Just saw a video of Paul Washer speaking in a slight of hand fashion of how “it’s not about calvinism”, and how he can commune with non-calvinists due to regeneration. Yet, like all cults, calvinists intentionally hide their definition, their gross redefining and perversion of the doctrine of regeneration, being born again. Notice that Washer never denied he is a calvinist, because he is.
Here’s what they really believe about regeneration.
Calvinist Define their Un-biblical, Extra-biblical Belief System with the Acrostic TULIP:
T – Total Depravity
U – Unconditional Election
L – Limited Atonement
I – Irresistible Grace
P – Perseverance of the Saints
In Reformed theology, “regeneration precedes faith.” Samuel Storms writes that, “Calvinists insist that the sole cause of regeneration or being born again is the will of God. God first sovereignly and efficaciously regenerates, and only in consequence of that do we act.”
Another calvinistic quote:
“Monergism is the view within Christian theology which holds that God works through the Holy Spirit to bring about the salvation of an individual through spiritual regeneration, regardless of the individual’s cooperation.”
Is this true?
Monergism, the idea that God shakes down, hijacks, and forces His “elect” to be born again, is a doctrine of calvinism. In contrast to Monergism, Synergism is a cooperative venture, a working together of two or more parties. Synergism would better fit what God’s Word teaches whereas Monergism is just another diabolical invention of the heretical system of calvinism. The god of calvinism is a demon, or the devil himself, and it’s clearly seen in this forced entry, hostile takeover theology. In contrast to the one whom the LORD says came “to steal, to kill, and to destroy”, Jesus says to all of mankind …
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17
The calvinists isn’t taught the biblical truth that God calls men to come to Himself and that He gave all men the choice to come to or reject Him. Instead, calvinists teach that man is so depraved that he cannot make the decision to receive and follow Christ. Hence, or therefore, they get away with teaching that God hi-jacks the lives of the elect, forcing them, even if against their will, to be regenerated.
Lawrence Brown writes:
“I’ve heard the Calvinist response to monergism, James White uses this. They say God has a revealed will and a prescriptive (secret) will LOL. So according to them God says things in Scripture but his prescriptive will maybe different. That makes God a liar so their explanation is even worse.”
Here’s another heretical quote calvinists throw around:
“Without the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit no man could ever believe.”
Calvinism is a wholesale rejection of the original Gospel, personal accountability, and a diabolical mockery of God’s good, loving character.
At all costs, the calvinist refuses to repent. He denies the obvious, that he has a personal will, in order to evade truly, personally repenting.
Monergism and the so-called “perseverance of the saints” heresy go hand in hand. The “perseverance of the saints” lie says that if one is truly overtaken by and made to be saved by God, that such a person will automatically endure to the end with Christ. If such a person falls away, the coward’s cop-out used by calvinists is that that person wasn’t actually saved to begin with. So, “perseverance of the saints” is generally the same doctrine of devils as OSAS (once saved always saved) otherwise called eternal security. A refusal to truly repent, lay down ones life in this world, deny self, take up the cross and follow Jesus on His terms, are the root reasons sinful men migrate to and adopt these sin-justifying heresies (2 Timothy 4:3-4; Jude 4, etc.).
Backslidden counterfeits are willingly deceived moral cowards, “enemies of the cross of Christ”, who want nothing to do with anything that involves giving up their lives in this fleeting world and so they hide behind the prophesied grace-perverting false doctrines of eternal security and Calvinism (Philippians 3:18-19; Jude 4).
Calvinism is for moral cowards who refuse to face God honestly in true repentance, lay down their lives in this fleeting world, and follow Jesus for real (Luke 9:23-24; 14:33; 17:33, etc.). So, they hide behind the grace-perverting, sin-justifying heretical system of calvinism which came through a murderer who got it from a catholic named Augustine. Jude specifically forewarned of this very thing (Jude 4). Calvinism by Ken Rieske
In the diabolical delusionment of calvinism, God doesn’t require or want your personal participation. To conclude such would be to ignore and dismiss the hundreds of commands from God to man. No honest Bible reader comes away with this idea that God does it all in the relationship without the consent or participation of the person He’s in a relationship with. Only a calvinist could believe something like that. This is the danger of a system. When people are seduced and sold on the system (calvinism, dispensationism, etc), they are indoctrinated into seeing everything through that man-made demon concocted system lens. Once someone is delusioned, indoctrinated by calvinism, everything then revolves around the tenets of the system (TULIP) and so they then ignore Holy Scripture that contradicts it – which means they are “NOT of God” according to Jesus (John 8:47). Without exception, every child of God holds God’s written Word and every word of it, as the highest divine authority (Psalms 119; Mark 13:31; Romans 3:4; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19-21, etc.). In contrast, like the hell bound pharisees of Christ’s day, calvinists sacrifice divine truth to keep their own tradition (Mark 7:6-10).
God sure is sovereign, yet according to the whole counsel of His Word and such is not subject to the delusions of calvinism. Divine sovereignty is defined by the whole counsel of holy scripture, much of which the calvinist cowards despise.
The calvinist has created a false god in his own depraved image where he simply, intentionally ignores scriptures that call for true repentance and the crucified life in order to concoct, erect in his unrepentant heart this imaginary idol. it won’t fair well in the end.
Unrepentant evil men have always sought to cloke their rebellion with an alternate view of God, that is, false doctrines, doctrine that contradicts the whole of Scripture – does not stand the biblical test. This is exactly why calvinists can crassly dismiss mountains of Bible truth. They are serving the god of self, not the one true God revealed in the Bible. If they knew and were serving the LORD, they’d submit to the whole counsel of His Word (John 8:47). | The terrible TULIP of calvinism exposed.
“(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly (carnal appetites), and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.).” Philippians 3:18-19
Those who serve the god of self instead of truly repenting and worshipping Jesus in the crucified daily life He commanded, are “the enemies of the cross of Christ” and will twist and manipulate the Bible to justify them in their sinful lifestyles (Jude 4).
The calvinist migrates to these flesh-flattering lies because he wants an excuse to dismiss his sin instead of dealing with it the only way God’s Word prescribes – through the crucified life (Luke 9:23-24; Romans 6; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3, etc.).
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 14:12
The goal of the calvinist is not truth but rather to justify his sins using a distorted theology where certain Bible verses are hyper-interpreted, hyper-emphasized while mountains of other Bible verses are completely ignored, denied, and/or explained away.
Calvinism is a cover-up for sin. Buying this package will damn the soul. The central goal of this heretical system of theology is to dismiss man’s personal responsibility to obey God.
“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13
There are 2 types of professing Christian – 1 is Heaven bound and 2 is hell bound:
Those who face the LORD honestly in true repentance with their own utter depravity and sin, fasting and prayer, the cross (crucified), fighting the good fight of faith in a grounded, daily walk with Jesus, and then there’s …
Those who choose to be dishonest and deceitful of heart, unrepentant, and so migrate to false teachers and false teachings to justify their sin, to attempt to hide from them, dismissing all personal responsibility before God, and make a false god out of, in the image of their own wicked hearts. This is the whole construct and system of calvinism and the eternal security/OSAS and the hiding place for moral cowards who refuse to present themselves honestly before the LORD.
Was this not all prophesied of this last hour by the Holy Spirit?
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure (hold themselves accountable to) sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 2 Timothy 4:2-4
Those who espouse calvinism’s grace perverting, sin-justifying falsehoods do such because they refuse to hold themselves accountable to truly, honestly, worshipfully obey God (2 Timothy 4:3; Jude 4).
Calvinists spend their time and energy philosophying about what the Bible says and using flesh-flattering, grace-perverting, sin-justifying systemization instead of simply, personally reading and studying the Bible honestly.
“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” 1 Samuel 15:23
False doctrine always and only finds its home in the deceitful heart.
Calvinists somehow believe they have permission to ignore Bible verses, divine truths that contradict their delusional heresies.
Keep in mind that wolves like Paul Washer, John MacArthur, RC Sproul, and Charles Spurgeon are all calvinist heretics. Everything they say, everything they teach is poisoned with this calvinistic system, a doctrine of devils. “A LITTLE leaven (false doctrine) leavens the whole lump” and calvinism perpetrates far more than a just “little leaven.” It’s a thoroughly poisoned pond. The Idiocy of Calvinism
Calvinists spend their time and energy philosophying about what the Bible says and using flesh-flattering, grace-perverting, sin-justifying systemization instead of simply, personally reading and studying the Bible honestly.
An honest view of the whole of Holy Scripture reveals that Jesus died for all men, God draws all men to Himself, initiating the relationship, granting the sufficient grace, and yet leaves the final decision to the individual.
If man has no choice in the matter of being the LORD’s child, salvation, why would calvinists ever evangelize? They wouldn’t and they don’t. So Jesus’ Great Commission command is a mute point with them. If God just arbitrarily comes upon one of the “elect”, takes over their life and regenerates them, WHY did Jesus command His people to “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to EVERY creature.” (Mark 16:15) Why would there be any evangelism in the kingdom economy? There wouldn’t be. After Jesus commanded His disciples to go preach the gospel to EVERY creature, then He said that some will believe and “shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark 16:15-16)
God sent His only begotten Son Jesus to die for the sins of all men and Jesus told us, His people, to go preach to “every creature” because He desires to save all men from sin and hell!
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to EVERY creature.” Mark 16:15
Why did God want “EVERY creature”, all men, to hear His Gospel preached? – Simple: Jesus “for the sins of the WHOLE world”, because He desires to save all men into His eternal kingdom! (John 12:32; Hebrews 2:9; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 John 2:2, etc.)
Calvinists love to misread Romans 9-11. They reject the knowledge of God here where it is once again revealed, as is repeatedly the case, that God desires to “have mercy on ALLLLLL.”
“For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon ALL.” Romans 11:32
The LORD saves souls through “the foolishness of preaching.”
“For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” 1 Corinthians 1:21
When lost souls hear the Gospel preached, God saves “them that believe”, which is a choice.
Biblically speaking, the fact that salvation requires the direct act of God in no way negates that GOD sovereignly stated that He requires the individual to repent and believe on the LORD Jesus Christ to be saved (Luke 13:3; John 1:12-13; 3:16; Acts 3:19; 2:38; 20:21; Romans 10:9-10, 13, etc.).
Calvinism falsely teaches that man has nothing to do with salvation and that God saves whom He chooses without their consent (monergism). Calvinism also teaches that the LORD’s atonement is limited to a certain elect few (of which every calvinists claims to be, conveniently). God’s Word says that Jesus died to save “all men”, is “NOT willing that ANY should perish.” (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9) The Son of God told us that when He went to the cross He was going to “draw all men unto me.” (John 12:32) It’s lunacy to say that Jesus doesn’t intend and desire to save “ALL men” even though we just read that He draws “ALL men” to Himself and “is the propitiation (atoning sacrifice) … for the sins of the WHOLE world.” (1 John 2:2)
RECENTLY I had a lengthy phone conversation with a man I grew up with. He called to attempt to convince me, using a twisted (calvinistic) view of Scripture, that a person is first born again BEFORE they actually believe. John 1:12-13 is one of the passages he asked me to read. Read it here below closely and see what comes first, faith or becoming a son of God, the choice to receive Christ or being born of God. ….It got so bad and went on so long that I found my red button getting off point (hung up and blocked his number) with the passage he was using to “prove” his erroneous point…..here it is:
John 1:12 But as many as received him, TO THEM (that believe) gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: John 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Receiving, believing upon Christ comes BEFORE being born of God.
WHO is it that is born of God? – “as many as receivedhim”. This passage in John 1 first speaks of receiving Jesus, synonymous with believing on Him. Only AFTER receiving Christ which is a choice, does it speak of being born of God.
Those who at the hearing of the Gospel and conviction of the Holy Spirit chose to receive Christ, were born of God. “As many as received Him” clearly denotes a God-given choice.
This man who had called me was on a rampage to prove that God chooses men He wants to be His and those men have zero choice in the matter. They have no free will, to choice in the matter according to this deranged calvinistic heresy.
“Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” Joshua 24:15
If the LORD warned us: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7-8) How is it then that man has no choice, no ability to exercise his own God-given personal will to sow good or bad seed, to make decisions?
He called to make his point and therefore was not interested when I sought to read Scripture. I could hardly get a word in and after hearing him go on at length, would find an opening and be shut down by him. He forcefully spoke over me loudly and would not let me read certain Scriptures. I told him that was a red flag and quoted the words of Jesus in John 8:47. – “He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.” (John 8:47) This man knows the Scriptures well yet is choosing to ignore certain, many Bible verses and passages which contradict his false doctrine.
The calvinist does not want to find out and evades the hard truths of Scripture because if he embraces “ALL scripture” it will require that he truly repent, lay down his life in this world, and truly follow Christ for real (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Luke 9:23-24, etc.).
The job and work of the calvinist coward is to run from, knock down, twist, take out of context, and negate every Bible verse of warning, severity, obedience, the daily cross (crucified life), and the divine command to “be ye holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16). He does this to escape all personal responsibility. Instead he wants to live after his sinful lusts and justify it all by saying he’s one of the “elect”, saved by the grace of God and has no personal responsibility to take God at His Word and obey Him.
The calvinist is willingly indoctrinated and intentionally, deceitfully selective in the way he interprets Scripture. The calvinists interpret Scripture in order to prove their heretical points and not to apprehend the truth. In fact, the calvinist is inoculated from believing any Scripture that the cult of calvin hasn’t pointed out to them. They refuse Bible truth, mountains of Scripture which contradict the 5 poisonous points of Calvinism.
Beware of the “private interpretation” of modern beguilers in our midst. Contrary to the self-worshipping, wishful thinking calvinists, one Scripture never cancels another. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God” and must be assimilated in its immediate and whole Bible context (1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). Those who do not follow this biblical rule enter into what Peter calls “private interpretation.”
“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2 Peter 1:19-21
No Bible verses are to privately interpreted for the self-serving agenda of any individual. Such is the work of deceivers and their prey.
“Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing (collating, putting together) spiritual things with spiritual.” 1 Corinthians 2:13
Calvinist apologists are simply those who have been dishonest before God for many years and instead of getting honest and coming to complete, real repentance before the LORD, they built this paper castle they vainly believe is hiding them from God and from His coming judgment. False security. They search high and low and borrow, parrot the intentionally falsely interpreted Bible verses which seem to justify their position. They will do anything but repent. They will spend endless hours searching for, and digging up Scriptures to “prove” their position – all while purposely ignoring the mountains of Bible truth that is in direct opposition to their false doctrines.
What’s tragic is when heretics are shown volumes of Scripture, mountains of God’s Word which contradict their beliefs and choose to ignore and set aside God’s Word in order to keep their heretical tradition – just as Jesus cited the hell bound pharisees for doing (Mark 7:6-10). What is the disciple of Christ to do after showing Bible truth and yet the hearer ignores it?
“A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; 11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.” Titus 3:10-11
To subvert is to undermine the power and authority of God who has an established Word of truth concerning salvation.
“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” 2 Timothy 3:5
Though in the ministry and engaging men with the Word of God daily, I was somewhat caught off guard by this childhood friend who had called – wasn’t expecting a call of that nature. Enraged, he insisted that I was intentionally ignoring verse 13 of John 1. Being that I do not ever wish to ignore one verse over another because “ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God”, we read those verses aloud together (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Together, mostly at his beckoning and leading, we went all over the Bible on this topic. We ended up back at John 1:12-13 at his leading and under his condemnation of me. So, we read those 2 verses together again and I asked him this question: What comes first in this passage, believing/faith OR being born of God? He was momentarily quiet and I pointed out that receiving Christ came first (v12) and then the person was born of God (v13).
Over his angry words I told him kindly that I was “done with this phone call.”
Of course, instantaneously upon receiving Christ, God saves the person, justifies, and regenerates them. They are born again. Jesus says “He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” (John 6:47) Scripture states “without FAITH it is impossible to please him.” (Hebrews 11:6) The LORD requires faith. Period. And not only initial but ongoing faith to the end of one’s life (Matthew 1:22; 24:13; John 15:6; Colossians 1:23; Hebrews 3:6, 12-14; 10:26-39; Revelation 2-3, etc.).
Jesus said to the blind as He healed them “According to YOUR FAITH be it unto you.”
“Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. 30 And their eyes were opened …” Matthew 9:29-30
In the divine economy, we appropriate God’s blessings by faith and forfeit them by the sin of unbelief (Hebrews 3-4, etc.). God requires the faith of men who will know and walk with Him.
Being born of God is a biblical truth and yet not without man’s involvement, man’s individual choice. The delusional calvinists conflate many things, including the erroneous notion that because it’s God that draws and saves, man is not at all involved and has no choice in the matter. Is that true? Not at all.
During this conversation the caller pointed out Romans 9 which is a passage that spans Chapters 9-11 in Romans. He was not happy and ignored what Scripture teaches in Romans 11:20-22. After I was finally able to get a word in edgewise, we read Romans 11:20-22. Being that he was clinging to heresy and not interested in apprehending the mind of Christ on this matter, this man didn’t like the threat the LORD gave to all Gentile believers of being “cut off” just like God did the Jews, His own people. Here it is:
“Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21 For IF God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity (judgment); but toward thee, goodness, IF (denotes condition) thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.” Romans 11:20-22
Notice the utter essential of faith – the truth that God requires faith, initially and perpetually – “because of unbelief they were broken off.” (v20)
Jesus also told us that cast into the fire any man IN HIM who doesn’t remain, abide, continue in Him:
“If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” John 15:6
Conclusion: Monergism, the regeneration before faith heresy, is just another twisted, perverse lie of the cult of calvinism. All calvinists are heretics who have corrupted the original Gospel message and character of God in their vain attempt to claim justification by Him with no involvement of their own.
“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. 4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude 3-4
The sober minded will find that calvinists are arrogant, pretending that they, the special “elect,” possess esoteric, secret knowledge that others aren’t privileged enough to possess. When you give a calvinist heretic Scripture upon Scripture that clearly refute the lies he’s espoused, he will convey to you that because you aren’t one of the special “elect,” you can’t possibly understand. Calvinists are not men of truth but rather dishonest and deceitful in heart, hanging their hats on hellish doctrines of devils to justify living as they so choose in this fleeting world. Scripture clearly reveals that the “grace” they claim to be saved by is a farce. If they were truly saved by divine grace, here’s what their lives would look like:
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;” Titus 2:11-12
If Paul was overtaken and forced by the LORD to be saved, and therefore had no danger of falling away and going to hell after being saved, why did he tell us he had to “keep under” his body – live the crucified life – or he would be a “castaway” in the end?
“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (a reject).” 1 Corinthians 9:27
If the Laodicean church, the people of God were forced to go to Heaven and were not in any jeopardy of being vomited, rejected from Christ’s body and suffering eternally in hell, why did the Son of God warn them that they were in danger of being rejected for being lukewarm? (Revelation 3:15-16)
Why did Jesus warn us all that if we didn’t overcome all sin, no matter what it took, or be cast into hell, if such were not a real and present danger? (Mark 9:43-50 KJB – Satan’s new fake “bibles” altered or removed this passage)
If those whom Christ saves (when they choose to obey His drawing and receive Him) why did Jesus warn each and every one of the seven churches of Revelation 2-3 that they had to overcome to be with Him in glory?
Jesus invented the phrase “fall away” and so we know it’s possible and we also know that someone who falls away was previous in Christ’s kingdom (Luke 8:13).
God “commandeth all men every where to repent” and yet the calvinist says man has no choice in the matter (Acts 17:30). How is it that the LORD says one has to repent to be saved if an exercise of one’s own will isn’t involved and if repenting is not possible or not required by God?
CRUX – WHY THEY DEPART FROM GOD’S WORD AND MIGRATE TO THIS HERETICAL SYSTEM:
Calvinists are among the vilest of counterfeits who love their sin, spending endless hours reading the works of mere sinful men, who they call the “reformers”, who offer an alternative to the cross, the crucified life. These are the very “ungodly men” Jude warned us about who are “turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God.” (Jude 4). They will do anything on earth except truly repent and lose their life in this world (Luke 9:23-24; 14:27, 33; 17:33; Galatians 2:20, etc.).
Calvinism is extra-biblical, a system of theology devised by mere men and devils. John Calvin, the pope of Geneva, had over 60 people murdered and admitted to getting his teachings from a catholic bishop named Augustine. All 5 points are poison.
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What’s Heaven going to look like? “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;” Revelation 5:9 “These are the redeemed! From every tribe and nation all seated together in heavenly places in Christ! All barriers torn down through redemption! Believers gathered together in unity to worship God! What a chorus of praise that will go right into the Lord’s ears! Hallelujah!” Karen Cochran HOW did […]
Spiritual Formation—A Dangerous Substitute for the Life of Christ [podcast]
Sometimes we think of spiritual formation as formation by the Holy Spirit. Once again. That’s essential. . . . But now I have to say something that may be challenging for you to think about: Spiritual formation is not all by the Holy Spirit. . . . We have to recognize that spiritual formation in us is something that is also done to us by those around us, by ourselves, and by activities which we voluntarily undertake . . .There has to be method.1—Dallas Willard
Aside from the fact that Spiritual Formation incorporates mystical practices into its infrastructure (remove the contemplative aspect and you don’t have “Spiritual Formation” anymore), Spiritual Formation is a works-based substitute for biblical Christianity. Let us explain.
When one becomes born again (“that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9-10), having given his or her life and heart over to Christ as Savior, Jesus Christ says He will come in and live in that surrendered heart:
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20)
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: (Colossians 1:27)
If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (Romans 8:11; emphasis added)
When God, through Jesus Christ, is living in us, He begins to do a transforming work in our hearts (2 Corinthians 3:18). Not only does He change us, He also communes with us. In other words, we have fellowship with Him, and He promises never to leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
This life of God in the believer’s heart is not something we need to conjure up through meditative practices. But if a person does not have this relationship with the Lord, he may seek out ways to feel close to God. This is where Spiritual Formation comes into play. Rather than a surrendered life to Christ (through repentance and faith), the seeking person begins practicing the spiritual disciplines (e.g., prayer, fasting, good works, etc.) with the promise that if he practices these disciplines, he will become more Christ-like.
But merely doing these acts fails to make one feel close to God—something is still missing. And thus, he begins practicing the discipline of silence (or solitude), and now in these altered states of silence, he finally feels connected to God. He now feels complete. What he does not understand is that he has substituted the indwelling of Christ in his heart for a works-based methodology that endangers his spiritual life. Dangerous because these mystical experiences he now engages in appear to be good because they make him feel close to God, but in reality he is being drawn into demonic realms no different than what happens to someone who is practicing transcendental meditation or eastern meditation. Even mystics themselves acknowledge that the contemplative realm is no different than the realm reached by occultists. To understand this more fully, please read Ray Yungen’s book A Time of Departing.
Bottom line, it is not possible to be truly Christ-like without having Christ inside of us because it is His righteousness that is able to change our hearts—we cannot do it without Him. It is His righteousness we need:
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe. (Romans 3:22)
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. (Philippians 3:9)
It is interesting to note that virtually every contemplative teacher has a common theme—they feel dry and empty and want to go “deeper” with God or “become more intimate” with God. But if we have Christ living in us, how can we go any deeper than that? How can we become more intimate than that? And if going deeper and becoming intimate were so important, why is it that none of the disciples or Jesus Himself ever told us to do this? As Larry DeBruyn states:
Why are Christians seeking a divine presence that Jesus promised would abundantly flow in them? . . . Why do they need another voice, another visitation, or another vision? Why are some people unthankfully desirous of “something more” than what God has already given to us? Why is it that some Christians, in the depth of their souls, are not seemingly at rest?2
Is There a “Good” Spiritual Formation?
One of the most common arguments we hear defending Spiritual Formation is that there is a “good” Spiritual Formation done without contemplative prayer. To that we say, we have never yet seen a Spiritual Formation program in a school or a church that doesn’t in some way point people to the contemplative mystics. It might be indirectly, but in every case, if you follow the trail, it will lead you right into the arms of Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, and other contemplative teachers.
Think about this common scenario: A Christian college decides to begin a Spiritual Formation course. The instructor has heard some negative things about Richard Foster, Henri Nouwen, and Brennan Manning, and he figures he will teach the class “good Spiritual Formation” and leave those teachers completely out. But he’s going to need a textbook. He turns to a respected institution, Dallas Theological Seminary, and finds a book written by Paul Pettit, Professor in Pastoral and Education Ministries. The book is titled Foundations of Spiritual Formation. The instructor who has found this book to use in his own class may never mention Richard Foster or Dallas Willard, but the textbook he is using does. Within the pages of Pettit’s book is Richard Foster, Philip Yancey, N.T. Wright, Dallas Willard, Thomas Aquinas, Lectio Divina, Ayn Rand, Parker Palmer, Eugene Peterson, J.P. Moreland, Klaus Issler, Bruce Demarerst, Jim Burns, Kenneth Boa and Brother Lawrence’s “practicing God’s presence.” You may not have heard of all these names, but they are all associated with the mystical contemplative prayer movement and the emerging church.
Another example of this is Donald Whitney’s book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. Whitney is former Associate Professor at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and currently at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. While his book does not promote contemplative mysticism, he says that Richard Foster has “done much good”3 in the area of Christian spirituality (which we believe is blatantly untrue).
Our point is that even if there is a sincere attempt to teach Spiritual Formation and stay away from the mystical side, we contend that it cannot be successfully accomplished because it will always lead back to the ones who have brought it to the church in the first place.
Spiritual formation is sweeping throughout Christianity today. It’s no wonder when the majority of Christian leaders have either endorsed the movement or given it a silent pass. For instance, in Chuck Swindoll’s book So You Want to Be Like Christ: 8 Essential Disciplines to Get You There, Swindoll favorably quotes Richard Foster and Dallas Willard. Swindoll calls Celebration of Discipline a “meaningful work”4 and Willard’s book The Spirit of the Disciplines “excellent work.”5 In chapter three, ”Silence and Solitude,” Swindoll talks about “digging for secrets . . . that will deepen our intimacy with God.”6 Quoting the contemplative poster-verse Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God,” Swindoll says the verse is a call to the “discipline of silence.”7 As other contemplative proponents have done, he has taken this verse very much out of context.
Roger Oakland sums it up:
The Spiritual Formation movement . . . teaches people that this is how they can become more intimate with God and truly hear His voice. Even Christian leaders with longstanding reputations of teaching God’s word seem to be succumbing. . . .
We are reconciled to God only through his “death” (the atonement for sin), and we are presented “holy and unblameable and unreproveable” when we belong to Him through rebirth. It has nothing to do with works, rituals, or mystical experiences. It is Christ’s life in the converted believer that transforms him.8
“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” Romans 5:10
What Christians need is not a method or program or ritual or practice that will supposedly connect them to God. What we need is to be “in Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:30) and Christ in us. And He has promised His Spirit “will guide [us] into all truth” (John 16:13).
“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:” 1 Corinthians 1:30
In Colossians 1:9, the apostle Paul tells the saints that he was praying for them that they “might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” He was praying that they would have discernment (“spiritual understanding”). He said that God, the Father, has made us “partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light” (vs 12) and had “delivered us from the power of darkness [i.e., power of deception]” (vs. 13). But what was the key to having this wisdom and spiritual understanding and being delivered from the power of darkness? Paul tells us in that same chapter. He calls it “the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints” (vs. 26). What is that mystery? Verse 27 says: “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (emphasis added).
For those wanting to get involved with the Spiritual Formation movement (i.e., contemplative, spiritual direction), consider the “direction” you will actually be going.
And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel. (Colossians 1:21-23)
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power. (Colossians 2: 8-10)
This article is an extract from the Lighthouse Trails booklet, Is Your Church Doing Spiritual Formation? (Important Reasons Why They Shouldn’t). To order this booklet, click here.
Endnotes:
1. Dallas Willard, “Spiritual Formation: What it is, and How it is Done” (https://dwillard.org/resources/articles/spiritual-formation-what-it-is-and-how-it-is-done).
2. Larry DeBruyn, “God’s Present of His Presence” (https://www.guardinghisflock.org/gods-present-of-his-presence/ ).
3. Donald Whitney, “Doctrine and Devotion: A Reunion Devoutly to be Desired” (http://web.archive.org/web/20080828052145/http://biblicalspirituality.org/devotion.html).
4. Chuck Swindoll, So You Want to Be Like Christ: 8 Essential Disciplines to Get You There (Nashville, TN:W Publishing Group, a div. of Thomas Nelson, 2005), p. 15.
5. Ibid., p. 13.
6. Ibid., p. 55.
7. Ibid.
8. Roger Oakland, Faith Undone (Eureka, MT: Lighthouse Trails Publishing, 2007), pp. 91-92.
This has been an extract from our booklet Is Your Church Doing Spiritual Formation? (Important Reasons Why It Shouldn’t). To order this booklet, click here.
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