Finding Contentment

Calvinist (predestination) vs. Arminius (free choice)

But lately – in the community and in our church – I have been hearing a lot about a certain protestant Christian denomination called Calvinism.

Most of us Baptists tend to lean toward the teachings of Jacob Arminius. Arminius taught the doctrine of “free will.” He believes that Christ died for all sins, so everybody has the opportunity to go to heaven. Arminius said God allows humans to decide for themselves how their eternal destiny will play out.

John Calvin, on the other hand, taught the doctrine of predestination. He believed God made each individual man to be either righteous or unrighteous. He believes that an omnipotent God “predestined” certain people to go to hell and certain people to go to heaven, and that man has no say in the matter.

The whole thing is hard to wrap your mind around. I was raised to believe in the things Arminius believes in, but is it possible that Calvin could be right? Are we really all puppets and God holds the strings? Or does God cut a few of our strings so we can decide some things on our own? I am usually pretty decisive, so not knowing the answers was driving me nuts.

After some research, prayer and discussion with friends, I finally sat down and discussed it with my husband (which I probably should have done in the first place). Together, we bandied ideas back and forth and decided on our official stance on the subject.

Our official stance:  We really don’t care.

This is not a matter of “ignorance is bliss.” Let me explain. I tell my kids all the time that the Bible is our “instruction manual to life.” Yes, you need to study it in depth, but it does tell you what you need to know. So why doesn’t it clearly tell us if we are predestined or not? Because we don’t need to know.

We are simple humans. God trying to explain certain things to mortal man is like a parent trying to get a 4-year-old to understand everything the parent understands. It’s just not going to happen. By trying to make it happen, we are saying that we are smart enough to understand God. We are putting ourselves on his level. We’re not trying to understand how to live our lives righteously, or how to go to heaven, or if we should witness to others. The Bible clearly spells these things out. We are trying to understand the mind of God.

Let’s say Calvin is right and we are predestined. Does it matter? Will that change how you live? Perhaps knowing our fate has already been decided will make humans think we don’t have to be righteous, because we are definitely going to go to heaven or hell. It’s already been determined and so why should we bother to try one way or the other?

But is that what God wants? If Calvin’s beliefs cause even one person to stop trying, is it such a good thing? Trying to figure this out has caused at least one church in my community to break up and brothers and sisters in Christ to fight. The Bible says the church is the “bride of Christ,” and the members of the church are Christ’s children. Does God want this question - one that we as humans don’t need to know the answer to – to cause a split in the family?

God made man in his own image. And when He made humans, he gave them something. Something I believe every human needs in order to survive, in order to keep plodding through this sinful world. Hope.

Whether it is true or not, if man knows he is already predestined, he has no hope of changing anything. Without hope, can we continue?

I agree

09:20 PM, Wednesday, February 13, 2008 .. Posted by Anonymous

I have found studying predestination to be very interesting. I too, was more arminian in my beliefs, although I don't like the labels of calvinism and Arminianism.. I don't think you have to believe there's no use in trying if God is in control of everything. You will *want* to try because He is control of everything!

I know what you mean about the thought that it doesn't really matter if you believe Calvinism or Arminianism, and you don't have to know if one or the other is completely right to be saved, though.

I do think many people misunderstand predestination. I understand it as the idea that man can not take any *credit* for his own salvation. If he decides to accept Jesus as his Savior, it is because God has called/allowed him to do so. God has opened his eyes. God gets the credit for everything. God has his reasons for doing everything he does, and we do not have to know them or understand them. There are many scriptures to support this. Of course God could predestine those who are to be saved (the Bible says he does), since He knows us all before we even know we are. He doesn't live in finite time, like we do. God gets the credit for our salvation, not us.

If we are changed, or if we do any good it is not because *we* are good, it's because the Holy Spirit is leading us. The same with accepting Christ. He can choose to do whatever He knows is best, and He does know. We can never understand His ways, nor do we have to...just like you said. That being said, *we* do not know who will be saved and who won't, so we must continue to reach out to those who are not saved. God does the saving though, not us. He just wants us to share the gospel. We want to, because He works in us. He does not choose people because they would believe, they believe because they are chosen. Some may not believe that, but That's okay, because God doesn't need us to know everything. HE will work all things together for our good. If I'm wrong to believe it, that's okay, too, I think. We'll find out in heaven, I guess:-)

I did not mean to leave my comment anonymous

09:34 PM, Wednesday, February 13, 2008 .. Posted by meadow

I also did not post this to argue about viewpoints! I fully believe we are sisters in Christ one way or the other:-) I don't like the labels! I think Christian viewpoints can cross over in many areas, and I can often see both sides.

Untitled Comment

10:42 PM, Thursday, February 14, 2008 .. Posted by meme21713

i have not heard about this before, but do understand the concept you are explaining. We have free will but it is up to us who will we follow and that determines where we will spend forever. I do not feel we are predestined....But that is my beliefs...Thanks for this GREAT post....Debbie

Nice to see someone else agree!

08:12 AM, Wednesday, March 5, 2008 .. Posted by jackiebridgen

We attend a reformed church where most are very calvinist, our pastor and dear friend is definitely calvinist, dh and I have prayed about it at length, and come up with the same answer as you - maybe it matters to the theologians, but not to us !!! I believe we're predestined, but in a way far beyond our comprehension, so the upshot is, it feels like free will. But that's just my belief also.
It's like there is equally the debate between the two can you or can't you lose your salvation. In the end, dh says, it looks like just wordmongering to him, either you lost your salvation (arminians) and you end up in hell, or it was a false conversion (calvinists) and you end up in hell. You know what? Lets not do either of those things?!
Loved your post.