Comments on: Why Are You Reformed? Your Top 5 Reasons

By: Top 10 Posts For The Weekend – plus 7 extra | Said at Southern

Top 10 Posts For The Weekend – plus 7 extra | Said at Southern — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 02:51:45 +0000

[...] Why Are You Reformed? from Provocations & Pantings [...]

By: Timmy Brister

Timmy Brister — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 01:04:26 +0000

Thanks for sharing Douglas. Good stuff!

By: Douglas K. Adu-Boahen

Douglas K. Adu-Boahen — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 23:49:53 +0000

Here goes with my five reasons [in no particular order...]:

1. I grew frustrated with the lack of teaching in my Pentecostal church
2. I began to read the Book of Romans and couldn’t sleep when I got to Romans 9
3. I couldn’t argue
4. I couldn’t redefine the terms “predestined”, “chosen”, “elect” and such
5. I downloaded everything I could from Monergism in one summer

If I could add a sixth, it would be the counsel of several mature Christians who helped me with my many objections

By: Timmy Brister

Timmy Brister — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 20:08:17 +0000

Alan,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

By: Alan

Alan — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 20:36:16 +0000

I have been a believer as long as I can remember. In studying reformed doctrine, I personally find things that concern me, mostly relating to the wide spectrum of what I’ve read by many authors, bloggers, and conversation with reformed friends. One is that some refer to the necessity of accepting the gift of salvation as a ‘Work’, as in a ‘works based’ belief system. It seems odd that one could have this opinion when there are so many references in scripture to an actual act that the person must perform, as in Romans 10:9, 10:10, 10:13, Acts 2:31, Acts 16:21, believing in your heart may or may not be an ‘act’ depending on who you’re talking to, but I guarantee you that confessing with your mouth that He is Lord is an action by the person without question. I won’t quote the verses, but it addresses salvation in just these few. So does this mean I believe in a works based theology, I think not.
One other major issue that no one seems to discuss, maybe because it’s pretty distasteful. In this country alone, almost 50 million babies have been aborted since Rowe v Wade. It appears to me that enthusiastic adherents to reformed theology should address their opinion of the fate of the portion of these little ones that are not among the elect. I haven’t read all the texts, nor heard sermons that some posters cite, but I am a believer, so… if I assume that makes me one of the elect, why do I care? I can’t help but believe that Christ was sent for all, at least that’s what the scriptures lead me personally to believe.
All I’m saying is that predestination and free will are both taught in scripture, so why can’t it be that they both are truth.

By: Kendall

Kendall — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 01:22:17 +0000

Like Joe Thorn, “In my case (no church background, and after conversion not attending a Reformed church, just reading the Bible) it was reading that fleshed the details out for me.”

So, (1) converted out of the blue and (2) the Scripture explained that as a supernatural work (John 3:3-8;6:37-39, 44; Rom. 9; Eph 1:1-14; 2:1-10….). (3)Other books of influence like Richard Blecher’s, Journey in Grace or Steele and Thomas’s, Five Points of Calvinism. (4) Reformed friends like Dennis Helton. (5) Reformed websites.

By: Brian Daugherty

Brian Daugherty — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 16:44:25 +0000

I grew up amongst Arminian, charismatic churches, many of whom embraced word of faith theology to some degree.

Still, I eventually became Reformed in my soteriology.

1. By observing my life since I accepted Jesus at age 18, I believe that He had to be the one who chose me, because in my wretched sinfulness if it were left up completely to me I would have always chosen my sin and selfish desires hands down every time.

2. The man who led the “college and career” group at the church I got saved at, and later planted a Foursquare church that I began attending, told me he leaned toward Calvinism.

3. I would suppose by hearing Steve Brown and John MacArthur on the radio that some more seeds may have been planted in regards to my Reformed convictions. Steve Brown in particular made an impression on me that God loved me no matter what I did or didn’t do, and that He was working in my life to bring me to perfection in that day of Christ Jesus the Bible speaks of (all backed by his Reformed views).

4. Being a participant on a blog run by a pastor named Michael Newnham, and the constant Calvinism/Reformed vs. Arminian debates going on there, helped me see the issues first hand, and come to an understanding of where I believed the Bible lined up in regards to this debate.

5. Reading materials, and listening to podcasts by the likes of Piper, Sproul, Michael Horton, Mark Driscoll, Sam Storms and many others have reinforced my Reformed viewpoints.

By: Mark Dever on the Resurgence of Calvinism « Provocations & Pantings

Mark Dever on the Resurgence of Calvinism « Provocations & Pantings — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 18:23:02 +0000

[...] Dever on the Resurgence of Calvinism A couple of months ago, I asked folks why they are (or how they became) Reformed. Mark Dever concludes today his ten-part series, “Where’d All These Calvinists Come [...]

By: Timmy Brister

Timmy Brister — Sat, 26 May 2007 08:35:46 +0000

Stuart,

Anytime my friend. I’m glad you made it over here, and I look forward to visiting you over there. Have a wonderful weekend.

Timmy

By: Stuart McCray

Stuart McCray — Fri, 25 May 2007 21:29:58 +0000

It is great Timmy that we can come together and bring encouragement and support to each other. There isn’t enough Christian encouragement as it is and for two complete strangers to be able to communicate and encourage is a real blessing of God’s grace.

hope we can continue this in other ways.

–
Stuart
http://www.thirstforchrist.blogspot.com