Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! - Psalm 133:1
Greetings everyone. This morning we will wrap up our series on Calvinism and Arminianism. During the past 10 weeks, we have learned a bit about the origin and history of both theological perspectives. We have introduced and individually considered each of the 5 underlying points upon which both interpretations rest, including many of the Bible verses and passages used by proponents on either side of the debate. Last week we talked about the practical implications of these divergent belief systems and how our faith, regardless whether it be Calvinist or Arminian, should lend itself to obedience and godly living.
As I have grown older and more mature in my faith, I have come to discover shades of Calvinist doctrine and Arminian doctrine seamlessly woven together in many Bible passages - sometimes even in the same verse! Might it be better to approach this argument as a both/and issue rather than an either/or issue? In other worlds, could it be possible that both Calvinism and Arminianism are, for the most part, simultaneously true? If so, how might we reconcile them with one another?
I. THE VANTAGE POINT OF GOD AND MAN
Whenever there are multiple witnesses of a particular occurrence, there will likely be differing details in their respective reports of it. For example, each of the 4 gospels gives an account of Jesus’ first coming. Though they share some common stories and teachings, each of them is distinctly different from the others in various ways. The unique vantage point of each author distinguishes their particular testimony. That said, all of the gospels are true and trustworthy. Together they give us a much more complete and comprehensive presentation and record of Jesus’ life and ministry.
In like fashion, God’s perspective and man’s perspective are quite different. God is omniscient, all-seeing, and eternal. He knows and sees everything - past, present, and future. Man doesn’t have any of these attributes. His knowledge and sight are limited and the vision of the future is most often uncertain. Thus, it stands to reason that God’s perspective of things would be perfect and complete while man’s would be imperfect and lacking.
With this in mind, let us hypothetically entertain the notion that God has already elected certain people unto salvation and others unto condemnation. He has already determined and secured each individual’s eternal destiny and will affect it at the time of His choosing. Even if this is the case, how can we as finite human beings know with absolute certainty who is elect and who isn’t? Can we see into peoples’ hearts and rightly judge their spiritual condition? Can we accurately predict who might come to salvation later in life and/or who might turn from the faith? No, we can’t… nor should we try. Rather, we should faithfully appeal to everyone and urge sinners to repent and believe while working to restore those who have backslidden.
In other words, perhaps Calvinism most aptly describes God’s omniscient, timeless, and divine perspective of salvation, while Arminianism most aptly describes man’s limited, finite perspective of salvation. Perhaps God knows that free will doesn’t exist, but in practice we should function as though it does. Perhaps God knows that some people can’t be saved, but without absolute certainty we must act as though they can be up until the moment of their death. Perhaps the Bible passages that lean Calvinist and those that lean Arminian are both true - they are just viewing salvation from different perspectives.
II. THE NATURE OF A RELATIONSHIP
I have heard it said that, “Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship.” Born-again Christians have been adopted into the family of God. He is our Father and we are His children. True, we still engage in religious practices, but we’ve been set free by His grace from the demands of the Law. We do not have to earn God’s favor through rigorous religion. Instead, our service and obedience should be motivated out of love, joy, and devotion. We are His kinfolks!
In every relationship there are 2 parties. In order for a relationship to be healthy and vibrant, these 2 parties must be committed to one another. Whether it be parent and child, friends, spouses, or employers and employees there must be some level of mutual commitment for the relationship to work. Otherwise, the child will either run away from home or be kicked out, the friendship will be broken, the marriage will separate, or the employee will either quit or be fired. If 1 of the 2 is unable to leave for whatever reason, they are not in a good relationship but rather are being held hostage.
This is the case even if 1 of the 2 is substantially greater, wiser, stronger, and wealthier than the other. Consider this example. Suppose there was a mighty king who had great wealth, power, nobility, and so on. This great king met and fell in love with a poor, peasant girl. He brought her into his palace and gave her food, clothes, and royal status. He essentially saved her from a life of desperation and poverty. Even in such a relationship, the peasant girl still could walk away - though she’d been foolish to do so.
Calvinists emphasize that God chooses man. Arminians emphasize that man chooses God. Perhaps both of them are right - God and man choose each other. Certainly, God’s choice of man makes salvation possible. He is infinitely greater than we are. He alone can forgive sins and grant eternal life. Our salvation is wholly dependent on Him, and we contribute nothing to it. Still, we must accept it. Such is the nature of an authentic, loving relationship. We love Him, because He first loved us.
CONCLUSION
In the end, there isn’t any analogy that I’m aware of that perfectly illustrates how Calvinism and Arminianism can be fully reconciled. These that we’ve discussed today attempt to do so, but neither is completely accurate. Nevertheless, they both point us toward reconciliation which, in my opinion, is the best approach to this historic debate.
The fact is, there are some truths in the Bible that we can’t logically explain or depict. How can there be 1 God who exists in 3 Persons? The doctrine of the Trinity cannot be perfectly illustrated with an analogy, yet we believe it by faith. How can Jesus be fully God and fully man at the same time? The hypostatic union of Christ is beyond human understanding, yet we believe it by faith. In the same way, how can God be absolutely sovereign and have control over all things while simultaneously allowing people to possess and exercise a free will that allows them to make their own independent choices? Again, this is a mystery we can’t perfectly explain or analogize, yet can accept by faith. God orchestrates the free choices of His creations in order to accomplish His divine purposes without sacrificing any of His sovereignty!
I hope this series has helped us develop a broader understanding and appreciation of Calvinism and Arminianism. We certainly haven’t resolved this debate, nor was this our intention. I suspect that there will always be some who believe that a person’s profession of faith precedes their new birth and others who believe that a person’s new birth precedes and enables their profession of faith. In either case, what ultimately matters is that the person has been reborn - whether Calvinist or Arminian, they are Christian! As fellow believers, may we live together in unity as we strive to advance the kingdom of God.
Greetings everyone. This morning we will wrap up our series on Calvinism and Arminianism. During the past 10 weeks, we have learned a bit about the origin and history of both theological perspectives. We have introduced and individually considered each of the 5 underlying points upon which both interpretations rest, including many of the Bible verses and passages used by proponents on either side of the debate. Last week we talked about the practical implications of these divergent belief systems and how our faith, regardless whether it be Calvinist or Arminian, should lend itself to obedience and godly living.
As I have grown older and more mature in my faith, I have come to discover shades of Calvinist doctrine and Arminian doctrine seamlessly woven together in many Bible passages - sometimes even in the same verse! Might it be better to approach this argument as a both/and issue rather than an either/or issue? In other worlds, could it be possible that both Calvinism and Arminianism are, for the most part, simultaneously true? If so, how might we reconcile them with one another?
I. THE VANTAGE POINT OF GOD AND MAN
Whenever there are multiple witnesses of a particular occurrence, there will likely be differing details in their respective reports of it. For example, each of the 4 gospels gives an account of Jesus’ first coming. Though they share some common stories and teachings, each of them is distinctly different from the others in various ways. The unique vantage point of each author distinguishes their particular testimony. That said, all of the gospels are true and trustworthy. Together they give us a much more complete and comprehensive presentation and record of Jesus’ life and ministry.
In like fashion, God’s perspective and man’s perspective are quite different. God is omniscient, all-seeing, and eternal. He knows and sees everything - past, present, and future. Man doesn’t have any of these attributes. His knowledge and sight are limited and the vision of the future is most often uncertain. Thus, it stands to reason that God’s perspective of things would be perfect and complete while man’s would be imperfect and lacking.
With this in mind, let us hypothetically entertain the notion that God has already elected certain people unto salvation and others unto condemnation. He has already determined and secured each individual’s eternal destiny and will affect it at the time of His choosing. Even if this is the case, how can we as finite human beings know with absolute certainty who is elect and who isn’t? Can we see into peoples’ hearts and rightly judge their spiritual condition? Can we accurately predict who might come to salvation later in life and/or who might turn from the faith? No, we can’t… nor should we try. Rather, we should faithfully appeal to everyone and urge sinners to repent and believe while working to restore those who have backslidden.
In other words, perhaps Calvinism most aptly describes God’s omniscient, timeless, and divine perspective of salvation, while Arminianism most aptly describes man’s limited, finite perspective of salvation. Perhaps God knows that free will doesn’t exist, but in practice we should function as though it does. Perhaps God knows that some people can’t be saved, but without absolute certainty we must act as though they can be up until the moment of their death. Perhaps the Bible passages that lean Calvinist and those that lean Arminian are both true - they are just viewing salvation from different perspectives.
II. THE NATURE OF A RELATIONSHIP
I have heard it said that, “Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship.” Born-again Christians have been adopted into the family of God. He is our Father and we are His children. True, we still engage in religious practices, but we’ve been set free by His grace from the demands of the Law. We do not have to earn God’s favor through rigorous religion. Instead, our service and obedience should be motivated out of love, joy, and devotion. We are His kinfolks!
In every relationship there are 2 parties. In order for a relationship to be healthy and vibrant, these 2 parties must be committed to one another. Whether it be parent and child, friends, spouses, or employers and employees there must be some level of mutual commitment for the relationship to work. Otherwise, the child will either run away from home or be kicked out, the friendship will be broken, the marriage will separate, or the employee will either quit or be fired. If 1 of the 2 is unable to leave for whatever reason, they are not in a good relationship but rather are being held hostage.
This is the case even if 1 of the 2 is substantially greater, wiser, stronger, and wealthier than the other. Consider this example. Suppose there was a mighty king who had great wealth, power, nobility, and so on. This great king met and fell in love with a poor, peasant girl. He brought her into his palace and gave her food, clothes, and royal status. He essentially saved her from a life of desperation and poverty. Even in such a relationship, the peasant girl still could walk away - though she’d been foolish to do so.
Calvinists emphasize that God chooses man. Arminians emphasize that man chooses God. Perhaps both of them are right - God and man choose each other. Certainly, God’s choice of man makes salvation possible. He is infinitely greater than we are. He alone can forgive sins and grant eternal life. Our salvation is wholly dependent on Him, and we contribute nothing to it. Still, we must accept it. Such is the nature of an authentic, loving relationship. We love Him, because He first loved us.
CONCLUSION
In the end, there isn’t any analogy that I’m aware of that perfectly illustrates how Calvinism and Arminianism can be fully reconciled. These that we’ve discussed today attempt to do so, but neither is completely accurate. Nevertheless, they both point us toward reconciliation which, in my opinion, is the best approach to this historic debate.
The fact is, there are some truths in the Bible that we can’t logically explain or depict. How can there be 1 God who exists in 3 Persons? The doctrine of the Trinity cannot be perfectly illustrated with an analogy, yet we believe it by faith. How can Jesus be fully God and fully man at the same time? The hypostatic union of Christ is beyond human understanding, yet we believe it by faith. In the same way, how can God be absolutely sovereign and have control over all things while simultaneously allowing people to possess and exercise a free will that allows them to make their own independent choices? Again, this is a mystery we can’t perfectly explain or analogize, yet can accept by faith. God orchestrates the free choices of His creations in order to accomplish His divine purposes without sacrificing any of His sovereignty!
I hope this series has helped us develop a broader understanding and appreciation of Calvinism and Arminianism. We certainly haven’t resolved this debate, nor was this our intention. I suspect that there will always be some who believe that a person’s profession of faith precedes their new birth and others who believe that a person’s new birth precedes and enables their profession of faith. In either case, what ultimately matters is that the person has been reborn - whether Calvinist or Arminian, they are Christian! As fellow believers, may we live together in unity as we strive to advance the kingdom of God.