The following material contrasts
the Five Points of Calvinism with the Five Points of Arminianism in the
clearest and most concise form. While we
believe those doctrines nicknamed “Calvinism” are true and Biblical, we reject
being identified with John Calvin. We
are Baptists. He was a baptizer of
babes, a protestant and member of a man-made society called a church. Furthermore, he was a persecutor of
Baptists. We therefore use the term
“Calvinism” advisedly and as a mere convenience.
The
Five Points of Arminianism
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The
Five Points of Calvinism
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Free-Will or Human
Ability
Although human nature was seriously affected by the fall, man has not been
left in a state of total spiritual helplessness. God graciously enables every
sinner to repent and believe, but He does not interfere with man's freedom.
Each sinner posses a free will, and his eternal
destiny depends on how he uses it. Man's freedom consists of his ability to
choose good over evil in spiritual matters; his will is not enslaved to his
sinful nature. The sinner has the power to either cooperate with God's Spirit
and be regenerated or resist God's grace and perish. The lost sinner needs
the Spirit's assistance, but he does not have to be regenerated by the Spirit
before he can believe, for faith is man's act and precedes the new birth.
Faith is the sinner's gift to God; it is man's contribution to salvation.
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Total Inability or
Total Depravity
Because of the fall, man is unable of himself to savingly believe the gospel.
The sinner is dead, blind, and deaf to the things of God; his heart is
deceitful and desperately corrupt. His will is not free, it is in bondage to
his evil nature, therefore, he will not - indeed he cannot - choose good over evil in the spiritual realm. Consequently, it
takes much more than the Spirit's assistance to bring a sinner to Christ - it
takes regeneration by which the Spirit makes the sinner alive and gives him a
new nature. Faith is not something man contributes to salvation but is itself
a part of God's gift of salvation - it is God's gift to the sinner, not the
sinner's gift to God.
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Conditional
Election
God's choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of
the world was based upon His foreseeing that they would respond to His call.
He selected only those whom He knew would of themselves freely believe the
gospel. Election therefore was determined by or conditioned upon what man
would do. The faith which God foresaw and upon which He based His choice was
not given to the sinner by God (it was not created by the regenerating power
of the Holy Spirit) but resulted solely from man's will. It was left entirely
up to man as to who would believe and therefore as to who would be elected
unto salvation. God chose those whom He knew would, of their own free will,
choose Christ. Thus the sinner's choice of Christ, not God's choice of the
sinner, is the ultimate cause of salvation.
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Unconditional
Election
God's choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of
the world rested solely in His own sovereign will. His choice of particular
sinners was not based on any foreseen response of obedience on their part,
such as faith, repentance, etc. On the contrary, God gives faith and
repentance to each individual whom He selected. These acts are the result,
not the cause of God's choice. Election therefore was not determined by or
conditioned upon any virtuous quality or act foreseen in man. Those whom God
sovereignly elected He brings through the power of the Spirit to a willing acceptance
of Christ. Thus God's choice of the sinner, not the sinner's choice of
Christ, is the ultimate cause of salvation.
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Universal
Redemption or General Atonement
Christ's redeeming work made it possible for everyone to be saved but did not
actually secure the salvation of anyone. Although Christ died for all men and
for every man, only those who believe on Him are saved. His death enabled God
to pardon sinners on the condition that they believe, but it did not actually
put away anyone's sins. Christ's redemption becomes effective only if man
chooses to accept it.
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Particular
Redemption or Limited Atonement
Christ's redeeming work was intended to save the elect only and actually
secured salvation for them. His death was substitutionary endurance of the
penalty of sin in the place of certain specified sinners. In addition to
putting away the sins of His people, Christ's redemption secured everything
necessary for their salvation, including faith which unites them to Him. The
gift of faith is infallibly applied by the Spirit to all for whom Christ
died, therefore guaranteeing their salvation.
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The Holy Spirit
Can Be Effectually Resisted
The Spirit calls inwardly all those who are called outwardly by the gospel
invitation; He does all that He can to bring every sinner to salvation. But
inasmuch as man is free, he can successfully resist the Spirit's call. The
Spirit cannot regenerate the sinner until he believes; faith (which is man's
contribution) proceeds and makes possible the new birth. Thus, man's free will
limits the Spirit in the application of Christ's saving work. The Holy Spirit
can only draw to Christ those who allow Him to have His way with them. Until
the sinner responds, the Spirit cannot give life. God's grace, therefore, is
not invincible; it can be, and often is, resisted and thwarted by man.
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Efficacious (or
Irresistible) Grace
In addition to the outward general call to salvation which is made to
everyone who hears the gospel, the Holy Spirit extends to the elect a special
inward call that inevitably brings them to salvation. The internal call
(which is made only to the elect) cannot be rejected; it always results in
conversion. By means of this special call the Spirit irresistibly draws
sinners to Christ. He is not limited in His work of applying salvation by
man's will, nor is He dependent upon man's cooperation for success. The
Spirit graciously causes the elect sinner to cooperate, to believe, to
repent, to come freely and willingly to Christ. God's grace, therefore, is
invincible; it never fails to result in the salvation of those to whom it is
extended.
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Falling from Grace
Those who believe and are truly saved can lose their salvation by failing to
keep up their faith, etc. All Arminians have not been agreed on this point;
some have held that believers are eternally secure in Christ - that once a
sinner is regenerated, he can never be lost.
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Perseverance of
the Saints
All who are chosen by God, redeemed by Christ, and given faith by the Spirit are eternally saved. They are kept in faith by the power
of Almighty God and thus persevere to the end.
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Salvation is accomplished through the combined efforts of
God (who takes the initiative) and man (who must respond) - man's response
being the determining factor. God has provided salvation for everyone, but His
provision becomes effective only for those who, of their own free will,
"choose" to cooperate with Him and accept His offer of grace. At the
crucial point, man's will plays a decisive role; thus man, not God, determines
who will be recipients of the gift of salvation.
Salvation is accomplished by the almighty power of the
Triune God. The Father chose a people, the Son died for them,
the Holy Spirit makes Christ's death effective by bringing the elect to faith
and repentance, thereby causing them to willingly obey the gospel. The entire
process (election, redemption, regeneration) is the work of God and is by grace
alone. Thus God, not man, determines who will be the recipients of the gift of
salvation.