We will now cover our objections to Calvinism by the same acronym TULIP that is commonly used to remember the doctrines. As needed we will look at quotes from Calvin and Spurgeon as accurate representations of the doctrines. Calvinists have the practice of claiming you don’t understand them when you carry out the rational inferences of their doctrines. My encounters with them have instructed me that they don’t think anyone understands the doctrines if they disagree with them. Please read closely as we are not presenting here an Arminian rebuttal. We believe the scriptures teaches that all men can be saved through Christ, but that men, some men will be saved according to God’s eternal purpose. Calvinism or ‘the doctrines of grace’ as its adherents prefer, is a remarkably consistent systematic series of teachings that err remarkably from the truth.
Please review the definition of faith here as it will be pivotal throughout the discussion.
T
The first letter ‘T’ stands for total depravity which would be referencing the total inability of men to do anything spiritual, even choose to believe the gospel due to his wretched state in sin. A very popular passage for Calvinists to attempt to validate their claims is John 6:26-71. This passage it is explained by the Calvinist teaches that since none seek after God (Rom.3:11) they must be drawn by the Father to come to Christ (6:44 Acts 17:27). We would agree so far (see the definition of faith above). The Calvinist then projects into that further that God causes all those and only those that he draws to come to Christ and there is no chance that they will not come nor that they will ever fall away because ‘Christ will raise all of them up at the last day’. Of course this is not what the text states.
The Calvinist is quick to say that whosoever believes are only those the Father draws and if left up to man’s will alone (a straw man fallacy) they would never be saved for as Christ states in the previous chapter “And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life” (5:40). They of course have no reasonable explanation of verse 34 of the same chapter where Christ says to these same people “these things I say, that ye might be saved”. This creates quite a dilemma for the Calvinist when Christ desires those to be saved who will not come to him and whom God has predestined for eternal damnation. They impulsively respond in such cases with exaggerated retorts such as ‘you are saying that mans will is omnipotent’ as if God cannot freely choose to allow man a genuine choice (while upholding their will-Heb.1:3) and limit his grace in certain instances (as Mark 6:5 or Psa.78:41- where they “limited the Holy One of Israel”) by their unbelief -without ceasing to be God. Many times they will puff up and respond ‘Lazarus (John 11) had no choice nor power to choose to believe when he was dead and we are dead in sins- therefore we cannot choose to respond to the gospel call’. This of course wrests the scripture to distortions it never reasonably infers- for if as in the case of Lazarus he is dead he could do no good or evil (Isa.41:23, Ecc.9:5, 10); this means that an unbeliever cannot do good or evil. Calvinists say you must be regenerated in order that you might believe (see the section on irresistible grace). Consider a brief quote from Spurgeon (sermon 182) “But to truly come to Christ is not in your power until you are renewed by the Holy Spirit!” Were they simply to mean the Spirit reproves the world (Jn.16:8) and leads us to Christ we might find unity with them; instead we find error. Consider Eph.1:13- In 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. And again John 1:13- But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Notice the truth is the opposite of the Calvinists claims.
Indeed the scriptures teach that apart from Christ we are guilty of past sins which we have already committed (2 pet. 1:9 Ezek. 18:22), and condemned for sin which dwelleth in us presently. We consist of a spirit, and soul, and body (1 Thess.5:23). The bible mentions the "filthiness of the flesh and spirit" (2 Cor 7:1), it mentions the "mind and conscience is defiled" (Titus 1:16). It mentions "fleshly lusts which war against the soul" (1Pet 2:11), and our soul in need of purification and salvation (1 Pet.1:9,22). It points out the sin of our soul (Mic.6:7), the heart being deceitful above all things and desperately wicked (Jer.17:9). It says that the "spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy" (James 4:5), and concerning our vile (Phil 3:21) mortal body Paul says "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Rom.7:25) God not only hates our works (Isa. 64:6, Prov.28:9) but he is angry with us everyday as sinners (Psalm 7:11). God said in Isaiah 1:5-6 concerning our condition "the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot unto the head there is no soundness in it..." “For I know that in me (that is in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing" Rom.7:18. We cannot find how even to perform that which is good (v18), we do the evil that we would not, and the good that we would we do not (Rom 7:20). Paul reveals that this is "sin that dwelleth in me" (Rom.7:17), and "evil is present with me" (7:21), that is in his flesh. It is called the law of sin and death (7:25, 8:2), and Paul says that it is in our members (7:23). James also says the same in 4:1. He says that wars and fightings come from our lusts, that war in our members. This is the lust of the flesh in 1 Jn 2:16, and "fleshly lusts" in 1 Peter 2:11. James further reveals that this is where temptation comes from, the enticing of "his own lust" (1:14). He says that "when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death" (1:15). Paul shows that sin is alive in our mortal body (Rom.6:12). He speaks of it deceiving us and slaying us (Rom.7:11), and reigning (6:12), moving (7:5) and working death in us (7:13). Under this condition, we are condemned already (Jn 3:18), and the wrath of God abideth upon us (Jn 3:36). Our carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be and so we cannot please God. We are children of wrath fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind (Eph. 2:3), and the damnation of hell is inescapable (Mat. 23:33). We are guilty before God (Rom. 3:4) and appointed to die, then face the judgment (Heb. 9:27)
Job 25:4 "How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? Job 15:16 "How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water? Job 9:20 "If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me:" This is because as Paul state in Romans 3:9 we are "all under sin", v 10 "There is none righteous, no not one", v 12 "there is none that doeth good", v19 "all the world may become guilty before God". Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 7:20:"There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not", "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom.3:23). "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves... If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar..." (1Jn 1:8,10) We are dead (alienated from the life of God- Eph.4:18) in trespasses and sins (Eph.2:1) and under the influence of the evil spirit working in the children of disobedience (2:2). Therefore we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities. (Isa.64:5-6) Whatsoever is not of faith is sin (Rom.14:23) and we were children in whom is no faith (Dt.32:20).
Because this is true and we are indeed in a wretched state God must reveal himself to us and seek us and impress his presence unto us, that we should seek the Lord, if haply we might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: (Ac.17:27). And although the state we are in makes us detestable to God’s righteousness, his compassion is moved by our helplessness. He sees us by his love as those hopelessly lost who grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon day as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men (Isa.59:10). We cover this in more detail under ‘irresistible grace’, but briefly God afflicts men and they cry out and he stirs up his mercy towards them many times (Ps.107:10-31). But some will still harden their hearts and repent not (Rev.9:20-1).
It will also be claimed that total depravity makes man incapable of believing, for the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Cor.2:14). Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. (Rom.8:7-8) This is pointed to as indicating that someone cannot believe and receive Christ until God regenerates him. Again we agree man cannot sincerely come to God whenever he desires (Prv.1:28), for they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. (Job 21:14) and do not like to retain God in their knowledge (Rom.1:28). But it would be a false dilemma to say that therefore men must be regenerated so they can believe. He can grant them space to repent and they not repent (Rv.2:21). God is continually trying men’s hearts for the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings (Prv.5:21). For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth (2 Chr.16:9) and God tries men’s hearts to prove them (2 Chr.32:31), and he sends his prophets to correct (Jon.1:2, 2 Chr.36:15-16). And so God is maintaining this balance to bring about his purpose, and if things begin to wax exceedingly sinful he will preserve a remnant (Rom.9:27, 29) and bring down the proud and depose the haughty. He is the husbandman waiting for the precious fruit of the earth and must prune and weed (Jam.5:7) and prepare the crops for the harvest (Isa.28:23-9). Even instructing his people to pray for kings and those in authority so we can lead a quiet and peaceable life (1 Tim.2:1-2).
Similarly Calvinist will say believing is a work and salvation is not of works. They will then point out these verses- “Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”(Jn.6:29) & “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ…” (1 Jn.3:23) Faith is not a work of the law- the law led us to the faith of Christ (Gal.3:17-26).
Consider the contrast between faith and work: Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; (Rom.4:16) And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. (Rom.11:6) Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. (Rom.3:27-8) But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Rom.4:5) Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. (Gal.2:16) Again the works of the law are not the hearing of faith (Gal.3:2)
So what does Jesus mean that the work of God is to believe? There is dead faith (faith without works)- Ja.2:17, 20, 26; and there are dead works (works without faith)- Heb.6:1, 9:14, Rv.3:1; and there are the works/obedience of faith- Heb.11, 1 Th.1:3, 2 Th.1:11, Rom.1:5, 16:26, Ac.6:7- “being mixed with faith” Heb.4:2 (resulting in the righteousness of the saints Rev. 19:8- the gold, silver and precious stones in 1 Cor.3:12-5). ‘Work’ in the John 6 context is ongoing; notice v26 “Ye seek me”, v27“Labour” v28 “the work of God”. The Christian ironically is to labour to maintain a state of rest in the finished work of God (Heb.4:1-2, 11, 3:12-14). We lose our life to find it (Mt.10:39); we work not but believe (Rom.4:5) unto good works (Eph.2:8-10, Tit.3:8). So faith is the root that generates the works which are the fruit (Jn.15:4-8). How do we know when it is a dead work or a living one; gold or stubble? The eyes of him with whom we have to do (Heb.4:12-3, 1 Cor.4:4-5, Rev.3:15-19).
All men are not always totally hardened in pride and there are progressive steps towards worse conditions. If the society is so corrosive that God cannot find, say ‘ten righteous’ (Gen.18:32) or even one (Jer.5:1) to stand in the gap and make up the hedge (Ezk.22:30) he will destroy it. Even the Calvinist says that ‘total depravity doesn’t mean men are as bad as they could be’. Not all men’s ‘sins have reached unto heaven’ (Rv.18:5) so they appeal to ‘common grace’ to explain a lack of a complete and total deviation of society; that God preserves men from being as bad as they could be (through governments Rom.13:1-4 for example as well as destruction and the prayers of the saints- 1Tim.2:1-2). And when men’s sins are said to have ‘come to the full’ (Gen.15:16, Dan.8:23) or ‘reach unto heaven’ (Rv.18:5) God has to ‘visit the iniquity’ (Lv.18:25) or ‘remember their iniquity, and visit their sins’ (Jer.14:10) in judgment if they don’t repent (Jon.3:10). Consider Manasseh’s case:
Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols: Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle. And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down. (2 Ki.21:11-13) Likewise Sodom and Gomorrah were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly (Gen13:13) and the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah was great, and their sin was very grievous (Gen.18:20) and so God brought upon them vengeance of eternal fire. (Jd.7) Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people (Prv.14:34).
God therefore increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again (Job12:23). While all have indeed sinned God preserves (through common grace if you will) a level of moral stability and where men can be reached by his natural revelation and not just seized by a legion of devils (Job 1:10); rather they must give place to the devil (Eph.4:27). In this field of the world men have the option to be a just man (not sinless but upright before other men) that walketh in his integrity (Prv.20:7) or a become wicked exceedingly and do worse than all that were before him (1 Ki.16:25, 30).
Some men’s humility comes up for a memorial before God although they are not regenerated (Ac.10:1-5) and these are ordained for eternal life and given a chance to hear and believe the gospel (Ac.13:48). Cornelius the centurion, was a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews (Ac.10:22). We know he was not perfectly just before God for there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not (Ecc.7:20); and so he was just before and among men. When Paul preached the gospel in a synagogue to the lost Jews first notice how he addressed them- “Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience…Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent” (Ac.13:16, 26) What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose (Ps.25:12). Abimelech had integrity of heart and God preserved him from sinning ignorantly (Gen.20:3-6). Men exercise themselves in pride and humility continually under God’s mighty hand, and so there are “ye that fear God” who when otherwise left to themselves there is “no fear of God before their eyes” (Rom.3:18). As in Nineveh where they feared not God nor desired his ways (Jon.1:2) until the preaching of Jonah and they humbled themselves (3:4-10) and God was merciful unto them (4:2).
But back to John 6:26-71; are we to believe our Calvinist brethrens interpretation that “all that the Father draws will be raised up at the last day”? Let us be aware that according to normal logical procedure it is not rational to think that ‘all that come are drawn therefore all that are drawn come’. That would be to say ‘all Virginians are Americans therefore all Americans are Virginians’. The fallacy is clear. As we examine the text we find ‘all that come are drawn’ but not their assertion ‘all that are drawn come’. We also know from other passages Christ states “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” (Jn.12:32) and he “lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (1:9); and yet not all come (Jn.5:40) even when he desires that they might be saved (v34).
We see in John 6 a group of people seeking Christ because of carnal lusts- “Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled” (v26). Christ desiring ‘that all men might believe’ (Jn.1:7) sincerely implores them “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you” and “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent” (v27, 29). Although he made a true and genuine appeal to them Jesus knew their hearts were not fit for the kingdom and he did not commit himself to them (v64, 2:23-5). But there were others who were ‘waiting for the consolation of Israel’, those who received John’s baptism, bruised reeds and smoking flax, those who had the Father’s word abiding in them (5:38-9) believing Moses and the prophets (5:46-7, 1:45); and these had ears to hear Christ when he came. They had been listening to the Father’s words; they had heard and learned of the Father (6:45) and were all “taught of God”. These did truth (3:21). And Christ also came for them for the Father committed them to him to build his church (Matt.11:25-7, 16:15-8). They are not of the world (Jn.17:16) but Christ would send them into the world (17:18) “that the world may know that thou hast sent me” and “that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” just as “these have known that thou hast sent me” (17:21, 23, 25). They did not independently seek God (Rom.3:11) but they did respond to God’s natural revelation (Rom.2:14-15, 1:19-21) and his supernatural revelation (Rom.3:2).
Now the Calvinist who is pre-committed to their doctrines import their interpretation into the text and conclude that if Christ came to gather and teach those the Father had given him then therefore no genuine salvation was offered or was possible to any others. But notice his words to these who “believe not” v36- “my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven” v32, “Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” v35, “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”v53-4 “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”v63 The problem was they would not believe v64. So “the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”(Heb 4:2) The Calvinist error has Christ speaking guile here (1 Pt.2:22) for his words were not genuinely offered to them. As in the story of the rich young ruler where “Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him” sell all and “follow me” (Mk.10:21-2). The man responded as these disciples in John 6 and “went away” from the Lord. Do we also impute to the Lord a disingenuous offer? God forbid.
In this passage in John 6 we see two distinctions made. We see something given to men and we see men given to Christ; the recipient of one is men the recipient of the other is the Son. Notice the distinction, 1st- men given to the Son- v37 “All that the Father giveth me”, v 39 “all which he hath given me”. These are those we mentioned above as being taught of God and given to Christ when he came. Notice the 2nd distinction- the drawing or giving to men- v44 “the Father which hath sent me draw him”, v45 “hath learned of the Father”, v65 ”no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.”. So the men who the Father gave to the Son are those who were given of the Father the drawing, the instruction, which led them to Christ (Gal.3:24). This explains how anyone comes to Christ- they are enabled by the Fathers drawing them. Notice that the passage does not say that the Father only draws certain ones. It simply asserts the positive statement ‘all that come are drawn’. “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day”v44. And again “no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father” v65. Notice of those who are drawn the ones who are raised up are those that come unto him. “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” v37. Also “every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day”v40. Again notice what is stated is of those that believe and come; nothing is mentioned that they cannot draw back in unbelief. Just as in verse 44; who comes? Those that come were drawn. Who is raised up? Those that come unto Christ. It does not state all who are drawn come. It does state that those who were given to the Son come to him. Remember 2 distinctions are made. Therefore let our Calvinist brethren not add into the text more than is there. Whatsoever is more than this cometh of evil. The distinction is easy when you consider Christ’s own words in John 12:32- And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. All men are drawn unto Christ but not all men come unto Christ, some men draw back unto perdition.
Let us take one last look before we move to the next section. “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” v37-40
‘The will of him’ is the cause of most of the confusion in the mind feverishly infected with Calvinism. For there are 2 wills (the counsel of his own will-Ep.1:11) with God and to confuse them is to make God the direct author of sin. This is a blasphemy chargeable to Calvinist theology. We will cover this in more detail in the next section, but let us briefly consider these 2 wills. 1 is his eternal purpose and 2 the will of his nature. God loves righteousness and hates iniquity by nature (Ps.45:7). Yet even though he hates iniquity, he will use it to fulfill his eternal purpose (Prv.16:4). God loves all men according to his great mercy and compassion, for God is love by his very nature (1 Jn.4:8,16). And so God provides salvation for all men (Jn.3:16). But God will not cause all men to be saved although he causes some to be to fulfill his eternal purpose. He will allow men to perish in their willful rebellion against him. God holds men responsible for their actions since he has given them a free will, nevertheless he will fulfill his eternal purpose; here we agree with the Calvinist that God’s purpose is not waiting upon chance or man’s will. Men also for example, will use warfare for an ultimate goal of peace. They do not want war, yet they will engage in it for defensive purposes, to ultimately ensure peace. So we see 2 wills displayed here as well; the will for no war and yet the will to war. They are not contradictory. A parent experiences the same display in the chastening of their children. They do not want to chasten their children, yet they know for both of their good, they will chasten them betimes. So people will engage in things unpleasant, and undesirable, to bring about something more pleasant and more desirable.
God did not desire (according to his nature) that those who slew Christ murder an innocent man. He hates iniquity, and commanded them saying “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13). Yet he knew they would. He likewise chose (according to his eternal purpose) the delusion (Isaiah 66:4) with which they would fall, resulting in the murder of Christ hanging on a tree (which Jesus believed might be possible to change for a season in the garden- Mt.26:39, Mk.14:36). God didn’t will Christ to be killed according to his nature as holy. But according to his great love by his eternal purpose he desired that we be forgiven our debts. And again Christ came into the world to be killed and even desiring forgiveness for those who were killing him (Lk.23:34).
Acts 2:23-24 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: [24] Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. God desires to glorify his grace in his saints; this is his inheritance (Eph.1:6,18,3:21).
Truly then according to the will of God’s nature of love he is not willing that any should perish (2 Pt.3:9 –and also conversely according to his righteous nature he must punish all sin, the propitiation of Christ is according to his eternal purpose bringing together his infinite justice and his everlasting mercy in a moment in time in the body of flesh of that eternal person Jesus Christ the righteous) and “that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life” Jn.6:39 and “this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing”v37. We know this is not his eternal purpose but the will of his nature for Judas was lost- “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled” (Jn.17:12).
Calvin himself tried to raise objections to these concepts in his Institutes. He discusses in Book 1 Ch.18 Sec.1 of the concept of God “doing and permitting” as a way to understand God’s judgments. But he openly rejects this and states that “men do nothing save at the secret instigation of God”. Now we would do well to take heed to the scripture that “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God:”- Dt.29:29 and so let our hearts be as the psalmist “Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.”- Ps.131:1.
Calvin however felt emboldened to exercise himself therein. Let’s finish the above quote regarding men who “do not discuss and deliberate on anything but what he has previously decreed with himself, and brings to pass by his secret direction…” Calvin attempts to prove his bold claims by quoting a series of passages where God brings a final act of judgment upon men for their sins after having often reproved them (Prv.29:1), and wrests the scripture as if God did not ‘fashion their hearts alike and consider all their works’ (Ps.33:15) before his judgment. Without accounting for this distinction he affirms as just that “man should be blinded by the will and command of God, and yet be henceforth punished for his blindness” and were one to attempt to allow any ‘permissiveness’ with God they would contradict scripture. He believes he has “shown clearly enough that God is the author of all those things which, according to these objectors, happen only by his inactive permission” (Sec.3). We should be reminded that God said regarding the sins of Israel “I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind” or “my heart” Jer. 7:31, 19:5, 32:35. Calvin rejects any permissiveness with God attributing to him actively and directly everything that comes to pass. The scriptures however show us that God chooses the delusions of those he has oft reproved first- that before God grants the devils mastery over the wicked unto their destruction, he has called to them and stretched out his hand and send his word unto them but they stiffened their necks until his wrath was kindled with no remedy.
In section 3 of the same chapter Calvin discusses the paradox of God decreeing by secret counsel what he openly forbids in the law. He rejects that this points to 2 distinctive wills in God. But that is seen in the death of Christ we discussed above as well as the understanding that God’s ‘mercy rejoices against judgment’ (Ja.2:13). We know God must punish and hate sin and love righteousness by his divine nature. But he cannot also love and have mercy upon the wicked rebel who openly rejects God and his statutes for he must punish their sin. Yet God is love and “The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.” Ps.145:9 Therefore the unifying of Gods nature with his “eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph.3:11) is found to be to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved (Eph.1:6). In the blood of his cross righteousness and peace have kissed each other (Psa.85:10). How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways pass finding out! Even a Calvinist would have to admit that the elect were at one point under divine wrath and the objects of his despite, while also loved by God. These are two distinct wills towards Calvin’s elect.
In Sec.3 Calvin asserts “the will of God is not at variance with itself” and “He makes no pretence of not willing what he wills but while in himself the will is one and undivided…” But ultimately he must acknowledge that there are 2 wills in God, which he does stating concerning God’s ‘one and undivided’ will- “to us it appears manifold” but “we cannot comprehend how, though after a different manner, he wills and wills not the very same thing”. Basically Calvin attributes everything that man or the devil does as only God’s one and undivided will and that God punishes them for what he directly and actively cause them to do and they could do nothing other than what he secretly inspires. This blasphemy is too blatant for Calvin so he must cover it by clothing it with God’s secret counsel, into which he haughtily trespasses and which he uses as a garment of praise to cover his wicked doctrine- that everything that happens is God’s secret active will. He attempts further to lighten the effects of this poison of making God the author all sins by artlessly making a distinction between Gods will and his precepts (prescriptive will) in Sec.4 of Ch.18 as if his precepts are not his will. While we do not embrace his heresy that “these things, which men do perversely, are of God, and are ruled by his secret providence” Sec.4, we do acknowledge that God, after suffering long with the sins of men, will chose their delusion in judgment (Isa.66:3-4, 2 Thes.2:10-12, Ezek.14:1-11, Zech.7:8-14, 2 Chr.36:14-21, Prv.1:20-32 etc.) and ultimately does rule over all their sins. Finally we can agree with this part of his quote of Augustine- “nor would He who is good permit evil to be done, were he not omnipotent to bring good out of evil” (end of Sec.3 Ch.18) Amen.
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