Calvinism is Biblical

Calvinism, also known as Reformed Christianity, is a branch of Protestantism originating in the 16th century, primarily associated with the teachings of John Calvin.It emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Bible, and covenant theology, a framework for understanding God's relationship with humanity through covenants. 

In Thomistic theology, salvation is achieved through a combination of divine grace and human cooperation, ultimately leading to theosis, or union with God. While God initiates the process with grace, individuals must actively respond, making use of the infused grace to perform acts of love and obedience, ultimately growing in Christ-likeness and achieving eternal life. 

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

• Divine Grace:
  

  Thomism emphasizes God's initiative in salvation. God infuses grace into the soul, providing the supernatural strength and ability to respond to His call. This grace is not merely a passive endowment but a powerful force that enables the individual to grow in holiness. 
  

  
  

Human Cooperation:

While God initiates, the individual must cooperate with this grace. This cooperation involves the free will, actively choosing to embrace the grace, to love God, and to perform good works. This is not a passive acceptance but an active response, a "yes" to God's offer of salvation. 

The Role of the Will:

The Thomistic view highlights the importance of the human will in accepting and growing in grace. The will must actively grasp the grace offered by God and exercise the "habits of grace," which are the supernatural virtues that enable the believer to love God and neighbor. 

Achieving Eternal Life:

Through the combination of divine grace and human cooperation, the individual can grow in love and holiness, ultimately achieving theosis, which is the union with God and eternal life. This is not a passive state but an active participation in the divine life, growing closer to Christ-likeness. 

Assurance of Salvation:

Thomism does not teach a deterministic view of salvation, where all are destined for heaven or hell. Rather, it emphasizes the importance of individual choices and actions, with genuine faith and a desire for salvation being essential

Divine Sovereignty:

Calvinism emphasizes God's complete and absolute control over all things, including salvation. 

Predestination:
The doctrine that God has already chosen who will be saved, and this choice is not based on human merit or actions.

Total Depravity:
The belief that human nature is corrupted by sin and that humans are unable to choose God on their own. 

Limited Atonement:
The belief that Christ died only for the sins of those whom God has chosen to save.

 Irresistible Grace:
The belief that God's grace will inevitably lead those who are elected to salvation.

 Perseverance of the Saints:
The belief that once someone is saved, they will persevere in faith and cannot lose their salvation. 

1 Timothy 2:4:

This verse clearly states that God's desire is for all people to be saved and to come to a full understanding of the truth. 

2 Peter 3:9:

This verse emphasizes God's patience and longsuffering, stating that He is not slow in fulfilling His promises but is rather "long-suffering toward you, not wanting anyone to perish, but wanting everyone to come to repentance".

Ezekiel 18:23:

This passage asserts that God does not delight in the death of the wicked but desires their conversion and life.

Matthew 23:37:

This verse expresses God's sorrow over the people of Jerusalem and His desire for them to be gathered together, similar to a hen gathering her chicks. 

• Rev 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
  

How can you be saved without the light of God? Likewise, how can you lose the light of God, and yet be saved? Here Jesus is threatening to remove the 'candlestick' from the church unless they repented...and I don't think He makes idle threats.

• Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
  

This is the singular blockbuster verse of all verses that destroys the doctrine of OSAS. It's painfully obvious here that if you remove the words from the book of Revelation then YOU WILL have your part in the book of life removed, and you will not be in the holy city spoken of. Unless an OSAS believer is going to convert to believing in universalism, or some new age doctrine, then this verse is the cure-all for their heresy.

• Heb 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
  

This verse takes care of the oft repeated verses from the OSASers that say "once God saves you, nobody can pluck you out of His hand" it's true that's what those verses say, but they are taken out of context and stretched into also saying that you have no free will and could not walk out yourself.

• 1Tim 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.
  

Here we are told that some people shall depart from the faith. You cannot depart from something that you were never in. You can't depart from the Atlanta airport, if you were never in Atlanta.Eze 18:24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
This is absolute proof that the righteous can turn from their righteousness, and that it's not merely "they were never saved to begin with".

Premises:

    God chose individuals for salvation before the world began (Ephesians 1:4–5).

    His choice was not based on works or future decisions (Romans 9:11–13).

Romans 9:9-15

9 For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”[a]

10 Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”[b] 13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”[c]

    Election is rooted in God's purpose and mercy, not human will (Romans 9:16, 18).

    Jesus told His disciples that they did not choose Him, but He chose them (John 15:16).

Conclusion: Therefore, no one is able to come to God by their own will or power. Salvation must begin with God’s initiative.

1. Jesus came to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).
   
2. He laid down His life specifically for His sheep (John 10:14–15).
   
3. He gave Himself for the Church, not indiscriminately for all (Ephesians 5:25).
   
4. If Christ died for all in the same way, all would be saved. Yet Scripture teaches that some will face judgment, which means Christ's death must have a particular intention.
   

Conclusion: Therefore, Christ’s atonement was designed to actually and effectively save the elect, not merely make salvation a possibility.

Luke 23:39-43

New International Version

39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[a]”

43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

IV. Irresistible Grace

Definition: When God calls someone inwardly by the Holy Spirit, that call results in a willing response. God changes the heart so that the person desires Christ.

Premises:

1. All whom the Father gives to the Son will come to Him (John 6:37).
   
2. No one can come unless the Father draws them (John 6:44).
   
3. Those whom God calls are also justified (Romans 8:30), which means the call is effectual.
   
4. God opened Lydia’s heart to respond to Paul’s preaching (Acts 16:14), which shows that saving grace acts directly on the heart.