Does God Require us to Understand How He Calls People to Faith?
Every theologian throughout history has attempted to explain God’s decision-making process in granting salvation and man’s responsibility to receive it. Almost all end up in either Calvin’s camp, or Arminius’, with plenty of nuanced explanations within each.
Briefly, John Calvin believed salvation, start to finish was a sovereign act of God. God chooses those he wants to save, (election) makes them want to be saved (irresistible grace) and once they are saved, keeps them that way until they die, no matter what. (perseverance of the saints)
Jacob Arminius, a contemporary of Calvins’, believed humans had a lot more free will in this process. Humans could accept or reject God’s offer of salvation and once saved, could reject God or live such sinful lives that they could lose their salvation.
Each group comes fully armed to this theological debate with dozens of scripture passages that “prove” their position’s superiority over the others. Denominations and churches have split over these issues for centuries. But why?
Why is it we insist on having an explanation for the mind of God, on this matter at all?
Why not be content to leave what God does behind the curtain a mystery? Is there anywhere in scripture where God requires us to understand and explain accurately why he does, what he does, to grant salvation to any individual? And is there anywhere in the Bible, he calls us disobedient if we can’t explain how he does it? No!
However, what God has made clear, that both Calvin and Arminius loosely agree on, is what God requires for a person to be born again and therefore to be saved. So, what is man’s responsibility prior to, and after being granted salvation? That question is answerable.
Briefly, John Calvin believed salvation, start to finish was a sovereign act of God. God chooses those he wants to save, (election) makes them want to be saved (irresistible grace) and once they are saved, keeps them that way until they die, no matter what. (perseverance of the saints)
Jacob Arminius, a contemporary of Calvins’, believed humans had a lot more free will in this process. Humans could accept or reject God’s offer of salvation and once saved, could reject God or live such sinful lives that they could lose their salvation.
Each group comes fully armed to this theological debate with dozens of scripture passages that “prove” their position’s superiority over the others. Denominations and churches have split over these issues for centuries. But why?
Why is it we insist on having an explanation for the mind of God, on this matter at all?
Why not be content to leave what God does behind the curtain a mystery? Is there anywhere in scripture where God requires us to understand and explain accurately why he does, what he does, to grant salvation to any individual? And is there anywhere in the Bible, he calls us disobedient if we can’t explain how he does it? No!
However, what God has made clear, that both Calvin and Arminius loosely agree on, is what God requires for a person to be born again and therefore to be saved. So, what is man’s responsibility prior to, and after being granted salvation? That question is answerable.
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