Calvinism is kinda confusing. They claim to believe in the total sovereignty of God, yet they do not believe He is powerful enough to actually save all mankind.
It really seems they believe in the sovereignty of God AND free will only when it suits them. Here is a quote from John Calvin himself.
This liberty is compatible with our being depraved, the servants of sin, able to do nothing but sin. In this way, then, man is said to have free will, not because he has a free choice of good and evil, but because he acts voluntarily, and not by compulsion. This is perfectly true: but why should so small a matter have been dignified with so proud a title? An admirable freedom! That man is not forced to be the servant of sin, while he is, however, ethelodoulos (a voluntary slave); his will being bound by the fetters of sin. – Institutes of Christian Religion, 1:228-29 (2.2.6-7)Correct me if I'm wrong, but it really sounds like Calvin is saying we have free will to do evil, but no free will to do good. I can't help but notice a lot of contradictions when reading some of what Mr. Calvin has to say, but I shouldn't be surprised.
I was trying to find out where Ray got this idea of John Calvin and Calvinism, which is what caused me (along with this thread) to read up on what Mr. Calvin had to say.
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,5154.0.html‘FREE WILL’ IS AN OXYMORON . . . . . . Biblestudy Jan. 2007
Paul said when I would do good, evil is there. Where is the free will? Why didn’t Paul just free will himself out of all this stuff? He said what is going to save one from this destruction of my own carnal mind and ways, what? He said grace! I thank God through Jesus Christ that there is a power strong enough to do in me, what I can’t free will myself to do.
Why can’t theologians see that? They despise the Word of God. What was Paul’s ministry before Christ came into his life? DUNG. He summarized his whole ministry - dung. Is that good? Why is it if we have free will it’s of no value until we come to Christ?
Well of course the Calvinists teach that’s the way it is. They say you don’t have free will until you come to Christ and then you have free will. Well here is the truth in one verse.
Phi 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
People like to quote that and say, ‘you got to do it yourself, it’s your own free will.’ No no no no no. The reason you do it with fear and trembling is the next verse.
Phi 2:13 For(because) it is God which works in you BOTH(2 things) to will and to do of His good pleasure.
That’s God, not your free will! God does that!
We throw out God and we take on ourselves this little demigod called free will. Therefore we despise the sovereignty of God. We despise the Word of God and you are not going to grow spiritually. You got to know who and what God is in relationship to who and what you are, or you will never grow spiritually. -----------------------------------
I've also read where Calvin has said that Adam had free will but lost it after disobeying God. Reading and trying to understand John Calvin's stance on free will gives me a headache. It's hard to make heads or tails of it all. I just thank God for people like Ray Smith and what God has shown me through him.
G.Driggs