There’s been a lot of discussion lately (online and offline) about Arminianism/Calvinism, and I have some thoughts running through my head. Thought I’d share. Not sure how much sense I’ll make; this is certainly not purporting to be anything more than a journal entry full of thinking-out-loud.
Briefly, though, a definition. Arminianism, as I’m using it, refers to the fundamental belief that God gave a “universal” grace to all the people of earth, enabling them to choose to believe in Him, and thereby go to heaven.
I was raised Arminian. I also thought that theology books were largely immoral and theologians who had any significant amount of followers were obviously doing something wrong, because the truth isn’t popular. (Ergo, if you’re popular, you’re sinful.) I mention the anti-theology bit because I had no earthly idea that I was an Arminian, which is an important point.
I spent the first fourteen years of my life in Christ having absolutely no understanding of how I got there. Every once in a while, I’d run into people who believed, astonishingly, that God actually sent people to hell of His own accord. I knew the Bible pretty well, but the only verses that are really explicitly Calvinist – like Romans 8:29-30 – were, frankly, pretty easy to explain away: God decided in time past that He would eventually conform all who choose to believe to the image of His Son. And, yes, there were people who God hated. This, too, was explainable: the Unpardonable Sin (attributing the works of God to Satan) resulted instantaneously and irreversibly in damnation. Christ’s death didn’t atone for the Unpardonable Sin, and, at some point, every unbeliever committed it before they died. (In other words, Christ’s death was not only sufficient for the sins of all the people in the world, but it actually paid for all the sins of all the people in the world. But it couldn’t pay for the Unpardonable Sin, which was why some people still went to Hell.)
I really don’t know where this stuff came from. It was a pretty elaborate system, much more developed and defensible than most Arminian theology I run into now.
In my freshman year of high school, I very briefly entertained the idea of believing that God chose me, instead of the other way around. I still had never heard of the word “Calvinism” or anything associated with reformed theology, but it was increasingly evident to me from Scripture that my belief system had a fatal error at the heart.
I asked my church teachers (youth leaders, etc) for insight. They
said I was wrong, that such a belief denied the basic nature of our loving God, that it made evangelism useless, and strongly advised me to yield to the interpretation that was so obvious to everyone else. (Everyone being none too small a word; I didn’t know that there were any Christians out there who believed differently.)
I, headstrong idiot, did what they said. Moreover, I studied and
learned how to defend Arminianism and how to warp Scripture to fit the philosophy.
Now… I’m a very recent “convert.” Less than a year ago, I was still an Arminian, although I would have said at the time that I was somewhere in between, or that I was “leaning Calvinist.”
All this to say what? As an ex-Arminian, who believed exactly what a lot of Arminians profess, I honestly believe that Arminianism is works salvation, in the same sense as the “works salvation” that people caution against whenever we read James.
Why? Because I could evangelize – and my church was pretty evangelical – and the difference between me and the non-believers was that I had the wisdom to accept Christ. I was no better than they were in the sense that I was every ounce as much of a sinner – but I was better than they were in that I had decided to follow Jesus. A very small point, but a very important one. This isn’t ancient history for me; I remember how I felt and how I
thought. And let me tell you, at the very root of my ideas about my salvation was my pride. Look at me! There’s a God in heaven Who is gracious, and He offers a free gift to all who would come. I came! Everyone who is going to Hell is only going because of their ignorance and illogic. Ignorance and illogic that I lack. God offered salvation to all, but I reached out and took it!
I could quote Ephesians 2:8-9 until I was blue in the face. Faith’s a gift of God. Not by works. Nobody gets themselves to heaven. But I had no earthly idea what these things meant! People either have faith or they don’t have faith. The Bible doesn’t talk about a “capacity for faith,” even though that’s what Arminianism teaches. And my faith sure didn’t get here because of anything I did. Belief, you know, is a work — “believe” is a verb! And, incidentally, Satan believes. Belief doesn’t get you to heaven.
The little dead Arminian in me is pointing out that I know perfectly well that when Arminians say “believe,” they really mean “trust.” They really mean “ask.” Some of them even mean “repent.”
Okay. We still have the pride issue. No matter how minute and unimportant you make my role – “believing,” “recognizing,” “accepting,” are surely not amazing feats by the standard of “works” – I’m still in the equation. There’s still something I did that distinguishes me from the rest of the unsaved world. Yeah, I did it by the grace of God, and yeah, I did it by His power, but I still did it of my own volition, whether God wanted me to or not.
In reality, my salvation is by grace alone. God works in me. God draws me to Him. God leads me to repentance. God shows me Himself. I have nothing to do with it, and not an iota of the credit goes to my account.
God leaves us no space for self-pride.
Arminians generally seem to think that Calvinism/Arminianism are just two different theologies centered mostly around salvation.
I cannot express enough that a glimpse of God’s unconditional and irresistable grace is absolutely shattering. I’m not sure that people who were raised reformed really understand this any better than people who are still Arminian; the practical difference between Arminianism and Calvinism is utterly profound. The “hope I have” is now incomparably clearer and brighter and more joy-filling. Infinitely so!
In conclusion, Arminians honestly bother me very deeply. I know many are Arminian because they don’t know any differently – as I didn’t – but there are also people who are passionately persuaded to Arminianism, knowing well the alternative. The vast majority of my Christian friends are Arminian. Most of my church is Arminian. And it’s very hard, because I know how much better and purer and more enjoyable life is once the error of Arminianism is cast away. And it’s not just in my head; my heart knows it’s true, and I yearn for people to understand the depth of the awesomeness of this God we serve. And I honestly believe that this clear, unfettered sight of the Almighty is impossible while embroiled in this obsession with understanding our role in saving ourselves.
