Answering Melanie regarding Reality LA

The following comment was left on this blog post. I haven't been able to blog very often so I didn't notice it for several days but I wanted to respond.

Melanie said...
Hi there.. I know little about Calvinism, but does it not teach that God completely "ordained" or chose those who would follow him -- that is, there is no actual "choice" in it for humans, he either chose us or did not?

I do not believe this is what Tim Chaddick teaches. Looking back on his sermon on Romans 9, he expressed God's sovereignty and man's responsibility are completely compatible... that is, God will give man over to the desires of man's heart... it is man's choice (and there is always a choice) of what he will choose.

Do you disagree -- because you say "..if you walk away from Reality LA believing Tim Chaddick is teaching free will exists...then obviously something is being lost in the message."

Do you attend Reality regularly?


First, I really miss Reality LA but have found a good home at Reality SF. I wish I could go as often as I would like but circumstances often keep me away. I haven’t missed a sermon at either church in several years. When I first attended Reality LA they were in the middle of the Romans series. In a few weeks I caught up and had listened to every sermon. So I feel adequately equipped to claim my position.

As for God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility being completely compatible, I think that alone shows the Calvinist teaching. All compatiblists are Calvinists. Often referred to as Soft Determinists, they do not believe in free will as one might recognize it. This page is a great resource to explain that.

Man has a choice but his choice is limited by his desire. His choices are ‘free’ because they are not coerced. A sinful man cannot choose God because our sinful nature does not allow us to have that option within our desires. God must regenerate our heart first then the man’s desire is free to choose God the way it was meant to.

And these are all concepts that Reality LA teaches – Total Depravity, Election, Common Grace, God’s Effective Calling, and the promise of salvation. These are the tenets of Calvinism.

I didn’t understand these either until I started really spending time in the bible. And I don’t mean that to be a self-righteous slander against others. Just that my walk struggled until I came to this understanding of the Gospel.

Does it matter? Of course. Believing in Jesus is only part of the equation. What you believe about Jesus is more important. But you can of course disagree.

Melanie I really hope you get to read this.