Josh Heyer

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me." - John 14:6

[Josh Heyer @joshheyer]

@rootcausesleuth @_jonbowlin He’s clearly talking about molecules, because molecules make up individuals.

[Josh Heyer @joshheyer]

@fivesolatyler @DrFrankTurek 🤣

[Josh Heyer @joshheyer]

@Jmacdog7 @SarahBeth2026 @RisingDisciples Yes

[Josh Heyer @joshheyer]

Friend (I don't know your name), it's obvious we see the gift of salvation differently. But you gotta stop saying things like I'm mocking God's grace. Or saying my view is man-centered. I obviously don't believe that, but you're happy to assume that to make your point. Please don't do that to people.

Philippians 2:12-13 "... work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."

These verses are about sanctification, not justification. It's the Holy Spirit at work in someone who is already put their faith in Jesus. "To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, ...", so I think you're the one making the error.

I appreciate the conversation. Take care, brother!

[Josh Heyer @joshheyer]

Thank you for answering those questions. Under Calvinism, it seems clear to me that the decree is the point at which people are determined to saved or not saved. This "divine determinism" as it's often called renders faith as an attribute that those who are saved will receive from God.

I don't think your author analogy changes that. But, let's take your author/character analogy to it's logical ends.

1. The author plans a story that once complete allows his characters to actually live with him forever. He will change them from just a character in a book to an eternal being.
2. The author wants all of his characters to live with him forever and doesn't want any of them to perish.
3. But then decides, the only way they'll understand my glory is to condemn most of the characters to eternal pain and suffering.
4. So he writes them all as totally depraved and evil beings in the story, but determines a few will be changed. A few will be saved from the end I have written for them. And they will be thankful.
5. Now the story will play out exactly as the author has written, then he will turn those characters in the book into eternal beings. Then judge them based on what he had determined ahead of time.
6. And so he sends the majority of his now eternal characters into eternal torment, and the saved characters are thankful to be with him. But they'll only be thankful because that's what was authored for them to be.

Alternate Story: the author could've saved all of his characters and written into the story that each of them truly grasped the authors holiness and glory and lived happily ever after.

[Josh Heyer @joshheyer]

Brother, you keep saying things I never brought up or claimed. I didn't say the decree replaced faith. I didn't say "puppeting". I didn't mock anything. I never said we aren't saved by grace. I know what scripture says about it. I'm not even talking about the entire Calvinist framework, just one point of the framework which is the decree.

And in my view, you're not dealing with the point. You just say the premise is a false dichotomy and move on to other things.

Just answer:

1. Can you have faith without the decree?
2. If not, then you need the decree to be saved, right?

[Josh Heyer @joshheyer]

Actually, I didn’t say it replaced faith. My point is, under Calvinism, you’re ultimately not saved by faith, but by decree. That is the source of salvation for the elect. It's genesis of salvation. Once that occurred, it was settled. Genuinely, I still don’t see how you dealt with that.

Can you at least see where I'm coming from, in my viewpoint?

[Josh Heyer @joshheyer]

@SoteriologyA1 @Soteriology101 So, at what point in our conversation do you engage with my original point about the decree being what saves you and not faith, under Calvinism?

[Josh Heyer @joshheyer]

I can certainly appreciate why you think that. Except, the "gift" mentioned in Ephesians 2:8 is referring to salvation, not faith.

But staying on my original point, the bible says it's salvation through faith, as this verse clearly illustrates. But Calvinism says it's by decree before the world began and that God grants those He chose to have faith. If you're not decreed to life, you can't receive faith and you can't be saved. So again, logically, you need the decree to be saved, since it comes before faith. Faith is just a byproduct of the decree.

[Josh Heyer @joshheyer]

I think anyone can appreciate the straw-man approach you've taken, especially since I didn't mention anything about meriting salvation.

Also, I'm pretty sure it's "saved by grace, through faith". You forgot that part. Seems pretty important and explicit. And by the way, non-calvinists believe we're saved by grace too.

Frankly, I think an honest Calvinist would have to say, "saved by grace, through the decree", since it's through the sovereign decree that people are saved or damned.

[Josh Heyer @joshheyer]

@writeontheedg3 You're welcome! And David is great to connect with, if you get the chance. Super generous and kind.

[Josh Heyer @joshheyer]

@CooperDeJawn3 I'll always be a Nakobe Dean fan. Gonna miss seeing him in that Eagles uniform this year.

[Josh Heyer @joshheyer]

Love that! You know, there's a great book I've read that illustrates a life "walking with the Jesus, knowing the Father's heart" and being lead by the Holy Spirit.

It's called "Looking for the One", by David McIver. You can find it at https://t.co/sK5xca5FEf (which helps his ministry) or on Amazon. Such a great book! Well worth the read and gives you a new perspective on walking with Jesus in your daily life. It hits on the "impactful and healing" part you mentioned.

(Disclaimer: I was so moved by the book I asked the author if could help him with his website, which I did. That's how much I loved the book.)

[Mike Lee @BasedMikeLee]

Help us save America

By passing the SAVE America Act

Please encourage your senators to resume debate on the Senate floor—with a plan to keep debating it until it passes

[Josh Heyer @joshheyer]

@repentantKerry Under Calvinism, you don’t need faith to be saved. You need to be decreed to be saved. Faith is just a byproduct of the decree.

That's a different gospel.

[Josh Heyer @joshheyer]

@DerpGently70 @sola_chad Which comes first? The decree “to life” (as Calvin puts it), or faith in Christ?

[Josh Heyer @joshheyer]

@jasrifootball Safe to assume that most of those drops for the Eagles were A.J. Brown once he decided he wanted to leave, after game 4?

[Josh Heyer @joshheyer]

@MManitoba37412 @sola_chad https://t.co/ue5KjzCRQ0

[Josh Heyer @joshheyer]

@YoSoyRobertMera @sola_chad How about the "The Westminster Confession of Faith"?

You need to be decreed to receive life. The decree comes first. Hence faith is just a byproduct.