Calvinism teaches that man does not have his own free will, that everything is under the control and will of God.
However, we proclaim this doctrine as heresy. We believe that every man has a right, has a free will that God has given to him to make their choices and they are held accountable for their actions, not God. We can’t blame God for anything that happens, it’s our fault because we have the right and the choice on the decision that we make.
Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Ephesians 5:17 “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”
Ephesians 6:5-6 “Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;”
Colossians 4:12 “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”
Why do we believe that man is not bound under the will of God, that God is all sovereign and He’s in control of everything?
Because the Bible says so.
In Romans 12:2, Paul is beseeching them not just to follow the will of God but perfectly, every moment of God’s will. This means that there are Christians who don’t follow every single instance of God’s will in their life. Why would Paul beseech them to follow it if they’re already under God’s will? Everyone has their own will, that’s why we need preaching, that’s why we need Paul preaching Rom 12:2.
Notice that the scriptures are filled with preachers urging Christians to follow God’s will.
Ephesians 5:17 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Not everybody is following God’s will and we need to redeem the time.
Ephesians 6:5-6 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; 6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
Notice right here that there is a group of servants who are not following the will of God as much as they should.
Matthew 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”
Notice ‘ye would not’, these people resisted God’s will.
1 Thessalonians 4:3 “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:”
‘abstain from fornication’, is every Sodomite or young college student keeping that rule?
1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
How many people are not under the will of God on this one? Everyone broke that rule.
Proverbs 1:25 “But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:“
Men can even overthrow the counsel that God decreed.
Luke 7:30 “But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.”
They plainly rejected God’s counsel.
Revelation 3:16-18 “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”
This is speaking to the church, God’s own elect that supposedly cannot resist His will. God’s elect even overthrows the counsel. Aren’t Laodicean Christians today rejecting God’s counsel? They overthrow and flat out reject God’s counsel.
These verses are very strong against Calvinism.
By the way, the word ‘sovereignty’ is not found in the Bible, it is not mentioned one time. But we will see so many times how they overthrow God’s counsel and will. The Bible is filled with anti-Calvinism.