I meet with a good friend, Andrew, every Wednesday morning for an hour at Bob Evans, to talk about God. When we started our get-togethers, I was still attending Calvary Chapel. He wanted to hear me out on my disagreements with Calvary’s theology, and what direction I was going in. It’s been an awesome blessing to be able to talk to someone who doesn’t agree with me on everything, but is willing to hear me out and honestly debate. The purpose is to edify eachother, to hold eachother accountable to consistent Biblical theology, and for each of us to know what we believe, and why we believe it. It’s really become a highlight of my week.
So naturally, when I started to hear James White linger on the topic of Calvary Chapel for a few episodes of his radio show The Dividing Line, I shared it with Andrew to see what he thought. Here’s a clip from one of the episodes.
In the clip one of the Calvary guys says, “I’ve often said about Calvinism, that it’s Christianity without Jesus. They just take certain statements of Paul and read their own theology into it.”.
Andrew thought it was an interesting statement, and thought it might make an interesting challenge. I know him well enough to know that he doesn’t have any malicious thoughts in mind. He doesn’t think that ‘red letters’ have more canonical weight, or that I’m misunderstanding Paul. But, as lots of non-reformed Christians point out, we do rely a lot on Paul. So he has challenged me to prove Calvinism without Paul. It sounds like a lot of fun, so I accepted.
He allowed me the gospels, Acts 1-8, James, Jude, Revelation, and 1 & 2 Peter. I countered with the fact that just because Paul is IN Acts shouldn’t exclude it. Since Acts was written by Luke it’s not a Pauline work. He agreed.
Basically I’m looking for election, absolute sovereignty, man’s inability, etc. After starting to look through random new testament books, and seeing the overwhelming amount of texts, I realized we wouldn’t be able do it in just a week or two. So each week we’ll look at one book, starting tomorrow with Matthew. I’ll post my findings here. Maybe a top 5 texts from each book, along with a list of all the rest from that book. If I miss any, hit me up.
Check back tomorrow for ‘Proving Calvinism Without Paul Part 1: Matthew’.
My Top 5 Texts From Matthew
Matthew 11:25-27
“At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
Matthew 13:10-11
“Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.”
Matthew 15:13
“He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.”
Matthew 19:25-26
“When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.””
Matthew 20:23
“He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.””
Other Notable Texts
Matthew 1:21
“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 4:19-22
“And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.”
Matthew 7:17-18
“Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.”
Matthew 7:22-23
“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”
Matthew 9:38
“therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Matthew 10:29-31
“Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
Matthew 13:18-23
Parable of the Sower (Only the fourth ground “understands”, and therefore produces fruit.)
Matthew 16:16-17
“Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.””
Matthew 24:24
“For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”
Matthew 25:34
“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world”
My Top 5 Texts From Luke
Luke 1:15
“for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.” (In reference to John the Baptist.)
Luke 8:10
“he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ’seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.””
Luke 10:21-22
“In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.””
Luke 12:6-7
“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
Luke 13:24
“Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”
Other Notable Texts
Luke 12:20
“But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’”
Luke 12:32
“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
Luke 12:51-53
“Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Luke 15:4-5
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.”
Luke 15:8-9
“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’”
Luke 18:26-27
“Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.””
Challenge Update
This exercise has been pretty amazing so far. I’m going through at least one book of the Bible each week and confirming the things I believe, in the places people say it doesn’t exist. The talks with Andrew are incredibly insightful. I think he is profiting at least as much as I am from the critical debate.
This week I went through the Gospel of John, easily the most blatantly reformed of the four gospels. I had so much material, It was taking forever to decide which to put in the top 5. There were just too many powerful verses, so I’m changing the format for this post. Here are the top 10 verses from John, followed by some other amazing verses, then the normal other notable texts.
The red letters in the Gospel of John leave no question about God’s electing love. As John MacArthur puts it, “Jesus is no Arminian”.
My Top 10 Texts From John
John 1:12-13
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
John 5:21
“For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.”
John 6:37
“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”
John 6:44
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”
John 6:63
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”
John 6:65
“And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.””
John 10:25-30
“Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.””
John 14:16-17
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”
John 15:16
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”
John 17:9
“I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.”
Runners Up
John 3:27
“John answered, ”A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.””
John 8:42-45
“Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.”
John 10:14-16
“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”
John 14:22
“Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?””
Other Notable Texts
John 3:3
“Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:5-6
“Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:18
“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
John 3:21
“But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.””
John 3:36
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
John 6:39
“And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.”
John 6:45
“It is written in the Prophets, ’And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—”
John 6:70
“Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.””
John 9:39
“Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.””
John 10:3-5
“To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
John 11:51-52
“He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.”
John 13:18
“I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. Butthe Scripture will be fulfilled, ’He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’”
John 15:5
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:19
“If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”
John 17:2
“since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.”
On to Acts
How does God start saving people once the Holy Spirit is given to the world and Christian evangelism is activated? The lack of choice talk is glaring when you are actually looking for it. God seems to be opening eyes that are blind, and making all those who are appointed to eternal life believe. Soli Deo Gloria!
This is a controversial book as far as the challenge goes. Paul, of course, is a major character in the writing, and some of my best texts come from places where Paul is doing his thing. But I would still argue that the doctrinal aspects would come from the Holy Spirit indwelling the writer, Luke. I welcome any feedback on whether you think those texts should be counted.
Without any further ado, let’s prove Calvinism from the Book of Acts.
My Top 5 Texts From Acts
Acts 4:27-29
“for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness.”
Acts 9:15-20
“But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened.”
Acts 10:44
“While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.”
Acts 11:18
“When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.””
Acts 13:48
“And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.”
Other Notable Texts
Acts 2:23
“this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.”
Acts 5:31
“God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.”
Acts 8:17
“Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 13:41
“‘Look, you scoffers,
be astounded and perish;
for I am doing a work in your days,
a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.’”
Acts 15:7
“And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.”
Acts 16:14
“One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.”
18:27
“And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed,”
Acts 22:14
“And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth;”
Acts 26:15-18
“And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles— to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’”
Acts 28:26-27
“‘Go to this people, and say, You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.
For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed;
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’”
The Trickiest Book
This was the most difficult book to pull reformed ideas from, at least in the plain text. That is certainly not because the book sounds Arminian, but because it sounds like it’s denying justification by faith, itself.
I’m always a little shocked when people say that James is their favorite book of the Bible. But, then again, some people like to flagellate themselves with whips, too. This book is so painful, and convicting. Any Christian that reads this book and still holds his heads high when he’s done is lying to himself.
I would say, however, that the theology James is presenting is fully reformed. Namely, that if you aren’t doing good works, you aren’t saved. I don’t believe he’s saying that we’re saved through works, but when a man is saved, good works follow without exception, which is exactly what the doctrine of regeneration teaches. It’s not an easy thing to demonstrate with proof texts, though.
I don’t want to warm my house by using the book of James as fire wood, but I can feel Luther’s sentiment.
Anyhoo, Let’s do this thing.
My Top 5 Texts From James
James 1:17-18
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”
James 2:5
“Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?”
James 2:7
“Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?”
James 4:15
“Instead you ought to say,”If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.””
James 5:16-18
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.”
Turns Out Peter’s a Calvinist, Too
Think about it, Peter was a member of Israel, God’s chosen people, and one of the apostles, Jesus’ chosen individuals. How in the world could he not believe in election?
Proving Calvinism with Peter in 3… 2… 1…
My Top 5 Texts From First Peter
1 Peter 1:1-2
“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:”
1 Peter 1:3-5
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
1 Peter 1:20-2
“He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”
1 Peter 2:7-8
“So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”
and
“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.”
1 Peter 2:9
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
Other Notable Texts
1 Peter 4:18
“And
“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?””
1 Peter 5:5
“Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.””
1 Peter 5:10-11
“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
1 Peter 5:13
“She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son.”
My Top 5 Texts From Second Peter
2 Peter 1:1
“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 1:3-4
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”
2 Peter 1:21
“For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
2 Peter 2:9
“then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment”
2 Peter 2:19
“They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.”
John Talks Salvation
John demonstrates, more than any of the other gospels, how selective Jesus is in His self-revelation. Now when he goes on to talk about what salvation looks like he continues to drive home the difference between being in Christ, and outside of Christ. He makes the clear point that’s it’s not a profession, or a decision, but a supernatural working in a person. If these things aren’t true of you, the Spirit never came into you, and you aren’t saved.
The second and third letter are so short that I combined the three into one post. Enjoy.
My Top 5 Texts From John’s Letters
1 John 2:19-20
“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.”
1 John 2:29
“If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.”
1 John 3:9
“No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.”
1 John 4:13
“By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.”
3 John 1:11
“Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.”
Other Notable Texts
1 John 2:5-6
“but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”
1 John 2:9
“Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.”
1 John 2:11
“But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”
1 John 2:27
“But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.”
1 John 3:1
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”
1 John 3:24
“Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.”
1 John 4:4-5
“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.”
1 Peter 4:6
“For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.”
1 John 4:10
“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
1 John 4:13
“By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.”
1 John 4:20
“If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”
1 John 5:18
“We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.”
2 John 1:1
“The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth,”
2 John 1:2
“because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever”
My Top 5 Texts From Jude
Jude 1:1
“Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,
To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:”
Jude 1:4
“For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
Jude 1:10
“But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively.”
Jude 1:12-13
“These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.”
Jude 1:24-25
“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
Other Notable Texts
Jude 1:18-19
“They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.”
The Sovereign Ending
So it turns out there’s this book that was written before the earth was created. It contains all the names of the people who will be saved, and excludes everyone who won’t be. Doesn’t that mean that the destinies of men are decided by God before we were even made?
While we’re talking about the end, here’s a question. When non-calvinists talk about sovereign election they use terms like “robots”, “puppets”, or the occasional vulgar, emotion-pumping analogy, “Forced love is rape, and God is not a divine rapist.”.
So here’s my question: Do we have the choice to turn from God once we’re welcomed into heaven? …Answer carefully.
If you say no, then you have a God that is doing what the Calvinist claims He’s doing here on earth, making His people love Him somehow. If that’s the case, what do you do with your programming, puppeteer, rapist claims? If you say yes we can turn away from God, then eternal life is not eternal at all, it’s conditional and at best potentially eternal based on the perseverance of your will… Your “eternal” life is proportional to your willpower.
I digress. Let’s take a look at sovereign grace and angry wrath as the Bible comes to an end.
My Top 5 Texts From Revelation
Revelation 7:4-8
“And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed,
12,000 from the tribe of Reuben,
12,000 from the tribe of Gad,
12,000 from the tribe of Asher,
12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali,
12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,
12,000 from the tribe of Simeon,
12,000 from the tribe of Levi,
12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,
12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun,
12,000 from the tribe of Joseph,
12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.”
Revelation 17:8
“The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.”
Revelation 17:17
“for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.”
Revelation 19:9
“And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
Revelation 13:8
“and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.”
Other Notable Texts
Revelation 5:9-10
“And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.””
Revelation 16:6
“For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,
and you have given them blood to drink.
It is what they deserve!””
Revelation 17:14
“They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.””
Revelation 13:5
“And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months.”
Revelation 13:7
“Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation,”
Revelation 13:10
“If anyone is to be taken captive,
to captivity he goes;
if anyone is to be slain with the sword,
with the sword must he be slain.”
Revelation 13:15
“And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.”
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