Dangerous But Good

I was recently sent these questions from a friend and fellow Christian: How do you handle a situation in which Calvinist beliefs are being introduced into or even taught in your church by your Christian friends, pastors, or small group leaders?  Is Calvinism scriptural?

Calvinism: A False Prophet Has Arrived in Your Church

Calvinism (also known as the Reformed Faith) is a branch of Christianity mostly shaped by John Calvin in the 16th century. This alternative approach to the Christian faith is founded on the Five Points of Calvinism.

Many God-fearing, Bible-reading Christians are starting to see Calvinist beliefs infiltrate their churches today.  But is Calvinism scripturally based?  To know this, we must refer to the Bible at each of the 5 points of Calvinism to find appropriate scriptures to back it up and then see if it logically fits in with the message of the Bible.

Is Calvinism Scriptural?

The 5 points of Calvinism are enough to dispute the whole movement’s scriptural basis. 

We know that we can never teach something that isn’t scriptural.  So, even if I firmly believe something with all my heart (exaggerating example: that John the Baptist had 12 toes!)  I couldn’t teach it to my family or other Christians as truth if there is no scripture in the Bible to back it up.  I may think it makes sense, and I may really believe it, but as a minister and a Christian, the burden of proof from the scriptures is on ME before I open my mouth and talk about it.

Interpretations of the meaning of God’s intentions are touchy, and Calvinism can be seen as just that.  Statements about how God intends his grace, how He intends His salvation, etc., are not ours to make except as stated in the Bible.  It is no business of ours to assign our reasoning to God’s provision.  It is our place to accept it as He extends it to us in the Bible. 

We will use the first point of Calvinism to  illustrate the point:  “Total depravity”, that people are not naturally inclined to love and serve God, but must be forced to.  We know this is not scriptural, because man was made in God’s image, and God is love.  Even though we fell into sin, sin can’t change the essence of what God designed and created us to be: loving, praising, worshiping beings. 

It is Satan and his lies and deceit that make us think we are different from God when we are out in his wicked world.  It is the devil’s deception that puts us apart from God in the first place. 

And, while this is a bold statement that many might not agree with, I feel this belief of “total depravity” is not only unscriptural, but a demonic lie meant to confuse us and keep us away from God’s truth. It essentially tells people not to feel bad if they don’t serve God, because it’s just not in our nature to love him unless he makes us.  What a lie!

If something is contrary to the Bible, it cannot be from God.  Remember, the Bible foretells of the false prophets that will try to twist the word and confuse believers:

Matthew 7:15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

Mark 13:22 “For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.” (NLT)

2 Peter 2:1 “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them–bringing swift destruction on themselves.” (NIV)

1 John 4:1 “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

We see a definite trend in all those scriptures: we are warned that the false teaching which will be spread into the church is evil, is meant to lead us astray, and is not from God. 

The surge in Calvinism, or its coming into fashion now as a trend in Christianity, is another part of the quickening we are experiencing living in the final days.  Satan is ramping up his “misinformation campaigns” to try to confuse Christians, even as God is pouring out his Holy Spirit like never before to try to save us all.

How Can Your Deal with Calvinism in Your Church?

Knowing that “flavors” and “alternative beliefs” in Christianity are not Godly is the easy part.  How to deal with this spreading of Calvinist beliefs to your own church friends is a more difficult question. 

Be a radical supporter of Christianity!  Always put His will first, which may include making tough decisions (towards one’s family, friends, or church) or confronting false teaching bravely, in turn hurting someone’s feelings.  However, when we keep in mind that hurting someone’s feelings is a whole lot better than letting them spread Satan’s lies, we can be bold as Christians and speak up.

First, pray for God’s understanding and the Holy Spirit’s help in this matter.  You know that the Holy Spirit can bring answers to the hardest questions and make it as clear as can be.

If you feel comfortable talking directly to your friends about the Calvinist beliefs sneaking into their lives, take another strong Godly person with you.  Make sure you pray first and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to them with your words. 

Be aware that where ever the devil’s lies are rooted in someone’s mind, there is a stronghold that demons can use to come and go in them.  You may not be talking to your friends at all during this discussion, as it may be someone else who is not well-intentioned speaking for them.

If you’d feel more comfortable talking to your pastor, then by all means bring up your concerns and see what he/she suggests.  It may be an issue that your pastor wants to address to the whole congregation, so as not to single anyone out, but to shed true light on the matter.

I am radically passionate for Christ, and I have fought demons head on.  They are not only sneaky, but they get a sick pleasure out of making people believe their lies.  It is like a game to see how many people they can lead away.  Christian mistruths are only designed to perpetuate Satan’s lies. 

If the Calvinist teaching is coming from your pastor, it may be tempting to just find a different church.  Don’t!  You must approach your pastor with your concerns- the spiritual health of the whole church depends on you. 

Remember that your words of truth are light that will stand out in the darkness of confusion in this world:  “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”  (2 Cor 4:6, NIV) 

God be with you!

Tags: Calvinism, Calvinists, False Prophets, False Teaching