This is the second of a five part series exploring the
tenets of Calvinist doctrine. Since Calvinism breaks down into five major areas
or points claiming to have the authority of scripture it is necessary to examine
each one to arrive at a clear understanding of the truths presented in the word
of God. This system of theology was prevalent after the Protestant Reformation
and has had a strong and continuing influence even unto the present time. It
was formalized by the writings of the theologian John Calvin in the sixteenth century.
It then received confirmation through a gathering in the early seventeenth
century known as the Counsel of Dort (1618-1619)lasting seven months. This
gathering convened in Dort, Holland and was attended by a significant number of
participants from across Europe. Also at issue were five remonstrances or objections
to this theology formalized and presented by those who were proponents of Arminianism. James Arminius had died only of few years
prior to the counsel.
The
first of this series dealt with the total depravity of man doctrine held by Calvinism
even to the extreme that a man had any capability to embrace God by or through
his own act of the will. This is opposed directly by Arminius’s doctrine of
free will. For details and related scripture you will need to refer to the
previous posting. We will now move on the second assertion of Calvinism which
has been described as unconditional
election.
Pure Calvinism would assert that God has made a choice in selecting out
from among mankind an elect number of people according to his own sovereign
will. It would deny that faith is exercised by any individual as a prerequisite
to his choosing, but that his faith itself is planted in the heart of the
elected person. It is not then a matter of the sinner’s choice of God but
rather God’s choice of the sinner apart from any action to repent or believe on
the part of the one who has been chosen. We see this doctrine manifest
dramatically in dispensational theology as concerns Jewish Israel for they
contend that Jews are God’s ‘chosen’ people and are thus destined at a future
time to believe collectively and establish a kingdom on the earth. They must revert
to scriptures in the Old Testament in an attempt to support this view for it is
entirely refuted by the content of the New Testament epistles as well as the
prophets including Christ.
Before
looking at scriptures bearing on the subject we need to examine the Arminian
view which we will entitle conditional election.
God’s choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of the
world was based on His foreknowledge. He
selected or elected only those who He knew in advance would respond freely of
their own will to His convicting work and calling. Election was therefore
determined by what he foreknew any individual would do. The faith which is the
requirement of election and salvation is not therefore a gift of God but that which
is exercised as a result of free will. Let us now look at some scriptures explaining
the complete contrast of these two opposing theological views.
Peter
begins his first epistle at verse two stating: ”Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through
sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of
Jesus Christ; grace be unto you , and peace be multiplied.” The verse gives
us the proper sequence leading to the salvation of the soul. It begins with
election but that determination being in accordance with God’s perfect
foreknowledge and then leads to the process of sanctification which is seen to
be the result of obedience not to the law but to the Spirit. Each one who is consistently obedient to the
Spirit experiences the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit which brings grace
and peace. Grace and peace follow after and are the reward of one’s obedience.
In
the epistle to the Romans, chapter eight, we see the same order of the
sanctifying work of the Spirit. “For whom
he did foreknow he did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son,
that he might be the firstborn of many brethren. Moreover whom he did
predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified:
and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” (vss. 29-30). The prerequisite
for this work of the Spirit in any one is clearly set forth in the early
portion of chapter eight, i.e. in summary it is that we learn obedience to the
Spirit and walk after His directives.
The
mandate for our sanctification and conditional
election are found in numerous places in Scripture. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, pace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance against such there is no law.
And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its affections and
lusts. If we live in the Spirit let us
also walk in the Spirit.”(Gal.3:22-
24). Is it not clear that the tenets of Calvinism not only
run contrary to the Scripture but deny the opportunity to obtain and partake of
the fruitful sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit?
David Lance
Dean website and blog access:
author davidlancedean.com
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