Luke 6:46
“Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”
The natural implication is that they can do otherwise, and are being held accountable for what they otherwise should have done. But not so, says Calvinism. The natural man cannot do otherwise, which quite ironically, is exactly what Israel said to God at Jeremiah 18:13, in which God protested back.
Furthermore, if all things are predetermined, as per Calvinism, which alleges that God has predetermined whatsoever comes to pass, then why God could ask others about what He predetermined for them? The natural implication, again, is self-determination.
Calvinist, Erwin Lutzer: “Thus the doctrine of total depravity leads directly to that of unconditional election--a dead man cannot respond to the gospel’s appeal.” (The Doctrines That Divide, p.181, emphasis mine)
Erwin Lutzer: “The bottom line, however, is that the will of man is not free, but responsive to either the wickedness of the heart or the sovereign work of God, which grants to some the ability to believe the gospel.” (The Doctrines That Divide, p.173, emphasis mine)
Question: At Luke 6:46, is Jesus making fun of these people, knowing that according to Calvinism, “a dead man cannot respond to the gospel’s appeal” unless God “grants to some the ability to believe”?
Answer: If true, then they might respond: “Why do you ask, when you deny us the spiritual eyes to see? For we are willing to call you ‘Lord, Lord,’ but you are unwilling that we may become your servants.”
Would those of Luke 6:46 like to be saved? The reality is that many in Israel thought that they were already saved, by virtue of being the children of Abraham. (Luke 3:8) Jesus, however, informs them that they are condemned sinners, and that they must believe in Him for salvation. (John 3:16-18) Jesus is willing to have them (Matthew 23:37), and His miracles gave Him the credibility to be believed. Jesus stated: “...though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” (John 10:38) Jesus was willing and provided the way. That’s why He asked that question.
Dave Hunt writes, concerning how Calvinism ultimately portrays God: “He pretends to be sincere for repentance, while withholding the very grace men need to repent, having foreordained that man can’t and won’t repent without sovereign regeneration. Calvinism mocks God, His Word, and man himself!” (Debating Calvinism, p.314, emphasis mine)
In contrast to Calvinism, here is what we do see about the Lord’s concern: “Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36)
Erwin Lutzer: “No believer in included to object to the fact that God has worked in his or her heart to bring about salvation.” (The Doctrines That Divide, p.192, emphasis mine)
No Arminian would be inclined to object, because that is precisely Arminian Prevenient Grace. Arminianism is about God working and operating upon the unregenerate heart, that is, to convict lost sinners of their of sin (John 16:8), and to goad them towards repentance. (Acts 26:14) Calvinism, on the other hand, has nothing to do with the unregenerate heart. It has solely to do with removing the old unregenerate heart, and implanting a new regenerate one, with a new spirit, as a new creature in Christ, and in that sense, God works on a person’s heart, to bring about salvation. So what Lutzer is referring to, is completely different from what an ordinary Christian would suppose about God working on a person’s heart to bring about salvation, and hence, is part of the deceptive nature of Calvinism. Sometimes, Calvinists will cloud the issue by saying that God simply gave them the faith to believe, when yet, that is just not Calvinism. Calvinism is all about an involuntary and unilateral, heart transplant (Ezekiel 36:26), but the problem is that you only get that new heart in Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:17), and you only become in Christ when you hear and believe in the Gospel, with the result that the Holy Spirit thus seals you in Christ, as per Ephesians 1:13. Therefore, the critical mechanism for Calvinism is out of order. It has violated the biblically based, order of operations.
