Revealing Jesus

Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets.  Amos 3:7 (NAS)

When the calvinist imagination about how salvation is accomplished in the remote distance of “eternity past” and projected into time on lucky individuals is explained by Calvin, the result is laughable.  Literally.  Calvin mentions that no one can explain how the lucky recipient really knows whether he/she is saved. Salvation, to Calvin, comes by God’s secret counsel and not response to the gospel…BUT…response to the gospel proves that God’s secret counsel has been accomplished.  Since responding to the gospel proves nothing and everything at the same time, one hopes that Calvin will explain what he means.  He rebukes anyone who wants a reasonable explanation by accusing him/her of wanting to turn into a bird.  Biiirrds!!  Birds that stare at the sun and cannot tell if they are flying too high or diving too deeply into the abyss.  Sounds suspiciously like he has smuggled in the story of Daedalus and Icarus to flesh out his silly imagination.  Where’s Jesus in all of this complicated nightmare?  (calvinists! Jesus is God…stop saying things about God that you cannot prove through Jesus!) 

Amos tells the truth about the secret counsel of God.  It is revealed to the prophets.  Not just any idiot of a prophet who, like a clock that has stopped, can be correct twice a day.  God reveals His secrets to prophetic servants. (Since “servant” = “elect,” then one can call these “elect prophets” aka those that are trustworthy.)  God has assembled the works of the prophets into the books of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments.  Explanation of these works is appropriate and discussion is important.  No one can rework the teachings of the prophets into his own esoteric system in order to capture the souls of humans with impunity.  Calvin’s nonsensical picture of the secret counsel of God as to which sinful humans were “elect” and  those who had always been damned has no biblical basis at all. 

Of course, the most important prophet of all is the Lord Jesus Christ.  This same Jesus said outrageous things that even a child could understand.  “…whosoever believes in Him (Jesus) will not perish but have eternal life.”  Jesus did not construct complicated systems that only the elite and initiated could understand and provide admission for those whom they approved.  Jesus did not expect that someone would “make Jesus Lord over their life” and prove the effects of the gospel and good works before salvation was granted – if so, then what proof is there that the dying thief persevered?  Jesus favored women and children and Roman soldiers over his kinsmen who had established legalistic rituals (Matthew 23:13-36. He calls them snakes = devils) or were getting fat rich off of His Father’s house (Matthew 21:12-13).  Jesus Christ (Jesus is God) was completely in tune with the secret counsels of His Father and did not make it difficult for humans to understand Him or prevent any from coming to Him.  He did not chase them down in order to benefit them but called out to them and invited them to accept Him.  Jesus died on a cross to say, “I love you ______________________, with all that I am.” 

Come to Jesus.

Come to the Cross.