James 1:17
James 1:17 (see also 1st John 1:5)
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
God never thinks any cruel thoughts. So the existence of cruelty simply didn’t come from Him.
George Bryson comments: “If the Calvinist is right, then James could and perhaps should also have said: Every good and bad gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights and darkness.” (The Dark Side of Calvinism, p.372, emphasis mine)
If God thought up the idea of sin, ordained it, and decreed the Fall accordingly, and rendered it certain, in having scripted whatsoever comes to pass, then it is difficult to argue with Bryson’s conclusion.
John Calvin states: “From other passages, in which God is said to draw or bend Satan himself, and all the reprobate, to his will, a more difficult question arises. For the carnal mind can scarcely comprehend how, when acting by their means, he contracts no taint from their impurity, nay, how, in a common operation, he is exempt from all guilt, and can justly condemn his own ministers. Hence a distinction has been invented between doing and permitting because to many it seemed altogether inexplicable how Satan and all the wicked are so under the hand and authority of God, that he directs their malice to whatever end he pleases, and employs their iniquities to execute his Judgments. The modesty of those who are thus alarmed at the appearance of absurdity might perhaps be excused, did they not endeavour to vindicate the justice of God from every semblance of stigma by defending an untruth. It seems absurd that man should be blinded by the will and command of God, and yet be forthwith punished for his blindness. Hence, recourse is had to the evasion that this is done only by the permission, and not also by the will of God. He himself, however, openly declaring that he does this, repudiates the evasion. That men do nothing save at the secret instigation of God, and do not discuss and deliberate on any thing but what he has previously decreed with himself and brings to pass by his secret direction, is proved by numberless clear passages of Scripture.” (The Institutes of Christian Religion, Book 1, Chapter 18, section 1, emphasis mine)
John Calvin writes: “Certain shameless and illiberal people charge us with calumny by maintaining that God is made the author of sin, if His will is made first cause of all that happens. For what man wickedly perpetrates, incited by ambition or avarice or lust or some other depraved motive, since God does it by his hand with a righteous through perhaps hidden purpose--this cannot be equated with the term sin.” (Concerning the Eternal Predestination of God, p.181, emphasis mine)
Why not? Because you say so?
The Calvinistic, Westminster Confession of Faith, states: “The almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God so far manifest themselves in his providence, that it extendeth itself even to the first fall, and all other sins of angels and men; and that not by a bare permission, but such as hath joined with it a most wise and powerful bounding, and otherwise ordering, and governing of them, in a manifold dispensation, to his own holy ends; yet so, as the sinfulness thereof proceedeth only from the creature, and not from God, who, being most holy and righteous, neither is nor can be the author or approver of sin.” (Of Providence, emphasis mine)
So God scripted sin, but is not the author of sin. How so?
The Westminster Confession of Faith states: “God from all eternity did by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass; yet so as thereby neither is God the author of sin; nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures, nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.” (Of God’s Eternal Decree, emphasis mine)
A second cause merely extends the crime to an additional party, rather than alleviating it.
The simple fact of the matter is that James 1:17 proves that Calvinism is incompatible with Scripture.
Arminian, Josh Thibodaux, explains: “On the question of God ordaining evil, one reference that struck me as relevant to the topic was 1 John 1:5: ‘This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.’ It’s clear that John is speaking of spiritual darkness (evil). It seems impossible that even as a means to a good end that a Being in whom there is no spiritual darkness can decree (and therefore be the sole primary cause of) evil, much less have such an action be in His heart and mind from all eternity.” (In Death or Life)
This quiz highlights the problem with Calvinistic Determinism. If there is an all-encompassing Script, in which all creation acts out its divinely assigned part, in which God is portrayed as an author writing a novel, such as J.R.R. Tolkien authoring Lord of the Rings, then the creative mind of God is the source of wickedness, which is contrary to His holy nature. The Determinist may have answered the quiz questions one way, but in honestly dealing with the matter, the need for consistency may necessitate that they revise some of their answers, which of course, will reveal the ultimate problem with Determinism.
This touches upon the #1 most common criticism against Calvinism, and #1 most common reason for rejecting it, which is how it affects the character of God. The complaint is that Calvinism sucks the goodness out of God, by making Him the “Author of Sin.” Calvinists vehemently deny this charge, but Arminians and non-Calvinists alike have always been puzzled as to how, and the ultimate answer given is that it’s a “mystery.”
Calvinism teaches that God created a class of the “non-elect” [i.e. The Others], purely out of necessity, to be bred for the use of the “elect.”
John Calvin writes: “Hence Augustine, having treated of the elect, and taught that their salvation reposes in the faithful custody of God so that none perishes, continues: The rest of mortal men who are not of this number, but rather taken out of the common mass and made vessels of wrath, are born for the use of the elect.” (Concerning the Eternal Predestination of God, p.107, emphasis mine)
- A God who needs evil to accomplish good is not a perfectly good being.
- A God who uses evil to accomplish good is an altogether different matter.
That’s a very important distinction to make, because one very common defense that Calvinists like to make is simply to say that whatever is a problem for them, is a problem for you too, and therefore you can’t use whatever argument that you are making. But such is not the case, when you consider the important distinction.
Question: What about all aspects of the occult, witchcraft and demonic activity? Is that also by the “secret instigation of God”? Do we wish to say that those things originated from the creative mind of God?
Answer: That seems to be the logical conclusion of Determinism.
Determinism Quiz
Question: Do you believe in Determinism?
a. Yes
b. No
Question: Is God holy?
a. Yes
b. No
Question: Are wicked thoughts and intentions opposed to the Holy nature of God?
a. Yes
b. No
Question: Can what is inherently opposed to God’s holy nature ever be considered holy?
a. Yes
b. No
Question: Likewise, the thoughts and intents originating in God’s mind, are they holy as well?
a. Yes
b. No
Question: Speaking not of the mind itself (which originates from God), but of that which proceeds from the minds of created beings specifically: From whose mind and will did such wicked thoughts and intents initially originate?
a. The will and mind of one or more created beings, independent of any necessitation by God.
b. The will and mind of God, which He deliberately necessitated in created beings
