Questions Archive

A Review of: "Calvinism, Arminianism & The Word of God: A Calvary Chapel Perspective" By: Chuck Smith

Recently a Pastor friend of mine shared with me an article written by the founder of the Calvary Chapel Denomination Chuck Smith. It was written with the intention of addressing the Calvinism vs. Arminianism issue for all of the Calvary Chapel Churches. To see the article CLICK HERE . First of all I like the format of the paper in which he clearly set out to address both views and then clarify the Calvary Chapel stance. A couple of things that I noticed I want to point out below: Overall he did a fair job conveying the Arminian view, however I am not sure why he seemed to be confused on a couple of things he said. Over the year Arminius’ beliefs have been misrepresented and demonized by Calvinists so I can see why he made a few false assumptions regarding their beliefs. 1. He stated, “Arminius believed that the fall of man was not total, maintaining that there was enough good left in man for him to will to accept Jesus Christ unto salvation.” This is actually a descript...

The Trap of Offense: How Our Hearts Lose Their Effectiveness for Christ

Offense is something we all encounter, but how we handle it can determine the strength of our relationships and our spiritual growth. The Bible warns us about the dangers of offense, showing us how it can become a stumbling block, not only in our relationships with others but also in our walk with God. Whether it’s due to unmet expectations, misunderstandings, or difficult seasons, offense can take root in our hearts if we’re not careful. However, through Scripture, and the power of the Holy Spirit we can overcome offense and prevent it from hindering our lives. 1. The Nature of Offense Proverbs 18:19 NKJV – "A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a castle." Just as any tool has a function, offense is a tool of the enemy that's function is to divide. Offense builds walls in our hearts, shutting down relationships and creating barriers. God’s greatest desire is to see us thrive in our relationships, which is why it’s so...

What is the Doctrine of Justification?

A few months ago myself and three other pastors from my church were meeting to decide on the wording for a brief statement of faith that we wanted to start reciting at the beginning of our Sunday morning services. At one point I suggested that we use the word "justification" in one of the sentences, another pastor quickly looked at me and said, "do you know how many people don't even know what that word means?" What he said caught me by surprise, but as I thought about it I began to realize that he was probably right. This dilemma began to roll around in my thoughts for the next couple months until I finally decided that I needed to write this blog. So here it is, I am going to take some time to explain what justification is, it's repercussions, and why it is so crucial to understand as believers. Justification is the declaring of a person to be just or righteous. It is a legal term signifying acquittal (Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical The...

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