For Calvinism Quotes

“Pragmatism, consumerism, self-help moralism, and narcissism are simply the symptoms of a disease that is, at its heart, theological:”
― Michael S. Horton, For Calvinism

“We are justified through faith in Christ, not through doctrinal precision.”
― Michael S. Horton, For Calvinism

“Where evangelical spiritualities tend to move from the individual to the family to the church, Reformed piety moves in the other direction: from the public means of grace to the family to the individual.”
― Michael S. Horton, For Calvinism

“Reformed teaching, then, draws on its own specific interpretations while nevertheless aiming at doctrines that are embraced by the whole church. This means, on one hand, that we confess the same faith as the whole church and, on the other hand, that on virtually every point we affirm some things that are more controversial or distinctive.”
― Michael S. Horton, For Calvinism

“the Southern Baptist convention sponsors “about 5,000 home missionaries” and “more than 5,000 foreign missionaries.”44 For a denomination of sixteen million, this comes to approximately “0.000625 missionaries per capita.” By contrast, the 310,000 member Presbyterian church in America (which believes the Bible teaches predestination) has “about 600 foreign missionaries.” That is 0.001935 foreign missionaries per capita commissioned”
― Michael S. Horton, For Calvinism

“Redemption is cosmic in its scale, even though for now its evidence is seen in the remission of sins and the gathering of a people from every nation in Christ’s name. This unfolding plan directs us away from an individual and introspective piety, concerned only with what is happening inside of us. We are directed outside of ourselves: looking up in faith toward God and out toward a world into which we are called in witness and service.”
― Michael S. Horton, For Calvinism

“When it comes to salvation, there are no wages. In fact, “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6: 23). So if we want to talk about getting what we deserve, we’re in for a rough ride. Salvation is a gift, not a reward (Rom. 4: 4–5). Is election fair? Hardly. But who wants fairness in this matter? After all, if God were to give everybody what is deserved, nobody would be saved. He could leave every one of us in our spiritual death and the condemnation that we have chosen for ourselves.”
― Michael S. Horton, For Calvinism

“TULIP. As Kenneth Stewart has shown recently, there is no evidence of this acronym being used before the twentieth century.”
― Michael S. Horton, For Calvinism

“Indeed, most mainline churches in the Reformed and Presbyterian tradition today either ignore or reject their Calvinistic distinctives.”
― Michael S. Horton, For Calvinism

“The same word that is faith-producing and life-generating for some is for others an occasion to become more resolute in unbelief.”
― Michael S. Horton, For Calvinism

“Apart from Christ, there can only be a “fleeting knowledge of God” that quickly turns to the vinegar of idolatry and superstition, however much unbelievers (Calvin refers to Moslems here) “proclaim at the top of their lungs that the Creator of heaven and earth is God.”46”
― Michael S. Horton, For Calvinism

“Our choices are determined by our nature; we choose what we desire and we desire what is most consistent with our nature.”
― Michael S. Horton, For Calvinism

“My concern with this is not about who owns the trademark. If a label is used chiefly to lionize “us” and demonize “them,” we’d be better off without it. Rather, my concern is that the richness and breadth of Reformed faith and practice are being reduced to a few doctrines. In the process, even those doctrines lose much of their supporting rationale. In fact, their meaning changes at crucial points. For example, I believe that the doctrine of election is inextricably bound up with covenant theology and with the covenantal life that is shaped in the New Testament by the means of grace. As I have argued, even “eternal security” is different from the doctrine of perseverance.”
― Michael S. Horton, For Calvinism