Does Arminianism Deny God’s Grace?
Does Arminianism Deny the Grace of God?
Calvinism is termed the Doctrines of Grace, so named for its several elements of Grace.
Calvin’s Calvinism taught that God has an eternal people that “always” belonged to Him, that is, an eternal flock of sheep, being those who were allegedly, eternally “hidden” in Him, having been eternally chosen “in Himself,” in that while being far off, God held them “in secret” as “His own”:
John Calvin writes: “Paul further confirms this, declaring that God was moved by no external cause; He Himself and in Himself was author and cause of our being elected while yet we were not created, and of His afterwards conferring faith upon us.” (Concerning the Eternal Predestination of God, p.69, emphasis mine)
Calvin writes: “First he points out the eternity of election, and then how we should think of it. Christ says that the elect always belonged to God. God therefore distinguishes them from the reprobate, not by faith, nor by any merit, but by pure grace; for while they are far away from him, he regards them in secret as his own.” (John: Calvin, The Crossway Classic Commentaries, p.393, emphasis mine)
Calvin also writes: “The calling is therefore a certain and specific calling, which seals and ratifies the eternal election of God so as to make manifest what was before hidden in God.” (Concerning the Eternal Predestination of God, p.70, emphasis mine)
While most Calvinists sum up Calvinistic Election in two words: The Elect, it is better summed up in three words: In The Father. Putting them together, you have: The Elect In the Father.
While the Bible often speaks of being in Christ, Calvinism is essentially being in the Father, and most Calvinists are unfamiliar with the fact that there even is such a concept of being in the Father.
1st John 2:24
If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
To the Calvinist, “the elect” eternally reside in the Father by what is termed, sovereign Elective Grace, and are therefore, on that basis, chosen to become in the Son and given to Him at the foreordained time, by means of irresistible Regenerative Grace, whereby the elect in the Father are involuntarily made preemptively Born Again with a brand new heart in order to irresistibly repent, believe and become saved.
Arminianism has a different take on grace.
Hal Lindsey states: “Grace is all that God set Himself to give us on the basis of Jesus dying in our place and paying for our sins.” (Gospel of John, emphasis mine)
Although John Calvin never knew the TULIP system, having come after him, this is the Calvinism that he knew and taught:
Elective Grace predetermines Regenerative Grace resulting in Persevering Grace.
The Elective Grace of Arminianism is that whereas Calvinism bases election in the Father, Arminianism founds it in the Son, such that no one comes to the Father, but by the Son. (John 14:6) In other words, Arminianism teaches that you have the privilege of being chosen in the Father, that is, adopted into the family of the Father as a born again child of God on account of your identification with and your position in His Son, through faith in Him.
The Regenerative Grace of Arminianism is that upon being sealed in Christ by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13), you receive a “new heart” and a “new spirit” (Ezekiel 36:26) in becoming a born again “new creature” in Christ. (2nd Corinthians 5:17)
The Persevering Grace of Arminianism is that upon becoming a new-born in Christ, you receive a measure of “grace” (Ephesians 4:7) and a measure of “faith.” (Romans 12:3) Additionally, for those who have become in Christ, primarily having been foreknown in Christ (Romans 8:28-29), as a member of the Body of Christ, having become “one spirit” with Him (1st Corinthians 6:17), God has predestined all that comes with being in His Son, which includes being conformed to the image of Christ, justified, glorified and given a wonderful purpose for your life (Romans 8:30), known as the “holy calling.” (2nd Timothy 1:9)
The Atoning Grace of Calvinism is that Jesus died only for those where were allegedly, eternally hidden in the Father, whereas the Atoning Grace of Arminianism is that Jesus is the propitiation for the sins of “the whole world.” (1st John 2:2)
