To be quite honest here? I didn't hadn't even "heard" of John Calvin, until I came here to CC!
Having said that? I DO know something happened to me some 35 er so years ago, after I had "heard the voice of the God" asking me: "Are you ready yet?"
Which up until that time? I had heard this same voice asking me this same question some 3 er 4 times over the course of the previous 15 years er so.
But, I digress!
I have since, by trial and error, in my own personal "spiritual journeyings", come to the conclusion that we, who are "elect", come out of our mother's womb, possessing "seeds" of the "forever Priesthood" after the order of Melchizedek, then, in my personal experiences? Then anyone else has!
Whether this is "instilled" into everyone "born in flesh", and is "beaten", "oppressed", "seduced", "beguiled", "vexated", or "drugged", to the point, by "the world", that these "pieces" go "dormant?"
I cannot say, nor do I know! Yet, I think there is a DISTINCT POSSIBILITY, that this is indeed the case! Given "responses" I have "heard" since!
Meaning? The "world" HATES us! Before the "elect" even know what's going on within themselves!
IOW? Persecution BEGINS AT BIRTH!
But, to answer this question, I "clipped" from your post?
I guess my answer would have to be Yes!
As it seems John Calvin had a "better grip" on "this Holy Priesthood" mentioned several times in the Bible. As well as Peter's "grip" on it:
1 Peter 2
2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, AN HOLY PRIESTHOOD, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
John Calvin was copying other men's doctrine when he expounded upon those prior sources with his own interpretation.
TULIP preceded Calvin. Calvin just happens to be one of the most notable patriarchs of his era, and one of the most sadistic, which is why he garners the attentions of those who study Soteriology or any other discipline in the faith.
As for hearing God call you, that's great. No one can argue against your or anyone's personal testimony.
TULIP's contention is that only certain people born throughout time in the world are predetermined by God to enter His grace, by His putting them in that, not their will or choice to follow, and also faith, which is God's doing exclusively also, no human choice involved.
In the case of Calvin he believed in double predestination, which is not always a product of the TULIP formula in some Denominations that ascribe to TULIP. DP means God not only predetermined whom He would save, but also whom He would condemn to Hell or outer darkness, depending on one's Denominational beliefs.
That the Christian feels compelled to enter into the word of God does not mean that TULIP was right in its teaching concerning Irresistible Grace. Or for that matter any of the other parts of it.
The thing for me that is important to recall is the words of God that tell us He is in all and all things are from Him and abide in Him . Meaning, the illusion TULIP , as that's under discussion here, fosters is that we are not only Totally Depraved, by God's doing, but that we are eternally separated from God, by God's doing, unless or until we are one of TULIP's defined elect.
But that isn't true. Separation from God is the illusion we suffer under. No matter what umbrella term we hold our faith under, Denominational, or otherwise.
And that is because of what God told us about Himself and His creation.
The Book of Genesis chapter 1:1 1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
The Book of Colossians chapter 1:16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
The Book of John chapter 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
The truth shall set us free. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He showed us, as what appeared to be a Jewish male in Palestine, the power of God because Jesus was God. He was knitted together by His Holy Spirit power in the womb of Mary and was born into the world as, Emmanuel= God with us.
And in this blessing, He showed us that the separation of our flesh from our God is the illusion. Because the truth is, no thing can separate us from the source of our being. Which is what Jesus taught us. That this world is the actual illusion. That death is the illusion. That we are holy, eternal souls of and from the Creator of all of it.
Jesus is the Bridge that brings that illusion of separation into perspective. Have faith Jesus took all that we are led to believe keeps us separated from our Father upon Himself on the cross; Sin. Which is transgression of God's best for us. So that we, hearing that, can release the trappings of this world upon our mind, and instead of thinking we must satisfy the flesh, the carnality, the hedonistic spirit, the material desires for "stuff", cars, money, houses, bling, etc... , because we imagine this life is our one shot and then we are no more, as atheists insist.
And having released that, having repented of all that we did while locked in our vision of this worlds importance in our life, receive the truth of God in Christ. That we are more than simple flesh and bone, as Jesus proved when He walked from the tomb having overcome the first death.
That we are sacred temples that are home to the Holy Spirit God that is Creator of all things. And as such, when this flesh we valued satisfying so much before finally succumbs to the nature of life's transference unto death, it shall return to the ground from which it was made, and our soul shall return to the Father that gave it.
Jesus is the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, which He was in flesh, except through, through, God. (Emmanuel=God with us).
In other words, we are of and from God and we shall return to God. Because once we believe, know, accept, cherish the truth, that Jesus taught about redemption, repentance, and reconciliation, we enter into His hand, the security of the promise, which is actually a fact that is Creator and Creation, and no one, not one, will take us from His hand.
Because we know the truth.
And that Truth has set us free.
I don't believe in TULIP. I do believe that God leads us to Him because ever fiber of our being, every cell, every chromosome, every bit of us, our essence, our energy, our soul, is of and from God. When the world gets us down, when our spirit is shaken and afraid, that's when the truth within us, the soul linked ever and always to its source, God our Father, sends us God's knee mail, as we pray, becaise even if we don't pray, when we're desperate and afraid, that in itself is a message our spirit communicates to the God, and our being led then to reach for that copy of Gideon's in the nightstand, or to pull over and enter that church up there on the corner this fine Sunday, or call a prayer line, or ask a friend we know is Christian, to help us to find our way home.
It isn't because we're responding to our name on a predetermined list as if we're in a members only snooty country club roster, and all others must burn in Hell.
We don't actually "find God". God has known where we are from the moment we were a spark in the womb.
TULIP not only deceives, but segregates the creations of God; us. While making God out to be a sadistic premeditated omniscient creator that likes to play chess with his creation so as to flex his own power.
God's creation are superior to what TULIP makes both us and God out to be.
The Theological flower bed of mans invention makes for a great opportunity to recall here the parable of the sower.
TULIP, DAISY, and ROSES.
No.
I trust God, because God created me of and from Himself. Just as He did you. That's why we are children of the Most High, and sisters and brothers in the church of Christ. That community of those in faith, who have found our way to the bridge that leads home.
