This article is part of a series. You can read Part 1 here.
Continuing our series on lies people believe about Reformed Theology, we now come to a very common objection to the doctrines of grace found within the Reformed faith.
Lie #2: If These Doctrines are True, God is Not Loving
How can God be loving like the Bible says if he chooses some people to be saved and not others?
We’ve arrived at one of the hardest questions surrounding God’s sovereignty over salvation. It’s a valid concern, and yet the Bible both claims that God saves some and not others and that he is the definition of love. In fact, if it weren’t for his faithful love, he would choose none to be saved.
This is hard for us as humans because we think it seems unfair. But truly, what is fair? We’ve all sinned against God millions of times and yet he saves some of us.…
Some people love it, others deeply despise it. I’ve learned over the years since embracing the doctrines held within it, that much of the rejection of Reformed Theology is rooted in misunderstandings regarding what it teaches.
My hope isn’t to convince you (Okay, maybe a little bit), but to help you better understand what your Reformed friends believe. We can disagree on this subject and still be solid Christians so long as we adhere to orthodox Christianity—that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus alone and he will one day come back to judge the world. This will not be a thorough explanation of all the doctrines—much smarter men and women have committed to that. Furthermore, the lies we’ll be covering mostly center around “the doctrines of election,” though that is only a portion of what Reformed Theology entails.
I’ve decided to make this into a series because who wants to read a 5000-word article?…
A version of this article was originally published on Unlocking the Bible.
I often look back on my day with regret. I think of the many minutes gone to waste in the form of mindless scrolls or swipes, and the hours spent with eyes glued to a screen.
Someone posed a question once that pierced my heart: “How much time do you spend pursuing earthly things compared to time spent seeking God?”
Ouch. That’s a convicting question. If we think about it for more than a minute, the Holy Spirit might just peel back the layers of our heart, exposing what we truly treasure.
What Do You Treasure?
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21 ESV)
As Christians, we must ask ourselves: How much of our time is spent scrolling Instagram, practicing a hobby, or watching Netflix? How often are our minds filled to the brim with these things?…
This article originally appeared on the Well-Watered Women Blog.
Have you ever longed to sit and savor a moment? Maybe it was the first time your baby was placed on your chest, or the feeling of a spring breeze carrying the scent of honeysuckle to your nose. That moment when your boyfriend went down on one knee, or when you gazed upon the earth from the summit of the mountain you just conquered. If we could bottle up those moments, I bet we would.
What if those things are meant to draw our eyes upward? What if savoring those moments is meant to cause us to savor the Savior? What if savoring leads to meditation on God and his Word?
“I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.” (Psalm 119:15 ESV)
We seek the Lord through the study of his Word, gleaning knowledge and wisdom from the pages and applying it to our daily lives.…
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:9 ESV)
Behold, the verse which many claim crushes Calvinism into dust. Verse stated, Reformed Theology refuted, case closed.
Is it really so simple? Many would say so. But let’s take a look at this seemingly difficult passage in the comfort of context.
The Recipients
As you may know, there’s always a recipient when a letter is written. The author has a person/group of people in mind as he pens his words. The second letter of Peter is no exception. In fact, we’re offered a clue about who the recipients are in the first verse.
Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: (2 Peter 1:1 ESV)
This verse alone provides quite a bit of clarity regarding who Peter wrote his letter to.…
This article originally appeared on Whole Magazine.
“God is the Healer of all our sickness. You just need more faith.”
They mean well, they really do. But those whose ears have been tickled by false gospels like the prosperity gospel and the word-faith movement, don’t see the repercussions of their own words. They use God’s Word out of context and make claims to prosperity that aren’t there, leaving out the many passages which prove the Christian life is not a cake-walk.
Many Christians are infertile, have cancer, have miscarried or delivered lifeless babies, are tortured for their alliance to Jesus. And on top of these heart-wrenching trials, there are some whose theology would deem the suffering of these believers a result of their faithlessness. This terribly unbiblical theology places the blame on the Christian for any painful thing that enters their life. Furthermore, it hardens the lost to God, the gospel, and the Church.…
