I have a very heavy burden today that I would
like to write about, but find it extremely difficult. It is not the first time
that it has happened in my life, as it happened years ago in 2002 when I also
found a specific subject that was extremely confusing to me and took me
actually years to write about.
Todays subject is even worse and has been with
me since 16 April 1996, but I still feel that most people reading it will
ignore it, as they do with most of the things I write about. But I am obedient
and will do what He told me to do.
What is the subject that I have for today?
I wonder how many people follow the doctrine of
the murderer, rather than following the doctrine of the murdered. In South
Africa I believe close to 80% of people that admit to being a Christian
actually follow the theology of the murderer. So I want to compare the two
theologies with each other, that of Jesus the murdered and that of the
murderer, John Calvin.
Jesus. - He was killed after being found
innocent, so he was murdered. “Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called
Christ?" They all said, "Crucify Him!" And he said, "Why,
what evil has He done?" But they kept shouting all the more, saying,
"Crucify Him!" When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but
rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of
the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this Man's blood; see to that
yourselves." And all the people said, "His blood shall be on us and
on our children!" Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having
Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.” (Mat 27:22-26)
Calvin.- He accepted the responsibility for
murder and encouraged his followers to kill. His own words were as follows: "Honour,
glory, and riches shall be the reward of your pains; but above all, do not fail
to rid the country of those scoundrels, who stir up the people to revolt
against us. Such monsters should be exterminated, as I have exterminated
Michael Servetus the Spaniard." http://www.bcbsr.com/topics/servetus.html The Bible actually declares the
following about leaders: “Remember those
who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of
their conduct, imitate their faith.” (Heb 13:7) I do not believe in
following someone who is a self confessed murderer.
Jesus. – All people can be saved. “"But I tell you the truth, it is to
your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not
come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and
righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in
Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer
see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been
judged.” Joh 16:7-11) So the first
work of the Holy Spirit is to convince people of their sin. Only once we are
accept this, can we call out to the LORD to save us. “Then the LORD God said, "Behold,
the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might
stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live
forever"-- therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to
cultivate the ground from which he was taken.” (Gen 3:22-23) This is in
direct opposition to what Calvin states that man is totally deprived of
anything that can reverse the works of Satan in Adam. This is the T of TULIP.
No person knows everything, but we do have the ability to chose between right
and wrong. So I have to take responsibility for all my works and deeds.
John declares what Jesus came to do: "For God did not send the Son into the
world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
"He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been
judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten
Son of God. "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world,
and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.
"For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the
Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. "But he who practices the
truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been
wrought in God." (Joh 3:17-21)
So the love of Jesus is available to all people, not just the so-called elect.
Calvin. – The grace of God was limited
according to Calvin hence the statement of limited atonement, the L in TULIP.
He places the greatest emphasis on the fact that God can reject all of mankind.
The real question is rather that a God of love, can refuse His love to mankind.
The Bible emphasizes the love of God to all people, as well as that all can be
saved. It is because of this love that we have to defend His character and test
Calvinism to the message of the Bible.
According to Calvin man can be saved without
man believing in the gospel or not. According to his writings nobody can be
saved without God interfering first, causing man to be rebirthed, and then
giving them the saving faith to those he predestined. Calvin says man is
totally incapable that he has no means to accept the saving grace of God,
without him being predestined to be able to do it. So God gives some people
faith, the same way He also leads others to sin. Why? We cannot find an answer
to that because that is God’s secret.
The deduction from this is that
God, who is love, does not share his love with some people in order to save
them, but only reserves it for a select group of people the He predestined to
be blessed. Calvin tries to explain this lack of love to the mystery of God’s
will and purpose.
He also declares that all things
on earth are played of like a script for a play or a movie, and that He is
responsible for everything. Man cannot interfere with His plan, and hence does
not have to take the responsibility for anything in their lives. If you are
part of the elect, you will do as He pleases, and if you are not predestined
the fault is still yours as you were not part of the elect. Now in the first book
of the Bible, way back in Genesis I read the following: “And the LORD said, "The outcry of Sodom
and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave. "I will
go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which
has come to Me; and if not, I will know." (Gen 18:20-21) Why did the LORD come down
personally to see if things were really as bad in Sodom and Gomorra as the
words that came to Him? Surely He should have known if he controlled everything
that happens.
Conclusion.
When you follow the theology of a murderer, it
is impossible to believe in the working of the Holy Spirit. That is why the
Apostles Creed only says: “I believe in the Holy Spirit”. So what the
Holy spirit came to do and how He still works today is still a mystery to them.
They are not all that different from the Pharisees at the time of Jesus and
even Isaiah, as Isaiah puts it: “"To whom would He teach knowledge, And to whom would He interpret
the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just taken from the breast?
"For He says, 'Order on order,
order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little
there.'" Indeed, He will speak to this people Through stammering lips and
a foreign tongue, He who said to them, "Here is rest, give rest to the
weary," And, "Here is repose," but they would not listen. So the
word of the LORD to them will be, "Order on order, order on order, Line on
line, line on line, A little here, a little there," That they may go and
stumble backward, be broken, snared and taken captive.” (Isa 28:9-13)
So my question is, What are you going to do?
Will you continue to follow the theology of a murderer, or are you going to
open up to the Holy Spirit in order that he can lead you. That He can convince
you of sin, and lead you to a time when you can cry out to the LORD to save
you. That His blood can take away your sin and lead you to be baptized where
you can rid yourself of your life working for Satan, and place yourself under
the authority of the LORD of LORDS.
Go and read Hbrews 6 verses 1 and 2 to find the
exact sequense we have to follow to ensure that we are God’s children. Paul
follows the exact same sequence in his book to the Romans, starting at
repentance and then every step thereafter.
So my last question is: Are you following a
murderer, or the One who was murdered?
Just remember if you shared communion you will
be in heaven, but I would like you to be in Jerusalem and not in Egypt, and
that you follow the gospel of Jesus Christ and not that of John Calvin.
To really know what it is all about, download
my book The covenant of Righteousness and The Revelation of John Revealed from
my website at www.shama.org.za and follow the link at the bottom of the homepage, or watch the video series of the Covenant on Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4uenUs3KsejvEENd_8RRonRZQRVIL9nW
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