The Calvinism Debate - Way of Life Literature

to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in ChristJesus before the world began.”is verse simply says that God’s calling of believers is notof works but is of grace and it says that this purpose and gracewas given us in Christ before the world began.By the way, the Bible teaches that faith is not works (Eph.2:8-9). us the Calvinist argument that for a sinner tobelieve in Christ would amount to a works salvation falls tothe ground.e verse does not say that God has sovereignly elected acertain group of sinners to be saved. at must be read into it.Verses at Are Used to Support the CalvinistDoctrine of Limited AtonementAccording to this doctrine, the death of Christ was only forthose that God sovereignly elected. Calvin denounced theuniversal offer of the Gospel. “When it appears that when thedoctrine of salvation is offered to all for their effectual benefit,it is a corrupt prostitution of that which is declared to ber e s e r v e d p a r t i c u l a r l y f o r t h e c h i l d r e n o f t h echurch” (Institutes, Book III, chap. 22).Following are the chief proof texts that are put forth insupport of the doctrine of Limited Atonement:Isaiah 53:8--“He was taken from prison and fromjudgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he wascut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression ofmy people was he stricken.”is verse is used by Calvinists to support the doctrine thatChrist died only for the elect, but the “people” for whom hewas stricken, according to this verse, is the people of Israeland we know that not all of the Israelites will be saved.Further, even if the “my people” of Isa. 53:8 referred to the“elect,” it would not follow that Christ died ONLY for theelect. at would be reading something into the verse that is111