UNLIMITED GRACE!
A message by Earl Jackson to Calvinist's
John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.
Romans 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
2Corinthians 6:1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
1Timothy 2:3-6 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; :4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
For many years I considered myself a Calvinist. I taught and defended all their doctrines. I preached the five points, and I expounded the virtues of God's Sovereign will and mans lack of free-will. I told people the wonderful news that Christs death was actually saving, and that everyone for whom Christ died will actually be saved because of what He secured on the cross. He did not just make salvation possible, He actually saves the elect because He laid down His life for the sheep. The goats were simply out of luck. God did not love them. Christ did not die for them. He could not have died for them if Calvinism is true?
I understood perfectly well the implications of consistent Calvinism. I knew that unconditional election nailed every elect soul, fastening them securely, on the conveyor belt to heaven, and that not one of the elect would ever fail to be saved. Every step in the plan of salvation was designed to actually and effectively save all of the elect. This iron-clad concept of predestination defined my soteriology in such a way that I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that none but the elect were included in the work of Christ. God really did not so love the world. He only loved the world of the elect. Everyone else was screwed by the so-called plan of salvation. God hates all the Esau's that He ever made. In fact He made them specifically to toast on hell's rotisserie! They cannot be saved. They will not be saved. Because God does not want them to be saved. God does all the deciding according to Calvinism's limited atonement and irresistible grace. Man decides nothing. Men have a free will to go to hell, but none to go to heaven.
Today, I thank God, that He woke me up to the heresy in my own brain, a heresy that I did not get from actually reading the Bible. It was a heresy that came when I learned how to put on my Calvinism goggles to weed out and extract from the Bible all those verses that did not fit with the predefined doctrines of the Calvinistic system. The Bible did not shape my thinking. Instead Calvinism rewrote and re-explained my Bible for me. My system became my interpretation, instead of letting God actually say what He meant to say, without interpretation. Simple words like: “world”, “all”, “every”, “whosoever” “every man”, “Grace”, “Gospel”, “Predestination”, “election”, “foreknowledge”, “believe”, “whosoever will”, “will”, “choose”, “follow”, “believe on”, “trust”, “love”, and “faith” all had new meanings which were redefined by Calvinism.
That is the humongous trap of Calvinism... it forces the Bible to mean only what fits with the system. Everything has to be hemmed in, and understood by the five points. If that means taking John 3:16 out of the Bible, or turning it into unrecognizable and incomprehensible gobbledygook, then so be it. Calvinism represents the biggest single threat to the Baptist faith of anything in history. Baptist's have always been people of the Bible. Calvinism comes to them, with verses and language of the Bible, but it twists the Bible and spins it into a new meaning, a meaning that you would never get by simply reading the word of God.
When I was selling the five pointed evangel of Geneva, I would tell people... “when you come to understand these doctrines 'The whole Bible will open up for you and will come alive!'”. That is code speech for... “When you understand Calvin's doctrines you will never be able to read the Bible correctly again! Instead your mind will be warped and twisted beyond all recognition and you will never understand simple words like “world”, “love”, “all” or “whosoever”. Calvinism promises one thing, and delivers something totally different. The whole thing is a slick bait and switch salesman's ploy. It is a con job, plain and simple. I know, because I spent over 20 years conning people with this system, and teaching them how to con others. The system thrives on having all the answers. But it never matters that they are the wrong answers. You baffle people with bull, if you cannot get the Bible to actually say what you want it to say! Friends, this is sad. It is a travesty, and now, thanks to my loving Savior's actual Grace I have been delivered from these doctrines of devils, and I have my whole heart set on helping to deliver others from the snares of Calvinistic enchantment. There is not one ounce of truth in the entire thing, because when it does present a Scriptural concept, it twists it and warps it out of all recognition.
At the beginning of this message you find 6 passages of Scripture. Please re-read them if you just glanced over them. I will talk about each of them, though not in the order presented. They all have the capability to deliver your soul from Calvinistic deception, but more important than that, they have the capability to teach you what the gospel of Grace actually is.
Calvinist's love to talk about sovereign Grace. It is one of the bells they ring the loudest. In fact, if you see a church with the words “Sovereign Grace” in the name, you better flee! Those are code words for Calvinism. 99% of “sovereign grace” churches are Calvinistic in their doctrines. It means in reality, they do not know or understand what Grace actually is. Most of them are extremely legalistic. They emulate modern day Puritanism. But they rarely emulate Christ Jesus the Lord, or the true Gospel. Do yourself a favor and just FLEE! They have nothing you should ever want or desire, unless being a Pharisee appeals to you? I can promise you that what they teach will never make you like Jesus, because He was full of life, light, love, truth and power. What they teach will make you lifeless, loveless, blind, powerless and in the dark about almost every truth in God's word. What they say about “the crucified Lord” is on the back of “a crucified Bible” So please! Please! Please be careful!
Let me show you the real grace of God from the actual Bible, not a mutilated grace forced into a bible of our own liking and design.
1. Grace Reigns Everywhere That Sin Reigns.
Romans 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
A message by Earl Jackson to Calvinist's
John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.
Romans 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
2Corinthians 6:1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
1Timothy 2:3-6 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; :4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
For many years I considered myself a Calvinist. I taught and defended all their doctrines. I preached the five points, and I expounded the virtues of God's Sovereign will and mans lack of free-will. I told people the wonderful news that Christs death was actually saving, and that everyone for whom Christ died will actually be saved because of what He secured on the cross. He did not just make salvation possible, He actually saves the elect because He laid down His life for the sheep. The goats were simply out of luck. God did not love them. Christ did not die for them. He could not have died for them if Calvinism is true?
I understood perfectly well the implications of consistent Calvinism. I knew that unconditional election nailed every elect soul, fastening them securely, on the conveyor belt to heaven, and that not one of the elect would ever fail to be saved. Every step in the plan of salvation was designed to actually and effectively save all of the elect. This iron-clad concept of predestination defined my soteriology in such a way that I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that none but the elect were included in the work of Christ. God really did not so love the world. He only loved the world of the elect. Everyone else was screwed by the so-called plan of salvation. God hates all the Esau's that He ever made. In fact He made them specifically to toast on hell's rotisserie! They cannot be saved. They will not be saved. Because God does not want them to be saved. God does all the deciding according to Calvinism's limited atonement and irresistible grace. Man decides nothing. Men have a free will to go to hell, but none to go to heaven.
Today, I thank God, that He woke me up to the heresy in my own brain, a heresy that I did not get from actually reading the Bible. It was a heresy that came when I learned how to put on my Calvinism goggles to weed out and extract from the Bible all those verses that did not fit with the predefined doctrines of the Calvinistic system. The Bible did not shape my thinking. Instead Calvinism rewrote and re-explained my Bible for me. My system became my interpretation, instead of letting God actually say what He meant to say, without interpretation. Simple words like: “world”, “all”, “every”, “whosoever” “every man”, “Grace”, “Gospel”, “Predestination”, “election”, “foreknowledge”, “believe”, “whosoever will”, “will”, “choose”, “follow”, “believe on”, “trust”, “love”, and “faith” all had new meanings which were redefined by Calvinism.
That is the humongous trap of Calvinism... it forces the Bible to mean only what fits with the system. Everything has to be hemmed in, and understood by the five points. If that means taking John 3:16 out of the Bible, or turning it into unrecognizable and incomprehensible gobbledygook, then so be it. Calvinism represents the biggest single threat to the Baptist faith of anything in history. Baptist's have always been people of the Bible. Calvinism comes to them, with verses and language of the Bible, but it twists the Bible and spins it into a new meaning, a meaning that you would never get by simply reading the word of God.
When I was selling the five pointed evangel of Geneva, I would tell people... “when you come to understand these doctrines 'The whole Bible will open up for you and will come alive!'”. That is code speech for... “When you understand Calvin's doctrines you will never be able to read the Bible correctly again! Instead your mind will be warped and twisted beyond all recognition and you will never understand simple words like “world”, “love”, “all” or “whosoever”. Calvinism promises one thing, and delivers something totally different. The whole thing is a slick bait and switch salesman's ploy. It is a con job, plain and simple. I know, because I spent over 20 years conning people with this system, and teaching them how to con others. The system thrives on having all the answers. But it never matters that they are the wrong answers. You baffle people with bull, if you cannot get the Bible to actually say what you want it to say! Friends, this is sad. It is a travesty, and now, thanks to my loving Savior's actual Grace I have been delivered from these doctrines of devils, and I have my whole heart set on helping to deliver others from the snares of Calvinistic enchantment. There is not one ounce of truth in the entire thing, because when it does present a Scriptural concept, it twists it and warps it out of all recognition.
At the beginning of this message you find 6 passages of Scripture. Please re-read them if you just glanced over them. I will talk about each of them, though not in the order presented. They all have the capability to deliver your soul from Calvinistic deception, but more important than that, they have the capability to teach you what the gospel of Grace actually is.
Calvinist's love to talk about sovereign Grace. It is one of the bells they ring the loudest. In fact, if you see a church with the words “Sovereign Grace” in the name, you better flee! Those are code words for Calvinism. 99% of “sovereign grace” churches are Calvinistic in their doctrines. It means in reality, they do not know or understand what Grace actually is. Most of them are extremely legalistic. They emulate modern day Puritanism. But they rarely emulate Christ Jesus the Lord, or the true Gospel. Do yourself a favor and just FLEE! They have nothing you should ever want or desire, unless being a Pharisee appeals to you? I can promise you that what they teach will never make you like Jesus, because He was full of life, light, love, truth and power. What they teach will make you lifeless, loveless, blind, powerless and in the dark about almost every truth in God's word. What they say about “the crucified Lord” is on the back of “a crucified Bible” So please! Please! Please be careful!
Let me show you the real grace of God from the actual Bible, not a mutilated grace forced into a bible of our own liking and design.
1. Grace Reigns Everywhere That Sin Reigns.
Romans 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
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As sin reigns, even so grace reigns. This is not just a comparison with no actual relevance. This is a vitally important truth. If death reigns every-where that sin reigns, as the verse clearly says; then Grace reigns in all the same places. As sin reigns unto death, so grace reigns unto eternal life.
God's plan to defeat the reign of sin, is the reign of Grace. It is obvious as you look into this plan recorded on the pages of Scripture, that God has placed grace everywhere where sin has worked it's death and destruction. |
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Any concept of Grace which makes it exclusive for believers only cannot jive with the actual statements of the Bible regarding it's nature as something God has sent right alongside sin and death. The reason why God has sent Grace to reign everywhere where sin has reigned, is because God intends for Grace to reach all the men who are trapped in the sin and death spiral. Not all men will believe, and not all men will be saved, but because God has lavished His grace upon this darkened world, all men can be saved, if they believe on Christ the Savior. This concept of free Grace is radically different than the restrictive grace of Calvinism which says that “the non-elect cannot be saved, they cannot have any effectual calling or any saving interest in the atonement simply because they are not elect”.
So the question is: “where is sin? and what are its effects?” The parallel comparison question is: “where is grace? and what are it's effects?”
Here are the answers. If sin is everywhere in this world bringing death to all men everywhere it goes, “even so” grace is everywhere in this world bringing life to all men everywhere it goes.” Grace is wherever men find it. And wherever they find it, is exactly where God has sent it to reign. This means that sin and death do not reign (keeping men in the grip of destruction), because God has sent grace to show them the way out. This explains the word “reign” as it is used both of sin and of grace. Sin reigns resulting in death. While in contrast to it, grace reigns resulting in life. The two things are parallel and they overlap. Everywhere you find the one, you can also find the other. Salvation is a free gift, and any man who is lost can find it because grace reaches exactly where they are. No man is so far from God that grace cannot reach him. God designed the plan of salvation to bring light to those who sit in darkness. It reaches everywhere that darkness exists. So no man is excluded from God's Grace, even though not all men are saved. This is radically different than Calvinism's exclusive and exclusionary message. It is a Warped and twisted non-Biblical and non-God-honoring idea which teaches that God will be roasting sinners in hell, who were never given the opportunity to believe. The Bible idea of grace actually is gracious. It is God's light upon all men everywhere.
Isaiah 9:2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
Matthew 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
Luke 1:78-79 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
2. The Light of Grace
Shines Upon All Men.
John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
This is the second text I wish to consider from the ones presented at the beginning of this study. I am not taking them in the original order, I am taking them in the order of the ideas which we discover from them. In point one we discovered that Grace is coterminous, and coextensive, with sin and death. Grace reigns synchronous wherever sin reigns. That's why and how God reaches men.
God is very clear and very deliberate in the words He uses to describe Jesus as “the Light of the world”. Calvinism explains away these verses, because their system of elective grace automatically excludes all men except the elect. If only some will be saved according to them, then only some fall under God's grace, because Grace is always salvific. They call it “saving grace” because it always saves according to their system. That's sounds great, but it is actually a false idea about grace. In fact the Bible nowhere uses the term “saving Grace” and it is a misnomer. Grace is not salvation. They should not be confused. Grace is what brings salvation. Grace is the gateway to salvation. Grace is the active principle of God extending salvation to the world. But there is no such thing as “saving grace”.
Tit 2:11 says: "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men". That make grace the vehicle to bring salvation, and it has appeared to all men. That idea is completely different than the Calvinist concept of Grace, which just saves some and leaves everyone else to be damned.
Men are not saved by grace until they receive it by faith. No man is saved without “belief” in Christ. Grace brings salvation near as the free gift from God, and faith appropriates that gift through the active human volitional exercise of trust. Men trust Christ to save them and He does. But no man is saved without “receiving” God's gift. The Calvinistic view removes human volition entirely, and they present a concept of grace that shoves faith and belief down peoples throats. Grace shows people God's light and when they receive it, they receive all the blessings of salvation. This is the only view that is consistent with all the Light of the world verses. Calvinism twists all of these verses to make them consistent with their system. Instead, they should make their system consistent with the verses.
John 1:4-5 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
1John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
John 12:46-48 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. 47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
Please notice: Jesus is the light and he said: “whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness”. In other words, while men were in the darkness the light came to them. That's grace. Then He says: “If any man hear my words, and believe not”. This clearly shows that the light shines on unbelievers the same as on the elect. It also shows that irresistible grace is a false doctrine, because here the unbelievers have received the same grace as those who believe, and they resist it, and they reject it and do not believe. All these concepts are explained away and different meanings are assigned to them by the Calvinist's. They hate this passage, and that's exactly why you should love it. It shows that Christ who is the light of the world shines to all men so that all men can either accept or “reject”, “believe” or “be damned” based on the light and truth which they have received. Christ is very specific in the terminology of unbelief here. “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words”. Both these words, the Calvinist will tell you is what all men will do by nature. Everyone rejects and everyone “recieveth not”. But that is clearly false. It is there way of robbing this passage of it's true meaning and importance. Some believe when confronted with the light. Some do not. Some “receive not” but some “do receive”. Some “reject” but others “accept”. The Calvinistic mindset will not allow for this passage to be understood for what it actually says. They say, no man believes but those whom receive “saving grace”. These “rejector's” and “unbelievers” did not therefore receive any grace, they were passed by when grace was passed out. That's why they rejected. They just continued on in their already existing state of death, so no decision was made at all. In fact they did not actively do anything, just like the believers did not actively do anything. The unbelievers simply continued to abide in the darkness that they were already in, and the elect simply had the light pounded into their brains because they were elected to “saving grace”. It's called “effectual calling”.
This passage is not difficult, like the Calvinist makes it. It is a beautiful statement of full and free grace, which God shows to every man. The light has come into the world. The light has shined in the darkness, and everyone in the darkness can see it and is given a free choice as to what they do with that light. They can believe and not abide in the darkness, or they can reject and be judged by the very same light which could have saved them. God is not toasting sinners here, who have not been given a fair and true opportunity to believe. Christ came not to judge the world but that the world would be saved through Him. This is a real scenario not a fictional one. It is the scenario of full free grace extended to a dark and dying world. Christ is the light that shines in all the dark places of the world, and men either chose to move toward that light so that they can receive more of it, or they choose to turn away from it and to continue to “love darkness rather than light” (John 3:19). In either case men choose what they will love. Either they will love the light and follow it. Or they will choose to love darkness. Love is always a choice. Love is never a non-volition. Love is always an active and voluntary participation. No man loves God without a choice. Fro the Calvinist it is God's choice, and man does not have any choice. But this is true of God's love. He chooses whom he loves. That is correct. But that does not exclude volition from human love. If “men loved darkness rather than light” as Jesus said, then it is because they made a choice about what they would love. Calvin warps everything in the Bible where men actively make choices, and they try to force the idea that men do not choose anything, but only God has choices. This non-volitional “saving grace” idea is foreign to Scripture. Grace is all about giving all men everywhere a choice. Light is intended to drive away darkness, and if it shines in the whole world, it has the ability to save the whole world. Christ lighteth every man that cometh into the world for this reason. Grace is sufficient and efficient even though it may not actually save every man. The choice is up to men. God already made all His choices. He is making no new ones. It is to men that he says: “Choose you this day whom ye will serve” (Joshua 24:15). If men are not saved it is because they have stumbled over the cross, and fallen into the pit through their own rejection of God's revealed truth.
Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: 20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life.
1Kings 18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
Psalm 119:30 I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.
Proverbs 1:29-33 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: 30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. 32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. 33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
The reason that the Light of Christ lighteneth every man that cometh into the world, is so that every man can have a free choice, a choice which only genuine grace can extend.
3. The Grace Which Brings Salvation
Has Appeared to All Men.
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.
This verse is important for at least two reasons:
1. It shows us that Grace is the medium of conveyance for salvation “grace...that bringeth salvation”.
2. It shows that the medium (grace) is available to all men...“hath appeared to all men”.
Both of these ideas are foreign to Calvinism. That's why they also hate, ignore, avoid, and tamper relentlessly with the clear meaning of this verse. They cannot allow this verse to stand as is in their Calvinistic Bible.
Notice: Grace does not just automatically save. The verse tells us what Grace does. It brings salvation to all men. It makes it available. It is the medium, the river, the vessel, the conduit, through which salvation comes to men. And you must not miss this. IT HAS APPEARED TO ALL MEN. This is what renders men responsible for their actions regarding salvation. This also makes men inexcusable. Grace is the light shining in the darkness, the conduit through which salvation flows. Men are responsible for every once of Grace and truth that they ever receive during their life. All truth comes from Christ who is it's source, and all men have received at least some of it, so that all men are without excuse if they reject it and do not believe. This is Paul's exact argument in Romans 1.
Romans 1:19-20 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.
Notice: “They are without excuse” . WHY? “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them”! The truth is “clearly seen” and “understood”! In the context here, these people are reprobates who reject the truth, turn it into lies and never come to Christ. This passage (Romans 1:16-32) deals exclusively with people who hear the gospel and reject it. They are “the reprobates” which scripture speaks of elsewhere. They have received the truth. God showed it to them. It was “clearly seen” and “clearly understood” and in the light of it, in all it's glory and splendor and truth and magnificence, They willing rejected it, they made a choice and active human volitional act of the will to not believe. They did not go to hell because God made them so they could not believe. They went to hell sinning against every ray of light and truth that God's grace had given them to illuminate them and show them the way to salvation. The river of grace flows right in front of every man, and right through the lives of even the biggest reprobates. So don't listen to the lie, that some men are not given grace and that it is the exclusive possession of only a few. That is absolute nonsense based on completely false notions of what Grace actually is. Grace is light shining to a world of men who do not deserve one ounce of truth, knowledge, or salvation. If men grasp that light, if they drink from that river, and actually partake of it, then God transfers them from the land of darkness and into the kingdom of light.
Luke 1:77-79 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, 79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
John 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
1Peter 2:9-10 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
4. God Sent Grace to Reign Everywhere in The World,
Because He Desires All Men Everywhere to Be Saved.
1Timothy 2:3-6 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; :4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
God would “have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth”. But the Calvinist will hear none of it. They flip this verse like they flip all the other verses which do not agree with their system. They do not handle the word of God honestly, or they would not do that. This was one of the greatest tools that God used to show me the errors of the Calvinistic system which I had taught for over 20 years. God keep whispering to me, every time I tried to flip verses like this one, “Earl, you are not being honest. This is my word, handle it with honesty, respect and great care. I know how to say what I want to say, because I am God”. You do not have to believe me, but I am telling you deep down inside, I could hear these very words, and I heard them every time I started offering the typical Calvinistic apologetic answers to “explain away” the obvious meaning of verses. God deeply convicted me about my dishonesty in handling the Scriptures. So now I firmly refuse to “read into”, “explain away” or otherwise “modify” anything in the Bible to make it fit with my ideas. I cannot do that anymore. It's just not honest. And I refuse to do it.
I tell everyone now that I have “elastic theology”. A theology which will stretch to fit everything the Bible says, but which will never stretch the Bible to make it fit with my beliefs or ideas. My theology is so flexible now, after years of learning and repenting that I will gladly be molded to whatever God shows me and I refuse to ever again be molded to, or by, the teachings of mere men. If people don't like this, then tough! If people want to call me vacillating and changeable, then Good! I don't really care what people think. One day I will stand before God and give and account for every word I have spoken, and for the way I have taught and handled His word of truth. If I built with wood hay and stubble, in the hearts of men, it will all perish. Only the gold and silver and precious stones will last and be impervious to the fire. God help me to build with that which is precious and that which is true, and help me to cast aside the worthless building materials. Let every man take heed how he buildeth (Look up 1Corinthians 3:9-15).
This wonderful passage clearly and simply says that God wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Many verses say this. They must never be explained away, or otherwise robbed of their meaning. They provide a great window into the heart of God which God Himself carefully placed within the pages of every Bible.
2Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
John 3:15-17 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
2Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
Ezekiel 18:32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
Isaiah 55:1-3 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. 3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
These verses show that God has a sincere desire for all men to be saved. The Calvinist will dispute this idea with a vengeance. That in itself should be a huge warning flag to anyone toying with the ideas of Calvinism. What purpose would there be in denying that God desires all men to be saved? Is there some valid reason why somebody would object to this idea? Does it make any sense at all that God would not want all men to have the opportunity to be saved? Is there any rational basis for the idea that the Heavenly Father would not want the very best for all His children? Does it make any sense that a holy and loving God, would put men on this planet, without giving them the opportunity to learn about Him, and know Him? Yet Calvinists believe just that. They believe that the infinitely wise God of the universe created men, and placed men on this planet, and then withholds all possibility of salvation, and all grace from them, so that they can never believe, never become worshipers of God, and can never experience God in any way at all, other than to be toasted by Him on a spit roaster in the fires of hell. Calvinism implicitly denies that God desires the salvation of all men. That makes it's doctrine implicitly UN-Biblical. Calvinism forces it's adherents to deny that God has any love or saving desire towards all men, because their exclusionary doctrine of predestination and limited atonement will not allow them to hold to those doctrines and also hold to the doctrine of God's love toward all men.
Here are some other verses which show just how much God cares for all men. These verses teach is to pray for all me and to preach to all men. What purpose would there be in doing either thing, if God did not wish to alleviate the suffering, sin and death which harms men and keeps them from knowing God? Why pray for all men, if there is no possibility of their salvation? It makes no sense, and there is not one verse of Scripture teaching the erroneous views of Calvinistic predestination, where some men are left without hope, without grace and without any possibility of salvation. For the non-elect there is absolutely no good news. No gospel can ever reach the non-elect, because God hates them and does not desire their salvation. He hates all the Esau's while He is loving only the Jacob's. And according to their view, if you are an Esau, you are screwed! This is Calvinism. Esau is screwed because only Jacob is elect. Esau has no possibility of salvation. Esau has no offer of salvation. Esau has no good news. Esau is destined for the eternal rotisserie. This interpretation is false because it denies all the verses which show that God desires all men everywhere to be saved. Calvinists hate those verses, and those are the verses which all Calvinists need to see and deal with so they can be delivered from their false doctrinal cult of Calvin worship.
The Bible consistently teaches us that the gospel is designed to reach all types of men, and bring them out of darkness and into God's light. That's why it is really “good news”. It opens the door of salvation for all men. But Calvinism says if they are non-elect. They are destined to stay in darkness. On the other hand, the elect really never are in darkness at all, because they are destined for salvation from the foundation of the earth. The elect can never be lost (non-elect). And the lost (non-elect) can never be saved (elect). This is Calvinism's fancy but shameful song and dance routine around the meaning of God's love for the world. This is false doctrine of the worst sort.
1Timothy 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men.
1Timothy 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.
John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.
Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
5. Wasted Grace
2Corinthians 6:1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
The idea that is expressed in this verse regarding the grace of god is that some men receive it in vain. This of course is irreconcilable with Calvinism's doctrines of effectual calling and irresistible grace. They have no room in their theology for this concept. The reason why they have no room for this, is that it indicates exactly what they do not want to believe. It destroys every aspect of their system if you allow for the possibility that some men can receive the grace of God in vain. According to their iron clad doctrines, only the elect actually receive the grace of God. And they never receive it “in vain” or with no effect. But Paul is presenting a different doctrine than Calvin's man made system. The Calvinists try to dance around this inconsistency by inventing the strange doctrine that God has two kinds of Grace, “common grace” which is shown to all men, and “Redeeming grace” which is poured out on the elect alone. Needless to say, the bible does not teach that God has two kinds of grace any more than it teaches that He has two kinds of love. Yet Calvinist's can often be asserting both these man-made concepts in order to accommodate their jig around verses like this, where it speaks of men who receive God's grace in vain.
“Common Grace” is just another tool in the Calvinistic arsenal used to destroy the actual doctrines of the Bible and make them unintelligible. Human inventions like double predestination, common grace, two kinds of love in God, and the eradication of the human will, prop up a system which in it's very essence is anti-god and anti-Bible. Everything has to be hopelessly confused and easy things need to be twisted beyond recognition so that Calvinism is left consistent with itself, and the Bible is left as a meaningless heap of doctrines, cut and pasted together and used only to support the Reformed faith. The Bible does not actually speak the truth, instead we need to always modify the Bible so that it fits with the wonderful truths that John Calvin brought to the world direct from the church of Rome and Augustine. The Bible cannot possible contradict Calvin, because Calvin does not contradict the Bible when properly forced into it's pages. It's simply a matter of knowing how to properly wedge the Calvinistic interpretation and the Reformed slant into the verse which seem to contradict Calvin. We cannot allow the Bible to contradict Calvin, so we have tools to force the Bible to say what Calvin means for it to say.
A far simpler approach is to let the Bible actually say what it says and mean what it says. The idea of men receiving the grace of God in vain, is just such a point. If God's grace has indeed been shown to all men, and if God has indeed reached out to all men, with a real opportunity to come to God and to know Him and be saved, then if men reject that grace, and continue in unbelief they have indeed received the grace of God in vain. They have literally turned it vain, by their own rejection of it.
This presents a vastly different concept then the narrow restricted view of the Calvinistic notions of grace. In the actual Biblical view which we have presented here, God's grace reaches all men. The light has shined in the darkness. The love of God has been displayed, and Christ came to the world to die, not for the just but for the unjust, not for the godly but for the ungodly. They that are whole need no physician, but they that are sick, have a balm in Gilead and a fountain opened for the healing of the nations. All men receive enough grace to find Christ, and to move toward the light which God has sent into the darkness.
Matthew 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
Luke 1:78-79 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
This wonderful concept is called “The tender mercy of our God”. Calvinism robs it of all of its meaning, and steal the possibility of salvation away from the vast majority of men. This must be called a false gospel, because there is really no gospel at all in it.
I have spent over 30 years of active ministry in Calvinistic churches and I even founded one. Because God actually is a God of infinite grace, he saved people in spite of my Calvinism, and in spite of my preaching of false doctrines. But what is even more amazing to me, is the fact that God pulled me out from all that and was able to show me right out of the Bible, how badly I had been handling His Holy Bible. I had all the answers, like all good Calvinist's do. But in reality what I was doing was explaining away vast portions of the Bible, and leaving only the Calvinistic kernels.
Truth is wherever you find it, and even in Calvin's system there is vast amounts of truth able to shine through and reach men for Christ. I rejoice in this, and thank God, that it is not men's systems which save the lost. When God is touching men's hearts, even bad doctrine cannot keep them away from the truth that He shows to them. But a far better approach to learning the Bible and discovering it's great truths, is to read it without Calvin's goggles, or Arminius's googles and to just let it say what it says. Hopefully this little study will open your eyes too. Don't follow me, or Calvin or anybody else for that matter. Follow Christ! Let His wonderful book, speak it's light and truth to every area of your life and mind. Abandon whatever does not agree with God. Toss aside all man-made doctrines and ideas which cannot be found clearly in the simple book of faith. That is the goal here, and nothing else. I have many dear friends who are Calvinist's. I love them and respect them. But I can no longer in good conscience stand with them in proclaiming false concepts which I cannot actually find in the Bible. I will not do that. Maybe someday, I will have to repent of this as well, but whatever God shows me, is what I want. I will not cling to systems and teachings; regardless of their source and respectability; if I cannot honestly see them in God's word. If you have learned nothing else, then learn this, Keep an opened heart and mind to God's active, living, powerful and transforming Word. Always allow it to mold you, make you, and shape your thinking, your life, your worship and your service.
God bless you all,
Earl Jackson
© copyright 2013 Earl Jackson
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