arabia
35 million pop
4.4% christian
So if regeneration precedes faith , we should see far greater numbers of christians emerge from countries like India with such a high population. Truly, if God hates the unelected , he hates most of India. Jesus did not die for India.
If it's all God and He 19:20 regenerates, mysteriously, whomever he randomly choses, it would make sense that we should see THIS REGENERATION HAPPEN CONSISTENTLY AROUND THE WORLD. A DOCTRINE HAS TO BE TRUE EVERYWHERE. If God decreed certain individuals to be saved and it what God decrees has to happen and man cannot interfere then it shouldn't matter what country you are born.
Alana thank you for laying this doctrine bare for what it is. 14:26 On Calvinism “that is their only hope, not Jesus, not what Jesus did. Their only hope is whether they are elect or not and there’s nothing anybody can do about it.” I agree many Calvinists do not fully understand or consider the implications of their system. They stop at “before the foundation of the world” and assume there is no other way to understand that other than God selected who will be saved before they were born so I must be a Calvinist without considering with how that fits with what the Bible teaches in the rest of scripture, especially about his character. Thank you for continuing to speak on this. God bless. Merry Christmas!
Such a powerful revelation. She should start off a video with just this revelation, and do a video only on this topic.
Thank you for posting these questions. I think they are good questions to think through. Allow me to respond.
Your first question about Ephesians 1 assumes that God exists in successive times, like if God had a beginning and is moving along a timeline like we are. But if God is above time, He transcends time; then He is not bound by chronology like we are, which means He is present (I AM) everywhere at once. He exists from eternity to eternity. I know that is difficult for us to understand, but that is what makes Him God and not us. God is infinitely more glorious than we can ever imagine.
Furthermore, you can't divorce election from Christ's redemptive work. That's Paul's point. We are elect IN Christ. Elect in Christ means elect in and through his redemptive work, not apart from it. That is what Paul describes in the following verses of chapter 1.
With regard to God choosing and not choosing children, that is not hypothetical; it is actually in the Scriptures (Malachi 1). God loved Jacob and hated Esau and actively worked against Esau's descendants. The question is: how would you explain those verses to your child?
You are correct in saying that John MacArthur is wrong in saying that you look to yourself to know if you are elect. The ground of our assurance is the work of God's Spirit in our hearts, testifying we are children of God (Rom. 8.16-17). As the Spirit enables us to place our faith in God's promises, we can have assurance that God has saved us.
As the Heidelberg Catechism QA1 says:
QUESTION 1. What is thy only comfort in life and in death?
That I, with body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ, who with His precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and redeemed me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me, that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; yes, that all things must work together for my salvation. And from now on, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and ready to live for Him.
🏆 Another 'on target' video... Alana, God has blessed you with an ability to communicate this message with a lovely countenance, and we're thankful you're not wasting it. 🙏🏻
So, In Eph.1 you're "in Christ" before the foundation of the world. But then in Eph.2 You're born "re without Christ, being aliens from ... from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world".. ??
This begs the question; If you're already 'in Christ' but then born 'lost' how/when did God lose you?
(I don't see God misplacing a member of his own family)
But if you're not born 'lost' how can you be numbered among the 'lost' whom Christ came to 'seek and to save'??
It seems Calvinists have become convinced they are In Christ ... then born hating God and lost without hope... then 'found' by Christ and put back in again... at least they 'hope' they are. But they really can't be certain they've been granted the "Gift of Perseverance" till they meet Jesus on the other side And their 'hope' is they'll get some "Good News" then......
Because they really don't have any "Good News" just yet.
You're in.. you're out... oops you're back in again maybe you get to stay... maybe not...
The tune's kinda 'catchy' and it's got a beat you can dance to ..... but I ain't buying their Hokey Pokey religion.
If we have a reticence to answer with an ambiguous statement such as "You just dont understand Calvinism"..ee are in a state of cognitive dissonance for sure. It also means we are not yet ready for the truth. I'd suggest anyone reading this to get with the Lord who LOVES you to help guide you thru this pickle. I was caught up for several years and only now am finally ridding myself of the vestigates of the Deterministic thinking.
9:60 Excellent thoughts on the blessing of our God-given emotions. I believe people's most common initial rejection of Calvinism is actually their God given capabilities rejecting it's lie about the nature of God. Piper, says he cried for days before 'submitting to the Doctrines of Grace"... That is not a normal reaction to hearing Good News.🤦🏻♂️ It's too bad channels like yours, Leighton Flowers, Kevin Thompson, Jason's etc. weren't there to show him the error of that doctrine before he swallowed it's 'bitter pill'. The world might have been spared a lot of grief that has crept in to the lives of believers and local churches through his ministry.
Keep up the good work.
I was reading John 15 and I was amazed when I realized what the verse after one of my favorites says from the mouth of Jesus. I didn't expect it.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Jn 15:13-14.
I'm an ex-stealth calvinist, or calvinist unawares. I was not taught "calvinism", it was carefully infused in the sermons and teachings. I would not know that's what was happening until I started studying calvinism to see what it was.
I've known some open calvinists and if we each took our Swords into a room, he'd fight to the death that people who die as infants and newborns are 'doomed from the womb" because they can't get to the point where they are "regenerated". But, I've witnessed one such Calvinist Crusader who had to deal with a mother who just lost her child. When he did, there wasn't a cell in his body that was calvinist. He comforted her as if she really had hope, as David did over the lost of Bathsheba's first son.
He would go on to teach the doctrine, more subtly and gently than I described above, when he was teaching calvinism.
What really surprises me is that no matter how sincere they claim to be to know and believe the truth over doctrines, they always seen to focus on the false dichotomies and plates of spaghetti logic to prove that their doctrine is solid. I'm sure you agree how sad it is for them, as well as us who see it.
“The fact that you are asking these questions, is evidence of the work of God in your heart”. I bet if God forbid she leaves the faith, he’ll say she was never save and quote 1 John 2:19 🤦♂️💀
The calviboys hate being called out for their platonist crap. They can whine all they want but they must be continually rebuked and rejected if they dont repent. I write this as a former Calvinist. And no, I'm not an Arminian either. Both are heresies.
Calvinism is so Gloomy. If everyone is already Fated life is without meaning. And even the Supreme Virtue, Love is turned into a cruel joke...God help us...Good Job Alana...
Could you please help me to understand 1 thessalonians 1:4 and 5? Not getting any help 😕 thank you
January 20, 2024
Hi Alana, just wanted to know what your take is on the election based on John 6: 44-45?
Iron Sharpens iron❤
Finished my first response I hope you watch
I guess the Calvinist could argue that, before the foundation of the world, an elect person was chosen to some day in time be in Him.. That would still come with some problems, but it might allow them to avoid the notion that they were in Christ, then out again at birth, then in again at hearing and believing.
I agree. I would’ve said chosen before foundation of world unto salvation at some point in my life. It is how I would’ve argued what I’m saying in the video….BUT my defense would have been based on tulip not Bible
What controls your will, or what does your will follow?
All thru the Bible wheather saints of the old testament or new testament are encouraged to tell of Gods works and miracles and power. In rhe new testament we are commissioned to into every nation and preach the Gospel. If this will only effect the elect ( whom nobody knows who are elect and not) Just exactly who are we to sing or say God's praises to?? Who are we to tell the Gospel?? Calvinism while providing some good intellectual fodder for the mind, sucks out the hope and even possibility of hope for humanity...
8:21
As Calvinists we don’t believe you are born again before you hear the word.
No one can be saved without hearing the word of God.
Maybe you could listen to Paul washer preach on Ezekiel 37, to help clarify my point of what we teach on this. should be easy enough to find online.
You may need to revisit what they teach. It is born again before salvation. I’m glad you see that’s opposite of scripture
Our former church taught "regeneration precedes faith" Google RC Sproul on that. You are first regenerated or reborn first, then given faith so as to understand and believe so as to repent.
@@user-jj4iz4nq2hok good, then I agree with your former church and r c sproul on this point.
But I disagree with Alana’s take on it. Listen to 8.19-8.24 this is the statement I’m trying to timestamp
She’s basically saying Calvinists believe regeneration precedes hearing and I’m saying no we don’t believe that.
What we believe is that the Gospel is preached (hearing) we call this the external call to everyone but as the word is preached(or read) their is an internal call an effective call from God.
So the order is like this: hearing then regeneration then believing
The reason I point to the Paul washer sermon is because the order is clear, and going by both of your comments I’m pretty sure neither of you watched it, but that’s ok it is like an hour long lol.
Alana, have you thought much about the plan of salvation and the trinity doctrine that was established by the catholic church in 325 AD?
I’ve thought about both, but not looked into whatever was established by Catholic Church :)
@AlanaL3 worth a deeper look. The church that was born on the day of Pentecost was not accepting Christ as personal Saviour but it was much more dynamic. Also the apostles and the early church didn't preach that God is a trinity of coequal, coeternal persons. That was established by the catholic church in 325 AD. Paul said if anyone comes preaching anything other than they had preached , let him be accursed. Just some things to look into.
Love and agree with everything you said. I know a lot of Calvinists and I love them dearly but I wish they could see this and not keep ignoring it or just have a false humility and keep chalking all these things up to mystery when salvation is so clear in the Bible.
As far as being chosen In Him and trying to reconcile Ephesians 2 about once being strangers with God; I’ve gotten a different kind of response to that from a Calvinist.
They say that we are chosen for salvation before the foundations of the world but God still appoints a time when that person with be quickened to believe. The quickening can come at anytime in a elect persons life and it’s in Gods perfect timing. So I’m guessing they people your pretty much blinded to being saved/elect until God quickens/opens your eyes to irresistibly believe. So I guess before this happens we are strangers?? Not fully understanding how that works but I’m pretty sure their answer would be it’s all a mystery but God works it out for good
I’m with you. That’s actually what I would have said as well, what your Calvinist friends have answered. The reason I brought it up in this vid is because I think once you start to try to describe what it means to be “in Christ“ before the foundation of the world it doesn’t sound much different than what Arminians believe. Hopefully it will make them think on it:). Thanks for your comment!
Really good point…. They are unintentionally agreeing with the very thing they mock. Didn’t even catch that at first, thank you for the incite! 😊
@@sarahherzog7422 also, when they explain that view, they only have their systematic to explain it with. Not scripture. Just another thought. :-)
I don't think they are ignoring they just actually genuinely disagree...I realize many arminians or provisionists seem intensely frustrated that people don't agree with them but to assume bad motives is not helpful or charitable.
@@AlanaL3no... I don't think that's true...they appeal directly to exegesis of Scripture and not thr systematic...the Scripture informs their systematic not the other way around as you and Alana falsely suggest...again it just seems Alana and those that disagree with her are genuinely frustrated with the fact that these Reformed/Calvinist really do believe and understand the Scripture to be teaching differently than they do...perhaps as a result of that an insecurity arises (what if I'm wrong?) So the arminians/provisionist jumpt to the idea that Calvinist must be "ignoring the text" or "just using philosophy or their systematic " to determine the text, and many other uncharitable assumptions. Again because at bottom they just can't conceive that the other person really does understand the meaning/interpretation of Scripture differently (that doesn't sit well with them so they must come up with some other explanation for the disagreement). Also...the idea that Alana keeps repeating or reiterating that she is intending to be charitable might be something she should take a look at psychologically...if I repeat over and over that "I'm not doing X" maybe it's because what really lies underneath is some degree of doing X...of course we all have much room for improvement...I don't mean to claim I am Mr. charitable...something i think we can all take a look at more deeply.
This is a powerful breakdown! Cool to randomly get it recommended. Earned a follow! Now this isn't about Calvinism directly; but I'd suggest however to revisit the concept about the law contained in ordinances separating gentiles from the common wealth of Israel. This was about right of passage for salvation, not about whether gentiles should obey God's instructions for life.
Usually Christians will at least concede the 10 commandments apply to all; but don't realize even the sacrifices, holy days, etc included gentiles by name when the laws were given, and both are old covenant.
Jesus freed us from the *curse* of the law - *not the law itself.* The very standard for being alive in Christ, living in the spirit, etc stems from the knowledge of sin - which is what the law reveals. It's directly because the law is still in tact, that we all stand condemned pre-faith, and in need of God's grace and mercy found in Christ. Those truly being regenerated by the Holy Spirit desire to live righteously, a concept that's vague and lost without the law. Also, this is why your point is so true, and being in Christ, while certainly from the work of God in our lives, is also still a choice apart from some full determinism.
Agreed! Well stated!
I had an interesting conversation with a Calvinist friend regarding the Ephesians passage, In Christ specifically. I made the statement that the passage doesn’t say that God is putting people in Christ to become believers in the future. But it’s actually saying God predestined believers to be blameless in His sight. He actually agreed with that, but he did say that later on in a different way it claims God is putting people in Christ. I think this a prime case that no matter what scripture you show certain Calvinist they are going to refuse to accept it and double down on on their systemic.
No...I think more likely the person just genuinely understands those other passages to mean what he or she is saying...why assume some uncharitable motive?
@@Adam-ue2ig because I’ve had multiple conversations with Calvinist and they always defend the systematic. Even though scripture sure seems to be saying otherwise. Personally I think this is very psychological, they may honestly believe their views are biblical. But they are very mistaken, and it doesn’t look good when we lovely and respectful show their error. Yet they refuse to listen or even double check their sources. All of us (humanity) must be careful, we are told things by experts (or not so experts) and we can often too easily just accept them without looking into it ourselves. This is dangerous, all of us should put the hard work here and come to our conclusions. Thanks
@@willwidrick8039 what the Scripture is saying is the very thing in question...perhaps some do have an emphasis on the systematic...I'm just saying from my perspective and what I've seen most of the time they genuinely are arriving at their beliefs from the text of Scripture and exegesis of it.
@@willwidrick8039 although I would be willing to bet that even though you are stating these Calvinist you discussed with are doing that...I bet they would contest that they are actually doing that.
@@willwidrick8039 All the assertions or accusations you stated here could be lobbed at you and those that agree with you. I agree each person needs to be genuinely honest and evaluate/challenge their beliefs and their sources etc.
So many that just say: "You dont understand.", "You're confused" or "You were never a Calvinist".
Calvinism is not hard to understand.
Right out of the Gnostic/mystic playbook!
Its been about a year now with me struggling with calvinism. Everything in me tells me its evil, deceptive and absolutely ungodly at least based off the God i came to know. However im still struggling because its seems there are some scripture that are worded in a way that seems to support calvinism/reformed beliefs which is the only reason im struggling is because i see scripture that seems to say it. Please keep me in prayer because if the god of calvinism is the real god i want no part of it. The God i came to know is a loving God that died for all and was like a father to me. Everytime i sinned/messed up He'd tell me ta dust off my boots an get back on the saddle. But now calvinism has snuck in and i dont know if my God exists anymore. I currently wake up everyday wandering if calvinism is true then i hav no point to keep living. And i also dont hear God's small voice anymore of which i use ta hear all the time in everything i did. If calvinism is false ive been led astray an dont see God coming and if calvinism is true im a reprobate.... either way im screwed.
I am praying for the Holy Spirit to guide you. God bless!
I don't know if this will help, but I have contemplated how I would behave if I knew for absolute certain I was hell-bound and nothing could change it, and I think of the story of Shadrach Meshach, and Abed-nigo in Daniel 3 (I probably spelled them wrong), who said even if The Lord did not rescue them from the furnace, they would still not worship the king's idol. And while, yes, I realize there's a huge difference between suffering mortal death in the furnaces of Babylon, and suffering death of the soul in the Lake of Fire, but still... That's the kind of faith I want. Time and again, in the Old Testament, we see The Lord declare a punishment, and then relent when the subject of the judgement repents.
"either way im screwed". If calvanism is false and you have been led astray, you are not at all "screwed"; return, repent. We're talking about The Lord, who made a lusty adulterer and scheming mudderer (David), king over his Chosen People, moreover, made his (David's) line the permanent line of kings over those People.
@PhotriusPyrelus it helps. Im just at the end of the road. I want too live a godly life but its hard to be an do good when someone or something especially the calvinist interpretation of the bible tells me im going to do whatever God determined me to do evil or good an that i dont hav freewill also that God might possibly be the evil god of calvinism which means were all screwed cuz the calvinist god will either preprogram/force us to love him or hate him. Whats sad is i know and fully understand the utter foolish craziness of calvinism but they've seemed to convince me on some scripture. I guess it would seem im very easily manipulated.
The fact that the Calvinists in the comments never respond to your challenge to provide more information after they accuse you of "not understanding Calvinism" bears witness the the truth of the equation: A - E = EW (Assertion - Evidence = Empty Words!)
Great work Sister. It (Calvinism) is one of 👿 better rusese upon the body of Christ. He gets Pastors & "Believers" to portray our Heavenly Father as an arbitrary Puppet Master. On the pretence that God Pardons an elite few & has pre-ordained the rest to destruction by His divine decree against them. There is no grace for the unelect in Calvinism theology.
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