A quick Google search can bring up “About 111,000 results (0.20 seconds)” on Calvinism vs. Arminianism. Maybe you don’t quite understand what all the fuss is about, and you would rather sing along to War’s “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” Or maybe you have a strong opinion and would like to talk to me about a thing or two after reading this, to which I am totally open.
I believe we must be humble, in awe and submissive to the voice and authority of the Holy Spirit when thinking about theology. With this in mind, I suggest stepping into my shoes to see why I choose to side with Calvin’s idea of grace, then turning to the Bible and reflect on how we interact with the God we serve.
A GLIMPSE INTO MY VIEWPOINT
I believe that God is perfect, creates perfect things and has a perfect plan. I also believe that he is the first mover. If you ask why God did something, you may answer “because of his love, grace, justice or righteousness,” but ultimately the answer is because he willed to do so.
From my understanding, there are five specific doctrines in which Arminians believe — human ability, conditional election, universal redemption, human resistance to the Holy Spirit and falling from grace.
THOUGHTS ON DOCTRINE
The reason that I disagree with the Arminian belief arises from my previously stated beliefs. With James 1:17 in mind, I believe that God is ultimately good and perfect and that every good thing comes from the Him — and I see the good in man as being found in God’s perfect will, the first mover, not in man himself.
The points of human ability, conditional election, human resistance to the Holy Spirit and falling from grace all have the same foundation, that after the fall man’s nature retains some goodness in itself and can choose goodness by itself. This is where I deviate from the Arminian belief, for I believe that human nature, after the fall, is inherently sinful, mutable, corrupted and has nothing to merit God’s favor, goodness or grace, as shown in John 8:34, Romans 3:23, and Ephesians 2:1-10.
Dr. Herman Ridderbos, pastor, professor and leading mind on New Testament theology, wrote in his book “Paul: An Outline of His Theology,” that “faith does not rest on the ascent of man himself, but on the renewing and re-creating power of divine grace. The heart is moved to faith by the same creative word of God as that by which he caused the light to shine from the darkness in the primeval time.” By himself, man cannot do anything to gain salvation, which only comes through God who wills and works in man because he wills to do so. God is the one giving faith “according to the measure of faith that God has assigned,” as revealed in Romans 12:3.
SAVED BY GRACE
The last point of Arminian doctrine, universal redemption, is a particular soft spot for many and in this I side with Calvin’s statement “the Lord wills that in election we contemplate nothing but his mere goodness,” from his “Institutes of the Christian Religion.” Universal redemption says that Christ’s death paid for everyone’s sin, which is true, but it does not take into account that God stirs faith, which leads to salvation, in those he wills.
In the end, it is out of God’s grace people are saved, and in that we understand that it is only the goodness of God that saves. Christ died for all but pays for the saved. Therefore, I believe Christ’s work on the cross atones for those who are saved. God’s will works in those saved to give faith proportionally, God elects some to salvation out of his mere goodness and grace. In this grace, I rejoice.
