Calvinism and Arminianism

Calvinism and Arminianism
by Roel Velema

There are two schools of theology, Calvinism and Arminianism, which always are in conflict with each other.

Calvin emphasized God’s predestination which he linked with our eternal salvation. This predestination is never initiated by ourselves, but by God before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4-5).

Arminius taught that we ourselves are responsible for our salvation and we have to make a choice. The Arminian doctrine is mainly based upon the five warnings in Hebrews and the warnings of our Lord in the parables of Matt. 24-25.

Calvinism teaches the eternal security of the believer, while Arminianism teaches that a believer may lose his salvation if he doesn’t remain faithful.

Then, there is also the doctrine by Robert Govett and his successors David Panton and G.H. Pember. They saw the responsibility concerning the coming kingdom. They taught the eternal security of the believers but also said that we must follow the Lord faithfully in order to inherit the millennial kingdom. If we don’t remain faithful, we will suffer loss, but we will never lose our eternal salvation (cp. 1 Cor. 3:10-15).

So, how do we deal with this whole matter of election, choice and responsibility these doctrines show? Well, once we see who we are in union in Christ, we are not about the correctness of man’s theology but are about life.

In union we see our eternal security which Calvin also taught. When one believes on the Lord Jesus for salvation, he is saved for eternity. He can never lose his salvation. It is an impossibility. A person can do nothing to be saved, and a saved person can do nothing through his works to become unsaved. Salvation is by grace and if we can lose our salvation our works would enter into a sphere ― the sphere of Calvary ― where our works cannot exist. Calvin was correct at this point. Once we are in Spirit-spirit union with Christ, our birth from above cannot be annulled, just as the Israelites were never sent back to Egypt.

Then we come to the matter of choice. To choose is inherent to our life in faith. God is sovereign, but I am much involved in the decisions in life where God looks at our hearts. Regarding eternal salvation, this must be initiated by the Lord because unsaved man is “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). He is spiritually dead, and Another must act on his behalf in order to effect life where no life exists. And this is accomplished by God’s speaking to man’s heart to choose (cp. Ezek. 36:37).

Calvin was wrong to associate election with eternal salvation. He failed to see that election had to do with the inheritance of the land of Canaan out ahead of the Israelites in the wilderness, not with the land of Egypt behind them. This is what the book of Hebrews is about: the rest of the promised land which is Christ as us. Therefore, inheritance only comes in view once we are in Christ (Eph. 1:4-5). So we never go out in evangelism to ask: “Are you predestinated” but “Are you in Christ?”, because everyone who is in Christ, is also predestined.

So, election, choice and responsibility come together in the knowledge of who we are in union. I am not I but Christ in my human form where He has taken the full responsibility of my life. Yet there are choices to make by faith, excluding self-effort. We live just as Christ was one with the Father yet to be distinguished (John 10:30). In this fundamental unity of the Godhead separateness and inclusiveness are not opposed but exist together and simultaneously without contradicting one another. Likewise, I am elected to be a son in glory and put by faith my heart on it as I press towards the mark.