Thanks everyone for your feed back as we continue in this study and clarification of Biblical Theology and the heated debate between Arminianism and Calvinism in this new age of Church History. I found a great break down of the differences at challies.com. So below is the basic break down....
I present this as a “quick and dirty” summary of the opposing views. Remember that not all Calvinists hold to all of the points I have listed below. Similarly, not all Arminians believe all of the points below.
Free Will (Arminians)
- The fall has seriously affected humans but has not left them completely spiritually helpless.
- Man is not enslaved to his nature
- Man has the ability to choose for or against God. Man can choose either good or evil as his will dictates.
- The Spirit assists man as he develops faith.
- Faith is man’s act and a gift to God
Total Depravity (Calvin)
- The fall has left man completely unable to respond to God in any way. Man is spiritually dead.
- Man is enslaved to his nature
- Man has free will within the bounds of his nature. Since man is in a fallen state, he can never choose for God unless the Spirit has first regenerated him.
- The Spirit regenerates man and then gives him the faith Christ secured.
- Faith is God’s act and a gift to man
Conditional Election (Arminians)
- God chose certain people before the foundation of the world based on seeing that in the future they would respond to His call.
- Election is conditional on God seeing who would choose Him.
- The final cause of salvation is man choosing God.
Unconditional Election (Calvin)
- God chose certain people before the foundation of the world for His own reasons and not based on seeing who would respond to His call.
- Election is unconditional. God simply chose some and not others.
- The final cause of salvation is God choosing man.
Unlimited Atonement (Arminians)
- Christ’s death achieved the potential for man to be saved.
- Christ died for every person who ever lived, but only saves those who believe.
- Christ’s death secured the potential for salvation and did not secure faith (which is man’s work)
Limited Atonement (Calvin)
- Christ’s death effectually saved the elect.
- Christ’s death was only for the elect and not for the entire human race.
- Christ’s death secured salvation and faith
Obstructable Grace (Arminians)
- God never forces salvation upon anyone.
- The Spirit woos people but they are free to accept or reject Him.
- Faith allows the Spirit to do His work in man
Irresistible Grace (Calvin)
- God gives the gift of salvation to His elect and they have no choice but to respond.
- The Spirit regenerates people who are then given faith and must repent.
- The Spirit does His work based on who God has predestined to eternal life
Falling From Grace (Arminians)
- Because salvation is ultimately dependent on man, he can reject his salvation.
Perseverance of the Saints (Calvin)
- Because salvation is ultimately dependent on God, man can never lose salvation
As you see, the process of a person becoming saved is vastly different in each of the views. I have created a chart for each of the views to try to simplify the differences between them.
Please tune in next week as I turn the corner in this debate and open up my email box or this blog for any of your questions, statements or disagreements. Three has been great responses and I just thank you all for taking the time to hammer this out as you seek your own understanding of who God is.
Starting Tuesday of next week we will be moving into the subject of the necessity of family worship. Where did it get its beginning and how much has western culture loss it's roots on such a necessary component of family spiritual growth. In the weeks to follow we will be looking at the seeker sensitive movement and why it is so anti biblical (Purpose Drivenisim, Willowcreek, Joel Osteen, etc). We will also be discussing the issues of Biblical Evagelsim and posting some video of myself and other fellow labor's Open air preaching, doing one to one witinessing, and how to break the ice. We will see how to confront JW, Mormons, Postmodernism and others. If you would like to join us for Open Air preaching we are scheduling some events in the next week or two.
May God Richly bless you,
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