How to Give a Calvinist Testimony (without saying 'I asked Jesus to come into my heart!')
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- čas přidán 29. 08. 2024
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I grew up IFB and thought I never had a good testimony, because unlike others in my youth group, I didn’t have a “decision” moment and a great dramatic conversion story. I didn’t have an exact time and place of when I accepted Christ. Looking back now, from a reformed perspective, I have an amazing testimony. My faithful mother began telling me about Jesus before I could walk. I grew up in the knowledge of the gospel. I knew I was saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ before my earliest memories. What a blessing that is. God drew me to His Son before I could read, through my mother’s simple teaching of the gospel.
I grew up IFB as well and I had a similar experience. They really like to emphasize this "time and place" theology.
I think Sproul differentiated between "conversion" and a "conversion experience". I grew up in the Church of Christ and later went to a KJVO very fundamentalist SBC church. Both places preached decisionism.
"Ye must be born again."
I have a similar story. Although I did find myself in an alter after a church service was already over. Can’t really say that I even said or done anything. It’s like the spirit just come over me and let me know for sure right then I’d been saved. Wasn’t some magical prayer or something I did lol. Then I got up and told everyone I’d been saved. Luckily I didn’t have anyone hovering over me whispering to me or trying to convince me of anything. I know it was a work of the lord, that moment was just kinda my assurance and a way for me to profess my faith to others. Looking back on it and thru my whole life I know my nature had been changed. Even though I was just 8 years old. Gods grace kept me all those years even when my sanctification process seemed stalled thru the years due to the environment I was in. God was always there due to the fact my nature had truly been changed and I was born again, even though I wasn’t perfect by no means growing up, the holy spirit always guided me in the right direction, cuz given the opportunity, and I had opportunities that I could of totally went the wrong direction. But even in my ignorant young Christian life I know he always led me to do the right things and not take things too far, or far enough to really mess my life up. I know I was born again but I didn’t realize till I was an adult just how ignorant I was of true biblical teaching and theology, and a deeper understanding of who God is. I praise God that his grace is sufficient and he was patient with me till I really started to grasp allot more truth, to be able to have a higher view of him and really dig into his word.up until the last few years it’s like one of those things were I didn’t know, what I didn’t know, cuz I was blinded by so much tradition ism of the baptist churches I’d been in.
Love this! The verse that made me a Christian was Isaiah 6:5
"Woe is me for I am ruined
because I am a man of unclean lips
and live among a people of unclean lips,
and because my eyes have seen the King,
the LORD of Armies."
Blessings to you.
On June 21, 1981, FAITH FOUND ME and my life has never been the same since!
Simple as that.
I believe the best thing is not to overthink the matter, you do not need to be overly "Theological" as you typically do not understand much of this upon first coming to faith in Christ!
Nothing theologically wrong with saying "I first trusted in Christ." It is understood (by "reformed" types) that God granted you repentance and faith in order to believe but as far as you knew at the time YOU TRUSTED IN CHRIST and that is all that really needs to be said.
I am Calvinistic but am a member of a non-Calvinistic Church. Our Sunday School superintendent spoke of his position on Calvinism (Middle of the road view) specifically mentioning the "C" word and immediately caught grief from one of our members. In our Sunday School class, I teach things that are often blatantly and overtly "Calvinistic" while never actually mentioning the "C" word (Just honest exegesis and expository approach to the scriptures) and I receive a "Wow! Great message!" response from this very same crowd!
clandestine calvinist, what s holding you back from sharing your filthy theology in your church?
I went from " when I accepted the Lord" to "when the Lord saved me"...
oddly enough theologiclally, non-calvinists can say that too... (since we bellieve God inntiates salvation by providing light and revalation and the gospel while man responds to that, and then God regenerates and saves him) wonder why we don't say it that way more though.
@@Swiftninjatrev Regeneration proceeds belief
@@NoKingButChrist1689 maybe that's the difference.
I enjoy your videos as they continue to teach me and make me feel at home.
What great suggestions for clearly and biblically articulating your testimony!
Also what a great way to teach what the Bible says about salvation by articulating in this way.
Had me laughing at the “emphasis syllable” comment 😂
Thank you for this video--it's a solid question. "Souls" is a fine book; it really helped clarify my understanding of some fundamentals.
Pastor, thank you for unpacking this topic for all of us. Very helpful!
Very good! Same page! God is the 100% sovereignty. Praise God for His grace and mercy on us.
I great ly appreciate this explanation! I can echo many of the earlier comments with an IFB type background where all the emphasis is on the "decision" and not on Christ alone
Thanks for another helpful and awesome video! Can you do a video on whether women can be called deacons?
This is good brother.
Great video! Would you consider making a video where you respond to the main arguments that Baptists use against infant baptism. I watched your video where you responded to the Baptists' arguments for immersion being the only valid mode of baptism, and I found it to be very helpful. I'm particularly interested in how you would deal with Hebrews 8, which Reformed Baptists use a lot. Thanks!
What you said about John 3 makes me think that I may be Calvinist. I’ve always had that view.
Helpful. Thank you.
Excellent!
Little children "ask Jesus into their heart" and do so sincerely with all their heart (Matt.18:3). Jesus knows 'what is in man' (Jn.2:25) and has a remedy for 'ignorance that is in them' (Eph.4:18). Reading and hearing Him is vital (Eph.4:21) to salvation (Lu.2:30) and receiving Him (Jn.1:12)...not merely "weekly" (Heb.10:25) but actually 'daily' (Heb.3:13). Some people know that the Father will 'send forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts' (Gal.4:6) because Jesus is living in them (Gal.2:20) and they remember His words, 'Ask, and it shall be given you...For every one that asketh receiveth...' (Matt.7:7,8,11, Lu.11:13, Rom.8: 9,10). The testimony is clear (Jn.3:27,33) that is from God (Rev.12:11). It's about time that believers got more concerned about the truth (2Thes 2:10) and received it 'with meekness' (Ja.1:21) before it's passed them by (Ja.4:6,10, 1Pet.1:8,9, 5:5),6,12). Easy answers are in the Word.
When I give my witness, as a non-Calvinist, the one thing I don’t even think to do is to be all about Arminianism. I don’t even consider Jacobus Arminius. He is not Christ. I would never want a Calvinist to begin with Calvin either. What I do give is the biblical truth of salvation and I begin with what John 3:16 says about the gift of grace in Christ.
Of course, it’s all about being biblical. That’s what Calvinism is about.
I hear some preachers say, the Holy Spirit is a gentleman- I would love to hear a biblical response to this
The Holy Spirit is not a man that’s why its called the holy spirit. Keyword there is spirit.
@@aletheia8054 The Holy Spirit is not an it,though. The Holy Spirit is a Person Who is very much part of the triune God head.
@@briankady1456 In greek it’s a neuter it, but still a person. But not a gentleman or a man
@@aletheia8054In English it implies not a person so he is more correct.
Is there a gospel tract that you recommend?
It seems like few of the people who have commented have watched the whole video, or maybe they just didn't pay attention to it.
Honest question: If God gave you the gift of salvation BEFORE belief in Christ's sacrifice (even if it was just a milli-second before), why did He have to die and pay such a great price?
John 14:6 NASB95
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; *_no one comes to the Father but through Me._*
Ephesians 1:13 KJV
In whom ye also trusted,
*_after that ye heard_* ... *_the gospel of your salvation:_*
... *_after that ye believed,_*
*_ye were sealed with that holy Spirit_* of promise,
Did you just say which God called us?
What did the thief on the cross ack.
While I do cringe when a Christian’s testimony is all in the first person I don’t see how sharing that we received Him is unbiblical. But I don’t see how giving a legit testimony of what God did for us is any more difficult. It ought to be easy to give Him all the glory when we can share how He must’ve supernaturally opened our eyes for us to go from not believing to believing the gospel.
So? Can you reject the Lord’s leading .. and say no I don’t want this salvation plan ??
Not according to The Reformed.
Book suggestion: "Spurgeon vs. Hyper-Calvinism: The Battle for Gospel Preaching", by Ian Murray.
Hyper Calvinism is simply being consistent. Own it or dethrone it.
@@truthseeker5698 it is not consistent with scripture. Hyper calvinism believes that the elect are saved whether they hear and believe the gospel or not. It believes that you only are to share the gospel to the elect. This is absolutely unbiblical. See Romans 10:9-17
Calvinism correctly understands what the bible teaches that the elect will hear the gospel and believe and be saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. God uses the gospel message to save people. There is no other way to be saved. many people who have a problem with calvinism are actually thinking of hyper calvinism but aren't even aware that there is such a thing.
No. They are saved and hearing the Bible is the means of salvation not the primary cause. It is entirely consistent.
With all due respect, here is what the Bible says about coming to the truth and knowledge. It sounds like somebody hears the word of God and then they believe..
Romans 10:17
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
And it sounds like God is at the front of that, not the man's hearing or anything else about the man. "The word was with God and the word was God." God is the one who gives ears to hear.
Off the point a bit- I noticed you have more grey than I have even though I am older than you, only 52 yrs old with slightly grey on my beard. I suppose to obtain James 1:5 in order to get more grey? LOL! Yeah, same thing with my coworker who is pastor in Chicago area...there are some Christians accuse him as not born again because he did not knee down and ask Jesus Christ come in his heart. He tried to explain to them but they just stubborn. John 3:5 is what he use that to explained. Oh boy. Alrighty, I love you in the Lord! 🤟
Hey! Retitle this video! only the cringe mainstream arminians say that! I certainly don't! 😂(thanks for the tips)
Helping people by indoctrination, you must have listened to a sermon by John MacArthur. Teaching someone to give their testimony sort of cuts away at authenticity.
It’s authentically cultish. They are being true to their system. Definitely not a relational dynamic.
I had a real conversion when I was a little kid about 55 years ago. I prayed a sinner's prayer. I hear some Calvinists say they are anti "sinners prayer" The Bible says "To many as receive Him - He gave them the power to be the sons of God." Praying is speaking to the Lord. So I guess I was partly wrong - I was suppose to receive Jesus but I wasn't suppose to tell Him about it. LOL. I even asked Jesus to live in my heart - I prayed that for myself as Paul prayed that for the Ephesians. Anti "sinner's" prayer sermons sound to me like someone is trying to shut down folks from practicing Romans 10:10. I hear the argument that some people have against "sinner's prayers" is that some folks just recite it - and they aren't sincere - its like checking a box. OK - I have seen that. But not as often as I have seen insincere folks use baptism the same way. We aren't abandoning baptism also - are we? A couple of things I have heard in Calvinist circles seem to be trying o discourage evangelism. Another one is discouraging street evangelism because you won't have the opportunity to teach them. They say "We are called to make disciples not converts." No clue that you cannot disciple anybody who has not converted. No idea that the first step in discipleship is conversation. Absolutely no confidence in the Holy Spirit to lead one who has just received the Lord to Christians who can continue o disciple the new convert. I only hear these discouragements to evangelism from the Calvinists and Reformed Baptists...OK... occasionally I will hear it from a Charismatic that hasn't witnessed to anybody for several years.
Nice try. Speaking bible? Speaking reformed? Dancing around the truth? Definitely.
Yeah, you too can be saved, if you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior AND provided you are one of the elect. Thumbs DOWN, way down.
@@JC-sj2pd You first.
If you accept, you are the elect.
Hello! Would you give me the reference(s) in Scripture telling us to "accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior"? I see commands like "repent" and "believe", but not "accepting" or "asking Jesus into your heart". Thanks!
Calvinist testimonies are lies.
Lol calvinism.
Always so dogmatic.