Many years ago I picked up a small booklet by Dr. C. D. Cole. This booklet was being given away for free at a Baptist church, Many Baptists hold to Calvinism, as is expressed in the London Baptist Confession of 1690. The church did not. As I started reading this pamphlet I came across the following:
"The system of truth known as Calvinism was preached by Augustine at an earlier date, and before Augustine, by Christ and the Apostles, being especially emphasized by the Apostle Paul. The system of error known as Arminianism was proclaimed by Pelagius in the fifth century. Between these two there is no middle position; every man is either one or the other in his religious thinking."
While this was the position I held (and still hold today), I knew it was not the position of the leaders of this church. And so I brought that paragraph to their attention and they promptly removed it from the free literature they were handing out.The title of the book was The Bible Doctrine of Election.
Recently, I went on Amazon to see if it was still in print. It is. And you can buy it new for $928.99! (It is 59 pages long). You could by How to Be Born Again by the late Billy Graham (1918-2018) for $12.49. But then, maybe you get what you pay for!
- “But the distinction needs to be made between a mere desire to escape hell and the desire to be saved from sin. The desire to be saved from hell is a natural desire – no one wants to burn. The desire to be saved from sin is a spiritual desire resulting from the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, and God’s electing grace is the very mother of this desire.”
- “Election took place in eternity; Salvation takes place when the sinner believes.”
- “The theology that God votes for us, the Devil votes against us, and that we cast the deciding ballot is entirely outside the pale of Scripture teaching, and is almost too ridiculous to notice.”
- “Those who go to hell will have nobody to blame but themselves, while those who go to heaven will have nobody to praise but God.”
- “The Bible doctrine of “WHOSOEVER WILL” does not imply the freedom or ability of the human will to do good. The human will is free, but its freedom is within the limits of fallen human nature. It is free like water; water is free to run downhill...”
My comments:
This small 59 page booklet sells for $900 on Amazon, although you can get it used for much less. You can buy a book like How to Be Born Again, by the late Billy Graham, for much less but then, maybe you get what you pay for! The book I would most recommend for someone who wants to know more about the Bible doctrine of election is The Five Points of Calvinism, by
While you are waiting for Amazon to deliver that book, why don’t you get a head start on learning about one of those five points by listening to the following sermons by Rev. Paul den Butter?
Total Depravity, #1 by Rev. Paul den Butter [Text: Ephesians 2:1-2a (Audio)]
Total Depravity, #2 by Rev. Paul den Butter [Text: Ephesians 2:1-2a (Audio)]
Total Depravity, #3 by Rev. Paul den Butter [Text: Ephesians 2:1-2a (Audio)]
