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Calvinism's Heartless "Gospel"
G. Driggs:
--- Quote from: Hopeful on March 05, 2011, 08:07:34 PM ---
Unfortunately, it seems my Calvinistic indoctrination will not pass so easily.
--- End quote ---
I've heard many times that the beast within will not go down without a fight, and my personal experience has shown this to be true. All I can say is give it time, be patient and wait for God.
I still have doubts too, even after seeds of truth were planted a couple years ago. What seems to help is positive thinking. I have to constantly remind myself of the good things that are no doubt true. Things that I remember from Rays papers that are undeniable and totally bookended by the scriptural witnesses he provides.
Try not to get overwhelmed with "what ifs" and take it one step at a time, one truth at a time if you have to.
Remember that where ever the truth is heard, Satan will be right there trying to plant doubts.
We're praying for you. Stay hopeful Hopeful. ;)
G.Driggs
arion:
--- Quote from: G. Driggs on March 06, 2011, 01:27:35 PM ---I've heard many times that the beast within will not go down without a fight, and my personal experience has shown this to be true. All I can say is give it time, be patient and wait for God.
--- End quote ---
I was thinking about that this morning. On another board I'm on the christians are doing the articles about the Islamics and how they want to kill us and then how we need to respond back in kind. If not in deed at least in word. They cast aspersians against 'the religion of peace' and say that they are children of the devil. This is true. Yet, I told them that God had mercy on us when we were in unbelief and that except for the grace of God any of us could of been born in the middle east and grew up under this brainwashing. We are to pity them, love them and not return evil for evil. Not too many years ago I was the christian 'patriot' kind who was more than willing to do it to them before they do it to us and to justify it through the twisting of the scriptures. I look back now at my attitudes I had then and I shudder in horror that I even thought like that at one time. Truly christians often despise the words of Christ where we are told to love our enemies and to do good to those who abuse us, ect. Yet, it's not an instant transformation to be molded into Christs image. I wasn't what I was 5 years ago (thank God!!) and if I'm still alive 5 years from now I won't be what I am now. It's a process that can often only be discerned as we 'look behind' us to see where we have been. So be at peace Hopeful. It doesn't take place overnight and God is slowly working on you to erradicate those beliefs of the Calvinists that were ingrained in you. God has it all under control and he'll get you where you need to be when you need to be there. I'm learning a lot more these days about Jesus saying that his yoke is easy and his burden is light.
santikos:
it is a very hard thing to seperate our emotions from the truth of God's word. just know that the abyss of our human heart is very deep, the things that proceed from that place are just evil in every way. put on the armor of God, ask him for wisdom and strength to endure. we are here for you, keep us informed.
DougE6:
Hi Hopeful
Thanks for the "inside" look at what it is like to be a Calvanist! Calvinists are very very persistent in their beliefs, I have some good friends who are Cavinists, and I have discussed these horrors with them and they remain unmoved. It is shocking to witness the very depths of the heartlessness. If God is really like they say, then who would want to be with him. The only reason they would want to be with him would be to escape the horrific fate of the other unfortunates, which they are learning to harden their hearts against.
Calvinists takes the greatest attribute of God, that He demonstrates His love for us by having His Son to give His life for us, and turns it on its ear, to make God the very opposite of what He was demonstrating, Love. It is a masterful work of satan. It impugns Gods character more than any other thing, any other religion, that I can think of. yet because it is based on fear, the adherents cannot bear to look at any contrary evidence, because they cannot risk their own souls! They are all too familiar with the horrors of damnation and to look at the belief critically is far too risky!!! Can you imagine the fear that would have to be overcome to leave calvinism? You have to LOVE others more than your own fear of damnation.
And to make it even more difficult, they do have one thing pretty correct. God's Sovereignity. No free will. They do for the most part, understand this very well. I think that understanding, being true, makes it even more difficult to believe their other understanding is wrong. SO they are really locked in.
I think the easiest way for you, maybe, would be too take the ONE thing they do understand, Gods sovereignity, and combine it with the other truth the other side understands, which is the HEART of God which the other side, the Arminians, really understand. They really really beleive God is not willing that any should perish, its just that He cannot do anything about free will, and men can free will themselves into eternal perdition. but at least an entire camp of Christianity can see the heart of God that the calvinists cannot. tHE SAME HEART THAT WE CAN SEE.
sO THE GREAT IRONY IS, IF YOU TAKE THE HEART VIEW OF GOD THE ARMINIANS HAVE AND COMBINE IT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING OF GODS SOVEREIGNITY THE CALVINISTS HAVE, YOU HAVE WHAT WE BELIEVE! A God who will be successful in bringing every last one to Himself, and will honor the cross of Christ by giving it its full measure.
God wants you to have FAITH in HIS LOVE that IS IN his heart. His heart is FULL of tender LOVE. I MEAN TRUST THAT HE IS ACTUALLY LOVE. Your fear is that you are not sure of His Love. You know it in your mind, you need it revealed to you, deeply, in your heart. Your tender heart cries out to know a God who actually, also, has a tender heart. He does. You will become more and more convinced of this, as He shows/changes your understanding of His heart, at your deepest heart level. It is wonderful that you have a tender heart. God will show you that likewise, He too has a tender heart.
Only satan(not God) does NOT have a tender heart. And for a while, God allows satan to convince men that Gods heart is much more like satans. What an absolute slander satan is doing, but it is by design. God bless you in this struggle. God, transform our hearts, so we love like you. Let us so love that the wiles of satan will be of no effect, that he is absolutely unable to make us doubt you, because we know you!
Doug
Felix:
Hi Hopeful
I thought that was insightfull when Doug said that God has a tender heart, also. That made a big
difference in my faith when I believed that God is love. He really is love.
Felix
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