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Theological preferences aside, everyone who is following Christ should reach a point where they are helping others pursue God either for the first time or more deeply in their Christian walk.
Calvinism Emphasizes the Sovereignty of God
The five points of Calvinism summarize the Calvinist/Reformed position and are attributed to French theologian Jean Calvin. They’re summarized by the acronym TULIP:
- Total Depravity. People are absolutely unable to come to God on their own. Only by the gracious work and choice of God will God the Holy Spirit rescue a sinner and make them a saint.
- Unconditional Election. Salvation comes only through the sovereign choice of God, not through any human will whatsoever. It is only God’s mercy that separates the “elect” from the “unelect.”
- Limited Atonement. Christ’s atoning work on the cross is only for the elect believers who are already chosen by God. He did not bear the sin of the unelect.
- Irresistible Grace. God’s will supersedes human will. We cannot resist God’s sovereign power over our lives, and if he has elected us to be saved, we will be saved precisely when he deems it is the time.
- Perseverance of the Saints. Because salvation is ultimately the choice of God and is not at all dependent upon human will, there is no way any elect person can become unelect. No matter what happens, the elect will “persevere” until the end because of God’s unfailing mercy and sovereign will.
Calvinism emphasizes God’s choice in the disciple-making process, meaning it all happens because God willed it. Like Arminians, Calvinists turn to a number of biblical texts in support of their views.
Arminianism Emphasizes the Love of God
Arminian teachings are attributed to Dutch theologian Jacobus Arminius, though his teachings were not codified until a year after his death. The teachings are summarized in various formats, and a modified version was promoted by John Wesley.
- Limited Depravity. Though people have inherited a sin nature from Adam and Eve, God provides enough grace (“prevenient grace”) to allow people to come to him by their own free will.
- Conditional Election. God “elects” to save people who he in his perfect foreknowledge knows will believe in him, rather than people believing because they are elected.
- Unlimited Atonement. Christ’s atoning work on the cross is for the whole world, not just the people God knew would believe.
- Resistible Grace. People have free will and can really choose whether to accept or reject Christ.
- Fall from Grace. Because people have free will, they can choose to reject Christ after they have formerly placed their faith in him for salvation. This is not to say that a person who commits a sin or even falls into a pattern of sin is no longer a Christian, only that intentionally walking away from Christ is a real possibility and is the one way a person can give away their salvation.
Make Disciples Regardless of Your Views
Arminianism may be an encouragement toward evangelizing and disciple-making because of the conviction that people can make a choice. Some Calvinists in the past have rejected the idea of foreign missions precisely because of a strong belief in God’s sovereign election of the saved and the unsaved. This was an issue some 18th-century British missionaries faced in seeking support for foreign missions.
Regardless of who is correct, do your part. The Bible is clear that if you follow Jesus, your job is to make disciples and help people pursue God (Matthew 28:19-20). You can’t pursue God for anyone. God always has a part to play whether you are a Calvinist or Arminian. Your part is to help someone pursue God, walk with them, and help them to discover God’s truth.
- What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Where do you stand on the debate between Calvinism and Arminianism? Explain, and don’t forget to be gracious.
- In your own words, articulate the main difference between these two doctrinal systems. What does this debate really hinge upon?
- When it comes to helping someone pursue God, what is your part? What is God’s part? What is the other person’s part?
- When helping someone pursue God, what sort of challenges would a Calvinist face? What sort of challenges would an Arminian face? Explain.
- What sort of benefits does a Calvinistic view have for disciple-making? What sort of benefits does an Arminian view have? Explain.
- Read Matthew 28:19-20. What is Jesus calling his followers to do? What does this look like practically?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
