Mike Winger's "Why I think Calvinism is Unbiblical"

This is a systematic theological assertion and interpretation of John3:3 which tells us birth from above then see the Kingdom of God. It does not specify what precedes the new birth and it does not establish that seeing the Kingdom of God = believing that Jesus is the Christ.

As I've detailed re: Biblical Faith, there are substantial arguments that can be used against interpretive gifted faith.

I can and have easily (maybe not for some) posited that The Faith = The Gospel and that the Faith that is gifted is the Good News and the content of the Good News, which is God's Son.

Gospel proclaimed > men believe the Gospel they hear and learn.

The Lord opened Lydia's heart can also be lexically interpreted to conceptually include the Lord explaining to her.

The Lord opened Lydia's heart to heed is lexically defined as: to be concerned about; to pay close attention to.

Paul proclaimed to Lydia > The Lord opened Lydia's heart to pay attention to what Paul was proclaiming > Lydia and her house were baptized.

This does not say God gave her faith. It says the Lord opened her heart to pay close attention. The logical conclusion that can be drawn is that Lydia believed what Paul spoke. If anything here, the Lord made Paul's proclamation clear to her so she could believe it. In effect it could be said that God gave Lydia faith because the content Paul spoke was from God and God opened her heart to pay close attention. But "in effect" does not mean God gifted faith. It means God gifted the content to believe and assisted her so she could understand so she could believe.

The grace is in that God accounts faith in Him, i.e. the faith that He is faithful (to keep His Word), as righteousness. That is, no one has any way of 'knowing' that God will keep His Word, except by faith in His character to keep it except by faith, but that is not without from the hearing of the enormous amounts of evidence that He has proven to have kept it such as in regard to Abraham's account.

If this premise is correct, why is the heart mentioned and not the mind?

The mind is in want of the vision, but the heart is in want of the belief.

That, and the fact that the natural heart is deceitful and wicked.

Israel is the divorced wife of YHVH. The Church is the virgin Bride.

Israel will be redeemed/reconciled/renewed to God after the tribulation at the Second Coming.
The virgin Church will be raptured before the tribulation by Jesus the Bridegroom.

Both parties will enjoy the fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham at the return of Jesus.

Afterward, both will exist in union with God........forever, for eternity.

Because of verses like these, which show the heart and the mind are not as distinctly separate as some think:

NKJ Matthew 9:4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?

NKJ Romans 8:27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

NKJ Ephesians 4:18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;

The Lord is going to restore Israel at his 2nd coming. Their sins will be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. It is the time of restitution.

13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

The twelve disciples asked about this time, the times of refreshing. At this time, the twelve will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. The Gentile church is nowhere in this passage.

Matthew 19
27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

There is a teaching of a particular rabbi (they don't always teach the same, not unlike pastors) concerning that which determines if a person is either a king or a fool is determined by whether he allows the mind to lead the heart or the heart to lead the mind. And I think there is merit in this theory. If so, then the mind (and repentance is defined as a changing of the mind and has a 'beyond thinking' connotation that suggest a 'thinking above', which can be deduced to mean a spiritual thinking, and perhaps the quintessential meaning of a 'sound' mind even) can influence the heart as much as the heart, naturally, influences the mind.

There are times, when the challenge before me is something I already recognize and can solve on my own due to experience. But in my walk in/within/and with God, I have come to a point in my life I can see the problem, I understand the problem, but I say to God rather than solve it on my own, "Have Your Way in this." It's a point of emphasis that indicates my spiritual growth. But more so than that, it's a testimonial of God developing me into His Purpose. It's a reference point of how far God has arrived from when I was first saved to the "works" He's done that has me to where I am now.

The fact that I can look back and see where I began in my actions and thinking at my conversion into Christ + I am able to compare how those have developed into better examples of being closer to the product of a better person than back then = God's Progress in my life both mentally and spiritually. And that assures me that God is still with me and is taking me the rest of where I need to become and reach the place God saw in me from the beginning.

The Gospel of John chapter 16 verse (7) Jesus says it is "BETTER" for us that He leaves the world because He will send the Holy Spirit.
The very next verse (8) Jesus explains the function of why the Holy Spirit needs to come (to bring CONVICTION and a REMINDER of SIN and the need for Salvation).

So being full of the Holy Spirit, I am convicted when I sin and THANK GOD for that. Seeking Forgiveness and overcoming the desire to sin by killing the flesh DAILY = Spiritual Growth.

If you can sin and feel no conviction, it's not because you are under Grace and have victory. It's because your CONSCIOUSNESS has been SEARED! And knowing that I get convicted of sin because my consciousness is not seared, is an overwhelming indication I am right with God.

I have no issue riding the altar all the way to Heaven. But thankfully, God has progressed me to where I sin less and recognize temptations quicker so I can avoid them. God would not have done His Works to get me where I am at if I was eternally lost. So I understand that should I fall over dead in the next 30 seconds, I will be with God in Paradise for all eternity.

The 2nd verse isn't speaking about the human mind. Also, a closer look at salvation finds God dealing with the heart, mind, and will...Acts 2:37. Lastly, the circumcision made without hands that physical circumcision pointed toward is a necessary part of conversion.
Incidentally, a persuasive orator can persuade the minds of men void of the gracious work of God upon the heart. This is where many legalists come from, who merely bring reason to salvation and render impotent the grace and power of God.

There is no misspelling. And I would appreciate it very much if you'd keep the discussion clean and not slump to beneath the belt blows. I could easily find some mistake in your posts and make you look like a fool. So let's keep it clean.


The answer is the same as the first time you said it. Myself and others here have provided all kinds of Scripture to refute Calvinism and why it is unbiblical.


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Well, that and several other things actually. But you can't debate if people change the meaning of what a verse is saying.

Those verses also apply to 1st century Israel.
But, you didn't answer my last question: under what covenant do you believe this falls?

Sorry, the times of refreshing has not come from the presence of the Lord. Peter clearly states that the heaven must receive the Lord until the times of restitution of all things upon his return. Read it again.

How do you get the future. He is telling them to repent in that moment, and the coming of Christ to destroy Israel. Verse 24...these days...are the days they are living. Those days would be used for the future.
But please answer my question: under what covenant?

Yes, repent now so your sins may be blotted out when the Lord returns. For Israel, it's a national repentance to bring in the earthly kingdom God has promised them.

19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, )upcoming is the time frame) when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

I would really appreciate the answer to my question: what covenant does all you propose fall under?

@Rhomphaeam : Brother, yes, I have.

That is an insane assertion...