Originally Posted by Pilgrim
First, a warm welcome to the Discussion Board. [Linked Image]

Thank you!

Originally Posted by Pilgrim
Secondly, yes there is lots to learn but you are among good company. grin The main website of The Highway has 1600+ articles, books and sermons which should give you a good start to learn what Calvinism IS. If you are looking for something in particular and can't find it using the Search feature on the main page and in the "Calvinism and the Reformed Faith" section, just ask here. We can provide links. wink

Thank you. Most of what I've learned about Calvinism has come from online articles, particularly reformed.org.

Originally Posted by Pilgrim
And of course, there is a wonderful community of folks here on the forums who can help as well as God has enabled us to do so.

This is why I'm here.

Originally Posted by Pilgrim
Thirdly, the animosity is to be expected. We believe in a different God, a different Jesus, a different Holy Spirit, and a different Gospel than what Arminianism teaches. The chasm is wide and the history that divides stretches back since man was created. It is something you are going to have to accept but you will eventually come to understand.

I didn't know this and it's going to be VERY hard for me to swallow. I have believed that modalists and any non-Trinitarian cults do not worship the one true God, but I thought all Trinitarians worshipped the same God.

Originally Posted by Pilgrim
Fourthly, re: "Do Calvinists blame their sins on God?" This is one of those typical and ridiculous charges that Arminians make against Calvinists, mainly due to their ignorance of what Calvinism teaches. But to answer your question, the answer is a resounding "NO!"... of course we don't blame God for our sins. We are sinners by nature and thus we sin freely and willfully. The guilt is all ours.

This is where I get confused. If God controls everything and is stronger than Satan, why is He not not ultimately responsible for the existence of sin? I'm not posing this an argument against Calvinism, but, rather, I'm trying to understand it.

Originally Posted by Pilgrim
Fifthly, re: "Does God control every single action of ours including what we have for breakfast?" You betcha! We don't believe in "Deism". The God of the Bible is sovereign over all things. Not the tiniest molecule is free from His providence. There is nothing made nor anything that happens that God hasn't foreordained. All things are His and they exist for His magnificent glory.

Now I'm more confused. I would have no hope at all if I were only a Deist. But I thought that God orchestrated only our spiritual lives and that we still made choices each day. This is probably where I blew it speaking to an Arminian.

So does all this mean that a person isn't saved until he becomes a Calvinist?

scratch1

Last edited by Lynda; Wed Jul 15, 2009 4:38 PM.