# How did you become Reformed?



## Puritan Sailor (Jul 11, 2003)

I'm just curious to see how many of us came to the Reformed Faith. Some were raised in it. Others found it on their way through Arminian type churches. Some were even converted in a Reformed church without any previous church experience (i.e pagan, atheist, agnostics, etc.) or some had no idea they were in a reformed church, they just knew they needed to go to church. And some have not joined one yet though they personally hold to the Reformed faith. 
By Reformed church here I mean confessionally, WCF, LBC, or for you independents out there a Calvinistic doctrinal statement.


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## JohnV (Jul 11, 2003)

PS:
I grew up in a Reformed church, with the Three Forms of Unity as our standards. Ideologically, it was as thoroughly Reformed as I believe can be. But in actual practice, I'm afraid that one would be hard pressed to call it Reformed. They now have women and homosexual preachers. As a first generation member of my particular congregation, I have seen her fall from the height of her ideology to the depth of her apostasy. Its a sad story.

JohnV


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## Puritan Sailor (Jul 11, 2003)

Oh thanks for the reminder. I did not wish to leave out our Dutch brethren. I would include the Three Forms of Unity as part of the confessionally &quot;Reformed&quot; churches in the poll question. Sorry about that... guess I ain't much :biggrin:


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## Wannabee (Jul 12, 2003)

[quote:b8f3ddac6b]I'm just curious to see how many of us came to the Reformed Faith.[/quote:b8f3ddac6b]Providentially!

Sorry, I just had to.

Actually, I was going through a shake up period in my life a couple of years ago. I was reading some stuff about Spurgeon and went to Phil Johnson's web site. Wow, was I shocked to see that Spurgeoon was a Calvinist. So I was intrigued. Eventually I came to A Puritan's Mind and Tiptoed through the Tulip with Matt. He let me ask him a couple of questions and the rest is history... so far.


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## Sancta-fixation (Jul 12, 2003)

It was pure povidence for me. I grew up with a calvinistic pastor, but attended and Evangelical Free church. Upon coming to college, I became convinced of what I already held true about the Bible and God. I found the Reformed (Calvinitstic, I am still a Baptist) faith to be the only faith that gave God that which was his, namely everything. I became conviced early that Arminianism, or any other -ism that puts man's will above God's sovereignty to be utter foolishness. The road has been beautiful to travel, many hills, and many valleys, but beautiful scenery and wonderful company in it all. 

Sancta


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## Scott Bushey (Jul 12, 2003)

I did a study in 1st Corinthians. The commentary set I used was by Dr. J. MacArthur. In the study, Macarthur repeatedly mentioned and expounded upon &quot;election&quot;. I did a search on the internet on Calvinism; A.W. Pink's book, &quot;The Sovereignty of God&quot; and L. Boettner's book &quot;The doctrine of Election&quot; were my first exposure to the doctrines of grace.


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## blhowes (Jul 12, 2003)

A few years after I was saved, I met a sovereign grace preacher who had a very small Christian bookstore, not too far from where I lived (within hitch-hiking distance). It was an outreach of his church and he was the first to introduce me to the doctrines of grace - praise the Lord.

He spoke very highly of the puritans. He pointed out some of the deficiencies in the preaching and teachings of the churches today as compared with that of the puritans. 

His selection of books was very different from the other Christian bookstores. Everything in the store was about the doctrines of grace. At the time, I had extra money (I vaguely remember what that was like) and would visit quite often to buy new books. There was a certain reverence for God and his dealings with mankind that I saw in the writings of the puritans, Spurgeon, Pink, etc. that seemed lacking in present day churches. The truth that God is sovereign in salvation just jumped out of the pages of the scriptures, whereas the teaching of a God who was just sitting there patiently waiting for a sinner to &quot;accept Jesus&quot; just didn't align with what I read in the scriptures.

I praise the Lord for the folks He brings along our path, both then and now.

Bob


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## twogunfighter (Jul 12, 2003)

The Army moved me as it does @ every two years and I wound up at Ft Bragg in NC. I then began searching for churches in my usual way, looking through the yellow pages. I found a church called PCA and vaguely thought that that might be James Dobson's denomination (I still don't know if it is or not). I decided to try there. Everyone there was nice etc. but they did not seem to have enough of the &quot;Spirit&quot; (CCM, drums, bass, guitar, keyboards). So we looked around for about another month at other churches some had too much &quot;Spirit&quot; and others had a mean spirit. So I decided that if James Dobson could worship at one of these PCA churches with the responsive readings and the organ music his whole life then I could make do for 12-18 months. We saw church done right while there and have been hooked on reformed theology ever since.

Chuck


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## Mel (Jul 20, 2003)

I was blessed to grow up in a reformed church--but, quite honestly, I can't remember understanding or paying attention to anything until I was about 12. Well, other than the time when I was 3 and thought that the scary guest preacher with the beard was Jesus... But, at age 12, some of what my very doctrinally sound pastor was preaching seeped into my head and there it found conflict with my natural Armineanism. After several weeks of intense personal debate and thought (But how could God NOT love and save the whole world????) God opened my eyes and I've been blessed to see the truth of reformed theology.  

Mel


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## Bladestunner316 (Jul 20, 2003)

By the Grace of God and prayin he still reforms me


blade


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## cupotea (Jul 21, 2003)

Parents joined a church which was in the process of becoming reformed. By the time I was of age that doctrine mattered, the church had pretty much finished that process.


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## SolaScriptura (Oct 6, 2003)

What is humorous to me (now) is that I went to college at Moody Bible Institute THINKING that I was a dispensationalist since dispensationalism was all I'd ever heard. However, as I was sitting in my classes. Yet their own explanation of certain key texts was just so bizarre to me that I would literally turn my bible in various directions thinking that perhaps the light wasn't hitting my eyes correctly! Once I learned that my eyesight was 20/20 I realized that one would only interpret those passages in a dispensational manner if one had an a priori commitment to that system. Then I went searching for a more biblical system... and the rest is history! I'm so glad that the Lord brought me into the truth!:roll:


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## Scholar (Oct 6, 2003)

I 1997, one of my friends asked me if I believed in the Sovereignty of God. My answer, of course, was yes.

After talking for another two hours over coffee, I realized that I had no idea what sovereignty really entailed.

The first theological book I read was Packer's Knowing God. Next was Horton's Putting the Amazing... Next, I read Pink's Sovereignty of God. After that, I read Sproul's Grace Unknown. It wasn't until then that things began to click into place. But I still could not swallow this idea of limited atonement.

Then, I came upon the big enchilada quite by accident. I bought it because it had a silly name. The death of death in the death of Christ. Yeah, baby. John &quot;The Man&quot; Owens.

After reading that, I realized that you were either a five-point calvinist or you weren't a calvinist at all.


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## SolaScriptura (Oct 6, 2003)

The big enchilada, huh?
Yum... I could go for one of those right now!


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## Scholar (Oct 6, 2003)

Isn't it funny, particularly in places like John and Romans, that the Scriptures you thought you knew contained the doctrines of grace throughout?


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## Ex-Baptist (Oct 6, 2003)

There is an old saying down south,&quot;God can hit straight with a crooked stick.&quot;:saint2:


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## eelliott777 (Oct 10, 2003)

In 1996, the Internet riveted my attention on Calvinist teachers. I always believed that God INITIATES EVERYTHING GOOD, since I developed a very low view of myself, and mankind, and a very high view of God.

God used my interest to lead me to a Calvinist/Reformed theology. I was drawn to the meat of the Puritans, Spurgeon, Piper, Pink, RC Sproul and MacArthur. Although I didn't know the label, I realized I truly was a reformed 7-point Calvinist (as John Piper has called himself).


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## brymaes (Oct 21, 2003)

I was blessed to have a Calvinistic youth pastor in high school. He began discipling me and teaching me Greek when I was 15. Now, this was a Southern Baptist church, so they didn't care for this gentleman's theology, and he eventually had to leave because of pressure from the deacons. But at any rate, that was my first exposure to Calvinism, and I've not looked back since.

PS: Forgive my ignorance, but what is a &quot;7 point Calvinist&quot;?:saint:


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## 5Solas (Dec 28, 2003)

I grew up in a PC(USA) church. Didn't learn what Reformed was until I stumbled into a PCA church ( by Providence, of course) in 1995...


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## Reena Wilms (Jan 3, 2004)

In the Netherlands,i did not grew up in a christian family, so i did not know anything about calvinism. But by Gods grace i got saved 8 years ago, and i grew up with a arminian theology. After 4 years i went to the US to study one year at Calvary Chapel Bible College (which is arminian),and because they don't like the doctrines of grace (TULIP) i started to read some books in their big bookshop, from J. Edwards, Owen, Lloyd Jones &amp; Spurgeon and some puritans paperbacks from the Banner of true trust, and my heart got really touched by the this God fearing &amp; God centered theology, that i also read a book from J.L Packer about the puritans. After that i went to India, and my pastor there was a presbyterian, and i read from him, the Institues from Calvin, and through that great book i became so convinced of the absolute Sovereighty of God, that my whole view about theology and God changed.
I live now with my wife Reena in the south (Limburg) Netherlands, but my church is not reformed or calvinistic.

Ralph.


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## MICWARFIELD (Jan 3, 2004)

After being raised in Pentecostal circles, I spent my teen age years angry at God and away from church altogether. Then God graciously tore out my heart of stone in Feb. of 89.
I began attending a Calvary Chapel which had a pastor who was a proud Wesleyan. I adopted his theology and would frequently debate calvinists I came in contact with. I considered Calvinisim to be a very destructive theology.
Then, while attending a Dispensational school of evangelism in 90, I started reading Spurgeon. We had one annoying Calvinist in our class that began challenging me also. When I came accross Spurgeons very strong statements in support of Calvinism I was perplexed indeed.
It was a combination of Spurgeon's writings, Sproul's - Chosen by God, and Gerstner's - Wrongly dividing the Word of Truth (also, John Murray's - Redemtion, Accomplished and applied) that finally convinced me of the Doctrines of Grace.
That same year (I think it was 91) I attended Ligoner's Majesty of Christ conference which is where I was able to meet other Reformed folk.
Since that time I have read a lot - have changed from Reformed Baptist to Paedo - Have witnessed 3 very nasty church splits - have read the best of the sceptics and have seriously doubted the validity of my faith and the scriptures - and have graciously experienced covenant renewal. Discovering this board a year or two ago couldnt have come at a better time. As iron sharpens iron...

Mike


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## turmeric (Jan 16, 2004)

Raised Dispie/Arminian, with a little WordFaith for spice, in the Midwest in the '70's, which probably explains a lot. Mom got hold of the TULIP book by Duane Spencer and I was just horrified! Turns out I wasn't actually born-again. The idea that I might be spiritually dead haunted me for years, but at last, while reading Alister McGrath's book on Calvin, the light broke through!


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## dkicklig (Jan 17, 2004)

I attended a Dispensational Bible college, and it was during my time their that I really saw the fallacies of dispensational theology. It was the rampant dispensational premillenialism that pushed my over the edge. My dad, a reformed Baptist, gave me Gary DeMar's &quot;Last Day's Madness&quot; and that started me on the road to recovery.
Growing up my dad had quite a nice Puritan &amp; Reformed Library which I now have. Being surrounded by Bunyan, Owen, Gill, Flavel, Pink, Spurgeon, and on and on, it's hard to escape the truth.
After moving to GA we had a wonderful pastor who taught reformed theology, and after the unfortunate demise of our church I found solace and comfort in the PCA. Just recently I've begun to grasp the fullness of covenant theology, and not to start another debate I can't wait to baptize my all of my children into the covenant family.


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## rembrandt (Jan 25, 2004)

I became Reformed by reading Geisler's &quot;Chosen but Free.&quot; 
The horrible idol of Arminianism on display led me to search for the Biblical doctrines of the Reformation in White's rebuttal of the book, &quot;Potter's Freedom.&quot;


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## robot (Mar 16, 2004)

I was raised without any concern over the doctrines of grace... my dad has a fairly low view of theology (he was a pastor, and went to seminary at Fuller though). Just this year I was interested in different theologies and whatnot after God convicted me of my lukewarm faith. I came across various Calvinist websites, and their claims seemed to make sense. As I read scripture, and took more notes, and thought about the implications of Calvinism, I saw how liberating and true it was. I was partially won over; recently I bought an abridged Institutes, and I agree with pretty much everything Calvin has to say. The Bible agrees with the Five Points, so I should too.
Calvinism has been great for my walk with God... I hold no fear, for my Father is watching me constantly. I share the Gospel with whoever is willing to hear, and pray with faith, knowing that God is truly in control of everything


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## Irishcat922 (Mar 16, 2004)

*becoming reformed*

A good friend of mine encouraged me to after a debate over calvinism to search the scriptures, so i did, and came to the conclusion that calvinism was scriptural. The more I studied the more convinced I became. After Reading Redemption accomplished and applied by theLate,Great,
John Murray I was a convinced 5 pointer. After intense struggle and study over Baptism and a little help from the Rev. Murray and Jay Adams I became covenantal in my view of baptism.:wr50:


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## Puritan Sailor (Mar 16, 2004)

Well, thank you all for your testimonies so far. It's amazing to see the Lord working in much the same way all over the country. 

I also find it interesting with our poll results here so far. Only 11% were raised in the reformed faith. Assuming this is representative of the Reformed communities in America, I think this explains many of the challenges and difficulties in defending the reformed faith, even from within the reformed community. Many who join our reformed churches today do not yet know the rich heritage they have joined. How diligent must our pastors and elders be in educating the churches today! Yet at the same time, most of these reformed converts are zealous to learn and defend the sovereign grace of God. This is a great strength to build on. 

I realized now after starting this thread long ago that I haven't shared my own experience yet. 
I was raised in a pentacostal A/G church. It was heavily influenced by the Vineyard type extremes during my teen years. But the Lord some how kept me faithful in reading the Scriptures. When I joined the Navy at 17, I was basically ripped out of that scene and started studying the Scriptures on my own. I met with some more conservative evangelicals once and a while for Bible study which also helped me to be a little more open-minded toward non-charasmatics. I then read Foxes Book of Martyrs and RC Sproul's Holiness of God. This set me on the path to reformed theology. A year later I read Sproul's Chosen by God which sealed my fate. Another year later I discovered the Puritans, which permanently made me a Puritan-head (or perhaps a Roundhead ) I joined a dutch reformed church about a year after that and am now in the OPC.

Keep them coming guys. It is encouraging to hear of your journey's.

[Edited on 3-16-2004 by puritansailor]


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## Gregg (Mar 16, 2004)

I was Catholic for 37 years. I came to be familiar with the the Reformed faith by listening to Family Radio. I then left the Catholic Church and became reformed.


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## Ianterrell (Apr 26, 2004)

I alreadly leaned towards Calvinistic thought after conversion but it became concrete after reading The Bondage of the Will by Martin Luther. He provided a really strong arguement against free-will and for God's sovereignty.


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## Ianterrell (Apr 26, 2004)

Paul that's incredible.


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## Learner (Apr 27, 2004)

I was raised as a Plymouth Brethren and that influenced
me in some negative ways.I went to a LIBERAL, Liberal Arts
College and started to attend an Evangelical Free Church.Though it is not reformed the pastor and I attended one of the reformed conferences at 10th Presbyterian in
Philly.One of the teachers at my college(also a PB)told me
(after I asked what author I should read for Christian growth)
to check out Dr.L-Jones.So I went through most of the early volumes of his Roman series at the college library.The Doctor
was wonderful.He was quite the tonic.Not only was his expo-
sition so different and clear and God-exalting,I started to develop a real love for Church History.I noted all the names
of historical figures and movements.He is responsible(humanly speaking)for bringing me along the Calvinistic path.
R.C.Sproul's books were a staple for me in the early and mid-eighties.I have noticed how many on this board have been helped spiritually by him.
Staying with the E.F.for 18 years was way too long.I have
no idea why I stayed so long while better churches were available to me.I finally joined a Reformed Baptist Church.Now,in S.Korea I fellowship with an independent,fundamental group.It's not reformed,but I know you can guess that my options are limited.The pastor is godly
and seeks to be as biblical as possible within his background.


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## cupotea (Apr 27, 2004)

*I was*

Raised in a decidedly Arminian, dispensational Southern Baptist Church. 

After many years I became so boggled by the inconsistancies of man's libertarian free will, the &quot;accept Jesus, walk down the isle TONIGHT cuz you might get hit by a truck when you leave here and die without Jesus&quot; mentality. I had this visual of Jesus pacing heaven, wringing his hands and grieving over man not accepting him and that so didn't jive with what a sovereign God should be like that I walked away from the faith.

Years later I realized that I just didn't have it right and got involved in church again. The same battles sprang up within me but I kept plugging away.

Then...I got involved in internet message boards. About two years ago, there was a major flame war on my board between a Calvinist and an Arminian. I decided to read everything I could get my hands on about Calvinism in order to debate the Calvinist and champion my board.

I read Lorraine Boettner, thought he was a she, and all of a sudden things weren't looking too Arminian anymore. I took over a year off the internet, buried myself in Scripture and when I came away with my understanding of the Doctrine's of Grace, all the inconsistancies that had plagued me for years were gone.

Soli Deo Gloria


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## sundoulos (Apr 28, 2004)

Although my parents were both raised in the Dutch Reformed Church neither were Christians until I was about 8 yrs. old. Their background did little to help them although they made me memorize some of the Heidelberg and Westminster catechisms.

We attend all sorts of churches when I was a child. After I was saved I really didn't care what kind of a church I went to. Eventually I ended up not going at all. God called me to repentance and I started studying the book of Romans on my own. Chapter 9 did a number on me. 

At the same time my Dad started attending a Reformed Baptist church and we communicated our new beliefs to each other. It was a while -- a long while -- before I embraced particular atonement and that came about from listening to Al Martin's sermon on the unity of God.


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## ReformedWretch (May 7, 2004)

My church doesn't take a bold stance either way right now (give it time) but I have come to reformed theology simply from reading the bible!

Sounds overly simple I guess, but it's true!:yes:


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## tcalbrecht (May 7, 2004)

[quote:660110aa31][i:660110aa31]Originally posted by houseparent[/i:660110aa31]
My church doesn't take a bold stance either way right now (give it time) but I have come to reformed theology simply from reading the bible!

Sounds overly simple I guess, but it's true!:yes: [/quote:660110aa31]

Is this a Chuck Smith-style Calvary Chapel? I thought they were anti-Calvinists.


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## ReformedWretch (May 7, 2004)

I've heard that before, but from what I understand they say they don't follow Calvinism or Arminianism.

I have definately been blessed just in the study of the word there! I will look further into this. But I know our pastor supports it! I have spoke to him at length about it.


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## FrozenChosen (May 9, 2004)

Well, I used to attend a huge SBC church (3,000-5,000 members) and the pastor preached in an Arminian fashion, but a new twist was about to be, uh, twisted. My father became really frustrated and torn up by predestination, so this pastor told him to check out a magazine called Table Talk! The guy was a closet Calvinist but he preached in an Arminian sense, yikes!

So my dad got into it, and confronted the pastor, and because the pastor didn't see anything wrong with focusing on free will exclusively, my dad left. We joined the PCA church in Pensacola you see in my signature, and that was not too much of a shock, since I was only like 10 or 12.

I learned a little about the doctrines but most of it went in on ear and out the other.

After a while, I went through a period of rebellion against God in which I considered myself an antheist. Gracefully, God brought me back quickly. This little incident happened fairly recently. A couple years ago.

I began to read more of this thing called &quot;theology.&quot; In the first semester I was at Auburn, I read [i:7dc550c83c]Chosen by God[/i:7dc550c83c] and definitely went beserk, as us reformed individuals tend to once God grabs us by his word.

Anyways, I'm still reforming today. Still consider myself a babe compared to you giants on this board, but Lord make me humble and teach me.


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## mjbee (May 10, 2004)

I don't really know. I walked into bookstores with money in my pocket and books jumped into my arms. Why on earth would a stupid person like me buy Pink and Packer and Sproul? Well, the books were there, and they found me. But I gotta confess, as I type this, I have really loud disco party music playing in the living room and I occasionally go out there and dance with my puppy-dogs. 

Bee


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## Bernard_Marx (May 10, 2004)

I cut my teeth, Christianly speaking, in arminian dispensationalist circles. In grade 13 I even did a paper that sought to philosophically destory Calvinism, which I hated.

However when I went to my first year of Bible college I began to change a little in my thinking. I decided that passages like &quot;Jacob I loved, Esau I hated&quot; were not given any justice by being ignored or glossed over. With this decision the ball started rolling. The next year I met someone who was vociferously calvinistic. We talked, I read some Sproul and I converted, so to speak.


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## cupotea (May 15, 2004)

It never ceases to amaze me the ways in which God choses to reveal truths to us. The way I seem to run across more and more is when we set out to prove the lies of Calvinism and finally see the truth.

I'm fond of saying that I am not Reformed, I am Transformed. Coming to an understanding and acceptance of the Doctrines of Grace has wrought changes in me that are unbelievable.


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## Poimen (May 14, 2005)

> _Originally posted by JohnV_
> PS:
> I grew up in a Reformed church, with the Three Forms of Unity as our standards. Ideologically, it was as thoroughly Reformed as I believe can be. But in actual practice, I'm afraid that one would be hard pressed to call it Reformed. They now have women and homosexual preachers. As a first generation member of my particular congregation, I have seen her fall from the height of her ideology to the depth of her apostasy. Its a sad story.
> 
> JohnV



John, it sounds like you were a good ol' CRC boy like me. N'est pas?


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## Poimen (May 15, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Paul manata_
> I used to not be a Christian. I thought all christians were arminian. I would debate them using calvinistic arguments...even though I had never heard of calvin or reformed theology...I just thought they were inconsistant with the Bible. So...I was an atheist.
> 
> I talked to a WTS seminary student...prepared to wipe the floor with him (because, remember, I thought all christians were arminian) used my arguments...he said..."your right." we then had many long talks about the typical things, e.g., that's not fair. But when I finally repented I was calvinist from the get go.



Wow! Do you mind sharing the student's name?


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## sastark (May 15, 2005)

Coming over from the other thread....

By the grace of God, I was born into a reformed family. Praise God!


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## WrittenFromUtopia (May 15, 2005)

Scripture.


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## Romans922 (May 15, 2005)

I started to read the Bible.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (May 16, 2005)

Continuing the train of thought from another thread...My anti-US Constititution political convictions lead me to learn about a group called the Scottish Covenanters. A friend and a cousin at that time providentially introduced me to the Reformed Faith. Then I took a 3-week trip through Germany by train and read all of Calvin's _Institutes_. By the time I came back to the States, I had embraced the doctrines of grace and began my new journey as a Reformed Presbyterian Christian.


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## rmwilliamsjr (May 17, 2005)

I grew up in a Lutheran church but it was a social not religious experience. I became a Christian reading Rushdoony's Institutes of Biblical Law in my early 20's. I've been to OPC, EvP or PCA churches since.


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## PuritanCovenanter (May 20, 2005)

I was born dead in Sin. Unchurched in childhood. Was convicted that I was so sinful at age 18 that I picked up a Bible and started to read it. Matthew convinced me of my sin. John showed the the diety of Christ and His Chosing me. I just believed John 15:16. Things happening to me at that time were just a bit to out of the ordinary. It was like I was being played. So I just believed what the scriptures said. I was introduced to an 1689 LBCF Church without knowing it and I just started walking with God.

PROVIDENCE

God bless the Navy, the Navigator Ministry, and My Cradle Church.


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## Authorised (May 20, 2005)

My brother, who wasn't even a Calvinist at the time, dicussed it with me. We never opened the scriptures once in the conversation. I basically became a Calvinist through logic.


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## ReformedWretch (May 20, 2005)

> _Originally posted by houseparent_
> My church doesn't take a bold stance either way right now (give it time) but I have come to reformed theology simply from reading the bible!
> 
> Sounds overly simple I guess, but it's true!:yes:



I've changed churches sine this post JFYI


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## jaybird0827 (Sep 12, 2006)

I was baptized on October 6, 1946 at First Reformed Church (Dutch Reformed), in Bayonne, NJ. By that time the church had become thoroughly modernist. That church united with the Christ Presbyterian Church in 1952 becoming First Federated Church. Dutch Reformed liberals and Presbyterian liberals got along very well in those days.

Somehow in spite of growing up in a congregation that was in control of the liberals, I managed to pick up the teaching that God is sovereign. I think I got that from home and maybe from "Sunday School" teachers who were possibly believers. None of my family were believers. But in our home nobody, and I mean nobody, ever questioned that God is sovereign.

I lost my father to heart failure when I was 13. Our next door neighbors were a couple about my parents age. I had older parents. I ended up adopting them as 2nd parents because Mr. Gary became like a 2nd father. He was a Presbyterian elder. First Presbyterian Church in Cranford was just as modernist as First Federated. We didn't go there. We went to the Methodist church closer to our house. That was far worse.

Mr. Gary had Calvin's Institutes and the Confession of Faith and Catechisms on his bookshelf. Not only did he have them, he read them, and he held to them. He had a profound influence on my life especially in the high school years.

I was converted some time between ages 19 and 28. I don't know. I had quit going to church at all in high school because there was like no purpose in going to the Methodist church. I went the Sunday before graduating high school for the Baccalaureat Service. That was strictly for Mom.

The summer I turned 19 I read a book, Answer Me This that had been written by some Episcopal rector. That was the first time in my life I ever heard that the reason you did certain things in church was because of the Bible. He even said something about the Psalms being the hymnbook of the ancient Hebrews. I was like "Wow. Maybe we should be doing that. But maybe that would be tricky trying to put that to music. I wonder how you could do that." 

I ended up joining a Presbyterian (UPCUSA then) Church in Clark, NJ about 2 miles from my home in Cranford when I was 19. Church was better now because I knew more what worship was about. As far as I knew, that minister was a believer but more likely Arminian. He said all the right things, though, especially regarding the offer of grace by Christ in the gospel. 

I spent 3 years on staff of Campus Crusade. The 4 Spiritual Laws increasingly became a struggle and I really never was comfortable with "appropriating the fulness of the Spirit." They blew it when they required some of us to take a course in Bible Study and the instructor chose to have us study the book of Romans. By the 9th of Romans it was all over. 

I was in Africa with their Agape Movement ministry teaching in a government school in Swaziland. I decided that it would be best to finish out my "tour", fulfill my promises to my supporters, and return to the States when that was over. I never did use the 4 Laws as a "witnessing tool" again, so I could not chalk up any stats as far as talking to people. I "left staff" after debriefing and resumed my teaching career in a Christian school in Florida.

The clincher came roughly 4 years later when I found myself teaching at a Christian high school in Norfolk and a buddy who was attending a RPC/ES church on the Peninsula started explaining what he was learning. I was like "you mean, there ARE churches that believe that Romans 9 really means what it says?" That was the beginning of my recovery.

I got convicted of Psalmody in the 1990's. A Presbyterian elder who didn't hold to it helped get me there. Another story. I still remember the day when a friend showed me The Psalms of David in Metre. I'm like "Where did you get that????" We started using it for family worship and we didn't even have the tunes. We just scrounged up all the common meter and double common meter tunes from the "hymnbooks" we had acquired over the years. I fought back tears the day a copy of the split-leaf Psalter arrived in the mail, a gift from an elder in the Presbyterian Reformed Church. 

We joined the Presbyterian Reformed Church in late 1995. To make a long story short, it only dawned on my recently that I had been looking for 30 years for the only church home where I would ultimately be comfortable.

Obviously there is a lot that I didn't mention. If you really knew me then you would know that all this is but by the grace and mercy of God.


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## polemic_turtle (Sep 12, 2006)

Well, I was sort of in-between or far right or whatever you call it. I view myself as still coming out of it, but I was once the Landmarkist Hyper-Calvinistic sort of Baptist, though I was so only through implicit faith in what my church professes to be true. I am no longer Hyper or Landmarkist, but remain a Baptist, possibly because I've never known anything else, though I have yet to see why I need change in that regard( I met my first live Presbyterian this year; my sister babysits their children ). I accept the phrase Reformed simply because I've never learned theology from anything, but reformed writers and teachers, so... "Isn't the reformed faith grand?!" -Machen 

P.S. I was once a Member of Adrian Roger's church, though I doubt my conversion at that point.


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## beej6 (Sep 12, 2006)

I became Reformed at the same time I became a Christian. By the grace of God, my then-girlfriend, now wife Teresa, was attending an independent Reformed church (which later joined the OPC) and she led me there. We became members there (though not married there!) and later became very involved in that church.

BTW, I was raised Catholic.


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