Recently, a Friend sent me a message asking, "I have been reading a lot lately about theology. What is your view regarding Calvinism and Arminianism? Where do you stand on both -- and why?"
Where do I stand on Calvinism and Arminianism? Pretty much in the middle between the two. While there are teachings in both theologies which I agree with -- there are issues in both which I believe are not Biblical. Let's take a look at each:
CALVINISM: The doctrines and teachings of Calvinism are defined by the Five Points of Calvinism which are usually illustrated by the acronym T U L I P.
T -- Total Depravity: Sin has affected all parts of man. The heart, emotions, will, mind, and body are all affected by sin. We are completely sinful. We are not as sinful as we could be -- but we are completely affected by sin.
U -- Unconditional Election: Some are elected into salvation, others are not (Rom. 9:15, 21). God chooses to save people unconditionally; that is, they are not chosen on the basis of their own merit. The reason it is called Unconditional Election -- is because there is "no condition" through which man can choose, of his own "free will" -- to follow Jesus Christ and have eternal salvation. Those saved are chosen arbitrarily; like in a lotto; some win, some lose.
L -- Limited Atonement: The sacrifice of Christ on the cross was only for the purpose of saving the elect, those "predestined" -- chosen before the Creation to be saved. His death was not meant to offer salvation to all people. Jesus died only for the elect. Though Jesus' sacrifice was sufficient for all, it was not meant for all. Jesus only bore the sins of the elect.
I -- Irresistible Grace: When God has chosen to save someone, He will. When God calls his elect into salvation, they cannot resist. God offers to all people the Gospel message. This is called the external call. But to the elect, God extends an internal call and it cannot be resisted.
P -- Perseverance Of The Saints: You cannot lose your salvation. Because the Father has elected, the Son has redeemed, and the Holy Spirit has applied salvation -- those thus saved are eternally secure. Those people God chooses cannot lose their salvation; they will continue to believe. If they fall away, it will be only for a time.
The doctrines and teachings of Calvinism which I believe are not Biblical are:
U - Unconditional Election, which is another name for Predestination -- lotto style salvation; some win, some lose. Nothing a person can do to gain salvation if he/she was not chosen before the Creation. How secure does that make YOU feel?
L - Limited Atonement, which teaches that Jesus Christ did not die for all people as we are told in John 3:16; but, only for those chosen, i.e., predestined, before the Creation to be saved. If you were not chosen before the Creation -- on the cross, He did not know you. Can you believe that Jesus Christ -- did NOT die for YOU on the cross? If you believe Calvinism -- maybe He did not. But, how are YOU to know?
I -- Irresistible Grace: When God has chosen to save someone, He will be saved, whether he wants to be saved or not. In other words, man does not have the "free will" to choose to follow Jesus Christ or to deny Jesus Christ.
Calvinism teaches Predestination, that ONLY those people chosen before the Creation to be saved -- will be saved. And, it teaches that everyone chosen before Creation to be saved -- will be saved, regardless. They will have no choice. In other words, Calvinism teaches that we do not have the "free will" to choose to follow Jesus Christ or to deny Him.
Ephesians 1:13 tells us, "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the Gospel of your salvation — having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise."
This tells me that those who heard the Gospel being preached and believed -- were saved, sealed in Him by the Holy Spirit. Are the Calvinists telling us that God closed the ears of those He did not want saved -- so that they could not hear the Gospel and believe?
Calvinist, themselves, do not believe this -- for under Irresistible Grace above, we are told, "God offers to all people the Gospel message." If God offers the Gospel message to all people -- and some believe -- can they not be saved as Ephesians 1:13 tell us? Not according to the Calvinist doctrine of Predestination.
I do not believe my God would do that to a person who sincerely wants to hear and believe.
Where I agree with Calvinism is their teaching of Total Depravity, that man, with his sin nature inherited from Adam, is lost in sin and only the Holy Spirit can lead him to salvation in Jesus Christ. Yet, I will state that I believe Jesus Christ gave us the Great Commandment (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15) because we are to be Sowers of Salvation Seeds -- to all people, not just those predestined to be saved. And, when we are evangelizing; how do we know who was predestined -- and who was not?
I believe that we Christian believers sow seeds of salvation through our evangelism; that others water and nourish those seeds through their evangelism -- but, only the Holy Spirit can harvest those seeds and bring the person to saving faith in Jesus Christ.
If we witness to people not predestined to be saved; aren't we wasting the Gospel on them? Would it not be better to put all of our witnessing effort toward evangelizing only those predestined to be saved? But, how do we know the difference?
And, I agree with Calvinism that one cannot lose his/her salvation. Yet, Calvinism teaches "once saved, always saved" only for those arbitrarily chosen by God before the Creation. I believe that ALL can, by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, be saved. And, once saved, always saved -- for if a person can lose his salvation this makes a liar of Jesus Christ who tells us, "He who believes HAS eternal life" (John 6:47).
Calvinism says: because of man's sinfulness, God must predestine people into salvation -- or none would be saved. This is because Calvinism denies the gift of "free will" which God gave to man.
ARMINIANISM: The Five Points of Arminianism are:
• Human Free Will: This states that, though man is fallen and will always have the curse of his sin nature -- he still has the "free will" to make a choice to follow God and be saved. His will is not restricted and enslaved by his sinful nature. All people have the God-given attribute of "free will" -- the ability to choose to follow Jesus Christ or to deny Jesus Christ.
• Conditional Election: God, in His omniscience, knows all things; there is nothing He does not know -- from eternity past to eternity future. Therefore, in His "foreknowledge" -- His knowing what you and I will do throughout our entire life -- He knows who will follow Jesus Christ -- and who will deny Jesus Christ. Those who will follow Jesus Christ -- are predestined to eternal life with God.
• Universal Atonement: Jesus Christ died on the cross to offer salvation to ALL (". . . whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" -- John 3:16) -- who will, by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ -- believe and receive His "free gift."
• Resistible Grace: That because God had given man the gift of "free will" -- man can choose to resist the grace of God and reject salvation in Jesus Christ.
• Fall From Grace: The Teaching that a person can fall from grace and lose his salvation.
While I agree with the first four Points of Arminianism; the last, to fall from grace and lose your salvation, is totally unBiblical.
Arminianism teaches that everyone can be saved -- if we will, by grace, through faith, believe and receive His "free gift" of salvation. However, the Arminians go over the cliff on the other side -- saying that a person can loose his/her salvation by sinning. If that were true -- absolutely no one would be saved -- for we all sin (Romans 3:23).
And, since we are told in Ephesians 4:30, "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption" -- the teaching that we can lose our salvation makes a liar of God. God, in this Scripture verse, tells us we are sealed for, or until, the day of redemption. Yet, the Arminian teaching tells us that this is not true -- and that, if one sins, he/she will lose his/her salvation.
Personally, I stand where I believe the Bible stands -- right in the middle between these two teachings. I agree with Arminianism that Jesus Christ died on the cross to make salvation available to everyone who will, by grace, through faith -- believe and receive His "free gift" of salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9).
And, I agree with the Calvinist that once a person is saved, sealed with the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption, he/she cannot lose that salvation. Salvation is a "free gift" from God -- and God does not give a gift -- and then take it away.
Several points come to mind regarding Calvinism:
Calvinist believe that God predestined before Creation, i.e., God arbitrarily decided before He created the heavens and the earth -- who will be saved and spend eternity with Him. And, He arbitrarily chose before the Creation who will spend eternity in hell with Satan.
If that is true, YOU have to ask yourself: If God created man for fellowship, to love, worship, and honor Him -- if He created man from His love; why would He allow Satan to have the "free will" to turn from Him; but, will not allow man to have that same "free will"? Does this sound like the God of the Bible, where we read, "God is love" (1 John 4:8, 4:16).
If Calvinism is true and God did indeed predetermine, before the Creation, who will be saved and who will spend eternity in hell -- how do YOU know that YOU were predestined for salvation? Do those who have been predestined for eternal life with God have a special mark on them?
Does the Holy Spirit give the chosen people a "special revelation" telling each chosen person that he/she has been saved? If this is true -- have YOU been given that "special revelation" -- that special message from the Holy Spirit? If not, do you really believe that God has turned His back on you and that you cannot be saved? That is what Calvinism teaches.
Calvinism will tell you that if, in God's foreknowledge, He predestined people according to His foreknowledge of the choice each person will make in his/her lifetime -- then, that negates "free will." First, Calvinism tells us that they do not believe God gave us "free will" -- then, they use the loss of "free will" to allow them to negate His foreknowledge. They seem to want their cake and to eat it, too.
Romans 8:29-30, "For those whom He foreknew -- He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified."
This tells me that God foreknew who He would predestine. What does this mean, to foreknow? It means that God knew from the foundation of the earth who will choose to follow Jesus Christ and who will reject Him. Calvinists will say that this takes away our "free will" to make a choice. No. It says that God foreknew -- it does not say that God fore-destined. Man still has the "free will" to believe or deny; nothing changes that. However, since God is omniscient -- He foreknew the decision YOU will make regarding Jesus Christ. Now, doesn't this sound more like the God you have chosen to worship?
Regarding Arminianism:
If, as Arminianism teaches, we can lose our salvation if we sin -- and given the fact that we all sin (Romans 3:23) -- how can anyone know they are saved, how can anyone be saved?
1 John 1:8, "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us."
1 John 1:10, "If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us."
REGARDING BOTH CALVINISM AND ARMINIANISM: Let's take a look at the teachings of Jesus Christ:
John 3:36 "He who believes in the Son HAS eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
John 5:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, HAS eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but HAS passed out of death into life.
John 6:47 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes HAS eternal life."
John 3:15, "So that whoever believes will in Him HAVE eternal life."
John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but HAVE eternal life."
John 6:40, "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will HAVE eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."
1 John 5:13, "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may KNOW that you HAVE eternal life."
Does anyone see, in any of those Scripture verses, a single instance where it reads, "will have eternal life IF. . ." or "may have eternal life IF. . ." or "could have eternal life IF. . ."? No, Jesus Christ is telling us that, ". . .he who believes HAS eternal life."
Notice that these verses do not say, "He, who was predestined before Creation, and believes, HAS eternal life."
One point I would like to emphasize: When interpreting the Bible, i.e., hermeneutics, if you have several Scripture verses or passage that you believe say one thing -- but, you find another verse or passage which you know says something different; you do not have the correct interpretation.
While both Calvinism and Arminianism base their theologies on Scripture verses and passages -- both are establishing their theology by ignoring other verses and passages which contradict their interpretation. The Bible cannot contradict the Bible. So, when Calvinism quotes Scripture passages which they use to support their doctrine of predestination and limited atonement -- they are refusing to look at other Biblical verses and passages which absolutely deny that doctrine.
And, when Arminianism quotes Scripture verses and passages which they use to support their doctrine of salvation lost, they are ignoring other Biblical verses and passages, shown above, which absolutely deny that doctrine.
The Bible shines light upon the Bible -- however, the Bible NEVER contradicts the Bible.
Although a person may teach Calvinism or Arminianism; this does not mean he is not our Christian brother. However, Jesus Christ came to assure us that "whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but HAVE eternal life."
Romans 5:1, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
How can a Calvinist have "peace with God" if he does not know for sure that he was elected, chosen, before Creation? How can this person have "peace with God" and want to follow Jesus Christ -- if he does not know if he was predestined before Creation to have eternal life with God?
How can an Arminianist have "peace with God" if he is always worried that he will sin and lose the salvation which Jesus Christ purchased with His blood on the cross? How can an Arminianist have "peace with God" -- if he cannot accept that Jesus Christ "paid in full" his sin debt to God when He died on the cross?
In Hebrews 2:17 we are told that we have a High Priest, Jesus Christ, to make propitiation for the sins of the people -- not just the elect -- but the PEOPLE -- all who will, by grace, through faith, believe and receive Him.
Hebrews 10:19-23, "Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."
I cannot accept either Calvinism or Arminianism -- because I do have a High Priest in Jesus Christ, and with a heart in full assurance of faith -- I look forward to eternal life with Him -- "for He who promised is faithful."
I pray that YOU have that same assurance of faith -- and that you will share it with your Friends, Relatives, Associates, and Neighbors -- all your FRANs. Let's keep sharing the complete Word of God; let's keep sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all we meet -- until He returns.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill Gray
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