Calvinistic Soteriology Vs. Arminianism
While John Calvin was a mighty force in God's push against the Papacy, he made a great error in promoting God's character.
Calvinistic Soteriology is basically the Calvinistic understanding of salvation. John Calvin sought to uphold God's sovereignty by nullifying any human effort in the salvation process - including choice. John Calvin maintained that if we have any choice in the matter, then God's sovereignty is compromised. Therefore, God arbitrarily chooses who will be saved and who will be lost. This, he concluded, makes God sovereign - because if some were to die and it was not God's choice, then God would not be not in full control.
We have to remember that it was a very different age.
Men and women did not err for too long on Christian standards. Once the truth was revealed, many were fervent in denying self and taking up their cross - daily!
However, in this post-modernist age, self is exalted and we are more interested in how we "feel" than in what God says.
God's standards take second place to our desires as we use His grace as a ticket to hedonism - and so we inevitably created the 'Once saved, always saved' theology.
Arminianism is the challenge to Calvinism.
Jacobus Arminius challenged his teacher - Theodore Beza - the son-in-law and student of Calvin himself. The challenge was this - if we have no choice, how can there be a valid judgement?
Seventh-Day Adventists are Arminian Christians. We believe that God died to save all, but not all will humble themselves to respond to the call. We believe in a fair judgement and a judgement time message.
What are your thoughts with regard to the issue of choice and how does it shape your Christian walk and your view of God?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Leslie Ann on -
Eddie
Well all this is so complex to understand especially if we have choice or not but I will wait on the other comments before i give my response it is always good to see things in another light.
blessed.
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Permalink Reply by Jason Missole on -
yes
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Permalink Reply by Bree on
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I believe God gives each of us the choice. It is what is so just about the judgement because we will be judged based on the decisions we make. For instance the greatest of all sin is to sin against the Holy Spirit. When God calls us through the Holy Spirit if we continuously choose to ignore Him..eventually we will not hear His voice. Accepting God's grace is a choice, as well as accepting to believe on Him..by faith is a choice.
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Permalink Reply by Leslie Ann on
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Bree R
Then explain this verses.
Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Psalms 32:2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
I am learning just having an open mind.
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Leslie In order for God to work within you; you must choose to allow for His will to be done in you ..We can not change ourselves regardless how hard we try ie Philippians 2:13..nor can God do for us what He so very much wants to do unless we make that choice to allow His love His spirit to influence us in the way we must go.
Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will eat with him and he with me.
It is a daily choice Leslie to open the door to the Lord's influence in order to partake in the experience of what it truly is to walk with the Lord.
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Permalink Reply by Eddie-Lee on -
Hey Leslie Ann,
Imagine our choice like an activation button. Do you remember when it was said of Jesus - "And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief." - Matthew 13: 58
Jesus had all the power, but it took the faith of the people for that power to work.
God will do His good work in us - If we choose to believe Him
God will not impute iniquity - If we choose to flee evil
But if we have no choice, we have to conclude that God made Eve to eat the fruit - can you see where this leads?
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Permalink Reply by Leslie Ann on
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Eddie
I know what you are saying but....
Adam and Eve was created perfect yet in that state of perfection they sinned. Then we their offspring was born in sin how then can we of ourself choose anything good.
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Permalink Reply by Leslie Ann on
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Eddie
They chose to sin but God knew they would have because the plan of redemption was laid before the foundation of the world. but bear in mind they were perfect and they knew nothing about sin. we being born in sin only know about doing bad we of ourself cannot do good.
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Permalink Reply by Eddie-Lee on
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Not to worry about all the other issues - the one issue that is important is that they made the choice.
Lucifer chose
Adam and Eve chose
We all choose.
God does not choose for some to be saved and some to be lost.
"but bear in mind they were perfect and they knew nothing about sin. we being born in sin only know about doing bad we of ourself cannot do good."
This only solidifies the point - they, not knowing evil, still made a choice.
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Permalink Reply by Stewart on -
I like the material Eddie-Lee. Thank you.
To my mind one of the great "choice" texts in Scripture are the words addressed to Israel of old --
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"See, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil... I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both you and your children may live". (Deut 30:15,19)
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That day was effectively recorded "against" them, insofar that they could not now resort to a plea of ignorance. Now they knowingly chose the way of blessing, or the way of the curse.
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The more clearly we understand our choices, the more 'strictly' we will be judged.
It is, I think, for that reason that James says,
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"Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment" (Jas 3:1)
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