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Tracts and Literature
To Help You Reach the Lost, Grow In Christ, and Sound a Faithful Warning
©Fundamental Evangelistic Association
Four Implications of Calvinism
by Mark Huss
©Fundamental Evangelistic Association
CALVINISM - preachers preach it,
authors write of it, seminary students discuss it, and theologians pass it on to others.
By all appearances, Calvinism, or its more popular name, the "Doctrines of
Grace," looks and sounds biblical to many. . .but is it? Writing to the church at
Ephesus, Paul told Timothy to "…charge some that they teach no other
doctrine…which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so
do" (1 Tim. 1:3, 4). Is Calvinism a doctrine of Scripture, or a philosophical
argument that ministers questions to believers and unbelievers alike, rather than godly
edifying? In the preface of his book Subjects of Sovereignty, Andrew Telford,
former pastor of Berachah Church of Philadelphia, wrote, "It is dangerous for God to
give high truth to highly educated people. There is a danger that in the furtherance of
that truth it becomes mixed with an alloy of human reason. It pleased God on that first
Christmas morning to give high truth to humble men, even shepherds in the fields."
The purpose of this article is to analyze certain implications of Calvinism in light of
biblical revelation and to call back those who have left God’s pure Word to pursue
the alloy of human wisdom which John Calvin and his followers teach so that they might say
with the Psalmist, "Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of
thy wondrous works" (Psalm 119: 27). In writing to the church at Colasse Paul warned,
"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the
tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ" (Col. 2:8).
Paul also wrote these words of concern to the church at Corinth, "But I fear, lest by
any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be
corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Cor. 11:3). Bible believing
Christians must be careful not to be led away from the simplicity that is in Christ! We
must never idolize any system of thought that contradicts God’s Word. A. W. Tozer
once said that the essence of idolatry is to imagine things about God and then preach them
as truth.
Implication One: Death Before the Fall
The first implication of Calvinism to consider deals with death and when this death
occurred. According to John Calvin, "The reprobate like the elect are appointed to be
so by the secret council of God’s will" (Calvin’s Institutes II,
chapter xxii, page 11) and "…their doom was fixed from all eternity and nothing
in them could transfer them to a contrary class…" (Calvin’s Institutes
III, chapter iii, page 4). Also, according to Calvin, "…Not all men are
created with similar destiny but eternal life is foreordained for some, and eternal
damnation for others. Every man, therefore, being created for one or the other of these
ends, we say, he is either predestined either to life or death" (Calvin’s
Institutes III, chapter xxiii).
In John Calvin’s thinking, God appointed some of His future creation to eternal
damnation. If John Calvin is to be believed, then we must understand that God placed death
upon certain men before the creation of man and before the fall of Adam. Is this
consistent with biblical revelation?
God, in His omniscience, knew that death would not come into existence until Adam fell.
Genesis 2:17 states, "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt
not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." It was
at the time of Adam’s fall that God placed death (physical and spiritual) upon the
human race, not before the creation of man, and certainly not before man’s fall into
sin. The Bible says, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death
by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Rom. 5:12).
Death did not pass unto men until man’s sin, "For since by man came
death…" (1 Cor. 15:21). Notice also that at the time of Adam’s sin, death
(physical and spiritual) passed "upon all men" not a "class" of men as
Calvin taught. It is worth noting that the Bible clearly teaches that men will suffer
God’s eternal judgment of their sin after they are righteously judged by God at the
future Great White Throne judgment (Rev. 20:11-15). Nowhere does the Scripture teach that
God has appointed certain men to perdition prior to their creation by Him.
We know from the biblical record that all of God’s creation was good including
man, "And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very
good…" (Gen. 1:31). We also know that God created all men for His pleasure as
Revelation 4:11 states, "For thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they
are and were created." Ezekiel 18:23,32 and 33:11 teach that God has no pleasure in
the death of the wicked. God would not have placed eternal death upon men and separation
from Him before He created them, and at the same time say He created them for His
pleasure. Much less would God pronounce His creation good if before its existence He had
plagued His creation with the death of certain men. However, this is exactly what Calvin
and his followers teach.
Steven Houck in his booklet God’s Sovereignty in Salvation states, "His will
is so sovereign that He has determined just exactly what comes to pass in this world. God
has determined and appointed absolutely everything…. What is even more amazing is
that this determination took place in eternity…. Since God is the sovereign God,
Whose counsel stands forever, Whose will can never be frustrated, and Whose purpose is not
disannulled; we must conclude that His will and determination is sovereign particularly in
salvation…. For He is the infinite Creator Who has the right and power to do with His
finite creatures exactly what he pleases. . .even with respect to eternal destiny. For
since God is sovereign, His will must not only be the determining factor in salvation, but
also in everlasting destruction. God not only selects some to be saved and glorified, but
He also appoints others to destruction" (pp. 5-7). Is this true? Did God appoint some
to eternal destruction? Did it please God to determine eternal death to some before their
creation by God? In Ezekiel 33:11, the Lord makes a very interesting statement about
Himself. He says, "Say unto them, as I live, sayeth the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure
in the death of the wicked…." Notice that God prefaces His statement with,
"As I live." How long has God lived? The Scriptures teach that God is eternal
and immutable. . .that is, He changes not. Therefore, from eternity past (that is
throughout all of eternity and even before the creation of man) God has never had any
pleasure in the death of the wicked. How then can Houck say, "God not only selects
some to be saved and glorified, but He also appoints others to destruction"? When man
fell into sin, the two-pronged dagger of death (physical and spiritual) entered the human
race. These two points of the dagger are not mutually exclusive of one another and never
have been. To say that God applied spiritual death to certain men prior to the fall of man
not only makes God a liar regarding His statements about His creation work, but also
displays a significant lack of trust in God’s revealed word. It is also doctrinal
error since predestination in the Scripture only concerns itself with making a
believer’s future adoption certain. Dr. H. A. Ironside wrote concerning
predestination, "It is the Father who has predestinated us to the adoption of
children. Nowhere in the Bible are people ever predestinated to go to hell, and nowhere
are people ever predestinated to go to heaven. Look it up and see. We are chosen in Christ
to share His glory for eternity, but predestination is always to some special place of
blessing. Turn to Romans 8:29. Predestinated to what? Predestinated ‘to be conformed
to the image of His Son.’ You see, predestination is not God from eternity saying
‘This man goes to Heaven and this man goes to hell.’ No, but predestination
teaches me that when I have believed in Christ, when I have trusted Him as my
Saviour, I
may know on the authority of God that it is settled forever that some day I am to become
exactly like my Saviour" (In the Heavenlies, Expository Addresses on Ephesians,
pp. 34-35). In Romans 8:29 we are told, "For whom he did foreknow, he also did
predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among
many brethren." Concerning this verse, (Romans 8:29), Dr. W. L. Pettingill wrote,
"Whosoever will may come. He [man] is only to come, and God does all the rest. God
will…undertake for him, and thereafter see to it that all things work together for
good unto him. This is His eternal purpose which He purposed before the world was….
The word ‘for’ in verse 29, has the force of ‘because’ and it
introduces the reason for our assurance that all things are working together for our
good…. The past tense continues through the whole passage, although the glorification
is yet future, for God is able to count things done even when they have not been done. Our
glorification is according to His purpose, and nothing is to be suffered to thwart His
purpose. Having been foreknown and predestinated and called and justified, we shall also
be glorified" (Bible Questions Answered, p. 374). Predestination has nothing
whatsoever to do with sending certain people to heaven and others to damnation as Calvin
taught. Predestination’s purpose (according to Scripture) is to conform the believer
to the image of God’s Son. Mark G. Camron, a Baptist leader and professor wrote,
"Scripture teaches that God has predestinated those who have believed (and those who
will believe) to be conformed to the image of His Son. In other words, it is the plan of
God, determined beforehand, that every believer is going to be made like unto the Lord
Jesus Christ…. God has determined that those who are saved are going to be like His
Son" (The New Testament. . .A Book-by-Book Survey, pp. 200-201). C. H. Spurgeon
declared, "Mark then, with care, that OUR CONFORMITY TO CHRIST IS THE SACRED OBJECT
OF PREDESTINATION" (Treasury of the New Testament, Vol. II, p. 72; emphasis
Spurgeon’s). This conformity to the image of Jesus Christ will take place when the
body is redeemed at Christ’s future appearing and this will be the time of our
adoption. Romans 8:23 says, "And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the
firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the
adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." Ephesians 1:5 says, "Having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to
the good pleasure of his will." This verse explains that the believer is predestined
to adoption. However, as mentioned, adoption is defined for us in Romans 8:23 as future,
occurring at the redemption of our body. Adoption is what we are predestined for. Adoption
is receiving the full privileges of being a child of God, whereas presently we only have
the firstfruits of the Spirit. Adoption is not our salvation. We are born again into the
family of God, not adopted. The belief that adoption and the new birth are the same thing
is error and is not the teaching of God’s Word. Adoption takes place when a believer
receives his glorified body and is conformed to the image of God’s Son. Writing on
the subject of adoption the well known Baptist pastor I. M. Haldeman explained,
"There are great facts concerning us as believers which relate us to the dispensation
of the fullness of times…. He has predestinated us to the place of sons in that
dispensation, as it is written (Ephesians one)…. The expression, ‘the adoption
of children’ in the Greek is uiothesia…. The compound word, therefore,
signifies ‘son placing. . .the place of a son.’ Thus, as believers, we have been
predestinated in that coming dispensation to the place of sons" (The Book of the
Heavenlies, pp. 4-5).
The teaching of predestination by Calvin and his followers is clearly in contradiction
to biblical revelation. Recognizing there are only two chapters in Scripture where the
words predestinate or predestinated are found (Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:5,11) and
understanding that there is no reference in these four verses to Heaven or hell, but only
to believers ultimate conformity to Jesus Christ, John Calvin’s teaching on
predestination must be rejected. It is human wisdom attempting to mix itself with
God’s pure Word. Let us close the first implication with the clear, succinct teaching
of former pastor Edward Drew. "People have had it drilled into them that away in the
past God foreordained [predestined] that certain people should be lost and certain others
should be saved. I would like to get that out of your minds this morning. Just let me
begin by saying that that isn’t in the Bible…. God’s predestination is not
salvation. God’s predestination is that those who receive the Lord shall be like the
Lord Jesus. That is predestination and nothing else is. God from the beginning, by His
foreknowledge, predestinated that every believer should be made like Christ, and nothing
else in the Book is predestination. That predestination is that God ordained one to be
saved and another to be lost in hell eternally is not within the covers of this
Book…. God has ordained from the foundation of the world that if you will trust His
Son, He will make you like His Son. That is what we have here…. Those whom God
predestinated to be like Christ, He called out. . .not before He saved them, but when He
saved them, He called them out to be like Him…. It isn’t that God called you and
didn’t call somebody else. God’s predestination is being worked out now. In
eternity past He determined that you should be like Jesus, and now that you are saved He
calls you out, that while you are here you should show forth the Lord Jesus Christ"
(Morning message on Romans 8: 29-32; March 1, 1942).
Implication Two: Man’s Will Is
Non-Existent
The second implication of Calvinism deals with mankind’s unique ability to choose.
John Calvin says, "The only time free-will might be reasonably asserted to have
existed was in Adam before the fall. Adam could have resisted if he would, since he fell
merely by his own will. In this integrity man was endowed with free-will, by which, if he
had chosen, he might have obtained eternal life." Notice that Calvin emphatically
stated that if man ever had a free-will it was only true of Adam. However, he goes on to
make it clear that even Adam never had free-will to choose. "Nevertheless, there is
no reality in the free-will thus attributed to man, in as much as God had decreed the
fall, and therefore must have in some wise already biased Adam’s will. It was not
left in neutral equilibrium, nor was his future ever in suspense or uncertainty. It was
certain that sooner or later Adam would fall into evil, and with that inevitable fall
there disappeared every trace of the free-will which man may have had. From that time the
will became corrupt along with the whole of nature. Man no longer possessed the capacity
to choose between good and evil" (Calvin’s Institutes II, chapter iv,
page 8). Is Calvin’s teaching that man has no free-will consistent with biblical
revelation?
In Genesis chapter two, Adam (before the fall) is told by God to keep His commandment,
"…of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest
thereof thou shalt surely die" (Genesis 2:17). Would God require Adam to obey His
command if Adam had no ability to obey? If God had, according to Calvin’s teachings,
"biased Adam’s will" to disobey God, then God would be the responsible
agent of man’s sin! God’s biasing of Adam’s will is not found in Scripture,
rather it is a presupposition by Calvin to support his errant teaching.
Dr. S. H. Kellogg, Presbyterian missionary to India and noted author of numerous books
and commentaries, wrote, "When a man acts, it is he himself who acts, and not God. He
acts moreover under no necessity or external constraint, but in the fullest and most
unhindered exercise of that freedom of personal choice without which indeed he could not
be regarded as in any true sense a responsive moral agent…. The Holy Scriptures
unmistakably teach that in the life to come God will punish many of the human race with
extreme severity, yet they never represent this as proceeding from arbitrary caprice, but
always as based on moral reason, namely the free choice by such men of sin, and their
incorrigible persistence in rebellion against the infinite Love" (Handbook of
Comparative Religion, pp. 16-18). Gleason Archer in his commentary on the book of
Romans writes, "The choice of accepting or rejecting God’s grace is made by each
individual without prior causation. Since man is created in the image of God and
God’s own moral choices are not caused by any outside predetermined force, it is fair
to conclude that men too retain the prerogative of uncaused choice" (The Epistle
to the Romans, p. 61).
If man lacks free-will to carry out any decision between good and evil other than those
determined in eternity past, then man has no choice but to carry out an already determined
plan. It is important to realize that the teaching of Calvinism regarding free-will is
actually no different than what is taught by ungodly materialists, fatalists, and others
who deny any free-will in man. For example, materialistic psychology teaches that man is
at the mercy of whatever stimuli that would appear in his environment. Dr. Thomas
Szasz,
Professor of Psychiatry Emeritus, puts this view into perspective, writing, "The
materialistic interpretation of nature, as the term implies, entails viewing all signs as
the manifestations of physiochemical processes, such as human beings observe when they
look at nature. Joy and sadness, fear and elation, anger, greed. . .all human aspirations
and passions. . .are thus interpreted as the manifestations of unintentional, amoral,
biochemical processes. In such a world, nothing is willed; everything happens" (Insanity.
. .The Idea and Its Consequences, p. 350). This kind of thinking is no different than
the evolutionist’s idea that man is simply a product of nature; that is, nature has
determined for him to act a certain way. Interestingly, the idea that man has no free-will
is also the teaching of the New Age and other false religious systems that say man is
simply an agent by which a greater power (cosmic conscience) acts out its will in the life
of man to bring him into a "perfect oneness." This is known as determinism (the
doctrine that outer events and human choices are the results of antecedent conditions,
physical or psychological).
Therefore Calvinism, like most secular philosophies, actually reduces man to the level
of an animal since man, like the animal, can only carry out that which has already been
determined for him whether by God or nature. Essentially Calvinism does not recognize man
as the highest order of God’s creative work (capable of independent choice), even
though God created man in His own image. In Calvinistic thought, man simply carries out
that which God has determined, as an animal does when it carries out its basic instincts.
This is the same determinism that saturates secular thought. For the Calvinist, the
choices that one makes are not really the choices that he thinks he makes; rather, they
are predetermined choices that God has made for him.
Calvinism also promotes the secular doctrine of fatalism. Fatalism is the teaching that
all things are subject to fate, or that they take place by inevitable necessity. It is
indeed odd that Bible believing Christians would allow themselves to think the same
thoughts regarding predestination and free-will as those who follow Islam and Hinduism.
Samuel M. Zwemer, writing from a vast knowledge of the Muslim mind, said, "The
terminology of their teaching is Calvinistic, but its practical effect is pure fatalism.
Most Muslim sects ‘deny all free agency in man and say that man is necessarily
constrained by the force of God’s eternal and immutable decree to act as he
does.’ God wills both good and evil; there is no escaping from the caprice of His
decree…. Fatalism has paralyzed progress; hope perishes under the weight of this iron
bondage…" (Religions of Mission Fields, pp. 224, 245). A.S. Geden also
speaks plainly concerning fatalism. He writes, "The Muslim is a fatalist…. The
Divine will is irresistible, and has decreed in every detail the entire course of the
universe which He governs, and the fate each moment of every creature therein…. The
only attitude possible for man is that of complete and passive resignation…. Its
dogma of predestination and of fate is based upon its conception of the Divine
nature…. The Divine government…leaves no room for human free-will, forethought
or choice" (Comparative Religion, pp. 102,103). J.N.D. Anderson, an authority on
Islam, says, "A Muslim is required to believe in God’s Decrees. As we have
already seen, the orthodox belief is that everything. . .good or evil. . .proceeds
directly from the divine will, being irrevocably recorded" (The World’s
Religions, p. 82). Lastly, a statement from Nicol MacNichol, speaking in the Wilde
Lectures at Oxford, said, "If there is no room for free choices life becomes a mere
puppet-show…. ‘The doer and the Causer to do are one,’ says the Hindu
peasant, and so saying accepts and justifies everything that happens, whether it be called
good or ill" (Is Christianity Unique? p. 56).
From Genesis to Revelation man is continually shown to be exercising his God-given
ability to choose, even after the fall of Adam. In 1 Kings 18:21, the worshippers at Mt.
Carmel were invited to choose that day whom they would serve, either Baal or God. Was
Elijah asking the people to do something they could not do or were the people only
carrying out that which God had already determined in eternity past? In Isaiah 5:20, the
people were certainly capable of choosing between good and evil. The Scripture reveals how
they changed good for evil and evil for good: "Woe unto them that call evil good and
good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet,
and sweet for bitter." They had the ability to discern between good and evil,
otherwise how could they have changed it? Romans 1:17-32 is clear that man has chosen evil
and is not predetermined to do so. Romans 1:28 clearly says, "And even as they did
not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate
mind…." The Calvinistic teaching that man has no free-will is not only contrary
to biblical revelation but also to the writings of the church fathers of the first
centuries. British Authors Forster and Marsten in their work, God’s Strategy In Human
History, point out, "The doctrine of ‘free-will’ seems to have been
universally accepted in the early church. Not a single church figure in the first 300
years rejected it and most of them stated it clearly…. The only ones to reject it
were heretics" (God’s Strategy in Human History, p. 244).
Throughout the Bible man is seen to be responsible for his actions and accountable for
his response’s to God’s overtures. All of this indicates that man has a
free-will. That this is so obvious in both the Old and New Testaments little more needs to
be said about it. To do so would be to recount the story of man from Genesis to
Revelation. In closing the second implication it would do well to ponder the words of M.
R. Vincent, a gifted Presbyterian scholar and writer. "That the factor of human
freedom [free-will] has full scope in the divine economy is too obvious to require proof.
It appears in numerous utterances…and in the entire drift of Scripture, where
man’s power of moral choice is both asserted, assumed, and appealed to" (Word
Studies in the New Testament, Vol. III, p. 136). Also, the author of the article on Will
in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia helpfully points out,
"The words employed and passages cited show clearly that man is always regarded as a
responsible being, free to will in harmony with the Divine will or contrary to it. This is
further shown by the various words denoting refusal" (Vol. V, p. 3085).
Though God be good and free be heaven,
No force divine can love compel;
And though the song of sins forgiven
May sound through lowest hell,
The sweet persuasion of His voice
Respects the sanctity of will.
He giveth day: thou hast thy choice
To walk in darkness still.
. . .Whittier, THE ANSWER
Implication Three: Jesus Did Not Die for the
Whole World
The third implication of Calvinism has to do with evangelism. Calvinism teaches that
only those to whom God has determined in eternity past to come, will come. Let us remember
that Calvin believed, "The reprobate like the elect are appointed to be
so…" (Calvin’s Institutes II, chapter xxii, page 11), and
"Their fate was the direct immediate appointment of God" (Calvin’s
Institutes III, chapter iii, page 4). Houck said, "Christ did not die for
everyone. He died for the elect of God and for them alone" (Subjects of
Sovereignty, p. 13). While a Calvinist can be busy telling everyone the gospel
message, he believes that only those whom God has chosen (or elected to believe) will
ultimately believe. This means that the Calvinist can actually communicate to the
unbeliever that if he or she is not one of those chosen by God before the foundation of
the world, then Jesus Christ did not die for them and that they cannot be saved. Houck
said, "He sent Christ to die, not for all, but for only those whom He intended to
save" (ibid. p. 13). The bewilderment for any unbeliever listening to this kind of
teaching is significant. After hearing the teaching that Jesus Christ only came to save
some and not all, many unbelievers will continue to live a life of sin rejecting the
salvation message of Jesus Christ having realized that they may not be part of the group
that He came to save. Others will reject the gospel and become the catalyst of unbelief
for many others since they have been told that the God of the Bible created certain people
predestined to hell.
As a point of historical note, Charles Taze Russell, the founder of Jehovah’s
Witnesses, experienced this very bewilderment I have spoken of. In the book,
Jehovah’s Witnesses, Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom it explains,
"Charles’ parents sincerely believed the creeds of Christendom’s churches
and brought him up to accept them too. Young Charles was thus taught that God is love, yet
that he had created men inherently immortal and had provided a fiery place in which he
would eternally torment all except those who had been predestined to be saved. Such an
idea repulsed the honest heart of teenage Charles. He reasoned: A God that would use his
power to create human beings whom he foreknew and predestinated should be eternally
tormented, could neither be wise, just or loving. His standard would be lower than that of
many men." The article concludes with "…turning away from church creeds and
searching for the truth…" (page 43). Did young Charles find the truth? No he did
not, and neither have millions of other Jehovah’s Witnesses. One can only wonder how
many false cults and other heretical groups had their beginning from the ideas of John
Calvin and others who taught that God only came to die for a select group of people.
Arno C. Gaebelein, a well-known writer of biblical expositions as well as doctrinal and
prophetic books, and for many years the editor of Our Hope magazine, was asked to
comment on a question regarding a very pronounced Calvinistic book. The name of the book
was The Sovereignty of God by author A. W. Pink. The question was, "Do you
think Mr. Pink’s book is scriptural? I recently read this book and it has upset me as
no other book I ever read. I was attacked by terrible doubts as to God’s justice and
His very Being!" Dr. Gaebelein’s strong reply followed: "Mr. Pink used to
be a contributor to our magazine. His articles on Gleanings on Genesis are good, and we
had them printed in book form. But when he began to teach his frightful doctrines which
make the God of Love a monster we broke fellowship with him. The book you read is totally
unscriptural. It is akin to blasphemy. It presents God as a Being of injustice and maligns
His holy character. The book denies that our blessed Lord died for the ungodly. According
to Pink’s perversions He died for the elect only. You are not the only one who has
been led into darkness by this book. Whoever the publisher is, and whoever stands behind
the circulation of such a monstrous thing has a grave responsibility. It is just this kind
of teaching which makes atheists" (Our Hope, Vol. 37, No. 11, May 1931, p.
684).
For example, consider the words of the famous agnostic Col. R. G. Ingersoll who wrote
over a century ago these poignant words to Christians who had saturated themselves with
Calvinistic teaching and thought. "The Bible was the real persecutor. The Bible
burned heretics, built dungeons…and trampled upon the liberties of men. How long, O
how long will mankind worship a book? How long will they grovel in the dust before
ignorant legends of the barbaric past? How long, O how long will they pursue phantoms in a
darkness deeper than death? Unfortunately for the world, about the beginning of the
sixteenth century a man by the name of Gerard Chauvin was married to Jeanne Le Franc, and
still more unfortunately for the world, the fruit of the marriage was a son, called John
Chauvin, who afterward became famous as John Calvin…. This man forged five fetters
for the brain. These fetters he called points. That is, predestination, particular
redemption, total depravity, irresistible grace, and the perseverance of the saints. About
the neck of each follower he put a collar, bristling with these five iron points….
Who can estimate the misery that has been caused by this most infamous doctrine of eternal
punishment? Think of the lives it has blighted. . .of the tears it has caused. . .think of
the millions that have been driven to insanity by this most terrible of dogmas. This
doctrine renders God the basest and most cruel being in the Universe. Compared with Him,
the most frightful deities of the most barbarous and degraded tribes are miracles of
goodness and mercy. There is nothing more degrading than to worship such a God. Lower than
this the soul can never sink. If the doctrine of eternal damnation is true let me have my
portion in hell, rather than in heaven with a God infamous enough to inflict eternal
misery upon the sons of men" (From Col. R. G. Ingersoll’s Fourty Four
Lectures Complete: Heretics and Heresies , circa 1875). It would seem obvious that if
an erudite unbeliever such as Col. R. G. Ingersoll can see the terrible discrepancy of
Calvinistic teaching that a born again believer who is indwelt by God’s Holy Spirit
should be able to do so as well.
A Calvinist must understand that the belief system he is attached to gives the
unbeliever an excuse not to believe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. A Christian would
never give an unbeliever any reason to remain in unbelief would he? If unbelievers are
told that God died for some, and not for all, would they question God’s love and will
for them, personally? Would not Satan use this to confuse them and keep them from the
gospel message that Jesus Christ died on the cross for their sins? Regrettably, this is
exactly what the teaching of Calvinism does. This writer has met many angry people who
have rejected the gospel because they have understood and now believe the teaching of
Calvinism that they were very possibly not a part of the group Christ died for. Is this
consistent with biblical revelation? Are these the kinds of questions that God’s Word
seeks to raise in the minds of the lost? Certainly not! "Whosoever will…"
is the consistent biblical invitation to the lost (Revelation 22:17).
Jesus Christ has given the church His mandate to go into all the world and preach the
gospel to every creature (Matt. 28:18-20; 2 Cor. 5:14-21). It is very clear from the
Scripture that God is a saving God. From Genesis to Revelation, God voices His desire for
the lost to be saved. The Scripture teaches, "For this is good and acceptable in the
sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the
knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:3, 4). Divine language cannot be made any more
clear!
Who did Jesus Christ come to save and to die for? John 3:16 says, "For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish, but have everlasting life." Romans 5:6-8 says, "For when we
were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly…. But God
commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for
us." The benefits of His death were directed toward sin in providing redemption
(paying our indebtedness to sin and breaking its dominion over us). Ephesians 1:7
declares, "In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of His grace." 1 John 2:2 states that Jesus Christ is the
propitiation for the sins of the whole world. That is, propitiation is God’s
recognition of what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross in behalf of the world, whether
man enters into its blessings or not. To say anything different than what God’s Word
says concerning our Lord’s death and it’s application to men will not only bring
God’s reproof, "Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be
found a liar" (Prov. 30:6), but also God’s judgment (Rev. 22:18,19). It is
important to realize that our Lord’s death provided reconciliation towards man and
the world in relation to Himself. Second Corinthians 5:19 states, "…God was in
Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them."
What other conclusion can be reached but that God desires all men to be saved and has made
provision for all men to come to Him?
According to John Calvin a sinner can only be saved if they are a part of God’s
elect. However, election in Scripture only concerns itself with service that is according
to the purpose of God. British author Dr. H. H. Rowley writes, "Whom God chooses, He
chooses for service. There is variety of service, but it is all service, and it is all
service for God…. The divine election concerns exclusively the divine service….
Election is for service. This is not to ignore the fact that it carries with it privilege.
For in the service of God is man’s supreme privilege and honor…. To those who
willingly and consciously accept the task to which they are called, the resources of God
are open for the fulfillment of their mission, and here again is high privilege. Yet it is
never primarily for the privilege but for the service that the elect are chosen….
Their election is for service, and it is only valid insofar as, and so long as, they
fulfill that purpose [God’s]" (The Biblical Doctrine of Election, pp. 42, 45).
M. R. Vincent, writing from his vast knowledge of Biblical languages explains,
"Election and the kindred words, to choose, and chosen or elect, are used of
God’s selection of men or agencies for special missions or attainments; but neither
here nor elsewhere in the New Testament is their any warrant for the revolting doctrine
that God has predestined a definite number of mankind to eternal life, and the rest to
destruction…. Election. . .the act of God’s holy will in selecting His own
methods, instruments, and times for carrying out His purposes. . .is a fact of history and
of daily observation" (Word Studies in the New Testament, Vol. IV, p. 16; Vol. III,
p. 137). H. H. Hobbs clearly states, "When reduced to its simplest elements election
is twofold. first, God elected a plan of salvation which He accomplished in Christ. Man
may either reject this plan or accept it…. Secondly, God elected a people to make
known His plan of salvation…. Thus election is to both salvation and evangelism. In
both, the free-will of man determines the final result" (What Baptists Believe,
pp. 106-107). That is, by free-will a man can believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be
saved, yet doubt God’s elective purpose for him resulting in a fruitless and barren
life for the Saviour. Conversely, he who is saved can believe in God’s elective
purpose resulting in a fruitful and productive life for the Saviour. The apostle Paul
realized God’s elective purpose for him and so have many other faithful believers
throughout church history. Like Paul, all believers should understand God’s elective
purpose for them. Quoting Dr. Rowley once again he says, "To be the elect of God is
not to be His pampered favorite. It is to be challenged to a loyalty and a service and a
sacrifice that knows no limits…. Just as the prophets in the moment of their
consciousness of their election to their office felt a trembling humility and a burning
sense of the task to which they were called, so should all the elect who compromise the
Church of Christ feel an ever renewed humility of spirit and wonder at the greatness of
their privilege, together with a burning of heart at the greatness and urgency of the task
to which they are elect…. And when a Church turns in on itself and becomes a mutual
improvement society, and regards itself as a little Ark of safety in a troubled world,
instead of charged with a mission to the world, it turns its back on its election. The
corollary of election is ever purposeful service, and its demand is for consecrated
zeal" (The Biblical Doctrine of Election, pp. 168, 173, 174).
In Ephesians 1:4 the Scripture teaches that the saints are chosen in Him to be holy and
without blame before him in love, not chosen to salvation. Robert McClurkin writes,
"We are not chosen to be put into Christ, ‘but chosen in Him’…. God
places every believer ‘in Christ’ to share His election. Christ is God’s
Elect, ‘Mine Elect in whom My soul delighteth’ [Isaiah 42:1]. He was elected to
fulfill a mission and to perform a task…. Keep in mind then that election is ‘in
Christ.’ We are not among the elect until we come into Christ by repentance and
faith" (Biblical Balance on Election and Free Will, pp. 29,40). Living holy lives and
doing those good works that God has created us for in this present age of grace is
God’s elective purpose for His saints. How will this be accomplished? By allowing the
Spirit of God to have His way in our life so that a consecrated and obedient walk before
Him is the result. Ephesians 2:10 explains, "For we are his workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in
them." (See also Titus 2:14; 3:8; 3:14).
The doctrine of Election is dynamic Biblical truth that correctly orients all believers
to the purposes of God, and as such, demands responsibility and decision.
If men are not elected or chosen to salvation as John Calvin taught then how are men to
be saved? Galatians 3:8 says that, "…God would justify the heathen through
faith…." Faith is the means for salvation and Jesus Christ has provided the way
of salvation. Faith always has an object and for the sinner this will be Jesus Christ and
His work on the cross for them. Men put their faith on the perfect finished sacrifice of
our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ whose blood was shed for them for the remission of
their sins and who rose again bodily from the grave. This salvation is given to anyone who
will admit his lost condition as a sinner. Then when he, by faith, receives the Lord Jesus
as the one who died for him and rose again, he shall be saved from the guilt and penalty
of sin.
How does faith come? Dr. C. I. Scofield explains, "There are three things, grace,
faith, salvation, and these are all the gift of God. But here is the significant fact,
dear friends, here begins your responsibility: of this wonderful trio. . .grace, faith,
salvation. . .you have already received the gift of faith. Now you are saying: ‘If I
have faith, if already God has given me faith, why am I not saved?’ Because you have
not used it rightly. . .that is all…. Dear friends, do not make difficulties about
things where there are no difficulties. Faith is a gift and you have it" (In Many
Pulpits With C. I. Scofield, pp. 90-91). Dr. H. A. Ironside said, "Faith is the
gift of God…. All men may have faith [in Christ Jesus] if they will; but alas, many
refuse to hear the Word of God, so they are left in their unbelief. The Holy Spirit
presents the Word, but one may resist His gracious influence. On the other hand, one may
listen to the Word and believe it. That is faith. It is God’s gift, it is true,
because given through His Word" (Full Assurance, pp. 98-99).
A Calvinist will teach that if man expresses his faith toward God and His Word
(regarding salvation) it would be a work of man. But faith defined in Scripture is not a
work. Romans 4:5 clearly teaches, "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him
that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." The teaching of
Ephesians 2:8,9 is also clear, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
Commenting on these verses Washington Gladden said, "What says the text? ‘By
grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of
God’…the pronoun translated ‘that’ cannot refer to faith, and must
refer to salvation by grace. Read the next verse. ‘Not of works, lest any man should
boast.’ What is not of works, faith, or salvation? To say that faith is not of works,
is nonsense; to argue that salvation is not of works, is to do just what Paul is doing.
The grace of God, the pardon and sympathy and help of God, is God’s free gift; it is
nothing that we have earned or merited; it is gratuity…. The act of accepting
salvation is surely man’s act, and that act is faith. The free act of God in
bestowing salvation is grace; the free act of man in accepting it is faith" (A
Homiletic Encyclopedia, R. A. Bertram, editor, p. 32).
J. F. Strombeck in his book, Shall Never Perish writes concerning faith, "There is
no merit in faith. If there was the slightest merit in faith, it could not be a channel
through which grace could work. It would be a counter agent to grace which, by its very
nature excludes merit on the part of the saved one. Faith does not only exclude the
thought of merit, it actually includes the idea of helplessness and hopelessness. In faith
one calls upon another to do that which one is unable to do for oneself. A child in the
family is sick and near death. The family physician is called. In so doing the parents
confess their own inability to deal with the illness and express their confidence in the
doctor. There is no merit in calling the doctor. Their faith in the doctor merely gives
him the opportunity to work. The object of the sinners faith is Christ. [Hebrews 11:1
states, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not
seen"]. He did not come into the world to help men to be saved. He came to save that
which was lost. . .that which was beyond all human help. As Savior, He came to give His
life as a ransom. . .to die, and thereby take upon Himself the judgment for sin.
Jesus gave a clear illustration of what faith in Him means. He said to Nicodemus:
"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be
lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life"
(John 3:14,15). The Israelite in the wilderness showed his faith by looking on the serpent
of brass that hung on the pole (see Num. 21:5-9). In this one act of faith was expressed a
confession of sin and utter helplessness and an acknowledgment that God’s provision
was his only hope. He did not understand the significance of the serpent, nor why it was
made of brass. He did not analyze his faith to see if it was sufficient. He did not
question the intensity of his look. He surely claimed no merit for looking. There were
just two things in his mind: his own absolute hopelessness and the sufficiency of
God’s provision. And this is all that there is to that faith through which the lost
are saved. There is no power in faith that contributes to salvation…. Sometimes one
hears sinners invited to come to the cross and lay their sin burden there. If this were
possible, it might be contended that faith is a work, but even this is impossible. No
person can take the sin burden off of himself. The sin burden must always rest upon a
person and it stays on the sinner until it is taken and placed upon Christ and that can be
done only by God. "The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isa.
53:6).
If man is totally incapable of doing anything to remove the sin burden from himself, he
is much more incapable of contributing anything to the doing of all of the things already
mentioned as being true of the one who is saved. Through faith (that is the acknowledgment
of one’s own utter helplessness and hopelessness and the casting of one’s self
upon God’s provision) God is able to act in grace. That is the meaning of: "It
is of faith that it might be by grace." That is also the meaning of: "As many as
received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God" (John 1:12). The
meaning of faith then, as well as the meaning of grace, excludes every possible vestige of
human merit" (John Strombeck, Shall Never Perish, pp. 25-28). Romans 10:17 is
clear about the origin of faith when it says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God." It is clear from the Scripture that man is the one who
must hear and believe. John 5:24 says, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that
heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not
come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." If the Word of God is
distorted and the gospel is skewed by saying only certain ones can believe and Jesus
Christ may not have died for them, then man will not hear and faith will not come. That
is, man will not apply his faith to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ for him. The
unbeliever is then given an excuse not to believe.
Why would any believer ever want this to be an end result? Biblical revelation
contradicts Calvin’s teaching and understanding of the gospel and its application to
men.
Implication Four: God’s Judgment Is
Distorted
The fourth implication of Calvinism pertains to the timing of God’s judgment. John
Calvin taught that before the world began God had already declared eternal judgment on
some for reasons man cannot understand. Calvin teaches, "Who then shall be saved?
That is what His sovereign will decides and nothing else. It is purely a matter of the
divine sovereign will which, doubtless for good reasons known to God Himself, but none of
them relative to anything distinguishing one man morally from another, chooses some and
rejects the rest" (Calvin’s Institutes III, chapter xxiii, page 10). A
Calvinist will make God judge man and his sin before God’s time of judgment as given
in His Word. This judgment, according to Calvin, will not be relative to anything that
would morally distinguish one man from another, but rather is purely a matter of
God’s will. Is this what the Scripture teaches?
It is true that God has judged sin throughout history. One only has to recall the
"great deluge" of Genesis chapter six, or the death of Jesus Christ on the cross
of Calvary to appreciate God’s righteous judgment on sin. It is also true that
God’s wrath abides on those who remain in their unbelief. However, it is not until
the Great White Throne judgment of Revelation chapter twenty that God’s eternal
judgment for man’s sin takes place and God’s official declaration to those who
chose not to believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ is applied to the unbeliever.
When this happens, these unbelievers will be cast into the lake of fire forever. This is
the teaching of God’s Word: "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on
it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for
them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened:
and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of
those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave
up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them:
and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into
the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the
book of life was cast into the lake of fire" (Rev. 20: 11-14).
A Calvinist would believe that those who are described as "cast into the lake of
fire" are those who, before the foundation of the world, were decreed by God to be
there. Is this true? No, it is not! According to the Bible, men will be judged to the lake
of fire because their name was not found written in the Book of Life. . . "And
whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire"
(Rev. 20:15). The Scripture also teaches that men are judged according to their works
(Rev. 20:13). According to the Scripture, an unbeliever’s judgment is qualified by
God in two ways: first, his works; and second, his name being found in the Book of Life.
Nowhere in Scripture can we find the false teaching that God in eternity past decreed some
to the lake of fire. According to Jesus Christ, the lake of fire was prepared for the
devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41) who fell from their right standing with God before the
fall of man. That is, the original intent of the lake of fire (prior to man’s fall
into sin) was punishment for Satan and his angels because of their rebellion against God.
After the fall of man into sin at Eden, God broadened the lake of fire to include those of
the human race who would choose not to believe in God’s promised redeemer effectively
taking their names out of the book of life and proving their unbelief by their works
(Genesis 3:15). This is worth noting since nowhere in Scripture do we find a place of
eternal residence other than the lake of fire and the New Jerusalem prepared as a bride
adorned for her husband (Rev. 21:2). It is also revealing since it tells us that God never
had any desire or plan for mankind other than for man to always be with Him. This truth is
consistent with Scripture (1 Tim. 2:3-6; 2 Pet. 3:9; Acts 17:30; John 3:16-17; Ezekiel
33:11). Indeed, an unbeliever’s eternal residence will be the lake of fire, but not
because our Lord decreed it to be!
Regrettably, some will be lost, but God will not be the agent of their perdition. They
are the ones who by their works have proven they knew not the Saviour and are thus cast
into the lake of fire. Presently, God is acting in mercy and grace and is not dispensing
such judgment until the Great White Throne. God has not consigned anyone to the lake of
fire as yet. The Calvinist believes and teaches that God has already judged some to the
lake of fire, even before their creation by God. It is true that God will be the judge,
but not until grace and mercy have been expended, the tribulation has come and gone, and
Jesus Christ has reigned on the earth for one thousand years. Until then, His grace and
mercy are extended to man. 2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord…is longsuffering to
us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
In other words, God is longsuffering to us (giving us who know Him time to proclaim the
message of salvation) so that others might be saved. The Scripture teaches this in 2
Corinthians 5:14-21. It says, "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we
thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that
they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for
them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we
have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if
any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things
are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus
Christ and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in
Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and
hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ,
as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled
to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him." The love of Christ and the duty that accompanies our
being an ambassador for Him requires us to proclaim God’s reconciliation to all men.
All were dead, He died for all, all need to be saved, and all who believe will be! We are
to view the lost as such so that in giving them the gospel some will truly believe and be
saved.
What terrible loss awaits the Calvinist who makes God to be something that He is not.
God is a saving God. "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that
heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the
water of life freely" (Rev. 22:17). God’s Word concludes with a Gospel
invitation to "whosoever will." We must be careful not to fall into the errant
teaching of Calvinism, but cling to God’s Word alone and not man’s teachings
that contradict Biblical truth. 2 Timothy 2:23-26 says, "But foolish and unlearned
questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not
strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those
that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging
of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are
taken captive by him at his will."
For the Calvinist, there are many ‘why’ questions that can never be answered.
Reconciling their understanding of election, predestination, adoption, and foreknowledge
is an impossible exercise for the Calvinist. This inability to reconcile these terms of
Scripture is answered by the Calvinist with such statements as, "God is sovereign,
and man cannot understand these doctrines until we get to heaven." Whatever cannot be
explained or understood is placed under the sovereignty of God. Yet the Scripture teaches
the meaning of these terms. When understood in their biblical context, they beautifully
come together to present a perfect picture of God and His saving grace. G. B. Stevens in
his work The Theology Of The New Testament writes, "Theology has often applied these
ideas to the subject of man’s final destiny. Whatever may be the logic of such an
application, it is exegetically unjustifiable. It is a use of Paul’s words which he
does not sanction, and which misapprehends the point of his argument…. I reply that
Paul does not teach the eternal, unconditional predestination of some men to final
salvation and of others to final condemnation. He does not teach the doctrine of
predestination which Calvin taught, nor does he teach the doctrine as held by historic
Calvinism…. If we should assume, for the sake of argument, that in Romans 9-11 Paul
was speaking of human destiny, [Paul is not speaking about human destiny in these
chapters, rather he is discussing the historic missions of men and nations i.e. Pharaoh,
Jacob and Esau] and that he held the Calvinistic view of God’s purpose, we might
summarize his argument thus: God has from eternity appointed some to eternal salvation and
others to eternal perdition, ‘in order that he might have mercy upon all.’ On
the contrary, Paul’s whole doctrine of sin assumes that Adam fell freely and
voluntarily. His sin was contrary to the will of God. It equally assumes that all men who
perish do so by their own fault. The salvation of all is the aim of the gospel. God
"willeth that all men should be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth"
(1 Tim. 2:4). Christ came to be the "Saviour of all men" (1 Tim. 4:10). The
maxim which emerges from Paul’s discussion of the mysteries of God’s providence
and purpose is: "That he might have mercy upon all" (Rom. 11:32). God may choose
some and reject others; he may appoint some to one career, others to another; his ways are
past finding out; he may do what he will; but whatever he does, it is to the end
‘that he may have mercy upon all.’ It would be a glaring contradiction for Paul
to affirm that God does not will the salvation of some, but has eternally appointed them
to perdition. Happily for his consistency, he has never recorded such a statement or its
equivalent. It is reasonable to suppose that consequences which Paul has not himself drawn
from his own doctrine of predestination, and which if drawn would contradict his explicit
teaching regarding the universality of God’s purpose of grace, are not a part of his
system of thought" (pp. 385, 386). If one will come to God’s Word in humility
and believe what God has written, the believer will learn God’s truth. Paul told
Timothy that he "…hast fully known my doctrine…" (2 Tim. 3:10). The
Scripture admonishes the believer to "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim.
2:15). My prayer for those who are caught in the error of Calvinism would be that they
fully know, like Timothy, God’s truth as well, leaving the alloy of human wisdom that
defines Calvinism and come back to the humble fellowship that believers have with the
Spirit of God who leads and guides His people into all truth.
C. H. Mackintosh, a noted writer and Bible commentator wrote concerning God, "He,
blessed be His name, has not confined Himself within the narrow limits of any school of
doctrine, high, low, or moderate. He has revealed Himself. He has told out of the deep and
precious secrets of His heart. He has unfolded His eternal counsels, as to the church, as
to Israel, the Gentiles, and the wide creation. Men might as well attempt to confine the
ocean in buckets of their own formation as to confine the vast range of divine revelation
within the feeble enclosures of human systems of doctrine. It cannot be done, and it ought
not to be attempted. Better far to set aside the systems of theology and schools of
divinity, and come like a little child to the eternal fountain of Holy Scripture, and
there drink in the living teachings of God’s Spirit" (Miscellaneous Writings
of C. H. Mackintosh, Vol. V; p. 168). May God enlighten your heart to His truth as you
consider these very serious implications of The Doctrines of Grace, otherwise known as
Calvinism.
- MARK HUSS
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