Taunting, Cruel Mockery! Giving God a Bad Name

John Piper and his staff defy all logic with this statement: "Every time the gospel is preached to unbelievers it is the mercy of God that gives this opportunity for salvation." Opportunity for salvation for those whom Christ did not die, and who have been predestined to eternal damnation? What taunting, cruel mockery!

Calvinism gives God a bad name. Calvin's God could save the entire human race-but only saves a relative few in order, allegedly, to demonstrate the greatness of His grace! Atheists and other critics of the Bible ridicule this portrait of God as a monster who takes pleasure in imposing suffering on mankind. Thus, this false gospel and false Christ performs its intended task to lead people away from the true Jesus.

God's love is missing from Calvin's Institutes. How can the God of salvation be the "confidence" of those He takes pleasure in damning? How could it glorify God for Him to be less gracious than He commands mankind to be? And where does God say He limits His mercy-much less that He is thereby glorified?

Scripture declares, "The Lord is good to all" (Ps. 145.9), "plenteous in mercy to all" that call upon Him (Ps. 86.5), and the "God of our salvation [is] the confidence of all the ends of the earth" (Ps. 65.5).