IS THE REFORMED FAITH BIBLICAL?

[GodsGrace]

Then what’s the point of the discussion?

According “ to you” I misunderstand, misunderstanding what?

1 Peter 1​

​

King James Version​

​

​

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

No comment.

 

[Ritajanice]

No comment.

Ok...enjoy the rest of your day.

 

[GodsGrace]

Something a little more direct....:
Does man have the free will to seek God?

 

[Ritajanice]

No comment.

May I ask what reformed faith means to you?

No problem if you choose not to answer.

 

[Ritajanice]

Something a little more direct....:
Does man have the free will to seek God?

Interesting question.

I think because we came from God( our spirit) I think somewhere in us is searching for him, does that make sense?

I think I was searching for God before I became Born Again, unknowingly, I do believe that.

How about you?

 

[RedFan]

Something a little more direct....:
Does man have the free will to seek God?

My answer is "Yes." Dozens of Biblical exhortations to do so would be rather pointless otherwise. As pointless as asking a puppet to move its limbs when the Puppeteer is holding the strings.

 

[Ritajanice]

Reformed theology, also known as Calvinism, is a theological belief system based on two primary premises:
1. Man has no free will.
2. Man is born so depraved as to be unable to reach out for God.

What is “ free will”, what does that mean?

Well, I cried out to God, he then chose to birth my spirit into his...

So, I cried out to God before I became Born Again.......so, would one call that faith in God, before my spirit was Born Again?

 

[Ritajanice]

OK
The above is correct.

Will have to leave the rest for when I get back.

Look forward to it.

 

[GodsGrace]

May I ask what reformed faith means to you?

No problem if you choose not to answer.

Reformed faith is what it is Ritajanice.
It's not WHAT IT MEANS TO ME.
It's the same for everyone...
Read my post no. 6

There are some very small nuances between the different confessions,
but I'm not here to discuss those--- it would take a reformed theologian.

I think you're not understanding what this thread is about...

 

[GodsGrace]

What is “ free will”, what does that mean?

Well, I cried out to God, he then chose to birth my spirit into his...

So, I cried out to God before I became Born Again.......so, would one call that faith in God, before my spirit was Born Again?

If you believe that you cried out to God and THEN God birthed your spirit into His...
and that you CRIED OUT BEFORE you became born again...

then you believe as all Christians do and are not reformed.
Yes, faith comes BEFORE being born again.

The reformed believe that you must be born again in order that God can give you faith.
It's the opposite of what we believe.
We believe that God reaches out to a person with some kind of grace....
let's call it prevenient grace which is for ALL PERSONS....

Then the person replies to God...either with a yes or a no.
If with a yes, that person becomes born again and becomes one in spirit with God as you believe and state.

Reformed faith believers do not accept this....

 

[GodsGrace]

Interesting question.

I think because we came from God( our spirit) I think somewhere in us is searching for him, does that make sense?

Yes. This makes perfect sense and is what the bible teaches us,,,both in the OT and the NT.
Augustine, in the 5th century, called it a hole in us that only God can fill.
It's a very beautiful and correct concept.

I think I was searching for God before I became Born Again, unknowingly, I do believe that.

How about you?

Yes!
As I stated in the other post to you, God gives to all men a certain amount of grace to be able to know that He is present.
This grace allows us to search for God BEFORE you became born again.

The bible is full of verses that state that we are to SEEK GOD...
The reformed/Calvinist do not believe that man has the ability to search for God.

Here are some verse that show that we can search and seek for God:

Matthew 6:33
33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Hebrews 11:6
6And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Proverbs 8:17
17I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.

1 Chronicles 16:11
11Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!


And there are many more verses like this.
As you can see, the bible/God commands us to seek Him....

so the reformed/Calvinist cannot be right when they state that man does not have the ability to seek God.

 

[GodsGrace]

What is “ free will”, what does that mean?

Well, I cried out to God, he then chose to birth my spirit into his...

So, I cried out to God before I became Born Again.......so, would one call that faith in God, before my spirit was Born Again?

Forgot to reply about free will.

Free will biblically speaking just means that we have a choice between two moral options and we are free to choose either one or the other.

The reformed teach that man does not have free will and this is why God has to choose who will be saved and who will be lost.
This is a God that is not represented in scripture.

God wills that all men be saved:
1 Timothy 2:4
4....who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

 

[GodsGrace]

My answer is "Yes." Dozens of Biblical exhortations to do so would be rather pointless otherwise. As pointless as asking a puppet to move its limbs when the Puppeteer is holding the strings.

Exactly, perfect.
Thanks for contributing.

Jesus Himself affirmed this free will of man when He laments over Jerusalem:

Matthew 23:37
37“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.


That the Jews were UNWILLING to accept Jesus as Messiah implies that they had free will to either accept Him or reject Him.

 

[GodsGrace]

What is Reformed Theology?​

ANSWER

Broadly speaking, Reformed theology includes any system of belief that traces its roots back to the Protestant Reformation of the 16th Century. Of course, the Reformers themselves traced their doctrine to Scripture, as indicated by their credo of “sola scriptura,” so Reformed theology is not a “new” belief system but one that seeks to continue apostolic doctrine.

Generally, Reformed theology holds to the authority of Scripture, the sovereignty of God, salvation by grace through Christ, and the necessity of evangelism. It is sometimes called Covenant theology because of its emphases on the covenant God made with Adam and the new covenant which came through Jesus Christ (Luke 22:20).

Authority of Scripture. Reformed theology teaches that the Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God, sufficient in all matters of faith and practice.

Sovereignty of God. Reformed theology teaches that God rules with absolute control over all creation. He has foreordained all events and is therefore never frustrated by circumstances. This does not limit the will of the creature, nor does it make God the author of sin.

Salvation by grace. Reformed theology teaches that God in His grace and mercy has chosen to redeem a people to Himself, delivering them from sin and death. The Reformed doctrine of salvation is commonly represented by the acrostic TULIP (also known as the five points of Calvinism):

T - total depravity. Man is completely helpless in his sinful state, is under the wrath of God, and can in no way please God. Total depravity also means that man will not naturally seek to know God, until God graciously prompts him to do so (Genesis 6:5; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:10-18).

U - unconditional election. God, from eternity past, has chosen to save a great multitude of sinners, which no man can number (Romans 8:29-30; 9:11; Ephesians 1:4-6,11-12).

L - limited atonement. Also called a “particular redemption.” Christ took the judgment for the sin of the elect upon Himself and thereby paid for their lives with His death. In other words, He did not simply make salvation “possible,” He actually obtained it for those whom He had chosen (Matthew 1:21; John 10:11; 17:9; Acts 20:28; Romans 8:32; Ephesians 5:25).

I - irresistible grace. In his fallen state, man resists God’s love, but the grace of God working in his heart makes him desire what he had previously resisted. That is, God’s grace will not fail to accomplish its saving work in the elect (John 6:37,44; 10:16).

P - perseverance of the saints. God protects His saints from falling away; thus, salvation is eternal (John 10:27-29; Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:3-14).

If you've read my post no. 6 it'll tell exactly what TULIP stands for.

The above is a sweetened version because Calvinists know that if they preach their teachings outright, most persons would just be turned off by them.

If you go through each one, you'll find that your version above has been sugar coated....

 

[Ritajanice]

If you've read my post no. 6 it'll tell exactly what TULIP stands for.

The above is a sweetened version because Calvinists know that if they preach their teachings outright, most persons would just be turned off by them.

If you go through each one, you'll find that your version above has been sugar coated....

Ok, well that’s your own understanding of TULIP. as in sugar coated.

I like to stay open minded, at one time my mind was very closed...

 

[Ritajanice]

Forgot to reply about free will.

Free will biblically speaking just means that we have a choice between two moral options and we are free to choose either one or the other.

What do you mean by moral options?

The reformed teach that man does not have free will and this is why God has to choose who will be saved and who will be lost.
This is a God that is not represented in scripture.

Who draws us to Jesus?

Do you believe that Gods Spirit draws us to cry out to the Lord?

Do you believe that God draws us to himself?

God wills that all men be saved:
1 Timothy 2:4
4....who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

What does that mean, all men to be saved?

Does God say he wants all men to become Born Again?

We aren’t saved from eternal damnation, not until our spirit is Born Again.

 

[Ritajanice]

The reformed teach that man does not have free will and this is why God has to choose who will be saved and who will be lost.
This is a God that is not represented in scripture.

The Born Again are represented in scripture, if you aren’t Born Again then we aren’t saved...what in us is saved from eternal damnation?

What separates us from the Spirit of God?

What in us separates us from God?

 

[Johann]

The Born Again are represented in scripture, if you aren’t Born Again then we aren’t saved...what in us is saved from eternal damnation?

What separates us from the Spirit of God?

What in us separates us from God?

The topic of the tread is: Is Reformed Faith biblical?

How do you answer?

J.

 

[Ritajanice]

The topic of the tread is: Is Reformed Faith biblical?

How do you answer?

J.

If you read my posts, you will find my answer.

Reformed Christianity​

• Language
• Watch
• Edit

"Reformed church" redirects here. For Reformed churches originating in continental Europe, see Continental Reformed Protestantism.
"Calvinism" redirects here. For John Calvin's personal beliefs, see Theology of John Calvin.
Reformed Christianity,[1] also called Calvinism,[a] is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation, a schism in the Western Church. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed, Presbyterian, and Congregational traditions, as well as parts of the Anglican (Episcopal) and Baptist traditions.
Statues of William Farel, John Calvin, Theodore Beza, and John Knox, influential theologians in developing the Reformed faith, at the Reformation Wall in Geneva
Reformed theology emphasizes the authority of the Bible and the sovereignty of God, as well as covenant theology, a framework for understanding the Bible based on God's covenants with people. Reformed churches have emphasized simplicity in worship. Several forms of ecclesiastical polity are exercised by Reformed churches, including presbyterian, congregational, and some episcopal. Articulated by John Calvin, the Reformed faith holds to a spiritual (pneumatic) presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper.
Emerging in the 16th century, the Reformed tradition developed over several generations, especially in Switzerland, Scotland and the Netherlands. In the seventeenth century, Jacobus Arminius and the Remonstrants were expelled from the Dutch Reformed Church over disputes regarding predestination and salvation, and from that time Arminians are usually considered to be a distinct tradition from the Reformed. This dispute produced the Canons of Dort, the basis for the "doctrines of grace" or "five points" of Calvinism.



How do you answer and what does “ reformed faith” mean to you?

 

[Bruce-Leiter]

@Bruce-Leiter

Hi Bruce,
Let's discuss the gospel and how there is no gospel in the reformed faith.

What does gospel mean?
It means THE GOOD NEWS.

Jesus sent out the Apostles to teach nations everything they learned from Jesus.
Matthew 28:19

What do you suppose the Apostles preached to the nations?
What was the good news that they brought to the world regarding Jesus and His message?
The good news is that we can be with God eternally if we follow His directions on how to become born of His spirit.
They taught persons HOW to be born again...

Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,

Acts 2:38
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.


What is the good news in calvinism?

The Reformed faith founded on the Bible offers that Good News to all people. Why do you think we don't preach and teach the Good News that Jesus died for our justification and rose from the dead for our new life to present believers as "not-guilty" for the Father's verdict that he laid on Jesus on the cross? I don't understand your indictment of the Reformed faith.