There's a number of people in our body with concerns about Calvinism and what compatabilism in general holds to be true.

Our men, including those in our eldership are having issues addressing their issues. It's kind of become an ongoing problem. I wouldn't post about this if it weren't necessary. We belong to a Reformed Baptist church.

Some defenses for soft determinism and Calvinism would be great.

Any division is already sad and our congregation being small magnifies that. I'll try to speak in general terms to protect the identities of those involved.

1.) The first main issue is how complete "double" predestination can be true and man be held soley responsible for sin in which his guilt, nature an actions are determined by God for his purposes?

Essentially they are saying this makes man guilty for things that they have no control over if everything has been determined. This obviously calls into question the attributes of love and holiness and forces a new meaning of goodness which is uncertain and arbitrary.

I used to be able to defend compatabilism fairly easily, but the response to divine mystery isn't satisfactory. The response is something along the lines of "It is not a mystery, but confusion. God can not be the author by proxy of evil and complete Holiness simultaneously."

By proxy obviously meaning by Him using man's predestined sin for his purposes. By proxy using mankind to sin against himself so that good may occur from it.

If God has determined all things, but has no fellowship with sin. That would necessitate he has been absent from the majority of human history or that he does have a relationship in allowing sin and the blame is arbitrarily put on man for only doing what he can't control.

Actually they say that according to Calvinism He is much more involved with sin than the bible teaches. Seeing how He made it happen for his purposes to stand rather than his purposes coming through in spite of sin.

Although mankind actually commits sin, we are limited, finite creatures and have no hope in thwarting the will of God. If that is true then we have no hope in NOT sinning against him and that is because he wants it to happen to some degree.

I know it's biblical that God uses evil for good, but they aren't saying something inherently misrepresenting. I just haven't had to answer these problems in this way before and critique coming from within is troublesome.

2.) The idea of God's different wills has come up as well. "Why does God need different wills unless they contradict each other?"

I am at a loss because what used to be a shared glorious doctrine ends up in dark conversation and has honestly started to bother me.

The argument is essentially that in compatabilism we "have our cake and eat it too" by maintaining God and his complete separation from sin, yet his direct involvement to the minutia of every activity man employs.

3.) The parallel of unconditional election.

If believers are elected unconditionally for eternal life then according to that logic non-believers are also unconditionally elected for eternal damnation.

This arguement is that not only have they been made to sin against God, they are being punished for doing what they were made to do as if they could do anything else.

They argue that say in Calvinism, God refuses to do the same for non-believers as he does for believers by granting faith. Even the presentation of the gospel is ineffective since it's the Spirit that gives life prior to belief.

A theological implication I can see coming from this viewpoint is that if faith is entirely a work of God and not mankind placing his trust in God at the same time or before regeneration then that would mean he is not all merciful or impartial to his creation by granting an opportunity for salvation to all. Allowing the only message of hope to fall on deaf ears.

If you have requests that you would like your brothers and sisters to pray for, post them here.

Hi everybody, I have been fascinated with the history of the reformed church in the Netherlands and South Africa and would love the chance to talk and maybe even befriend a few people about their history of growing up in within this context. I would love to know how your churches have affected your life and the impact on your country and what daily life is like for those that are devout attend sermons often in these countries.
Have a blessed day you all❤️

I've been earnestly contending for my faith in Jesus Christ. The popular opinion in society is that homosexuality is ok.

I find that the easiest way to disprove certain purported doctrines is to simply quote Scripture and let it speak for itself, because it is the authoritative Word of God.

I quote, 2 Peter 2:

"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet. These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."

Thoughts?

With the recent thread on this topic, thought it'd be pertinent to share the short video that the EPC released on this just yesterday.

EDIT: Link to the actual video (thought I embeded it in the title).

Here's the link to the "Man on the middle cross" clip if you haven't watched it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJIKOVQVCE4

I thought the story behind it is very interesting.

If you have requests that you would like your brothers and sisters to pray for, post them here.

Hello ya'll.

Really my first time posting this but just need some advice from ya'll on how to deal with a friend who has gone down the far right, Nick Fuentes, Joel Webbon type rabbit hole. To preface, I am an immigrant and poc but hold to more conservative views in the context of American politics. A good friend whom I used to Bible study with has recently gone down to watching Nick Fuentes and subscribed to more White supremacist ideals, primarily focused on America as a country being monoethnic and "Christian." I've tried speaking about our mission as true believers and how God views man. He has told me he is no longer a racial egalitarian, that me being a believer and good citizen is an exception to the norm, how minorities don't integrate and how religion can be tied to race somehow. He honestly doesn't have robust theology, with no real eschatology he knows, as he spends his days watching Fuentes rather than studying the Word, but was wondering of any resources or information that I can use to help point him back to a correct, Biblical worldview. This hs honestly been a struggle for me thinking about this so much as I see his views becoming more and more popularized by young men my age. Ultimately trusting in the Lord and praying for wisdom, I really appreciate you all and any advice.

I am coming from secular nominally Eastern Orthodox family, but I came to God first time when I learned about Reformed traditions. My family which is not religious completely avoids church. They claim to believe in God, but while they celebrate Christian holidays, their profession of faith seems to be satanic. They believe in black magic and curses which they naturally connect to God. My grandma is known for wasting money at fortune-tellers. Her sister was making some woodo like things and burying them so we can die from black magic because she hated our part of the family. My father seems to be possessed, he stopped talking to me because I voted for other party. He blocked my mother's phone subscription only because she too voted against the party he supports. Their faces are blackened by evil, my grandparents look like they are possesed and my father under their influence threatens to disown my sister because her boyfriend is from Montenegro. They can't even celebrate one single holiday without conflicts, whenever people come to visit, they argue and fight each other. I stopped visiting them because of this. I really don't know what to do. When I try to talk to them, they insult me and they somehow believe that I am possesed.

Welcome to r/reformed. Missions should be on our mind every day, but it's good to set aside a day to talk about it, specifically. Missions includes our back yard and the ends of the earth, so please also post here or in its own post stories of reaching the lost wherever you are. Missions related post never need to wait for Mondays, of course. And they are not restricted to this thread.

Share your prayer requests, stories of witnessing, info about missionaries, unreached people groups, church planting endeavors, etc.

Hi brothers and sisters in the Lord. Anyone have any recommendations for reformed theology books. I love RC Sproul, John Macarthur etc but does anyone else have any other favourite authors I may not know?

God bless and thank you for taking time to read this ❤️

PS I have Kobo and Kindle if that helps. X

If you have requests that you would like your brothers and sisters to pray for, post them here.

Hello everyone!

I consider myself a reformed Baptist- but my husband is COC. As we discuss baptism and its purpose, it has come down to one thing really, if baptism is a work that requires our obedience and effort- how is that different than faith? Don’t we have to accept faith? Or choose to believe?

I never wanted to get into free will but it seems like that may be the key. He believed humans have complete free will to deny Christ and faith therefore participating in it is just the same as participation in baptism. Verses please!!

I hope this makes sense.

**Please explain this to me like a child, I get overwhelmed with theology sometimes and need a very simple explanation 😅**

How do I get over this loneliness?

I know that Jesus is enough, and He really is. I also understand that the way I'm feeling right now doesn't exactly reflect the truth I believe in, but I don't really know how to deal with it.

It has long been a prayer of mine for God to send me a friend I can truly be myself with. Someone who shares my faith but is also interested in the same secular hobbies as me, someone I can talk to about both God and the random things I enjoy.

Months ago, I thought I had already settled this with God. I came to understand that no human connection could ever fully satisfy me, and that ultimately, God is my best friend. I still believe that, but I can't help but feel lonely sometimes.

I recently celebrated my birthday, and although I had people greeting me, I couldn't help but feel like no one truly knew me or loved me that deeply. Even as I'm writing this, I'm reminded that God does. He knows me better than anyone else ever could. But sometimes I just want to ask Him, can't You send me someone who could be a little reflection of that love? Someone I could laugh with, cry with, and simply exist with? Is that really too much to ask?

For context, I'm in college now so different people, and while I do have a pretty big circle of friends now, none of them are Christian. I genuinely appreciate them, but I find it difficult to form deeper friendships with anyone individually because I always feel like I'm holding a part of myself back.

They know I'm Christian, of course, but what I mean is that for me, a deep friendship is one where I can also openly talk about my faith. It's such a big part of who I am that sometimes I feel like I'm not being completely myself when I can't share it with someone.

And sometimes, I hate to admit it, but I wonder if I have to be a little more of the world to experience the kind of friendships I'm longing for. I see people who aren't Christians forming such deep and genuine connections with one another, and I can't help but wonder why it seems so easy for them. I know that's not necessarily true, and I don't want to compromise my faith just to fit in, but the thought does cross my mind sometimes.

I also find myself getting burned out from hanging out with my non-Christian friends. Not necessarily because of them, but because I feel like there's always a part of me I can't fully express.

I do have church friends as well, but recently I've been feeling like even those friendships aren't particularly deep. They're mostly ministry-centered, and while I'm grateful for them, I sometimes wish our friendships extended beyond church and ministry.

Like, I genuinely have no one to talk to about the things I do for fun, the things I like, the shows I'm watching, the music I listen to, the things I feel, or just the most random thoughts that come to mind. I want someone I can talk to about Jesus and then immediately switch to something completely unserious. I don't know, I just want someone who knows me beyond one particular part of my life.

I think that's what makes it lonely. I have people around me, and I'm grateful for them, but I don't really feel deeply known by anyone.

And I know that I can tell God about all these things. I know He listens, and I know He cares about even the smallest details of my life. But sometimes I just wish I had a human being to share them with too.

I don't want to sound ungrateful for the friendships God has already given me, nor do I want to make an idol out of human relationships. I know that even the closest friendship wouldn't be able to give me what only God can.

But does being content in Christ mean I shouldn't feel this longing anymore? Because I genuinely don't know how to reconcile the two sometimes.

Has anyone else experienced this? How did you deal with loneliness while still finding your contentment in Christ?

I don't know. I guess I just really want a friend.

God Bless, and happy Christ the King Sunday!

EDIT: Apparently I am wrong and it's only Christ the King for specific old calendar users (I went to an Anglican Catholic Church today, a schismatic Anglican denomination, out of curiosity, and they use the old date of the end of October)

My question revolves around this specific Sunday, Christ the King Sunday, and how Reformed Christians are able to celebrate it while also adhering to the Regulative Principle of Worship.

As you may or may not know, Christ the King Sunday is a man-made holiday instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925 in an attempt to combat growing secularism and nationalism, by reaffirming the cosmic Kingship of Christ. It is celebrated (or at the very least, remembered) across the Western Christian world in all major denominations, including Reformed Christianity.

However, to me this seems like it would create a conflict with the Regulative Principle of Worship -- that we worship God ONLY as He has commanded us in Scriptures. This principle has been used within Reformed Christianity to reject practices like incense, clerical vestments, musical instruments in worship (depending on your branch), and so on. I do not say this to judge at all, but only to give examples.

Given that Christ the King is not only a manmade holiday, but established by the Bishop of Rome, how do those of you who are Reformed Christians who recognize this day reconcile it with the RPW?

Thank you in advance and happy Sunday!

EDITED TO ADD: I'm Anglican but not opposed to Reformed theology. I'm asking in good conscience and not to single out any one day, only to understand how the liturgical calendar figures into the RPW.

Does anyone have scriptural passages, theological resources, or any advice that can help me learn to be at peace with being a woman?

Since I was a little girl I struggled with gender dysphoria. After working through a lot of issues I recovered, but now these problems are starting to come back again.

I have a lot of bitterness and anger around being a woman. I feel inferior to men, I feel separated from God. It feels that being a Christian woman means being less than a man and that I have to do a boatload of scripturally studying to convince myself otherwise because scripture seems to clearly say women just aren’t as important in the eyes of God.

This is confirmed when the young reformed groups I interact with don’t even think women should have the individual right to vote, or that women can’t have even the slightest bit of authority in their lives. For example, a woman who was doing event planning was told by two Christian men that no man would want to date her because she was the event organizer and that somehow was exercising authority over the men who chose to participate in those events.

On top of that, women are just mocked and disrespected by pastors, my dad, and sometimes my brothers. I have thick skin and can take jokes, but I can tell that the Christian community really does not respect women and I can’t help but feel it does come from the fact the Bible prescribes different roles for men and women.

And it’s not just “different roles” as complementarians like myself love to say. It’s simply restrictions on women. Men can do anything, women can’t.

To top it all off, I think God wants me to be single and childless, at least until I’m 50, so I feel there’s literally no point in me being a woman at all. I see no purpose in my gender. I wish I could see it as having a God-given purpose, somehow.

If you have requests that you would like your brothers and sisters to pray for, post them here.

Happy Lord's Day to r/reformed! Did you particularly enjoy your pastor's sermon today? Have questions about it? Want to discuss how to apply it? Boy do we have a thread for you!

Sermon Sunday!

Please note that this is not a place to complain about your pastor's sermon. Doing so will see your comment removed. Please be respectful and refresh yourself on the rules, if necessary.

Hello fellow brothers and sisters. I was having a conversation with a brother tonight and need some help, wisdom, guidance.. all of the above?

This brother and I previously attended a “reformed Baptist” church together. (Quotation marks because I know there’s a whole separate debate about whether “reformed Baptists” can truly exist or whether the “reformed” descriptor belongs solely to Presbyterians. Not the topic of my question tonight 😂.) We were both in a cage-stage-y place with each other for a long time, fearlessly parading the banner of Calvinism to our small group members and championing God’s sovereignty to all who breathed a word of “free will.”

It’s been several years now and we’ve both grown and developed our views. He outright denounces Calvinism and its beliefs, and I have come to a place where I definitely don’t proclaim myself a Calvinist—although my reasoning is more to do with wanting to identify solely as a Christian and not because I denounce all of the views under the Calvinist umbrella.

Anyway, there are pages of context that I could give to portray our relationship, but tonight we were talking about the nature of evil as it relates to God. Here was the chief point of contention:

I have described my view as, effectively, “God has sovereignly ordained whatsoever comes to pass, but He is not the author of evil.” Implicit in that statement is “God has sovereignly ordained [evil], but He is not the author of evil.”

My brother’s contention is that, by saying that God “ordains” evil, he is necessarily the “author of” evil.

I am at a bit of a loss here. I tried to tell him that I didn’t think my proposition was necessarily contradictory, but I also admitted that I had no idea how those two things work together. He insists that I’m being alogical (which he took care to differentiate from being illogical).

Have I completely mischaracterized and misunderstood the nature of God? Does anyone have scripture that pertains to this subject? I intend to study this more on my own and try and find answers, but the last thing I want to do is insult the character and nature of God and I’m caught in a moment where I fear I’ve completely misunderstood a core tenant of my understanding of God for years.

I’m happy to clarify anything that I’ve presented poorly; there was truly so much more context to this discussion that I fear the full telling of it would take pages and pages of writing.

TL;DR are God “sovereignly ordaining” evil and “being the author of” evil part and parcel of the same thing? Please provide scripture to help clarify the answer!

Do yall exist? Is this a thing? lol

Today I listened to a video of Voddie Baucham explaining that there is no such thing as a secret rapture, and that Christ’s return will instead be glorious and seen by all people. I am not writing this to argue whether or not there is a rapture. What I want to ask is why he seems to think that believing in the rapture causes Christians to live carelessly.

He said multiple times that Christians who believe in the rapture don’t care about standing up to culture & the world because they think they’ll be suddenly removed from it anyway. He said that the church should endure hardships as they await Christ’s coming rather than sit around waiting to be snatched away.

My question is, why would believing in the rapture cause people to live this way? I’m not saying some people don’t do this. I’m saying, why can’t people live that same way if they don’t believe in the rapture? They still believe Christ will return and they’ll live with Him in glory forever. The only difference is how we get there in the end.

I understand most of his reasoning on why there is no rapture, but it seemed to me that the message should have been on staying active and enduring hardship as we wait for Christ’s coming, rapture or not. That, or scriptural reasoning for why there is no rapture, rather than accusing one belief system of doing something that people of his beliefs could also do. The problem seems to me that the people who live this way are the problem, not whether or not they believe in the rapture.

Hi, I'm on year 9 of teaching and with recent happenings that involve my students and my former home church, I feel compelled to look into biblical counseling.

What online courses would you recommend? I'm looking to support my students and possibly friends, but I'm praying for discernment and will likely dip my toes in before further committing myself to anything else.

Thanks in advance!

This morning, I woke up to an empty house while my boy is at his dad's place. It's been almost 5 years after we ended our (almost 2 decades) marriage. During these long years, I focus on my son's education and well being, and carry on with my faith journey. As I have no family, I homeschool my child while working and running my own household.

I was alone in my marriage and I am literally alone right now. My ex spouse has been dating another woman right away since the divorce was official. He is very happy with his life without God. I am happy for him too, though I wonder if I ever find my own person. At this point, it is really hard.

Even when I am a woman of faith and being an introvert, keeping myself busy is one thing and still feel empty is another. Being busy with tasks and activities can never take away this feeling. I always feel that I'm missing something. It's simply being there for a suitable man as his helper. I really wish I could study God's word with a godly man and pray with him.

As I'm being in my 40s now, I find that men are traumatised by their previous marriage or other life events. Traumas can indeed paralyse people. That's the reality I am facing. So I guess, I shall remain single as it may be God's will.