Calvin and Mohammed
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Belief in al-Qadar is based on four things:1 – العلم Knowledge: i.e., that Allah SWT knows what His creation will do, by virtue of His eternal knowledge, including their choices that will take place. 2 – كتابة Writing: i.e., that Allah SWT has written every thing that exists including the destiny of all creatures in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz prior to creation. 3 – مشيئة Will: i.e., that what Allah SWT wills happens and what He does not will does not happen. There is no movement in the heavens or on earth but it happens by His will. This does not mean that he forces things to happen the way they happen in the area of human beings volunteer actions. It means that He new what they will chose, wrote it and let it happen, and was, is and can always change it when He wants. 4 - الخلق Creation and formation: i.e., that Allah SWT is the Creator of all things, including the actions of His slaves. They do their actions in a real sense, and Allah SWT is the Creator of them and of their actions. |
Consider now this excerpt from the (reformed/calvinist) Westminster Confession of Faith.
The Westminster Confession of Faith
Of God's Eternal Decree
I. God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass;yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin,nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.
II. Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions; yet has He not decreed anything because He foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions.
III. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life; and others foreordained to everlasting death.
IV. These angels and men, thus predestinated, and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished.
V. Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, has chosen, in Christ, unto everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith, or good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving Him thereunto; and all to the praise of His glorious grace.
VI. As God has appointed the elect unto glory, so has He, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore, they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His power, through faith, unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only.
VII. The rest of mankind God was pleased, according to the unsearchable counsel of His own will, whereby He extends or withholds mercy, as He pleases, for the glory of His sovereign power over His creatures, to pass by; and to ordain them to dishonor and wrath for their sin, to the praise of His glorious justice.
Now consider that sovereign predestination / God's eternal decree of ALL THINGS is the bed rock of both Islam and Calvinism. In both religions, a person's eternal destiny is predetermined by God simply because it pleases God to do so. It pleases God to send many to hell and a few to heaven. In fact Calvinism's and Islam's god creates the many he intends to torment in hell simply because he wills it. Everything that happens is because it is the will of god. Every sin, every murder, every rape is the will of god and happens because he decreed it from all eternity. Not that he merely permitted it, but he decreed it. They say god is the direct cause of all that takes place.
Question: since salvation (and damnation) is then by the eternal sovereign decree of God, what is the purpose of Jesus and the cross?
Question: why did Jesus say, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son...", rather that "For God by His sovereign eternal decree chose to create some for salvation and many for damnation."
Question: does not Calvinism reduce the cross of Christ to a mere charade? Did God crucify His only Begotten Son for His amusement?
Question: since it pleased God to create the majority of people for the purpose of tormenting them for eternity in the Lake of Fire (according to Calvinism/Islam), do you really want to spend an eternity in heaven in the presence of the god of Calvin/Mohammad?
Question: Are Calvinism's 'doctrines of grace' really the Gospel of God in Christ Jesus, or are they the 'mercy' of Allah?
Question: Is the god of Calvin.. Allah?
Perhaps we should heed the reformed slogan of sola scriptura and burn Calvin's Institutes along with the koran, and adopt a Christian view of predestination; perhaps the one taught by Christ Jesus. He said there are two ways: a broad way that leads to destruction, and a narrow way that leads to life. If you choose to travel in the broad way you are predestined to destruction because that is where that road ends. If instead you repent and seek out the narrow way (Christ) and travel therein, you are predestined to life, for that is where that road ends.
The ways are predestined, not the travelers. We are elect in Christ, because Christ is the Chosen (elect) One. We are secure in Christ as long as we abide (remain) in Christ. Simple, straight forward, and biblical. God is not the author of sin. God did not decree evil. God is not responsible for the sins of men. We are. God really does love us (the whole world). God is not a liar, He really wants all men to be saved. And out of His love and grace He made a Way that leads to Life (His Son) for "whosoever will" as an alternative to the broad way to Hell man created through his sin. The Gate of God's Way is narrow because it is Jesus Christ alone. The Way is also narrow because it is Jesus Christ alone. Those who enter and remain in that way to the end will be conformed to the image of Christ and inherit the Kingdom of God with Christ.
Some will object: "You preach a salvation by works!" Not so. "The just shall live by faith." Through faith we are saved by God's grace. Salvation (Jesus Christ) is the gift of God. But the salvation of God is not an accounting transaction in heaven. Jesus purchased the New Covenant on Calvary with His blood. His death paid for our sins. He purchased our pardon, a new spirit, a new heart, and the gift of His Holy Spirit. We are made new creatures in Him. He forgave us, washed us, and clothed us. None of us could do any of these things ourselves nor earn them. But saving faith bears the fruit of righteousness and obedience. And the fruit of love ("we love Him because He first loved us.") Is it a work to respond to the love of God openly demonstrated on the cross? No! I preach a real salvation, a salvation that is the power of God unto all who believe, a salvation that transforms sinners into saints, not a false-gospel that dresses wolves in sheep skins and declares that the wolves are now counted by God as sheep! For real salvation is God's work in all those who truly believe in Christ, in those who truly come to Christ Jesus, in those who truly find repentance toward God.
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