The Five Points Of Calvinism Examined
November
23, 1998
by: Allan Turner
There are five main pillars upon which the superstructure of
Calvinism rests. These are technically known as "The Five Points of
Calvinism."1 In this section, we will make a critical
examination of each of these, holding them up to the light of Scripture. It
should be understood that the Five Points are not random, isolated, nor
independent doctrines. Rather, they are "so inter-related that they form a
simple, harmonious, self-consistent system."2 Calvinism,
although terribly flawed, is amazingly logical in its parts. If one were to
concede that the first point of Calvinism (viz., "Total Depravity")
were true, then all four of the following points would necessarily follow. Of
course, the opposite is also true. Prove any one of the Five Points of
Calvinism wrong and the entire system must be surrendered.
Total Depravity
In
the Westminster Confession, the doctrine of Total Depravity is stated as
follows: "Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all
ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation; so as a natural
man, being altogether averse from good, and dead in sin, is not able, by his
own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto."3
For obvious reasons, many Calvinists call this the doctrine of "Total
Inability" or, as we will see in a moment, the doctrine of "Original Sin."
In his book, The Bondage of the Will,
which argues that man's will is bound as a result of the fall of man and its
effect, Martin Luther said that man is born with a "total inability to
will good."4 According to this position, all mankind is totally
depraved. The essence of this false doctrine is the total inability of man to
do anything truly good in God's sight, especially the inability to do anything
toward receiving salvation. Again, this total depravity is not acquired, as
non-determinists teach, but innate. Therefore, "to become sinful, men do
not wait until the age of accountable actions arrive. Rather, they are
apostates from the womb."5
Although the doctrine of Total Depravity is crucial to all
forms of determinism, whether Augustinian, Lutheran, or Calvinistic, it is not
really as important to the general system of Calvinism as it is to the Five
Points. As we observed previously, if the doctrine of Total Depravity is
defeated, all of the other Points are defeated. Nevertheless, the more important
concept to Calvinism is the Sovereign's "Eternal Decree." In other
words, contrary to what Calvinists want us to believe, Calvinism does not have
as its "starting point the fact that all mankind sinned in Adam."6
Calvinism starts with the Eternal Decree, which the Westminster Confession
explains thus: "God from all eternity did by the most wise and holy
counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to
pass."7 In other words, the essence of Calvinism is its
doctrine of Predestination. About this, Calvin said: "Predestination we
call the eternal decree of God, by which He has determined in Himself, what He
would have to become of every individual of mankind. For they are not all
created with a similar destiny; but eternal life is foreordained for some and
eternal death for others. Every man, therefore, being created for one or the
other of these ends, we say is predestined either to life or to death."8
Therefore, the supposed bondage of man's will is the direct result of an alleged
Eternal Decree, and only secondarily the result of an argument for Total
Depravity. This point was made earlier in the sections on sovereignty and free
will, and I do not intend to rehash it here. I mention it only because the
problem of Total Depravity causes some real sticky problems for determinists,
particularly when the salvation/damnation of infants is raised. The
Augustinians handle it one way, and the Calvinists handle it another. The way
the Calvinists deal with the problem proves that Calvinism does not begin with
the Doctrine of Original Sin.
The Thorny Issue Of Infant Salvation
In
formulating the doctrine of Original Sin, Augustine taught that,
since the fall, all men are born totally depraved. According to him, a child
who died before reaching the age of accountability was lost because of the
"sinful nature" he inherited from Adam. Believing, as he did, in the
idea of baptismal regeneration, Augustine believed only a "baptized"
infant could be saved. He said, "As nothing else is done for children in
baptism but their being incorporated into the church, that is, connected with
the body and members of Christ, it follows that when this is not done for them
they belong to perdition."9 Thus, the practice of infant
baptism was begun. Roman Catholicism, which proudly claims Augustine as its
own, has been instrumental in keeping this erroneous doctrine alive down
through the centuries. Of course, the idea of infants being eternally lost in
hell was so repugnant to most people that it was eventually
"determined" by the Roman Catholic Church that unbaptized infants did
not really go to hell at all. Instead, they went to a special place called
"Limbo," which was not heaven, but it certainly was not hell either.
In this way, when it came to the subject of dear, precious infants dying and
going to hell, the shocking and horrifying consequence of Total Depravity was
lightened somewhat by the doctrine of Limbo, which was never more than the
figment of some Catholic cleric's imagination.
On the other hand, Calvinists "solved" this
problem by appealing to the doctrine of Predestination. Yes, they said, infants
inherit Adam's sin all right, but if God has predestined or eternally decreed
that an infant would be saved, and this apart from anything the infant would or
would not do, then the infant would be saved by the same unmerited grace that
saves an adult. Remember, unlike all determinists, Calvinists believe that all
men, apart from anything they will or will not do, are predestined or
foreordained to be eternally saved or eternally lost. Speaking to this, Dr.
Benjamin B. Warfield said: "Their destiny is determined irrespective of
their choice, by an unconditional decree of God, suspended for its execution on
no act of their own; and their salvation is wrought by an unconditional
application of the grace of Christ to their souls, through the immediate and
irresistible operation of the Holy Spirit prior to and apart from any action of
their own proper wills...This is but to say that they are unconditionally
predestinated to salvation from the foundation of the world."10
The Westminster Confession says, "Elect infants, dying
in infancy, are regenerated and saved by Christ."11 This left
the impression with some that there are non-elect infants, who, dying in
infancy, are lost, and that the Presbyterian Church teaches this as their
doctrine. In denying this, some have said: "The history of the phrase
'Elect infants dying in infancy' makes clear that the contrast implied was not
between 'elect infants dying in infancy' and 'non-elect infants dying in
infancy,' but rather between 'elect infants dying in infancy' and 'elect
infants living to grow up.'"12 In order to correct any
misunderstanding, in 1903, the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. adopted a
Declaratory Statement which reads as follows: "With reference to Chapter
X, Section 3, of the Confession of Faith, that it is not to be regarded as
teaching that any who die in infancy are lost. We believe that all dying in
infancy are included in the election of grace, and are regenerated and saved by
Christ through the Spirit, who works when and where and how He pleases."
Calvin's view of this is explained by Dr. R. A. Webb in the following
paragraph:
Calvin
teaches that all the reprobate 'procure'—that is his own word—their own
personal and conscious acts of 'impiety,' 'wickedness,' and 'rebellion.' Now
reprobate infants, though guilty of original sin and under condemnation,
cannot, while they are infants, thus 'procure' their own destruction by their
personal acts of impiety, wickedness, and rebellion. They must, therefore, live
to the years of moral responsibility in order to perpetrate the acts of
impurity, wickedness, and rebellion, which Calvin defines as the mode through which
they procure their destruction...Consequently, [Calvin's] own reasoning compels
him to hold (to be consistent with himself), that no reprobate child can die in
infancy; but all must live to the age of moral accountability, and translate
original sin into actual sin.13
So, there you have it, any child who dies in infancy is saved! With this,
Calvinists avoid the heart-rending idea of little babies dying in sin and going
to hell. Therefore, Total Depravity is really not the starting point for
Calvinism. However, it is now time to turn our attention to a critical
examination of the doctrine of Total Depravity.
The Doctrine Stated And
Refuted
The doctrine stated: Calvin,
as had Augustine and Luther before him, argued that all mankind sinned in Adam.
In one of their catechisms it is stated like this: "All mankind...sinned
in him [Adam], and fell with him in that first transgression... The sinfulness
of that estate whereinto man fell, consisteth in the guilt of Adam's first
sin."14
The doctrine refuted: But, the
Bible teaches that everyone bears the guilt of his own sins, not the sin of
Adam: "The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of
the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the
righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon
himself."15 The Bible makes it clear that one obeys the gospel
in order to have his own sins blotted out, not the sin of Adam: "Repent
therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out."16
Furthermore, when we all "appear before the judgment seat of Christ,"
we will give an answer for what we have done in the flesh, not what Adam did.17
Finally, it is our own sins, not Adam's, which separate us from God.18
The doctrine stated:
"Fallen man...lacks the power of spiritual discernment. His reason or
understanding is blinded, and the taste and feelings are perverted."19
Denying that man has free will, and affirming that he cannot, without having
been predestined by God, choose to do good or evil, Loraine Boettner went on to
say: "Hence we deny the existence in man of a power which may act either
way, on the logical ground that both virtue and vice cannot come out of a moral
condition of the agent... He is incapable of understanding, and much less of
doing, the things of God."20 The argument is that unregenerate
man is "dead in sin," and like anyone who is physically dead is
unable to perform anything physical, the spiritually dead man is completely
unable to perform anything spiritually.
The doctrine refuted: Yes, the
Bible teaches that before we are regenerated, born again, raised, or made
alive, we are "dead in trespasses and sins."21 But the
Bible just as clearly teaches that the unregenerate man can indeed "obey
from the heart" the form of doctrine that he has been taught, that is, the
gospel.22 In Colossians 2:12-13, the apostle Paul said it this way:
"Buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him
through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you,
being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made
alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses." Faith, of
course, comes by hearing the gospel.23 Then having heard the gospel,
one must believe it,24 repent of his sins,25 and confess
with his mouth that he believes Jesus is Christ.26 But in doing all
this, one has done that which the Calvinists teach an unregenerate man cannot
do. That baptism is clearly under discussion in Colossians 2:12-13 cannot be
denied. That this passage teaches that one is not "raised" (verse 12)
or "made alive" (verse 13) until he has submitted to baptism also
cannot be denied. That the expressions "raised" and "made
alive" refer to being regenerated should be just as clear. In fact, there
seems little doubt that the "washing of regeneration" mentioned in
Titus 3:5 is referring to baptism. The fact that one could be doing something
"through faith," as Colossians 2:12 clearly teaches, before being
regenerated flies in the face of Calvinist claims. This, no doubt, is why
Calvinists deny that water baptism has anything to do with being regenerated or
born again.
The doctrine stated: Speaking
of the "depth of man's corruption," Boettner argues: "It is
wholly beyond [man's] own power to cleanse himself. His only hope of an
amendment of life lies accordingly in a change of heart, which change is
brought about by the sovereign re-creative power of the Holy Spirit who works
when and where and how He pleases."27 Without this direct
operation of the Holy Spirit, man "cannot be convinced of the truth of the
Gospel by any amount of external testimony."28
The doctrine refuted: The
"gift" or "renewing" of the Holy Spirit comes after water
baptism,29 which, again, goes against the theological grain of
Calvinism. Furthermore, the Bible says the Holy Spirit is given to all those
who "obey" the Lord,30 something the Calvinists say cannot
occur without a direct operation of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it should be
clear that what Calvinists teach about Total Depravity is totally false.
Unconditional
Election
If the doctrine of Total
Depravity be admitted, the doctrine of Unconditional Election necessarily
follows. Of course, we no more admit the doctrine of Unconditional Election
than we do that of Total Depravity. In fact, by their own admission, which says
that if the doctrine of Total Depravity be disproved, all the other Five Points
crumble, we have already proven Calvinism to be a reprobate system.
Nevertheless, we now proceed to demonstrate the total inconsistency of any and
all parts of Calvinism with the truths taught in God's word.
The Doctrine Stated And Refuted
The doctrine stated: If man is
born totally depraved and does not have free will, which is what Calvinists
clearly teach, then he does not have the ability to do those things God has
commanded him to do. Therefore, if a man is going to be saved, God, totally
independent of any foreknown choices man will make, chooses (elects) him to
salvation. This means, "A man is not saved because he believes in Christ;
he believes in Christ because he is saved."31 In other words,
"The elect of God are chosen by Him to be His children, in order that they
might be made to believe, not because He foresaw that they would believe."32
Incidentally, this also was the view espoused by Augustine and Luther.
Accordingly: "Foreordination in general cannot rest on foreknowledge; for
only that which is certain can be foreknown, and only that which is
predetermined can be certain... God foreknows only because He has
pre-determined. His foreknowledge is but a transcript of His will as for what
shall come to pass in the future... His foreknowledge of what is yet to be,
whether it be in regard to the world as a whole or in regard to the detailed
life of every individual, rests upon His pre-arranged plan."33
The doctrine refuted: First of all, the doctrine of Unconditional Election was defeated when Total Depravity was demonstrated to be false. Second, it is clear that Calvinists do not believe God actually has foreknowledge (viz., prescience). According to them, God "foreknows" what is going to happen because He has determined it will happen. We would be fools to deny the reality of this statement. This kind of statement is what the logicians call a tautology, that is, a needless repetition that cannot be anything other than logically true. For example, to say that God has predestined whatever is going to happen, therefore, He foreknows whatever is going to happen is similar to saying, "God knows He is going to do something, therefore, He knows He is going to do something." Such would be needless and foolish repetition. Nevertheless, this is how Calvinists interpret all references to God's foreknowledge.
Although it is true that there are
passages that declare God can speak of future events as definite because of His
decretive will,34 this is not the way foreknowledge is usually used
in the Scriptures. Furthermore, it is ironic that one of the most favorite passages
of the Calvinists states unequivocally that God's predestination of certain
future events was dependent upon His foreknowledge, and not the other way
around, as they claim. In Romans 8:29-30, the apostle Paul says: "For whom
He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that
He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined,
these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He
justified, these He also glorified." Now, there may be legitimate
disagreement with reference to all the ramifications of this passage, but there
seems to be no legitimate reason to reject the idea conveyed here that God's
predestination was dependent upon actual foreknowledge. It is not insignificant
that the apostle Peter, under the same inspiration that guided the apostle
Paul, makes precisely the same point when he mentioned those who were
"elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification
of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ."35
We can find no hint in the Scriptures, or among the so-called "Church
Fathers" before Augustine, that foreknowledge (Greek proginsko) was used
in any way other than to mean "knowledge in advance." In other words,
the Bible teaches that God's "knowing in advance" allowed Him to
choose, predestinate or elect those who would be saved in connection with His
Son Jesus, that is, those who would, of their own free wills, be
"conformed to the image of His Son."36
God indeed has
foreknowledge, even of the future, contingent, free will choices of men and
women. This allows Him to choose, foreordain, predestine, or elect individuals
without violating their free wills. This view of foreknowledge agrees perfectly
with Acts 2:23, which says, "Him [Jesus Christ], being delivered by the
determined purpose and foreknowledge of God [the Father], you have taken by
lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death." This means that the
Father designed His plan to deliver up His Son with a view as to what the Jews
and Romans would do—that is, if given the opportunity, they would crucify Him.
If this is not what this passage is teaching, then it is reduced to a needless
tautology that says, "God determined to offer up His Son, therefore, He knew
He would offer up His Son."
The doctrine stated: Calvinists
teach that God's plan not only deals with mankind in toto, but that He also has a plan for particular individuals
whom He unconditionally elects to salvation and eternal life. As proof, they
cite passages like 2 Thessalonians 2:13, which says, "But we are bound to
give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God
from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit
and belief in the truth," and Acts 13:48, which says: "Now when the
Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as
many as had been appointed to eternal life believed."
The doctrine refuted: Calvinists
teach the unconditional election of particular individuals to eternal
salvation. As a result, some have thought that in rejecting Calvinism they must
deny the election of particular individuals. I believe this to be a serious
mistake in that it makes Calvinism more difficult to refute, and, even more
important, it appears to be a denial of what the Scriptures teach on this
subject. The problem with Unconditional Election is not that it deals with
particular individuals, but that is alleges these individuals are elected
unconditionally. This last point, the Bible clearly denies. Individuals are
elected, predestinated, or foreordained, and these are all scriptural terms, to
eternal salvation based upon God's foreknowledge of their free will choices to
"obey the gospel," thus being "conformed to the image of His
Son."37 This does not, as Calvinists claim, make man's will
sovereign. It was God, of His own free will, who decided to extend His plan of
salvation to man. Therefore, even though His foreknowledge informed Him there
would be those who would be conformed to the image of His Son and, therefore,
be saved, it was entirely up to Him whether He tendered the plan. Without God's
plan, man could have done nothing to effect his own salvation. Therefore, in
one sense, we are saved by God's grace and not our works. This is precisely
what Paul was talking about in Ephesians 2:4-10, where he says:
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love
with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive
together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together,
and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the
ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness
toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and
that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should
boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Salvation, then, is an undeserved, unmerited gift from God, for this is the
meaning of the word "grace."
But in another sense, and this
because man has free will, salvation is something man must work out for
himself. About this, the apostle Paul said, "Therefore, my beloved, as you
have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my
absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."38
Elsewhere, the apostle Peter said, "Save yourselves from this crooked
generation."39 In these passages, the Bible teaches that a man,
of his own free will, must, in order to be saved, respond, and continue to
respond, to the demands of God's preceptive will. As such, faith and works work
together to produce salvation.40 Man working out his own salvation
and thereby saving himself does not mean, as Calvinists erroneously think, that
God is forced to give up His sovereignty. God forbid! In the verse immediately
following the command for Christians to work out their own salvation, Paul
said, "for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good
pleasure."41 In other words, just because God grants man free
will does not mean He has relinquished control of the scheme of redemption.
This is further illustrated by Paul's prayer for the Christians at Ephesus, in
which he asked God to grant them, "according to the riches of His glory,
to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man."42
The "gift" of the Holy Spirit to obedient believers43
functions as God's "guarantee" that He is still in control of man's
redemption,44 which, in turn, causes us to be confident that He is
able to finish the work He has started in us right up to the day of Jesus
Christ.45 Consequently, "we know that all things work together
for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His
purpose."46
The Scheme of Redemption was
"predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things
according to the counsel of His will."47 Therefore, it was not
a plan that would or could fail. Even so, the plan would be no small
undertaking. It would ultimately take the sacrifice of the heavenly Father's
only begotten Son,48 the divine Logos,49 who would sooner
or later have to leave heaven, take upon Himself the mantle of flesh,50
and finally shed His blood on the cruel cross of Calvary for the remission of
our sins.51 As such, this was not simply a plan, it was, instead,
the plan! It was the plan that would work because God's foreknowledge would
allow Him to not just design a plan that could, under certain circumstances,
work, but it would also allow Him to carry out this plan with absolutely
impeccable precision.52 As the result of this perfect plan, God
would be able to "bring many sons unto glory."53 These
"many sons" were foreknown by the Father,54 and this
allowed him to design and put in motion a plan that would ultimately end in
their glorification with Jesus in heaven.55 Hence, in the mind of
God, and this is a mind that knows the future, contingent, free will choices of
men and women, the Scheme of Redemption is a "done deal."
According to Strong's Greek and
Hebrew Lexicon, the Greek word proorizo, translated in the KJV as
"predestinate," means to "predetermine," "decide
beforehand," or "foreordain." As already noted, this does not mean
that God in eternity made a choice of those He would save independent of
anything they would do of their own free wills. Rather, God ordained or decreed
in eternity (i.e., He predestined) that those who were going to be saved would
have to be "conformed to the image of His Son."56 This
means that God did not choose individuals to be saved unconditionally, as
Calvinists teach. On the contrary, based upon His foreknowledge of the future,
contingent, free will choices of His creatures, God predestined (i.e.,
determined beforehand) those who would be saved conditionally.57
This is what the apostle Paul was referring to when he wrote: "...just as
He [the Father] chose us in Him [Jesus Christ] before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having
predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the
good pleasure of His will."58
In the context of 2 Timothy 2:19,
the apostle Paul says that although the faith of some had been overthrown by
false teachers, "Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having
this seal: 'The Lord knows those who are His,' and, 'Let everyone who names the
name of Christ depart from iniquity.'" This is not just true now, but we
are assured that even in eternity the Lord knew those who were His.59
Further, He knows now, just as He did in eternity, who will eventually be
glorified in heaven.60 Is God sovereign? Yes. Is the Scheme of
Redemption His plan? Yes. Is He continuing to work this plan? Yes. Does man have
free will? Yes. Does God know the future, contingent, free will choices of men
and women? Yes. The plan and its result (i.e., the bringing of many sons to
glory) is certain not because God has predestined these many sons to salvation
"without any foresight of faith or good works, or perseverance ...or any
other thing in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving Him
thereunto,"61 but by God's "determined counsel and
foreknowledge."62 Even so, as free will creatures, we must be
"even more diligent to make [our] call and election sure, for if [we] do
these things [we] will never stumble."63 Once again, Calvinism
has shown itself to be seriously flawed theology.
Limited
Atonement
Did
Jesus offer Himself as a sacrifice for the whole human race, or did He die only
for the elect? Calvinists teach that the Lord died for the elect only. This
doctrine necessarily trails Unconditional Election. Therefore, it is already
demonstrated to be false. Nevertheless, we will now proceed to examine the
doctrine from a biblical perspective.
The Doctrine
Stated And Refuted
The doctrine stated: The
Westminster Confession says: "...Wherefore they who are elected being
fallen in Adam, are redeemed in Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ
by His Spirit working in due season; are justified, adopted, sanctified, and
kept by His power through faith unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed
by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted sanctified, and saved, but
the elect only."64 About this, Boettner says, "If from
eternity God has planned to save one portion of the human race and not another,
it seems to be a contradiction to say that His work has equal reference to both
portions, or that He sent His Son to die for those whom He had predetermined
not to save, as truly as, and in the same sense that He was sent to die for
those whom He had chosen for salvation."65
The doctrine refuted: "For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."66
Again, "For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if
One died for all, then all died; and He
died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but
for Him who died for them and rose again" (emphasis mine, AT).67
Now, as if these two passages were not enough to refute the idea of a Limited
Atonement, the Bible teaches unequivocally that it is God's will that all men
come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved.68 In 2 Peter 3:9,
He is described as being "longsuffering toward us, not willing that any
should perish but that all should come to repentance." These passages
ought to be sufficient to demonstrate the error of Calvinism
.
Irresistible
Grace
If
man is totally depraved and in this condition unable to do what is right, if he
is unconditionally elected by God to salvation, and if Christ died only for the
elect, then man, if he is to be saved, must be saved by Irresistible Grace.
This is the logical progression exhibited in Calvinism. The problem with
Calvinism is that it starts in the wrong place (viz., the Eternal Decree) and
then proceeds to logically end up in all the wrong places (i.e., the Five
Points of Calvinism). In the space that follows, we will examine and then
refute the already disproved doctrine of Irresistible Grace.
The Doctrine Stated
And Refuted
The doctrine stated: In
pontificating this doctrine, the Westminster Confession says, "This
effectual call [to salvation] is of God's free and special grace alone, not
from any thing at all foreseen in man, who is altogether passive therein,
until, being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit, he is thereby enabled to
answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed by it."69
In his book The Sovereignty of Grace,
Arthur C. Custance elaborates: "The only defense against Synergism [i.e.,
the idea that man works with God to some degree in coming to salvation] is an
unqualified Calvinism ascribing all the glory to God by insisting upon the total
spiritual impotence of man, an election based solely upon the good pleasure of
God, an Atonement intended only for the elect though sufficient for all men, a
grace that can neither be resisted nor earned, and a security for the believer
that is as permanent as God Himself."70 Therefore, it is clear
Calvinists believe that God's saving grace cannot be resisted and is,
therefore, irresistible. It is clear they believe that if grace can be
resisted, then this "places God in the unworthy position of being dependent
upon His creatures."71 If grace can be resisted, then
Calvinists believe this would mean God is no longer Sovereign.
The doctrine refuted: "The Lord
is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is
longsuffering toward us, not willing that
any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (italics
mine, AT).72 "Then Peter opened his mouth and said: In truth I
perceive that God shows no partiality.
But in every nation whoever fears Him
and works righteousness is accepted by Him'" (italics mine, AT).73
Would the God identified in these scriptures choose some to be saved apart from
anything they would do of their own free wills, and then irresistibly bestow
(force) His grace upon them so that they will be saved even when they might not
want to be? Not hardly! Furthermore, the necessary inference of 1 Thessalonians
5:19 is that the Spirit of God can be quenched. This cannot mean that the Holy
Spirit Himself can be extinguished. Rather, it means that the influence the Holy
Spirit exerts and urges upon us can be suppressed or stifled. Therefore,
contrary to Calvinist doctrine, the Bible teaches that the God who wills (wants
or desires) that all men come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved,74
sends His Spirit into the world to convict men of their sins,75 but
that they can still, of their own free wills, reject His plan for them.76
In other words, the Bible teaches the Holy Spirit can be resisted: "You
stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy
Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you."77
As far as anyone knows, the first
theologian to teach that God's will is always done and is never impeded by the
will of any creature was Augustine (A.D. 354-430). Much later, the Reformers
(viz., Luther, Calvin et al.) continued to tinker with Augustine's idea,
rejecting some things here, modifying other things there, but generally
refining it into a grand theological scheme. Calvin, of course, was the popular
systematizer of that which now wears his name. Today, millions upon millions of
religious people are held captive by the dogma of this false system. Even New
Testament Christians have not been immune. Over the years, many have gotten
caught up in the tentacles of Calvin's insidious system. Others, rightfully
rejecting the Calvinism, have, nevertheless, espoused equally false ideas in
their efforts to counter it. The Christian must always be very careful.78
Those of us who think we are standing on the truth of God's word must be
careful "lest we fall" also.79 This warning is never more
important than when we are standing against the "wiles of the devil."
If we fail to put on the "whole armor of God," we can be destroyed.80
We must always fortify our defenses with book, chapter, and verse.81
Calvinists argue that in order for
God to be Sovereign, He cannot be limited in what He would do by the pitiably
insignificant wills of His finite creatures. In a sense, God is limited. The
Bible says God "cannot lie."82 In other words, "it is
impossible for God to lie."83 Nevertheless, this in no way
affects His sovereignty. Even Calvinists would have to agree with this. Why?
Because, they know that God's sovereignty, power, might, rule, etc. is not
affected by self-limitations. God cannot lie because it is inconsistent with
His nature, a nature that includes holiness, justice, righteousness, to name
but a few. Therefore, things that are impossible with God because of who He is,
do not mitigate either His Almightiness or Sovereignty. As we stated in the section
on the Sovereignty of God, the key to Sovereignty is not causation, as the
Calvinists believe, but control. God's permissive will allows Him the right to
intervene in the decision-making process if His purposes demand it. Although He
does not do this very often, allowing man, in most cases, to go his own way,
nevertheless, He can and does intervene if necessary. This prerogative allows
Him to exercise ultimate control over the life of every man and woman. By
deciding of His own free will to make a creature who would himself possess free
will, God agreed to limit Himself. This self-limitation does not destroy nor
degrade His Sovereignty, regardless of what Calvinists think. Even so, it is
just here that we must be very careful. The concept of self-limitation does not
apply to the being of God, but only His actions. When it comes to who, what,
and that God is, God cannot be anything other than who he is, that is, when God
said to Moses, "I Am Who I Am am,"84 He was saying He was,
is, and always will be who he is! Jesus, in addition to being a man, was also
the "I Am."85 Therefore, in taking upon Himself flesh, He
did not quit being who He is! It was only in this sense that it could be said
about Him that He "is the same yesterday, today, and forever."86
Therefore, by His own definition of who, what, and that He is, God, as Deity,
can never be anything other than who, what, and that He is. Therefore, He
cannot limit or change His being, nor can He limit Himself by refusing to do
something His nature requires. For example, God, although He is all-powerful,
could not have saved man any number of ways. If He simply overlooked sin and
forgave man, He would not be just, for justice demands that every sin receive a
just recompense.87 Therefore, in order for God to extend His mercy
to man without violating His own just nature, He sent His Son to pay the price
for our sins on the cruel cross of Calvary.88 Without Christ paying
the full price of our sins, reaping what He had not sown, God could not have
saved us, for in doing so, He would have violated His own nature, which, when
it comes to God, is impossible.
God can only limit Himself by choosing not to do those thing which are not required by His nature. And since His nature does not require Him to be the direct cause of everything, whether natural events or human actions, He is free to limit Himself with respect to these. Without this ability, you and I would not exist as we do, and even if we did, we could not be saved from our own sinfulness. Thank God we serve a Sovereign Ruler who can and has limited Himself.
Perseverance Of The Saints
Like
the others, this point does not stand alone, but follows logically the other
four points of Calvinism.
The Doctrine Stated And Refuted
The doctrine stated: "They
whom God hath accepted in His Beloved, effectually called and sanctified by His
Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace; but
shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved."89
As Boettner says, "If God has chosen men absolutely and unconditionally to
eternal life, and if the Spirit effectively applies to them the benefits of
redemption, the inescapable conclusion is that these persons shall be
saved."90 He elaborates further: "Though floods of error
deluge the land, though Satan raise all the powers of earth and all the
iniquities of their own hearts against them, they shall never fail; but,
persevering to the end, they shall inherit those mansions which have been
prepared for them from the foundation of the world. The saints in heaven are
happier but no more secure than are true believers here in this world."91
The doctrine refuted: Becoming a
Christian is the most important decision one can make. When we obeyed the
gospel, Jesus Christ became the absolute Lord of our lives. As a result, our
past sins were graciously washed away by our Lord's precious blood, and we have
been spiritually born again. There is, therefore, a crown of "glory"
or "righteousness" now awaiting us in heaven.92 Nothing
nor no one can take away from us the salvation we now possess in connection
with Christ Jesus. The apostle Paul, in Roman 8:35-39, drives this point home:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or
sword? As it is written: 'For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are
accounted as sheep for the slaughter.' Yet in all these things we are more than
conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor
life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things
to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to
separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In other words, because we are now "in Christ Jesus," there is no
longer any condemnation.93 God, who is all-powerful, cannot fail to
provide the heavenly home He has promised to all those who exercise trust and
faith in His Son Jesus Christ.94
Although God's omnipotence
effectively assures our salvation, the fact remains that we can live our lives
here on this earth in such a way as to lose that which God's faithfulness
guarantees. For example, in Revelation 2:10, the Lord assures a "crown of
life" only to those who remain "faithful unto death." In 1
Corinthians 4:2, the apostle Paul makes it clear that "faithfulness"
is the true test of our stewardship to Christ. In his letter to the Ephesian
church, Paul addresses the "saints which are at Ephesus" and the
"faithful in Christ Jesus."95 These are not two different
groups. The saints are those who are faithful in Christ Jesus. The same is true
at Colosse.96 This is why Paul exhorted Christians everywhere to
"continue in the faith."97 The word of God makes it clear
that eternal salvation in heaven is dependent upon our continued faithfulness
to Christ.98 "If you continue in the faith" implies that
turning from the faith is certainly possible. In fact, in Galatians 5:4, the
apostle Paul makes it clear that a child of God can fall from grace, something
Calvinist teachers, who tout the doctrine of "once saved, always
saved," flatly deny. As disciples of Christ, we are more than willing to
let God be true, but every man a liar.99 When it comes to religious
truth, only God, who cannot lie,100 is to be trusted.
In Philippians 2:12, the apostle
Paul wrote, "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in
my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation
with fear and trembling." The apostle is not saying that every man is left
to his own devices with regard to salvation, as if salvation were totally
dependent upon man. On the contrary, salvation is, first and foremost,
dependent upon the grace of God. Man, in spite of anything he might do, cannot,
without God's unmerited favor, save himself. The provision of salvation is
totally of God. Nevertheless, man, in order to be saved, is under obligation to
do something. Consequently, when man does whatever it is he is required to do,
he is said to be saving himself.101 What, then, is man required to
do? Quite simply, he is required to obey God! On the first Pentecost after
Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, those who had heard and
believed the gospel were required to repent and be baptized by the authority of
Christ in order to have their sins remitted.102 In other words,
Christ is the author of eternal salvation unto all those who obey Him.103
If we acknowledge Jesus as Lord and obey Him, He will save us from our past sins.
In addition, in order to stay saved, we must continue to serve Him faithfully.
As we do this, we are said to be working out our own salvation "with fear
and trembling."104 "For," as the next verse says,
"it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good
pleasure." The Christian works out his own salvation by reverently and
carefully following the Lord's preceptive will. In doing so, he "proves
what is that good and perfect will of God."105
The idea that one cannot be
cast off forever is not taught in the Scriptures. In his wise counsel to his
son Solomon, David warned: "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of
your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the
Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you
seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off
forever."106 Then, in Ezekiel 18:24 it is said: "But when
a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and
does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live?
All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the
unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed,
because of them he shall die." Then, in Matthew 10:22, Jesus said,
"But he who endures to the end will be saved." Why did He say this?
Is not the clear implication that if we do not endure we will be lost? Do
Jesus' words not imply that it is possible not to endure to the end? The answer
to these questions appears to be obvious: One who has been saved can fail to
endure to the end and, if he does, he will be lost! This is exactly the same
message Jesus taught in Matthew 24:13. For sure, Jesus was no Calvinist! In
John 15:2, He said, "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes
away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more
fruit." In verse 6, He continues, "If anyone does not abide in Me, he
is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them
into the fire, and they are burned." Now, does this sound like the saved
cannot be lost? Again, the answer is obvious. Of course, this is exactly what
the apostle Paul taught: "For if God did not spare the natural branches,
He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of
God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in
His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off."107 The
apostle Paul was not a Calvinist either! In fact, the apostle Paul was very
much aware that if he did not discipline his own body and keep it under
subjection that he himself could be a "castaway," and this after
having preached the gospel to others.108 And listen to what Paul
said to the church at Corinth: "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the
gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand,
by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to
you, unless you believed in vain."109 Paul said they heard the gospel,
believed it, stood in it, and were saved by it, but that they needed to
continue to hold fast, unless they had believed in vain, in which case they
would, by implication, become unsaved or lost.
It is clear that the Bible does not teach Calvin's system. I could continue to cite passage after passage refuting the idea of "once saved, always saved" or "the Perseverance of the Saints," but the ones cited above are sufficient to prove Calvinism wrong.
Notes
1 The Five Points can be readily remembered if they are associated
with the acrostic T-U-L-I-P, which stands for: T, Total Depravity; U, Unconditional Election; L, Limited Atonement; I, Irresistible Grace; and P, Perseverance of the Saints.
2 Boettner, op. cit.,
page 59.
3 Chapter IX, Section III.
4 Page 199.
5 Boettner, op. cit., page
66.
6 Ibid., page 61.
7 Quoted in Boettner, op. cit.,
page 13.
8 Institutes, Book III,
Chapter XXI, Section 5.
9 On the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, A.D. 417.
10 Two Studies in the History
of Doctrine, page 230.
11 Chapter X, Section 3.
12 Dr. S. G. Craig, Christianity
Today, January 1931, page 14.
13 Calvin Memorial Addresses,
page 112.
14 The Larger Catechism,
Questions 22, 25.
15 Ezekiel 18:20.
16 Acts 3:19.
17 2 Corinthians 5:10.
18 See Isaiah 59:1-2.
19 Boettner, op. cit.,
page 64.
20 Ibid., page 65,67.
21 Ephesians 2:1.
22 See Romans 6:17.
23 Romans 10:17.
24 Mark 16:16.
25 Acts 17:30.
26 Acts 8:37; Romans 10:10.
27 Op. cit., page 68.
28 Ibid.
29 Acts 2:38; Titus 3:5.
30 Acts 5:32.
31 Boettner, op. cit., page
101.
32 Ibid.
33 Ibid., page 99.
34 See Isaiah 46:10.
35 1 Peter 1:2.
36 Romans 8:29.
37 See Romans 8:29-30; 1 Peter 1:2.
38 Philippians 2:12.
39 Acts 2:40, ASV.
40 See James 2:14-26.
41 Philippians 2:13.
42 Ephesians 3:16.
43 See Acts 2:28; 5:32.
44 2 Corinthians 5:5.
45 Philippians 1:6.
46 Romans 8:28.
47 Ephesians 1:11.
48 John 3:16-18.
49 John 1:1.
50 John 1:14.
51 Matthew 26:28.
52 Consider what is actually taught in Acts 2:23.
53 Hebrews 2:9-10.
54 Romans 8:29.
55 Romans 8:30.
56 Romans 8:29.
57 The condition would be their free will conformity to the image of
God's Son.
58 Ephesians 1:4-5.
59 Ephesians 1:4.
60 Romans 8:30.
61 Westminster Confession,
Chapter III, Section 3.
62 See Acts 2:23.
63 2 Peter 1:10.
64 Chapter III, Section 6.
65 Op. cit., page 151.
66 John 3:16.
67 2 Corinthians 5:14-15.
68 1 Timothy 2:4.
69 Chapter X, Section 1 and 2.
70 Page 364.
71 Lewis S. Chafer, Systematic
Theology, 1:230.
72 2 Peter 3:9.
73 Acts 10:34-35.
74 1 Timothy 2:4.
75 John 16:8.
76 Luke 7:30.
77 Acts 7:51.
78 Ephesians 5:15.
79 1 Corinthians 10:12.
80 See Ephesians 6:10-18.
81 1 Peter 4:11.
82 Titus 1:2.
83 Hebrews 6:18.
84 Exodus 3:14.
85 John 8:58.
86 Hebrews 13:8.
87 Hebrews 2:2; Galatians 6:7-8.
88 Consider Romans 3:21-26, particularly verse 26.
89 Westminster Confession,
Chapter XVII, Section 1.
90 Op. cit., 182.
91 Ibid., 182-183.
92 1 Peter 5:4; 2 Timothy 4:8.
93 Romans 8:1.
94 See 2 Timothy 1:12.
95 Ephesians 1:1.
96 Colossians 1:1.
97 Acts 14:22.
98 See Colossians 1:20-23.
99 Romans 3:4.
100 Titus 1:2.
101 See Acts 2:40, KJV.
102 Acts 2:38
103 Hebrews 5:9.
104 Philippians 2:12.
105 Romans 12:2.
106 1 Chronicles 28:9.
107 Romans 11:21-22.
108 1 Corinthians 9:26-27, KJV.
109 1 Corinthians 15:1-2.