Predestination vs. Calvanism

The doctrine that God chooses some to be saved and that the others have absolutely no opportunity for salvation is often called EXTREME PREDESTINATION. It is also referred to as CALVINISM, or the following of the teachings of what some believe John Calvin taught, and others.

Predestination is taught in the bible, but the philosophy that God chooses who will be saved is false doctrine. The Bible teaches that saved people are predestined to GLORY, and that Christ rejecters are predestined to the LAKE of FIRE. Jesus Christ was predestined to die, etc. But never do we read of people predestined to be saved. God’s foreknowledge and sovereignty is never in question with true believers. Elect, chosen, called etc. does not necessarily refer to the saved, but more often Israel.

The 5 points of CALVINISM are:

TOTAL DEPRAVITY — “Man is so dead he cannot even hear the gospel”
UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION — “God only chooses certain ones for salvation”
LIMITED ATONEMENT — “Christ did not die for unbelievers”
IRRESISTIBLE GRACE — “God’s will cannot be successfully resisted”
PRESERVATION OF THE SAINTS — “Eternal security of believers”
PERSEVERENCE OF THE SAINTS) — “If you don’t persevere, you were never saved” (as taught by some Calvinists)

#1 Is man “Totally Depraved”?

Isaiah.1:18
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Unregenerate man can “reason” with God!

Acts 17:30
but now [God] commandeth all men every where to repent:

God does not make impossible commands: man can “repent”!

John 6:29
This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Man can “believe”! Total Depravity is false doctrine!

#2 Unconditional Election?

Acts 10:34-35
God is no respecter of persons: ³⁵But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

Unregenerate man can “fear God” and “work righteousness” just like Cornelius did, before Peter preached to him and he was saved! Acts 10

2 Corinthians 5:19
God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Calvinists would have us believe that the word world mentioned here is the world of the “elect”. They are wrong, this is the world of mankind. They do the same with other verses also, like John 3:16 and John 1:29. They must reject and change the meaning of words to come up with their false doctrine. The word all is another word from scripture they love to mutilate. (Examples later.)

2 Thessalonians 2:13
God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

We are “chosen-through-belief”. What is chosen is the method of salvation, not the who!

Isaiah 66:3-4
Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. ⁴I also will choose their delusions

We choose our ways ... God chooses the results! It’s the results that have been predestined, not the choice!

Proverbs 1:24-26
Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded ... ²⁶I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

God will laugh at Christ rejecters. Why? Because they refused!

Unconditional Election is false doctrine!

#3 Did God Really Limit the Atonement?

2 Peter 2:1
But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them.

Hebrews 10:29
who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing

The lost are “bought” and “sanctified”, (sins all paid for) contrary to John Calvin! Christ died for the whole world, even false prophets and false teachers.

Hebrews 2:9
by the grace of God [Jesus Christ] should taste death for every man.

2 Corinthians 5:15
And that he died for all

John 1:7
[Jesus Christ] came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe

Most of Adam’s race do not “believe”, but they all can. The choice is theirs.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15
if one died for all, then were all dead: ¹⁵And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them

If the “all’s” mean the pre-chosen, (the elect), then only some of them will believe. This would be in opposition to their own (Calvinism’s own) doctrine!

1 Timothy 4:10
God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

1 John 2:2
And he is the propitiation [satisfaction] for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Titus 2:11
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

Job 25:3
... upon whom doth not his light arise?

Romans 5:18
judgment came upon all men to condemnation; ... the free gift came upon all

Romans 11:32
For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world ....

He is everyone’s Savior, but it will only benefit those that believe.

#4 Irresistible Grace?

The truth of the matter is, that God is so sovereign that He actually allows man, Satan, and angels to exercise their own wills. The Calvinist “god” is not sovereign enough to do this.

The Calvinist “man” apparently was not created in the image of God. Their man does not have the ability to reason, think, trust, call, hunger or believe. Even after the “fall”, Adam (the bible man) could do these things.

Matthew 18:14
it is not the will of your Father ... that one of these little ones should perish.

Little ones do perish! God’s will is resisted!

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is ... not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Most perish, but it’s not God’s will. Most do not repent. God’s will is resisted.

1 Timothy 2:4
[God] will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

John 12:32
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

All are drawn, but man can exercise his will (contrary to Calvin) and say, “NO”.

John 1:29
Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

John 1:9
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

All that “come into the world” are enlightened by God. They all “hold the truth”. Rom.1 & 2

John 15:22-24
If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: ... ²⁴If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin

John 9:40-41
Are we blind also? ⁴¹Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

These two passages teach that God holds man responsible for what he knows.

Matthew 23:37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem ... how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

It was God’s will to “gather” them, but they “would not”. God’s will was resisted.

Ezekiel 33:11
As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live

Do they live? God’s will is that they turn, but most do not.

Irresistible Grace is false doctrine!

#5 Preserved? Yes!

Eternal security of the believer is true, but what we believe matters

Ephesians 1:11-13
... being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: ¹²That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. ¹³In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

These verses reveal that we are saved in TIME, not eternity past. We are saved “after we believe”. If you are trusting in a “salvation” taking place before you existed, you are probably not saved. They also teach that we are predestined, “to the praise of His glory”, not salvation. Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son,

We are predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ. What a calling we have.

by Jim Maurer

Read these related topics: Additional Thoughts on Predestination; Calvanism (Extreme Predestination); Shocking facts about the Church; Are You a Religious Drunkard?; How to Find the Right Church; Reasons why the Church will not go through the Great Tribulation

Study Tips