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Tuesday, April 22, 2014

The Wovenist Answers to Non-Calvinist Concerns- Overview

After many years of reading, writing and browsing blogs, I have found that there are three major concerns that plague the non-Calvinist crowd when it comes to Calvinism.  These are the issues that get argued about but never resolved, and this is why I set out to start with just scripture to write down a Biblical theological outline, which I call Wovenism.  It's not new or original, it probably overlaps several things that are out there now.  One of the things I focus heavily on is the way God works and moves and interacts with us inside and outside of time.  The main focus, however, is the woven intricacies of how God works in relation to His sovereignty, grace, preaching and outreach, man's ability to choose and how we all interact.  These things are all woven together to create a simple and yet beautiful picture of soteriology.
In my discussions with many who are outside the Calvinist camp, who go by names like Traditionalists, Armenians and the "I don't want a label" group  seem to have three major concerns.

1. If God predestines some and not others, that means God chooses who gets to go to Heaven and who doesn't.  That means that God chooses some to go to hell, and why would a loving God choose some to go to hell?  This seems to contradict scripture that God loves the world and desires all to be saved.

2.  If God predestines some, then those who are being saved is set.  If someone hears the gospel and wishes to be saved but has not been predestined, they cannot be saved.  Man loses the ability to choose, and this contradicts the belief in our free will.  

3.  The Great Commission is pointless if people are predestined, there is no need to share our faith.  If a person is predestined and has no choice if they are going to be saved, there is no point in even sharing faith.  They will come to Christ when God does it.

I find these three things are the most common struggles with Calvinism, and they need to be addressed.  In the concept of Wovenism, I have attempted to put these three issues to rest in a way that is supported by scripture, brings all of the concepts together and weaves an accurate picture of how God is working in our lives.  My number one concern is how to put these things together in a way that is Biblical, uses Biblical evidence, text, support and does not contradict any other verses.  Too often we argue using texts and cause the Scripture to disagree with itself.  This, in my opinion, is very wrong and needs to be addressed.  This was my number one concern when I began looking at soteriology.  We have to stay true to the Scriptures and what it tells us about God and Salvation.  In the coming post, I'll address these three issues and how I have found the scripture answers then and deals with them, as well as some thought about time and weaving.  Hope you'll join me.


2 comments:

  1. You should avoid even comparing your self with Calvinism. It's insidious. These people act like they are not actively purposely trying to take over the entire SBC, and yet everywhere you look they are taking seminary jobs, filling positions by lying about what their true beliefs are and only revealing themselves once they have a power base. Then they go to web search sites where a person might request information on free will and they post about 5 different options the take the opposite view showing that free will is wrong, and why you should not believe it. Not sure why they don't simply form their own faith group. Oh, wait they do have it, its called Presbyterianism, just to name one. That seems like a more likely place to call home, why don't you go over there and take over their seminaries and convince them that they should actually properly baptize people, and not have infant baptism. Seems more likely that you would be able to poke holes in their theology than ours. Not exactly sure why they are so hell bent on forcing their views on people who don't want to hear them or believe them, but they are spending more time proving their belief than they are evangelizing. Stop trying to take over our churches, and seminaries that have been bought and paid for by the blood of millions, and create your own. Religious Squaters if you ask me.

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  2. Insidious: operating or proceeding in an inconspicuous or seemingly harmless way but actually with grave effect

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