Okay, here is a nice long post. I appreciate your patience in reading it and also would love to hear what you have to say about it!
I was recently asked why I was a Calvinist. Unfortunately, I was not able to expound upon that question at the time, but now I can. The short answer is because that is what the Bible teaches. However, I am not going to leave it at just that. It is important in studying a subject like the Doctrines of Grace to put aside any preconceived ideas about it and just let the Bible speak for itself. With that, here is why I am a Calvinist:
Let us begin by examining Acts 13:48, "And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed." The context to this passage is Paul and Barnabas were preaching at Antioch in Pisidia. They first preached to the Jews, telling them of their need for Christ. Then, on the next Sabbath, Paul and Barnabas turned to the gentiles and started to tell them about their need for Christ. That is why the gentiles were rejoicing. But the part that clearly states the doctrines of grace is the phrase, "...as many as were appointed to eternal life believed." When someone is appointed, they are chosen; someone has to chose them, they don't chose themselves. Those who were appointed were saved. There is no way to say that God did not appointed them to salvation, and if God appointed them, it was done before the foundations of the world.
Next, let us look at Ephesians 1:3-6 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved." In looking at this passage, we see that God has chose us before the foundations of the world. That means that BEFORE God even formed the world, before Genesis 1, He chose those whom He will save. And He predestined us because He loved us. Now, this does beg the question, if God loved the whole world, why would He only chose some for salvation. The short answer is because He is God, and He can do what He wants. But the long answer: to understand this, we must first understand that there are many types of love. For example: A man will love his wife differently than he will love his sister, or he will love his children differently than he will love his parents. So, just because He did chose someone for salvation doesn't mean that He didn't love them. How this is, I don't understand, but Paul wrote in Romans, "Who can understand the mind of the Lord, or who has been his advisor."
Also in Romans, Paul address a similar idea in chapter nine:
14What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." 16It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. 17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." 18Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. 19One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" 20But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' " 21Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? 22What God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— 24even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?
We see here that God calls people for specific purposes. For Pharaoh, he was prepared for destruction that God's glory can be shown. Now we may be like why would God send unbelievers to Hell if they didn’t have a free choice. While, Paul asks the same thing in verse nineteen, “One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?” Paul is anticipating an objection to what he was saying about how God hardens whom He wills. Now let us look at Paul’s answer in verse twenty: “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” Verse twenty-two thru twenty-four says:
What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?
God prepares us for His glory, whether we are prepared for honorable use, or dishonorable use, we are used to bring glory to God. And that is another reason why I embrace the Doctrines of Grace, because it takes the glory away from man, and gives it to God. Everything God does is for His glory. And, if man choses God, that takes God out of salvation and gives the glory to man. If man can say, "I chose God," than man takes the glory. However, if God choses us, than we have nothing to do with our salvation and all the glory goes to God. I spend a long time on this passage because it is one of the clearest portrayals of the doctrines of grace.
Another thought, we know that salvation is only by God’s grace and not any works that we do. If we chose God, and God did not chose us, isn’t that a form of works salvation? And doesn’t Ephesians 2:8-9 make it clear that there is nothing we can do to earn salvation?
Let us now look at Romans 3:10-11, “as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.” Verse ten is quoted all the time, and it’s true, but we need to look at verse eleven to fully understand it. Because of man’s deprived nature, we will not seek God on our own, that is why He must call us, and He can only call us if He has chosen us.
I would be amiss if I didn’t address I Peter 1:1-2, “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.” Some have wrongly said that this means that God looks down the portal of time, sees who is going to believe, and than based on that, choses them for salvation. The problem with that is that man is choosing God. So what is the answer: this statement means that God knew us personally before the foundations of the world, which that in itself is an exciting thought. For example, let’s say a met a friend of mine in the mall. Now, this is not the first time that I met this person, so I can say that I foreknew this person. God knew us before the foundations of the world because He chose us for eternity.
The thought that God chose me for salvation is one of the most humbling thoughts. I have done nothing to merit such favor. One may ask why I would post on this subject. The answer is several fold: First, this is a way to help me organize my thoughts in a clear matter. Second, to encourage academic discussion on the subject. And third, to bring glory to God. For when we study His word, and discuss His word, it brings Him glory, as long as we don’t fight about it. It is okay to disagree, but to cause disunity in the body over a subject like this would be counterproductive to the what matters, and that is the Gospel.
But, please do tell me what you think!!!
Soli Deo Glori
