This sermon delves into the controversial topic of Calvinism and its impact on churches and individuals. The speaker shares personal experiences and reactions to addressing Calvinism, highlighting the division and strong convictions surrounding this theological doctrine. Various quotes from prominent Calvinists are presented, emphasizing the belief that Calvinism is synonymous with true Christianity, raising concerns about the exclusivity and aggressive promotion of Calvinist beliefs as essential to the gospel message.

What love is this? Now, I don't pick these titles or topics, so this was the one that was assigned to me. And it's a book I never wanted to write. I didn't really intend to write. I think it all started, more or less. I mean, I have friends, some of my best friends are Calvinists. We've had our discussions in years gone by. We've agreed to disagree and dropped it because neither one of us was convincing the other. But I think it was August, it'll be two years this coming August, that I did just a little Q&A. How many of you get the Brien call, by the way? Oh, wow, quite a few. About 70%, I think, or more. Well, you know we have a Q&A section in there. And I did just a little Q&A on Calvinism. Somebody asked, and we get, we are asked questions on a variety of topics, and we don't exclude anything, we don't shy away from anything. So they're asking me about Calvinism. I guess I'm entitled to give my opinion from what I think the Bible says. Wow, never received such a storm of angry letters from all over the world, many of them from pastors who said things like, well, we've appreciated your ministry for the last ten years, your stand for truth and against error, but now you have attacked Calvinism. Take me off your mailing list. I'm instructing all my people to get off your mailing list. We want nothing further to do with you. Whoa. I never expected such a reaction as that. You know, I don't break fellowship with Calvinists who disagree with me. It almost reminded me of the Catholics, and Greg would certainly relate to this. The Catholics call us anti-Catholic, because we disagree with them. But they don't call themselves anti-Protestant or anti-Evangelical. You'd think it ought to go both ways. We're called Catholic bashers, but they don't call themselves evangelical bashers. Well, the title of the book, my wife came up with it. She's a more gentle soul than I am. The subtitle is, what I have is the title, I guess, Calvinism's Misrepresentation of God. But the title, What Love Is This? If we didn't have a subtitle, you might think it was some devotional by Dave Hunt on love. Well, why should I enter into a controversy that's been going on for 450 years? I mean, Calvinists and non-Calvinists have debated back and forth. I'm not going to settle anything. But as the months went by, we got more and more letters. I think I did another Q&A, and that created more of a storm. We began to hear from people who said, Calvinism has just split our church. We've got a new pastor, and he's forcing this on everyone. Anyone who's not a Calvinist has to get out. Or we heard it the other way. Churches where if you were a Calvinist, they put you out. This Sunday school teacher has been, we've warned him, and he keeps pushing Calvinism on his class. And so we finally, had to put a stop to it. I began to find that Calvinists seem to be very aggressive, more so than anyone else. I was astonished by that. I was on some talk shows that were not really run by Calvinists. They were just evangelical talk shows, and the only people that called in were Calvinists. I mean, they seem to get to the phone first. Well, it's been heating up. And R.C. Sproul in America, I don't know if he's on the air over here, but he's on the radio every day pushing Calvinism. We're beginning to find out that more and more people that we didn't really know were Calvinists are Calvinists, and they're becoming more aggressive in pushing this doctrine. John MacArthur, for example, many people didn't know that, but if you look at his writings, and J.I. Packer, D. James Kennedy, of course, because Presbyterians are Calvinists. What began to concern us a bit are some of the claims. Let me just quote some of them. Calvinism—I'm quoting some Calvinists now—quote, Calvinism is pure biblical Christianity in its clearest and purest expression. Well, if you're not a Calvinist, you're not a Christian, it seems to follow. John Piper—I imagine that name would be known at least to some of you—he writes, quote, the doctrines of grace—that is, total depravity, unconditioned election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, perseverance of the saints—are the warp and woof of the biblical gospel cherished by so many saints for centuries. So if Calvinism, the five points of Calvinism, are the warp and woof of the biblical gospel, and you don't preach five-point Calvinism, wouldn't it then follow you're not preaching the gospel? Now it becomes rather serious. Well, your own C. H. Spurgeon—by the way, most of you don't know, and I rarely mention this—my father named me after Charles Spurgeon. My name—you know, you British, my father was British, and you British have sometimes multiple middle names. And my father named me David Charles Haddon Spurgeon Hunt. My mother thought Spurgeon was a bit too much, and she redlined that one, so my name actually is David Charles Haddon Hunt, okay? So Spurgeon and I should get along well. Spurgeon wrote, I do not ask whether you believe Calvinism. It is possible you may not, but I believe you will before you enter heaven. I am persuaded that as God may have washed your hearts, he will wash your brains before you enter heaven. John Gerstner says, We believe, with the great Baptist preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon, that Calvinism is just another name for Christianity. Let me just give you some other quotes. I mean, I would think your level of concern would rise a bit. Another Calvinist says, This teaching was held to be the truth by the apostles. Another Calvinist says, Christ taught the doctrines which have to be known as the five points of Calvinism. Another one says, Well, this is a man named Copse, a well-known Calvinist. God's plan of salvation revealed in the scriptures consists of what is popularly known as the five points of Calvinism. Lorraine Bettner, one of the great apologists against the Roman Catholic Church, says, quote, The great advantage of the Reformed faith is that in the framework of the five points of Calvinism, it sets forth clearly what the Bible teaches concerning the way of salvation. Another one says, quote, If you do not know the five points of Calvinism, you do not know the gospel, but some perversion of it. B.B. Warfield, one of the classics, says, Calvinism is evangelicalism in its purest and only stable expression. Another one says, Calvinism is the gospel, and to teach Calvinism is in fact to preach the gospel. Well, I would think some of you might be a bit concerned now that you haven't preached the gospel yet, if you haven't been preaching Calvinism. It's called Reformed theology. I get just a little bit upset about that. They've hijacked the Reformation. What do you mean Reformed theology? John Calvin was eight years old when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Chapel.