The Calvinism Debate - Way of Life Literature

Again, this verse does not support Calvinism, because itsays man wills things in his heart. e fact that God’s counseloverrules man’s will is not a defense for Calvinism. ose thatthe Calvinist calls (usually falsely) “Arminians” believe this, aswell.Proverbs 21:1--“e king’s heart is in the hand of theLORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoeverhe will.”e fact that the Lord overrules the king’s heart does notprove Calvinism’s doctrine of the sovereign predestination ofall things nor does it prove Calvinism’s doctrine that mancannot accept or reject God’s offer of salvation. eseProverbs teach the simple and important doctrine thatthough man has a will that he exercises within the sphere offreedom that God assigns to him, it is God who ultimatelydetermines whether man is allowed to act out his will or not.Proverbs 21:30--“ere is no wisdom nor understandingnor counsel against the LORD.”is verse means that there is no ultimate counsel againstthe Lord and that He always has the final say. We know fromother Scriptures that the devil and sinners have made manycounsels against the Lord, but that counsel cannot stand. Itdoes not follow that man has no will that he can exerciseeither for or against the Lord. He can definitely exercise sucha will and he does and by so doing he hangs himself with hisown rope, because God always has the final say, and He hassaid that “he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; buthe that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16).Psalm 33:11--“e counsel of the LORD standeth forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.”at the counsel of the Lord stands forever, and we knowthat it does, does not mean that God could not havesovereignly determined to create man with a will that he canexercise and with the ability even to go so far as to believe inGod or not to believe in God.84