Calvinism: So Much More than T.U.L.I.P | Are you sure you understand it? | Why it’s SO important 

Her statement that under Calvinism the election is the good news rather than the savior... it's the absolute best argument ever against Calvinism.

Have you noticed that Calvinists study books as much as (more than?) the Bible? Actually, it’s a practice I see all the time now. People gather to study books and commentaries (what if they’re wrong?) as opposed to hashing the Bible out together, letting the Bible explain and define itself. That was the best tool I’ve learned. And dumping Augustine’s method of allegorizing/spiritualizing what is intended to, can, and should be taken literally. This has been the game changer for my understanding the Bible so clearly. 😃

That was a brilliant summary of what Calvinism is truly about. I’m 74-years-old and have been part of a Calvinist church for 2 years now and have been ‘seeing’ ALL these things you describe. It’s very troubling because now that I have moved cities as part of a church plant, these errors are glaringly obvious and extremely troubling. I began reading Dave Hunt’s book “What Love Is This?” which opened my eyes to the influence of Augustine, Luther and Calvin. I also began listening to Leighton Flowers who interviews an incredible number of solid biblical scholars including your family friend, Jason Breda, who has produced those wonderful videos on why he left Calvinism. I’m shocked and appalled at how deep this doctrine goes. My main concern now is for the many young people in our group (including my son and his wife) who do not have a solid understanding of scripture. I’ve been doing my best to be kind, loving and tactful but my inner turmoil is profound. I’m now in a new city and a different province and must somehow try to navigate this situation with grace and in a Christ honouring way. This video could have been me talking and I so appreciate everything you shared because it helps me to realize “I’m not crazy!” When I mentioned to my pastor that I was researching Calvinism and the deeper I go, the more I believe it is unbiblical. His answer was “If you decide you don’t believe in Calvinism, you were predestined not to believe in it!” This really seems like a form of brainwashing to me. I was also accused by another young MacArthur devoteé that I was ‘too emotional’! I can attest to EVERYTHING you share here, including the pride, obsession with book reading and lack of empathy or compassion for those not ‘elect’. Personally, I find this ideology very wicked and a horrible misrepresentation of our Loving Heavenly Father. Thanks for the time you invest to ‘putting this information out there’. Blessings to you and your family. 🙏🏻🕊️❤️

Really appreciate your thoughts on Calvinism Alana. Coming from an Irish Catholic background,it was hard to confess to family/friends that I’d become a Christian 15 years ago. The problem then became that all I really knew was Calvinism and I became an avid follower of many well known Calvinist preachers. You talked about reading books and being filled with pride and that was me. I would have looked down on non calvinists as being either shallow in their faith or not even saved. However all the time I was never really happy about what I was supposed to believe in Calvinism but just got on with it because I felt that these preachers I looked up to were almost infallible. Very recently (the last 2 weeks) something has happened and the Lord has opened me up to other view’s especially Leighton Flowers,Mike Winger and yourself. I bought Leighton Flowers book “The potters promise” and have checked all the scripture references in it and watched a load of RU-vid videos on the subject. I can feel my heart softening and a joy coming back that I haven’t had for a long while,Praise God 🙌 Please pray for me as I still have the thoughts that it can’t be this simple but I do feel excited that the pure simple Gospel is not the insane maze that I’ve been trapped in for years.

This is what I’m trying to walk away from right now. Such a difficult transition but thank God that I’m not alone and I know I’m definitely not crazy.

Please never stop exposing the lies, especially since you've likely gained the attention of one of the so-called Giants of the faith. Your kindness, respect and gentleness speaks volumes!

I’m currently looking into pulling my kids out of a Calvinist school after this year to homeschool them. My oldest is in third grade and they’ve been teaching less biblical history and more church doctrine recently. I can’t keep playing defense anymore. Too much is slipping through. You don’t learn to identify bad theology by studying bad theology.

Imagine you & some friends are trapped inside a burning building, a firefighter rescues you. At first you are so grateful but then you notice that the firefighter didn’t rescue your friends, he could of but he decided not to. You are rightfully upset, then someone comes along and tells you to hush up, just be grateful that the firefighter saved you! This is what Calvinism claims about God, rather they realize it or not. I can’t help but see how this seriously damages God’s reputation. God is a GOOD God, not an egomaniac that has to determine everything to make himself look great. Thanks for the video.

I must have been raised in Calvinism but just didn't know it. We moved a lot growing up and my mom definitely was open, especially as the charismatic movement emerged, to trying different denominations or attending a church based on a friend's recommendation, so it was tough for me to really grab hold of any "school of thought" (or for it to grab hold of me.) My mom did teach me to read my Bible and God taught me early (a singing group I was in became a cult when I was 16,) to always test the spirits and remember HE is my rock, He is the only one I can fully trust, so that was probably good, and even in my Presbyterian college, where we had to take two years of learning about the intertwining of philosophy and Christianity, I just checked out--literally didn't read the books, retained just enough to get a C. So, I really never knew from Calvin/Whoever. But what I did know was "legalism" and to this day (I'm 62) there's something in me drawn to that camp. I determined awhile back that--for me--the draw is pride. It can take many form, but at the center is always ME. Fast forward to about ten years ago. My younger brother, never quite as fervent in his faith as a younger person as I had been, for lack of a better way to understand it, became a "MacArthurite". Initially this seemed a good thing, still seems good in a lot of ways, but I will never forget one night when we were camping (we live far apart so see each other maybe once a year,) he went off, started preaching. He has a very strong personality, speaks with passion, and it was hard to deny that he had changed--and as a person who'd accomplished much and had much to be proud of, HE seemed more humble. But his message--and he did go into election and whatever it is they like to camp on--was so...severe...that I felt like a slug that had salt poured over it. And I don't doubt my salvation, or that God loves me. It was just the angriest "good news" I think I'd ever heard. He did make me think, "maybe salvation isn't as simple as I thought it was," really opened a can of worms. But it didn't draw me to MacArthur (whom I've now listened to a little, and like many, it's hard not to appreciate much of what he says.) And it scared me that my brother (and his wife) in some ways seemed SOoo devoted. Again, I can appreciate that they loved getting meaty teaching, but, we were abused as kids and I think that makes a strong "safe" leader very alluring, just safe, for us, might not be super healthy, so...I feared for him, too. And what I detected in MacArthur was just not something I wanted to engage with. (Now that stories have come out about how abused women, or the abusive husbands, were allegedly treated, I can see why my radar went off.) At any rate, I feel really stupid for how little I know (how few books I've read, how simplistic my faith is,) but I've never not read my Bible. As I continue to stumble upon these videos and see how many things there are to argue about, I guess I'm kind of glad. God has been quite able to get me where He's wanted me to go (which is not to say I'm not a very stupid/curious/wander sheep that's ended up in many a pickle,) almost entirely without the benefit of any "doctrine" at all. Thank you for your efforts...to get called out (even if not by name) by John MacArthur is...something!

This covers so much! At the end, I was thinking about the two wills of God in Calvinism-doublespeak wordplay and confusion! God is good-period!

I think it was N.T. Wright who I first heard say that there was "still a mystery" to how it all works, and that simple acknowledgement made so much sense to me, ironically. Calvinism always felt like the application of man's reasoning to try to explain the mysteries of God rather than humbly accepting that God's nature is beyond our finite understanding. It just seems like a consequence of man's pride to try to make God fit into a box according to a series of semi-logical inferences instead of accepting that God's ways are above our own.

Alana... I found your channel through your interview with Leighton. I am very thankful that you have shared your journey. I was never Calvinist and, honestly, never heard of it until three years ago. I believe that God was educating me because the church we were soon to join ended up being reformed. I have chewed on this for all three years, asked myself if my non-Calvinist understanding was errant, dove into the Bible, prayed, prayed and prayed more. I am still not a Calvinist. And we have just left our church, in part, because of the conviction that I feel concerning it. They are wonderful people! I absolutely count them as Christian brothers and sisters. But I can't knowingly allow my children to be raised in something that is false. We have watched all of these videos (we being my wife and I). You put forth your points very clearly and honestly. It is very refreshing. Thank you! God bless you...

“You cannot put your hope in people”… So true! So true! I am glad you emphasized this truth! Most people end up learning this the hard way unfortunately.

I am so glad to hear you came out of Calvinism. While I didn't come out of Calvinism, I had s similar journey with a church called Worldwide Church of God with headquarters in Pasadena. The church went through a church split because the church leaders came to the realization they were teaching bad theology. It was a painful journey but I wouldn't change the experience and I thank God for helping me come out of that. Many years later I was introduced to Calvinism but because of my previous experience I was very cautious and knew something was not right. And even though some of the scriptures Calvanists use that makes their theology seem it's true, there were other scriptures that debunked Calvinism. The one scripture I couldn't really explain was Romans 9:1 and didn't know how to explain it but thanks to Leighton Flowers I know the reason why Paul wrote Romans 9:1. So happy Leighton Flowers is being used mightily by God to help Calvanists come out of a bad theology and glad to see you are also helping others see the light.

Yes! I used to be so critical and judgmental too and since leaving our Calvinist church I just say wow we’ve come from such a proud place to a more humble place.

Good video Alana! Our church hired a “Reformed” preacher that wasn’t honest with his beliefs when hired. He literally destroyed our church with his Calvinism and then cuts and runs afterwards. Calvinism is a different gospel than what you read in scripture.

When are we all going to finally do the hard thing and agree that Calvinism is “another gospel” instead of playin’ around.

Calvanism is a man made religion. The Bible never said, get into Calvanism to be saved, so why are some people adding to God's Word? (The word, 'Calvanism' is not even in the Bible, so that's a dead give-away, straight away.) The Bible also instructs us not to be divided, and not to say, I follow Peter, or I follow Paul. Calvanism is this exact thing: following John Calvin. So for people who follow God, follow Jesus and read the Bible, alarm bells should go off straight away at the very word, Calvanism. Love xx

Alana, you’ve helped me more than you could ever know! And I’m sure there are many more who could say the same thing… thank you so much for sharing your story!

God is good for setting us free from the wrong gospel. May the Lord bless you sis!

Calvinists have “tells” that give their belief away. One of them is when they speak favorably of Augustine. My wife and I were church shopping and found a church that seemed like a good fit. But on the third Sunday we attended, the pastor spent about 60 seconds praising Augustine. That red flag was all it took. I called the church the following week to ask if they were a Calvinist church and one of the pastors told me “we lean Calvinist.” “Lean Calvinist?” That means they are 100% Calvinist! We never went back.

Calvinism never made any sense to me: How can you criticize other Christians for straying away from the Gospel if you really believe God ordained everything that ever happens? God is the reason they strayed and what can we say to anyone?? 👀

Praise God you escaped the grip of Calvinism. We did as well. It grieves my heart that many are ensnared by it. Keep learning & growing in truth, thy Word is truth, John 17:17. I had to come out of Calvinism first before understanding that the Bible must not only be believed, but it must be rightly divided ( 2 Tim.2:15 KJB) in order to not be caught up in the confusion that happens when we fail to SEPARATE doctrine for God's prophetic program for Israel with it's earthly promised kingdom gospel FROM doctrine for the church the Body of Christ, which began after the ascended Christ began His heavenly ministry( to restore the heavenly realm with the BOC) by revealing progressive truth, new info to Paul. We are not believing Israel or replacement Israel or spiritual Israel; we are a brand NEW entity, the BOC & Paul is the first one in it & he is our only apostle who wrote 13 epistles ( Romans-Philemon) to us & that's our doctrine. The rest of the Bible is speaking to either the nation Israel or to the believing remnant of Israel in the future after the BOC is raptured out of here. Nearly ALL of denominational Churchianity today has failed to rightly divide this way separating prophecy program from mystery program. Instead they have sought to HARMONIZE it all together. WRONG! God says He will bring it all together HIMSELF in the disp of the fulness of times, Eph. 1:10 KJB! They do make SOME cuts but in the wrong places, such as between the O.T. & N.T. EVEN THOUGH MML&J are STILL O.T. books! Yes, the publisher misplaced that page between Malachi & Matthew. Look up Heb.9: 16 KJB & see for yourself when a testament begins. Christ didn't die till the END of those books which means they are still O.T. Not only that, when Jesus came in the flesh here on earth, His entire ministry was under the disp of LAW & was to minister to the lost sheep of Israel ( that's not us)& that's why there's a verse that says in His earthly ministry He died FOR THE MANY bc AT THAT TIME, it was only revealed SO FAR that He died for the elect ISRAEL, God's chosen ppl for a special SERVICE to be a light to the rest of the world so that the rest of the world could be saved by blessing Israel, going through them.) It was not revealed until much LATER, after Christ appeared to Paul, that ANYONE can now be saved by simply believing/trusting the finished work of Christ on our behalf to have the atonement NOW, Christ IN US the hope of glory! The only gospel that saves today is 1 Cor.15:1-4, Eph.2:8-9 KJB, faith + NOTHING. Israel's gospel is faith + works as per their covenant requires them. (the testaments, old & new, covenants old & new have to do with Israel's program, not ours)We, on the other hand, have a FREE GIFT! But after we are raptured, then that prophetic program for Israel will resume right where it was paused (almost 2,000 yrs ago ) & then Heb-Rev will be Israel's instruction at that time, the Trib & beyond. Please, please, please go to graceambassadors.com if you'd like to learn how to rightly divide the Scriptures as 2 Tim. 2:15 KJB instructs. Justin Johnson's you tubes are fantastic. It will open your eyes up as never before & you will clearly see how wrongly dividing Israel's program from the BOC's & mixing the two together by thinking that Gen.-John & Heb-Rev is OUR MAIL when it is not, can lead to man-made clever philosophical reasoning such as C. or other false doctrines in order to MAKE SENSE OF CONFLICTING DOCTRINE that wasn't even written to us in the first place! There is a little booklet that helped me a lot called We are Not Grafted In by Terence D. McLean that explains using Scripture how the Bible isn't even talking about the BOC when it comes to the grafting in issue. Thank you for reading this & thanks for your great videos! There is ANOTHER OPTION, but sadly, most of denominational Churchianity ( i.e., the world's RELIGIOUS SYSTEM)is blinded bc they are so terribly confused & therefore don't even have the clear gospel or commission for today( which is to make all men see the mystery truths revealed to Paul for us in the BOC, Eph.3:9 KJB) bc they are stuck in MML&J under the law program for Israel :( when they need to believe the true gospel, (not a gospel cliche) & then first get stablished in Romans- Philemon before trying to understand the rest of the Bible @ God's earthly restoration project. We are celestial, we get the heavens while they are terrestrial, they get the earth! Grace & Peace!

You are presenting the Gospel so beautifully. Easy to understand. No confusion at all.

I never realized how much Calvinism has grown. I've noticed it in several Bible studies that I've done, when I would have never looked at that person as a Calvinist. I started listening to one very conservative pastor on RU-vid. I listened to one of his audiobooks and loved it, never realizing he was a Calvinist. But when listening to his second book, I started doubting my son's salvation, because he was saved young and is still only a teenager. He has not fallen away, but the book made me wonder if he would persevere. I had to put the book away. I knew he was wrong in that area, but I couldn't even listen to any of it. What confuses me, is that these conservative Calvinist pastors believe in determinism, yet they preach to Christians about how to be better Christians. They call out people that believe in a false gospel, and they get very upset over the sin in the world. All of those things of course are things pastors and all Christians should focus on. But if one believes in determinism, how can that person be upset with anyone else's actions that were already determined and they don't have the free will to choose otherwise. The contradiction is so evident, yet they won't recognize the contradiction.

This!! You have taken everything that I’ve learned in the last 3 yrs after a major church split over Calvinism, and you have packaged it perfectly! It’s the video that I have only been able to envision making myself! You said everything that I would want to say. I’m so glad that this video is out there for people to learn from. You are humble, honest, and God-honoring. Bless you and your efforts!!

Thank you so much for your testimony. This really helped me. I have a friend who was deceived into this false teaching. I do see how it’s damaging. He teaches the Bible but I noticed this transition as if there’s not much life in Him anymore and I know whom Jesus sets free He is free indeed. He came to give us life and life more abundantly. Now I’m not referring to conjuring up emotions or anything but the Holy Spirit of God is a spirit of liberty and freedom. This is not a freedom to sin but just a liberating spirit… you just notice all the fruits of the spirit in a person instead of having this rigid belief that unless I persevere I must not be elect. Obviously that would affect someone’s security as a believer. I believe in perseverance as a Christian but not as Calvinistic sense. Rather I’m preserved by the Holy Spirit which allows me to persevere. If I walk away from God I know I would be in a miserable state until I got back in fellowship with Him. Guess what? I did walk away for many years and I was a miserable mess. Knowing that I tasted of something in my life that this world cannot reproduce that satisfied my longing soul I couldn’t help but come to my senses like the prodigal son and heed my way back to the father. I live with the guilt for having wasted so many years of my life but my fellowship is being restored day by day. I would recommend to any born again Christian to not grieve the Holy Spirit. It is so easy to get lazy sometimes in reading scripture and staying in prayer but we must be consistent to stay strong in the faith and grow in grace.

"I am of Calvin." 1 Corinthians 3:4

I do agree that Calvinists have an "elite club" mentality. They got the ultimate Golden ticket. Get really upset when you argue that everyone is given that ticket, but some throw it away.

Manicheanism was a very popular "buffet style" pagan religion, meaning that it let its adherents "mix and match" from a wide range of religions, including Gnosticism (a mixture of pagan Greek philosophy and some aspects of Judaism and Christianity), Zoroastrianism (the ancient Persian religion that believed in an unending battle between evenly matched good and evil gods and their armies) and even Buddhism in the eastern areas of its sphere of influence. Augustine was a member of the Gnostic brand of Manicheanism, hence his heavy use of pagan Greek philosophical thought, which included pagan Greek presupposition of what gods were like, in formulating his theology.

My turn from Calvinism was when I realized that Calvinism required me to be a robot. I had no choice, and how far did that go? The truth is, God is restoring us to Himself. Satan had a choice whether to sin or not. Eve had a choice. It seems scary, but the fact is, we will always have free choice whether or not to Love God. However, this life of woe and misery that we have been rescued from, and our union with God will keep us with Him in His presence. Once we are finally glorified, the sinful nature is taken, and our restored souls is what is left over. We will be filled with the Holy Spirit for eternity, and none of us will want to lose that because we KNOW what that means. We will forever be partakers of the Divine Nature and none of us will ever give that up.

58:22 It's so ironic that a doctrine which claims to be all 'grace' and 'all God'.. ultimately has people looking for evidence of their own salvation in their works.🤔 It was reported that near the endo of his life Dr. R.C. Sproul expressed the 'hope' that he had done enough.... how sad. The inherent fly in Calvinist ointment is 'evanescent grace'. Once someone accepts it as fact that God will actually bestow 'temporary grace' on some people which causes them to act and believe 'as if' they are saved, only to pull the prayer rug out from under them at some point in the future.... Who can ever know if he's doing it to them....😮 If someone can only believe in Christ because God has 'forced' them against their own will,(also as Sproul affirmed saying that , "the unregenerate has no choice", it follows that someone who later abandons the faith also does so by God's eternal decree. Again, it's an attack on the character of our Heavenly Father to suggest he would do that to anybody. An honest Calvinists must consider if he's doing it to them........ and God cannot be trusted. What you think about Jesus today may not last till tomorrow... because 'it's all God". Satan always brings the attack against the nature of God.... always.

I've experienced this critical spirit against emotionalism as some sort of a religious spirit . I don't know if there's such thing but some bondage of darkness. I can relate. God's love flows more through me when I actually believe he is love and loves those he created.

Alana Thank you for your witness and testimony. Thank you for being the bright light to the soul crushing darkness of Calvinism.

The pinnacle for me was hearing a pastor say that Jesus Christ was a Calvinist which catapulted me into studying for myself and your videos complimented my own journey to understand for myself. Studying the proof texts helped me to clearly see. I’m so grateful for you taking a stand and helping others. Beautiful lady in pursuit of truth x

Thanks Alana. I have appreciated your other videos about your journey from Calvinism and was happy to see you have made another. It is a struggle I am working on at this time and have been for awhile. The last decade I have been in a VERY Calvinist church and denomination, and over the last two years have been questioning the doctrines of the system by closer Bible reading and seeing the Bible text does not match the specific references on creeds and confessions . You hit the nail on the head-They need multiple Systematic Theologies, Biblical Theologies, each thousands and thousands of pages each, to explain what Paul used 4 Spirit-filled pages to explain in language anyone can understand.

Sorry Sister to comment a second time..but I was watching again this morning and you made so many good points that inspired me and, along with my morning tea, got my blood pumping, my brain percolating, and my soul praising "Amen". Calvinism does so many thought stopping devices when presenting their theology-every other Protestant theology , like Anabaptism, Arminianism or Provisionism is labeled "Pelagian" so you automatically don't consider them; and other theologies from the Reformation era, such as Lutheranism or Anglicanism, that have differing views to some doctrines Calvinism hold dear, are ignored or labeled "too Roman Catholic." While there are Dispensationalists who hold to Calvinist soteriology (like MacArthur) I have had several Calvinist Covenantal pastors/teachers tell me Dispensationalism is heresy. All thought stopping devices. When I began to look at the cross-references in the Westminster Standards that were placed by the original authors to "prove" the Biblical basis for the doctrines in those creeds and confessions, I was hoping I was going to get a major Bible study; instead I found many are out of context and have nothing to do with the doctrine being espoused. Because I was being taught that the creeds are THE LENS YOU must read the Bible through, this disconnect was eye-opening and theologically shattering. You have to read the Bible through the creeds to see Calvinism in the Bible. You cannot read the Bible for yourself and see the creeds and Calvinism plainly. Finally, you are right about spiritual warfare. At this time in history spiritual warfare is more apparent than at any time in my 60 years. But Calvinism cannot truly participate in combat. We can give lip service to Satan's influence "out there" but "in here" we are elect -we do not have to worry about apostasy, deception, believers falling away. And if they do fall, they were never of us and were made for damnation. This is why MacArthur's Lordship Salvation and Piper's Final Justification doctrines are so wicked. There can be no comfort or joy in Christ, just anxiety and depression because you have to prove your election by thoughts, words, and deeds already predetermined from eternity past. If you don't have those works, then they weren't given to you, and you were deceived into thinking you were Elect for the Glory of God. So twisted. No wonder so many Christians live lives of utter despair. Keep up the good work my Sister in Christ. I hope you and your family have found a church home where Christ is preached, his Word is taught, and the Spirit fills you and yours with the joy that comes form knowing God is good and He loves you.

Its Evident that Augustine had an even Greater influence on the course of Christianity in General not just Calvinism itself. Ultimately there was a Great Apostasy, and a Loss of plain and Precious Truths.

Everything you say here is EXACTLY how I saw Calvinism for years after when I first heard the doctrine ! Even about cessationism . I used to struggle in the beginning because it all sounded so intelligent and I bought into some of their power verses ... but it didn't take long to realize this is very different from what I understood scripture. I finally got over the control and emotional upset it had on me and I can worship with reformed folks and I'm at peace . Thank you for being a few of growing voices . I'll leave with this .. if Calvinism is wrong they have been a huge stumbling block for.a lot of possible converts

Alana, this is great! There is no middle ground on where to stand. Calvinism is a cult. Glad to hear you refer to Kevin @ BTF. He and Leighton have given me a great education on Calvinism. From Kevin's side, he had brought a more militaristic approach to fighting this thing. God bless and keep you! 🙏🙏🙏🙏

God is relational, but under Calvinism there is only one way that God relates to people. He is a puppet master. Thank you for the clear headed thinking that you display in this explanation of the "ugly" truth of Calvinism. God has used you well.

Good video😊 I also came out of calvinism about 3 years ago and boy oh boy!! How crazy it is to live in pure freedom that is in Christ. It's so cool to see other people's lights going on when they actually believe the gospel. So easy and so free. So much joy and peace knowing that God's got you. I trust in God to hold me to my salvation, not me lol. He promised He would!! It all comes down to...do you believe God? Or do you not believe and think you know how to do it better 😅. We listen to Him, not to man. God bless you sister.

God bless you Alana. You're not alone! The heresy of Calvinism split my church (Baptist). Church members in ministry were SECRETELY teaching Calvinism in Sunday School, even though it was against our church stand, and the to be pastor tried to split the church, he was after power and sheep stealing. Praise be to God all those involved were kicked out. Stick to "what saith the Lord" continue to be a good Berean! Thankyou for your love, service, and testimony.

The first time I was introduced to calvinism, I immediately recognized it as unbiblical and even from the enemy to keep people from God. I believe I recognized it because I had good teaching previously. This was through mostly Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel. Other good teachers include Chuck Missler, Jack Hibbs, Skip Heitzig and more.

Alana thank you for your teaching. After listening to many popular Calvanists I found myself doubting my salvation and questioning my faith. Thank you so much for your biblical answers backed up by scripture. I feel as if a weight is lifted!

I got born again the summer of 2010. A few years later I had some struggle in life. That was when I first came to hear that Jesus didn't die for everyone, but only the elect. I tried my best to defend my position, but was not very well prepared. I ended up being very confused, not knowing what to believe. I got depressed and sad that Jesus might not have died for everyone, so down in the dumps that I actually didn't care much about my Christian life anymore. That lead to poor decisons in life and I fell into very serious sin. Then I got in touch with someone that knew a lot about the Early Church, and I got much more grounded in true Biblical teaching. As I got convinced again that Jesus indeed died for ALL, I got joy back in my life. I actually told a friend it felt like being born again a second time.😅 Today I sometimes debate Calvinists on the net, most so to show them my view holds water and that there are other options out there for them if they sense there is something wrong with Calvinism. Thanks for listening! Christ love! ✝️❤

I too was caught in the trap of Calvinism. It didn't last long before I turned away from it though. Then, I studied Scriptures a lot and saw a lot of the things that are wrong with it. One of the most striking things that I still see to this day is the striking similarity with the Sanhedrin under the law, especially with Pharisaism and the group of Sadducees. With Pharisaism, through the addition of traditions of men to the written law, and the harsh and sustained criticism of anyone who does not follow, does things differently, or opposes their movement (example of Jesus Christ). With the Sadducees, through their skepticism in relation to the "supernatural" (they were against the resurrection of the dead), especially with cessationism. This is just some food for thought and I could write pages on this. Thank you so much for this video, sister. I have watched and have been blessed by all of the previous ones so far. I pray that the the Lord will keep using you. God bless.

Hi Alana, listening to you share you testimony of how you came out of Calvinism was really comforting to me. It has been difficult finding people of like faith, outside of Bible school. I was actually not born again ( though honestly trying to be a Christian- I was very religious, very moral person, who shared the gospel with others...) un til after a Bible school teacher taught me that the Bible doesn’t say people are predestined to hell but are predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus, as born again children of God ( Romans 8:29). The “predestination” mentioned in the Bible is always positive. God predestined us to be conformed to his image the way a parent predestines their child to become a lawyer by taking care of them and paying for their college. It is still up to the child to go to college, to study and apply for a job as a lawyer after they get their degree or they won’t become what their parent predestined them to become. God paid for everyone to become his children through the blood of his Son, Jesus. His blood was enough to cover everything we could ever need, righteous and a way to heaven. Jesus himself is our Salvation, our breath of fresh air, our cool water. He died to save us from our sins, but to also give us a relationship shop with himself( Jesus is our Salvation himself, not just our Savior). God is always good. I realize now that I wasn’t born again prior to being set straight on this doctrine of predestination, because I had not trusted God prior. I didn’t fully trust God before and so I had not fully surrendered my own kingdom to him. After I fully trusted God and so surrendered my own kingdom( my own image), very soon afterwards I received the immersion of the Holy Spirit. I wasn’t expecting an Acts 2 experience, but that is what happened. I’m so thankful. I’m still looking for fellowship where the teachers and preacher are not making the flock sick with Calvinism. It is an anti faith doctrine and so is a damnable doctrine. It literally paints God as a criminal worse than the devil. Sarah in the Bible is my spiritual mother, as I learned what faith is through her example. Hebrews 11 says that Sarah’s example of faith was that she made a good judgement of God: She “judged that God was able.” When you choose to have faith in someone you are making a good judgement of them. When you don’t have faith in someone, you either don’t know them or you are making a bad judgement of them. That is why faith is “evidence” of things not seen. It is a legal statement. I stand Witness for a world that has God on trial, as a witness of God’s goodness. God has always been good! I went to Bible school to know God, so that I might have faith in him- make the right judgement of him, so that I might be delivered.

I think Calvinists cling to "Irresistible Grace" so desperately because it lets them accuse anyone who denies "Limited Atonement" of being a universalist. The fact that nearly everyone who rejects the L rejects the I as well seems lost on many Calvinists...

I’m just now seeing this post, and so glad it came through today! I’m only halfway through, but have to comment..AMEN to everything you’ve shared! I once said to one of my calvinist family members that I would like to get involved more with helping others, but one thing I do is pray, which is one of the most important things one can do… and they basically came back with, well it’s not the most important thing, but it’s good… maybe not the exact words they used because I’m going by memory, but you get the gist? I was slightly shocked, but not really considering their beliefs.. I am still shaking my head with their doctrine 😢 Thank you for doing this video, it’s so important, and I hope there are eyes and hearts that will be opened by the truth of the Gospel 🙏🏻 Everything you’ve said is exactly what I’ve seen and experienced, it’s so heartbreaking to watch helplessly, yet praying Gods will be done and His Holy Spirit open their eyes, like He did for you.💔🙏🏻

I like that even a child can understand it ...yes The Holy Spirit will teach lead and guide you into all thruth

So, being adopted by God is not part of salvation? What would you say it is then? Being promised an inheritance is not part of Gods salvation? What would you say it is then? And what about when Jesus tells the Pharisees that those who come to him he won’t loose any? I grow up in a very legalistic church. Not reform at all. Where the gospel was preached but there was this under current of being good to get Gods approval. It messed me up big time. In my later years I went to a reformed church but not until after God grabbed me and showed me my need of him and all I could do was say yes. My hubs and I go to a free evangelical church now. I have grappled with this topic for years. I see both in scripture. God choosing and people believing. I am sure that either side of this cannot say without a shadow of a doubt that they are 100 percent right in their interpretation. My husband has always said it is a mix and that we do not have to understand it all this side of heaven. I think he is right in saying that. There are many things that we as Christian’s do not fully grasp. God tells us plainly to believe and that he works in his to do of his God pleasure. Those without the spirit are not his. There is something that happens in the heart of a believer that brings us to faith and causes us to persevere. Something has to solidify that. It can’t just be our choice. We are fickle creatures. That is obvious. I do not think God saves some only to loose them in the end. His death and resurrection are more powerful then that. But I do not believe our salvation is based on our obedience. That would make his sacrifice not needed. And at the very least make it secondary. I don’t know. God is good. He knows it all. And he is saving people. Thank you for your videos. They are making me look deeper into scripture. And that, I think, is worth it.

This makes so much sense now. We left a Calvinist church (didn’t know it was Calvinist) several months ago, and there was a huge emphasis on the body of Christ. If you thought of yourself at all, it was shamed or made to feel like sin without actually saying it. But what I see in scripture is, like you said, an emphasis on a personal relationship with Christ. And also to love others as yourself. Meaning, we don’t hate ourselves or never think of ourselves. We just serve others first. Love God, love others, take care of yourself.

One thing that Calvinists say about Arminianism is that it's up to them if they want to be saved. All they have to do is make a decision as if the Holy Spirit isn't involved. The Arminians would not agree with that, I'm sure.

Here’s another thought concerning man’s total inability as a result of his/her sin. Hebrews 11:16 states, And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him". Outside of the Spirits regenerative work all humanity is without faith and therefore incapable of doing ANYTHING that pleases God. So where does this necessary faith come from? It certainly doesn’t come from within us. It MUST COME from without. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9 and tells us where saving faith comes from, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast”. What comes from God? All of it. Eph 2:10 concludes, ““For we (His Elect) are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in ADVANCE for us to do” Salvation is of the Lord Our ONLY RESPONSE IS “Praise to the Glory of His Grace”.

I appreciate your videos so much, especially as another homeschooling mom of two boys ( I know you don't have a whole lot of free time!). I love your gentle heart, sharp mind, and discerning spirit.

Your right Alana ..all will fail us ..ONLY GOD NEVER WILL ...LET EVERY EVERY MAN BE A LIAR FOR GOD IS NT A MAN HE SHOULD EVER LIE ANEN

Thank you, Alana, for your loving honesty in sharing how you came to rethink Calvinism and for pointing to the gospel of John.

"Just listen to that Law that's written on your heart and do the right Thing.." (love it)

Calvinism is true only true in the mind of a Calvinist after they change.... In Romans 9 they need to change “mercy” to “salvation”. In John 3:3 they need to change “see the kingdom” to “believe.” In Ephesians 2:8,9 they need to assume faith is a limited gift only given to a select few when the passage doesn’t say that. In Ephesians 1:4,5 they need to change it to say chosen to be in Him, when the passage doesn’t say that. If you take every time the scriptures says "World" which is 20 times and twist and force it to say Elect! If you take every time the scriptures says "Whoever" which is 16 times and twist and force it to say Elect! If you take every time the scriptures says "Whosoever" which is 16 times and twist and force it to say Elect! If you take every time the scriptures says "All" which is 16 times and twist and force it to say Elect! If you take every time the scriptures says "Everyman" which is 6 times and twist and force it to say Elect! Then yes, that heretic Calvin got it right. and Reformed Theology is "all" true true! (But does ALL mean ALL?)WINK WINK!! Truth in Love

Alana, found your channel by chance studying and helping family deal with deconstructing from Reformed theology. I've sent a link to your channel to my daughter, your a true example of a woman after God's own heart and an awesome example that I would want influencing my daughter! Thank you!!

My mother was a intensive care nursery nurse . I remember riding my bicycle to the next town in which my mother worked . I rode there in order to kill time in my drop out life also to get 5 bucks for lunch .once a month or so I would find myself standing in front of this very large window ,, looking down I would see very small babies and very sick babies . Many years later I remember being at the store with my wife and my mother , Suddenly a very large man grabbed hold of my mother , he spin around as my mother's legs flaled about as she giggled and huged him .He then placed her feet safely onto the floor .my mother spun around screaming (this is my smallest baby ) this six foot 5 inch ,250 pound man was born a 850 gram baby .. so when I read in the Bible ( God netted you together in your mother's womb ) I see this man as well as every baby I looked apon through that nursery window ! My rambling is to say , God created you to seek him and to love him . Many of those babies went to paradise by the (Grace) of God . God did not cause it .. thank you sharing your growth in Christ . I am a new subscriber to your channel.

I just want to encourage you and commend you for doing podcasts like this. You have rendered down quickly and clearly the unbiblical nature of Calvinism; pointing out the difficulties of each of the T. U. L. I. P. points in light of the simple biblical gospel that opens up the opportunity for all mankind to freely choose salvation provided in Christ. 1. You pointed out how systematic theologies, and so-called "experts" to whom most lay people defer, masks and confuses what the scriptures so clearly declare. 2. You even point out the manichaean origins of Augustine, the determinism and meticulous sovereignty, and how that polluted Western Christianity. 3. The testimony elements of this presentation are also impactful on a personal level. I was a senior pastor and missionary for over 30 years, and have had various points been exposed to Calvinism and didn't take it very seriously because at the time it wasn't very pervasive. But we live in a different day. The warnings here in the clarity of this are very much welcomed. Thank you for this.

A lot of confusion is created due to Calvinists using the same words as non calvanists, but they have different meanings for those words. As you illustrated in their interpretation of "all" and "world"

Greetings Alana I'm watching part 3 In and out of Calvinism, Eph 1, Rom 9. I'm a Bible College graduate 1989..yeah I'm oldish lol. I've debated Calvinists for many many years, your insights in to the scriptures are GOLD literally. I've learner a lot in my debates, what I've personally experienced is that most Calvinists see themselves as SMART, while non Calvinists are IDIOTS, a good example is RC Sproul and especially James White, and others. Dr Leighton Flowers has been a great example to me of how to think and behave in a Christian manner when debating Calvinists. Glad you're using the NASB, great choice. God bless

He doesn’t delight in destroying the wicked but he does it.

Love you sister! Thank you for sharing all the wisdom the Lord has given you to follow Him and only Him in His holy word.

I am trying to work my way through all this right now. Calvinism was a term I thought I understood but i guess i never went deep enough to understand that i have trouble with it. Thanks for this video!

Very good video. Keep up the fight against Compatiblism and Determinism. One thing to keep in mind-Augustine was not a Calvinist. He never held to TULIP. Even more interesting is that Augustine was a Libertarian when he converted to Christianity. He used his Libertarian free will arguments to defeat the Manichaeans. He only crossed over into Compatiblism when he was fighting against Pelagius. In fact, the One, Great, Church rejected Augustine’s teachings along with Pelagius. The Church adopted a Semi-Augustinian view which is closer to modern libertarians. The order goes Augustinian, Semi-Augustinian, Semi-Pelagic, and Pelagian. Augustine wrote so much, and changed his views so often, that a Spanish theologian wrote a plaque above Augustine’s work which read, “Any man who claims to have read all of this is a liar.” Libertarians also stand on the shoulders of Augustine and we have a lot to be grateful for all he contributed. Second, all truth is God’s truth wherever it may be found. Don’t get so hung up on platonic influence. All Christian theologians were influenced by Greek thought. This includes even John and Paul in the NT. All the first great apologists like Justin Martyr and Polycarp were influenced by Greek thought. Tertullian, one of the greatest Church theologians who helped develop the Trinity doctrine disliked too much Greek syncretism. He said, “What does Athens have to do with Jerusalem. Yet, even his works were heavily influenced by Greek thought.

Hey, great job! I really appreciate the way you handled yourself, while explaining the things that you did in this video! I share in the shock! Lots of people have fallen for what I believe, the greatest lie ever told! “Did God really say?“ I love Calvinist, but I hate the sin of Calvinism!

God bless you, sister in Christ! 🙏🏼✝️🕊️ I very much appreciated your interview with Leighton, which brought me to your channel, and I know that God placed it in your heart to communicate all of this. You’re a strong, intelligent woman - but more importantly, you’re His faithful servant!

I feel like I need to meet you. I am not a Calvinist. Never have been. Praise the Lord!!! But, it has reared its ugly head in my life from time to time, and I think that I wasn’t mature enough to actually face it or handle it. It always was a concept that scared me. But over the past six years, God has brought me on a research journey of sorts through different topics, but when I look back, all of them have the central focus of deception. and now He’s brought me to Calvinism for various reasons. And I feel like as I have heard you say, and agree, that this is a very sneaky and subtle deception within the church and no one is talking about it that way. I’m very thankful for you and for Leighton Flowers and that you are not “keeping your thoughts to yourself” lol but being bold and humble, speaking truth in bravery. and I want so badly to expose this for what it is but how do you do that in a loving way?

Excellent video! I placed my faith in Christ at a young age. Unfortunately my wife and I got sucked into the prosperity gospel back in 1999. We left it four years ago as of this message only to find that while our church loves the Lord, it’s steeped in Calvinism. There’s no reasoning with a Calvinist. I’m praying that God will lead us to a church that doesn’t teach this man-made philosophy.

There is a place in the Bible where Jesus says he loves us John 13:34-35 (ESV): 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 😊

I'm sure you have opened alot of eyes, bless you for speaking the truth❤

I've heard it said that you shouldn't worry about Satan because it's arrogant to thing he's worried about you. What utter nonsense, scripture says he is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. That sounds like a threat I should be worried about.

Thank you for speaking the truth of the Bible clearly with love.

I resisted grace for many years and it was God’s persistence in love that finally convinced me I was crazy to resist such love.

Excellent, sister! This was one of the best, clearest explanations of the "doctrines of grace." God bless you, and watch over you and yours.

Jesus Christ said forgive in one day to the same brother or sister upto 490 times a day ! 70x7 . He gave us every example of people being saved ,maybe they won't understand the first time they hear the gospel . maybe it will take them longer . anyone can be saved ! and I know that is true because I got saved ! I was wretched Man . I pray for all people to be saved , I want to see billions of people saved . I beg GOD to save as many people as is absolutely possible . and I know He will . I don't break fellowship with un saved people . I am saved . how can I leave here knowing I didn't use every chance to get someone saved ! I think you are such a good Woman and your doing what GOD is calling you to do ! AMEN.

We also read that God the almighty wants everyone to be saved, if he wants because not everyone will be saved 1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come together with the knowledge of the truth.

I like what you said about how God isn’t tricking us. He is a good God. He means what He says and He has told us very plainly what is required of us. So when He told Cain if you DO well will you not be accepted, He means just that. No twisting required. Unfortunately though, even when most people come out of Calvinism and reject the TULIP they unfortunately still hold on to some variant of the P - whether it be OSAS or “if saved always saved”. Theologians try to speak about it like it’s a different thing than the P in TULIP, but it’s just the same lie from the beginning repackaged - “Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Man we can learn a lot from Genesis! That is, for those who have ears to hear and want to hear it. This has been the lie from the beginning.

Open conversation with calvinists is necessary, but having said that, Christians must withdraw and be set apart from that unbiblical doctrine. You and your husband made a fantastic decision to withdraw from the calvinism church you attended. There are several politically correct Christians (non-calvinist) who are about acceptance and tolerance. They say calvinist doctrine is valid, and there is no need to withdraw, instead of taking a stand for truth. So, thank you for your bold stand!

I love how Calvinists say you have to be "regenerated" before you can have faith, when the word regeneration is merely the Latin form of "born again." So they've got the cart before the horse! Just be born again then you can believe. I can here Jesus saying to Nicodemus, "Hey, God so loved the world....well part of the world....that those who have everlasting life can believe so they don't perish.....is that clear Nic?"

God of the Bible wants us to love Him and cooperate with Him with our own free will. If Calvinism is true, we can never really love Him since He alone determines if we love or hate Him. We have nothing to do with it. Then He punishes those not in the group He chose to love Him. This makes Him not just an unjust god but an evil god as well. Needless to say this is not God of the Bible. This is the deterministic god of Islam and Greek philosophers.

It's noticeable, and worrying, that Calvinist followers, on any channel, are far more likely to reference well-known Calvinist leaders than our Saviour, Jesus Christ or God's Holy Word.

I am humbled by predestination and election. I am grateful for what God did for me. The Word is not for everyone. Only those born of the spirit.

what does it mean when someone says "I am Calvinist, but not ultra Calvinist" ? What is actually the difference here ?

Such a blessing to many to and others are regarding Calvinism and the harm it can cause some regarding their salvation. I’m currently navigating out of this with my daughter. Prayers for you. Continue to stand strong.

Been gloriously saved 45 years, studied thousands of hours, attended a few different types of churches. All I know is the so called deep teaching types sure seem to make it complicated. Christ died for sinners, and I’m among the worst. I believe in Him and am Born Again. Isn’t more complicated than that.

Very interesting video on Calvinism, Alana. Loved where you said that you should not trust your feelings to know if you are saved, but to trust the word of the Lord in the Bible. How true. I totally agree. Out of interested, I am interested in your views on someone like Paul Washer. He is supposed to be Calvinist/Reformed yet so much of what he says seems to go against Calvinism. He also prays a lot, talks of witnessing and evangelising (and he was a missionary). Would you say that he isn't a real Calvinist or do you think he deceives? Yet he also talks of regeneration before faith, seems to applaud MacArthur, Piper and Spurgeon especially. I find him a bundle of contradictions. What do you think? I find myself admiring much of what he says, yet I hate Calvinism.

Much of the Bible speaks to me with regards to freedom of will. There are some many verbs in the New Testament that are properly parsed as commands. If someone is commanded to do something, it is ludicrous to assume that they are NOT able to disobey. In Romans 1:5 at the beginning of the book and in Romans 16:26 at the end of the book is the phrase "the obedience of faith". It appears that there is no such thing as "the disobedience of faith" in the Bible. You are saved by grace through faith. However, "sin does not have dominion over you when you are under grace", Romans 6:14. Once you have truly set free from sin, THEN at that moment of freedom, you were enslaved to righteousness, Romans 6:18. The conundrum is that man must be enslaved. He will either be a servant of sin or a servant of Christ, and these positions are mutually exclusive. There is no overlap of these kingdoms. You are either practicing righteousness to the exclusion of unrighteousness or you are practicing unrighteousness to the exclusion of righteousness, I John 2:29,, 3:7, Hebrews 10:26, 27. The grace of God that brings us salvation, is the grace which brings salvation to all mankind. This grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present age, as we await the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, Titus 2:12. Therefore, this grace in Titus and the grace in Romans 6:14 are related and suggest that one is leading us in our choices and the other is enabling us in power towards God's purpose. The purpose behind the Cross of Calvary is "that He (Jesus) MIGHT redeem us from ALL unrighteousness and lawlessness and thereby purify for Himself a people for His unique possession who are zealous for good works, Titus 2:14. Everyone who truly believes in the gospel will access God's power unto salvation, which in turn enables the righteousness of Christ to be lived out from faith-to-faith. As it is written, "the Righteous One shall live (future tense) because of their faith." (Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17) To live in the future entails a death prior to this future. Thus, Jesus died on the Cross in righteous obedience and experienced resurrection life. We died with Him on His Cross so that we might die to sin, Romans 6:3. To the extent that we apply the Cross to sin in our life, is the extent that we walk in Christ's resurrection power by "the glory of the Father", Romans 6:4,5. Paul said it this way: "I have been crucified with Christ." If this happens to us experientially, we also become righteous ones (in Christ Jesus) and we shall experience resurrection life. Paul says (Philippians 3:10,11) "my aim is to know Him, to experience the power of His resurrection, to share in His sufferings, and to be like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead". Now, if Paul were a Calvinist, he could assume his resurrection from the dead because of his election, bypassing his sufferings and be assured of his resurrection.

Thank you, Alana! I heard about Calvinism about three years ago from a Christian couple. It seemed "off" to me, as you said, but I felt that I had to be willing to believe what Scripture says. I have been paying close attention as I read the Bible daily, and copying down verses and references that seem to either agree with or reject Calvinism. I have been praying for the Holy Spirit to guide me into the truth. I have also been listening to videos which help. This video by you has been, by far, the best. Thank you so much. Please do suggest other videos you know will be helpful to me and others.

Thx Alana. Learned again how horrible the Cult of Calvinism is

What I have never understood is why so many Calvinists claim to have been driven to the doctrine by scripture and pure logic. Granted, there is certainly scripture that sounds Calvinistic, but there is much other scripture that expresses just the opposite point of view. Take Matthew 25:31-46, for example. Jesus very clearly favors the sheep on his right because of their acts of loving kindness, and condemns the goats on his left precisely because of the righteousness they have left undone.

*_God Bless_*

Paul the Apostle says we are in a race and should run to finish. There are prizes.., Why would you be given a price in a match we’re the results are fixed? Only unfair people do that. And what is the joy of you winning and what would the rest bother complete? Why advertise and make people enter when you have determined who takes it. God knows who will received because He knows everything before things even happen. Before the foundation of the earth , before Adam and Eve were created He slew the Lamb but they ate of the tree by their choice . Otherwise why punish them? Even today we’re can choose to obey unlike Adam and get the precious gift of eternal life

You did a beautiful job of speaking truth and explaining what the Scriptures say. Thank you! I attended a Calvanist church for a while as a teenager because it was the closest church to our home, and I had to wrestle through the teachings. Praise the Lord my father knew how to help guide me through that and taught me how to use his Strong's Concordance to find the Scriptures I needed. (We did eventually leave that church) I am now 45 and have only grown more sure throughout my life that John Calvin did not understand the Bible, and it is so tragic to me how many people have been led into a wrong understanding of God and His character through Calvin's teachings. 😢

🤯It’s your election that saves you!!!🤯 that is the K.O punch!

Goin through the fight in our Baptist church now where pastors claim to be calvinists "privately" 'although publicly they preach that God loves sinners. So I asked this assistant Past. how does he live with the dichotomy of telling everybody that God loves them while he actually believes that God does not love everybody? He said Calvism was just a doctrine like eschatology, in which people's opinion's and understanding differ ...but ofcourse Calvinism is not just another doctrine rather, it's another gospel. So I'm thinking, either his knowledge of calvinism is not deep enough or his knowledge of scripture is very shallow and his understanding of what Christ accomplished is dangerously wanting that such a man should not be presented as a minister.