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Daniel of Doulogos Name:Daniel
Home: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
About Me: I used to believe that evolution was reasonable, that homosexuality was genetic, and that people became Christians because they couldn't deal with the 'reality' that this life was all there was. I used to believe, that if there was a heaven - I could get there by being good - and I used to think I was more or less a good person. I was wrong on all counts. One day I finally had my eyes opened and I saw that I was not going to go to heaven, but that I was certainly going to suffer the wrath of God for all my sin. I saw myself as a treasonous rebel at heart - I hated God for creating me just to send me to Hell - and I was wretched beyond my own comprehension. Into this spiritual vacuum Jesus Christ came and he opened my understanding - delivering me from God's wrath into God's grace. I was "saved" as an adult, and now my life is hid in Christ. I am by no means sinless, but by God's grace I am a repenting believer - a born again Christian.
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Daniel's posts are almost always pastoral and God centered. I appreciate and am challenged by them frequently. He has a great sense of humor as well.
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[He has] good posts, both the serious like this one, and the humorous like yesterday. [He is] the reason that I have restrained myself from making Canadian jokes in my posts.
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Tuesday, April 07, 2009
What Calvinist Does Not Mean...
When I say I am a Calvinist, I do not (by saying so) mean to imply that I am a follower of John Calvin.

I mean only to apply to myself a commonly understood label - a label that identifies me as understanding biblical soteriology from the "original", reformed perspective.

I came to that understanding, I suppose, in precisely the same way the original reformers came to that understanding: I read the bible believing it to be true.

I want to qualify that for clarity.

I did not grow up in church, nor was I tutored by anyone in the doctrines of grace, but having come to faith as an adult, and having determined in my early faith to read the bible and believe every last bit of it - I came to understand my soteriology as those early reformers understood their theology - before I every knew what words like soteriology and theology even meant.

So when I call myself a Calvinist, I mean only that I believe that form of soteriology that I have always found in scripture, which historically has been labeled Calvinism, accepting the label that is commonly associated with that my understanding scripture - because it is commonly associated with my understanding of scripture.

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posted by Daniel @ 2:10 PM  
4 Comments:
  • At 6:25 PM, April 07, 2009, Anonymous David Kjos said…

    You're a wicked, evil Calvinist.

    Me, too.

     
  • At 7:23 PM, April 07, 2009, Blogger Barbara said…

    Ditto.

    Recently was blessed to find a Reformed church in my area, and when asked what had me looking specifically for that, the only answer I could give was, "Well, I was praying to know God as He truly is and not as people present Him to be, and I found myself with this voracious appetite for Scripture,and, well, that's just what it SAYS...."

     
  • At 9:58 PM, April 07, 2009, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Precisely.

    How great was my surprise when I was booted out of a Lutheran church for calling myself a Calvinist! I had no idea it would cause an uproar. I had read Luther, the Bible, yet no Calvin - I naively thought Luther was a Calvinist because of what he said and what Scripture said. I understand there are distinctions - mostly to do with the form and substance of communion - but I had no idea they were mutually exclusive. I still remain a Calvinist Lutheran.

    Jennifer

     
  • At 1:16 PM, April 09, 2009, Blogger donsands said…

    My non-reformed pastor friend introduces me sometimes as his flaming Calvinist friend.
    Funny how God works that out for some of us to serve one another as we both love Christ and receive His grace and power to serve one another.

    Not to say we haven't had our heated doctrinal talks, cause we have.

    But we leave it be now, and simple love one another, and try to glorify the Lord the best we can, and of course i glorify Him more.

    Just joking. Actually Dave, my friend has brought much glory to the Lord. He just don't believe that faith is a gift from God.

    Perhaps you could do a thorough study on faith being a gift from the Lord some day Daniel.

    Have a reflective and restful Good Friday, and a mighty fine Easter in His love for you.

     
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