Calvinism vs. Arminianism
Pastor Phil Vance
December 3, 2017
Calvinism vs Arminianism is a 400+ year discussion.
Soteriology: The study of salvation
Is it all about God and His irresistible grace?
Is it all man and his choosing?
Is it some blend of the two?
How did it start?
Calvin is contemplating why some people are saved and why some people are lost?
Ephesians 2:1 “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespases and sins.”
Jacobus Arminius 1560-1609
Twenty years after Calvin’s death
Being taught in the school that Calvin started.
Rejects the thought that some people are predestined to salvation based on God’s sovereign choice.
Instead thought, it is God’s predestination that man has an active part in choosing.
The five articles of Remonstrance
Salvation and condemnation on the day of judgement was conditioned by the gracious enabled faith or unbelief of man.
Grace must be responded to.
The atonement s is qualitative adequate for all man, yet that no one actually enjoys experiences this forgiveness of sin, except the believer, and thus is limited to only those who trust in Christ.
Man has no saving grace of himself, and unaided by the HOly Spirit, no persona is able to respond to God’s will
The grace of God is the beginning continuance and accomplishment of any good, yet man may resist the Holy Spirit.
Believers are able to resist sin through grace, and Christ will keep them from falling but whether they are beyond the possibility of ultimately forsaking God or becoming devoid of grace must be more particularly determined from the scriptures.
The five points of Calvinism (the Tulip)
T Total Depravity: our sinful corruption is so deep and so strong as to make us slaves to sin morally unable to overcome our own rebellion and blindness. Sin has so comprehensively affected us that we have no ability to do anything towards our own salvation. Man is so lost and so corrupt that no one can seek God on his own.
Romans 3: 10-12 There is none righteous/……
U Unconditional election: God unconditionally chooses some people for salvation and others for damnation, and does not base that decision on anything within those people, whether good or bad. Those chosen by God are the elect.
Pastor Phil: “I agree that we can’t do anything to gain God’s favor, you have nothing to offer. But I do feel that God draws us and we have opportunity to accept or reject it.
John 3:16 and John 6:44
L Limited Atonement: On the cross, Christ paid for the sins of the elet only, not for the sins of all humanity. Christ did not die for all people in general but gave Himself only for the true church-the elect.
Objection: 1 John 2:2 “Not for ours only, but for the whole world”
Calvinists believe he is talking about specific groups of people.
I Irresistible grace: When God intends to save a person, that person will be unable to resist and refuse to be born again.
The elect cannot continually resist the Holy Spirit in matters of salvation:
Joshua 24:15 “Choose this day whom you will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
P. Phil: I believe that God wants us to exercise choice.
Prevenient grace: divine grace that precedes human decision.
This allows persons to engage their God given free will to accept or reject Christ.
P Perseverance of the saints: God preserves true Christians to the end, never letting them “FAll AWAY” from salvation (eternal security)
Eternal Security
Calvinism: Eternal Security is entirely God’s doing
Arminianist: Eternal Security is dependent upon my choosing.
Hebrews 6: 4-6
Committing a sin doesn’t kick a person out of heaven except the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
If you are worried you committed the unpardonable sin, then you didn’t do it. That awareness and desire to not distant yourself from God is evidence that you have not separated yourself from God.
What do I like about Calvinism?
God is sovereign
Possessing supreme or ultimate or absolute power
The sovereignty of God should give us a sense of great security
What God does is for His Glory and for Our Good.
God can do what he wants and our response is to trust Him.
What I like about Arminianism
We have free will to choose
The ability to get to use my free will to choose Him makes me want to love and worship Him.
I am not a puppet or a robot that is responding to the program that I have been given.
Is it free will or is it sovereign grace?
I believe that it is both.
God allows man to choose salvation with his free will in response to God’s invitation and enlightenment.
Ephesians 2:8-9
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.”
God gives man free will to choose throughout his life, but in God’s sovereignty, He can override whatever, whenever, however He chooses.
The Pitfalls of Calvinism
Arrogance
The belief that you can do whatever you want
The belief that God is not loving and not good enough to save all
No need to evangelise
The Pitfalls of Arminianism
Pride
Fear (could I lose my salvation?)
The belief that God is not sovereign or powerful enough to save all