WHY BIBLICAL FREEDOM CONTRADICTS CALVINISM

"Choose this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." - Joshua 24:15

These powerful words from Joshua present us with one of the most fundamental aspects of our relationship with God—choice. Joshua didn't tell the Israelites, "Wait passively until you discover whether God has predestined you to serve Him or false gods." No, he called them to make a genuine, meaningful choice with eternal consequences.

Today, I want to address a theological system that, despite its popularity and the sincere faith of many who hold to it, fundamentally contradicts this biblical understanding of choice. I'm speaking of Calvinism—a system of theology that, while attempting to exalt God's sovereignty, actually diminishes His revealed character and the genuine relationship He desires with His creation.

I recognize this is a sensitive topic. Many sincere, godly Christians identify as Calvinists. I'm not questioning their faith or commitment to Christ. What I am questioning is whether the theological system named after John Calvin accurately reflects the full counsel of Scripture and the God revealed in Jesus Christ.

Before we dive deeper, let me be clear about what we're discussing. Calvinism is typically summarized by the acronym TULIP:

- Total Depravity: Humanity is completely corrupted by sin and unable to respond to God.

- Unconditional Election: God chooses who will be saved based solely on His sovereign will, not on anything foreseen in the individual.

- Limited Atonement: Christ died only for the elect, not for everyone.

- Irresistible Grace: God's saving grace cannot be rejected by the elect.

- Perseverance of the Saints: Those truly saved will persevere to the end.

The Arminian alternative, which I believe more accurately reflects Scripture, affirms:

- Total Depravity, but with prevenient grace enabling response to God.

- Conditional Election based on God's foreknowledge of who will freely believe.

- Unlimited Atonement: Christ died for all people.

- Resistible Grace: God's grace can be freely accepted or rejected.

- Conditional Perseverance: Believers must remain in Christ to be finally saved.

As we examine these differences, I invite you to do what the Bereans did in Acts 17:11—search the Scriptures to see if these things are so. Let's pray for God's guidance as we navigate this important topic.

John Calvin: The Man Behind the System

Before we examine the theology itself, it's important to understand something about the man whose name it bears. John Calvin (1509-1564) was a French theologian and pastor who became a leading figure in the Protestant Reformation. While he made valuable contributions to Christian theology in many areas, there are troubling aspects of his life and teaching that should give us pause.

First, Calvin's Geneva was not a model of religious freedom. Under his influence, the city government enforced religious conformity with severe penalties. Most infamously, in 1553, Calvin supported the execution of Michael Servetus for heresy. Servetus, who denied the Trinity, was burned at the stake with green wood (which prolongs suffering) with his own books tied to his legs. While we should judge historical figures within their context, Calvin's willingness to use civil power to punish theological dissent reveals a troubling understanding of how God's truth should advance.

Second, Calvin maintained several Catholic practices that many Protestants later rejected as unbiblical. He practiced and defended infant baptism despite the lack of clear biblical support. He maintained a view of communion that, while not fully Catholic, still suggested Christ's presence in the elements in a way that goes beyond the memorial view held by many evangelicals today.

Third, Calvin's theological system was not fully developed during his lifetime. Many aspects of what we now call "five-point Calvinism" were systematized after his death, particularly at the Synod of Dort (1618-1619), which was convened specifically to counter Arminian teachings.

I mention these historical facts not to demonize Calvin, who was a complex figure with sincere faith, but to remind us that theological systems developed by fallible humans should always be tested against Scripture. The question isn't whether Calvin was a sincere Christian—I believe he was. The question is whether the theological system bearing his name accurately reflects the God revealed in Scripture.

As Paul warned in Colossians 2:8, "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ." No theological system—whether it bears the name of Calvin, Arminius, Wesley, or any other human teacher—should be accepted without testing it against the full counsel of God's Word.

The Biblical Case Against Calvinism

Now, let's examine five key areas where I believe Calvinism contradicts the clear teaching of Scripture.

1. God's Universal Love and Desire to Save All

Calvinism teaches that God has chosen to save only some people (the elect) and has chosen to pass over or actively reprobate others. Yet Scripture repeatedly and clearly states that God loves everyone and desires all to be saved:

- 1 Timothy 2:3-4: "God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

- 2 Peter 3:9: "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."

- Ezekiel 33:11: "As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live."

- 1 John 2:2: "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."

Calvinists often reinterpret these passages to mean "all kinds of people" rather than "all people," or "the whole world of the elect" rather than the actual whole world. But these interpretations strain the natural reading of the text and appear motivated more by preserving a theological system than by letting Scripture speak for itself.

2. Genuine Human Choice and Responsibility

Throughout Scripture, God treats human choices as genuine and meaningful, not as predetermined scripts. Consider:

- Deuteronomy 30:19: "I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life."

- Isaiah 55:6-7: "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts."

- Matthew 23:37: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem... How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!"

- Revelation 22:17: "The Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come.' And let the one who hears say, 'Come.' And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price."

In each case, God presents a genuine choice with real consequences. Jesus weeps over Jerusalem precisely because they were unwilling, despite His desire to gather them. This makes no sense if their unwillingness was itself decreed by God.

3. The Universal Scope of Atonement

Calvinism's doctrine of Limited Atonement (that Christ died only for the elect) contradicts numerous passages:

- John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son..."

- 1 Timothy 4:10: "We have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe."

- Hebrews 2:9: "So that by the grace of God he [Jesus] might taste death for everyone."

- 2 Corinthians 5:14-15: "One has died for all... he died for all."

The plain reading of these texts indicates Christ died for everyone, not just for a predetermined elect.

4. Resistible Grace

Calvinism teaches that God's saving grace cannot be resisted by the elect. Yet Scripture shows people resisting God's grace:

- Acts 7:51: "You stiff-necked people... you always resist the Holy Spirit."

- Hebrews 3:7-8: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts."

- Matthew 22:3: "He sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come."

These passages make no sense if God's grace cannot be resisted. Why warn against hardening hearts if it's impossible for the elect to do so and inevitable for the non-elect?

5. The Possibility of Falling Away

Calvinism's doctrine of Perseverance of the Saints (often popularized as "once saved, always saved") doesn't account for the many biblical warnings against falling away:

- Hebrews 6:4-6: "For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened... and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance."

- 2 Peter 2:20-21: "For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first."

- 1 Timothy 4:1: "Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith."

These warnings would be meaningless if genuine believers cannot fall away. The biblical view is not that salvation can be casually lost, but that remaining in Christ requires ongoing faith and obedience.

Theological Problems with Calvinism

Beyond specific biblical texts, Calvinism creates significant theological problems that undermine the character of God and the nature of salvation.

1. It Makes God the Author of Sin

If God has predetermined every action and choice, including sinful ones, then God becomes the ultimate author of sin. Calvinists often appeal to "secondary causes" to avoid this conclusion, but if those secondary causes themselves are predetermined by God, the problem remains.

James 1:13 is clear: "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one."

If God predetermines that certain people will sin and then punishes them for what He ordained, how is this just or loving? How does this align with the God who is described as "light" in whom there is "no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5)?

2. It Undermines Genuine Love

Love, by definition, must be freely given and received. If God irresistibly causes the elect to love Him, is this genuine love? Can programmed devotion be called love at all?

Consider a marriage analogy: If I could give my wife a potion that would make her love me irresistibly, would her resulting affection be real love? Or would it be a mechanical simulation of love?

God desires genuine relationship, not programmed responses. That's why Jesus said in John 14:15, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." The "if" implies a genuine choice.

3. It Makes God Insincere

If Calvinism is true, then when God says He "desires all people to be saved" (1 Timothy 2:4) while having predetermined most for damnation, He is being insincere. When Jesus weeps over Jerusalem's unwillingness, despite that unwillingness being allegedly decreed by God, His tears seem disingenuous.

This creates a troubling disconnect between God's revealed will (what He commands and invites) and His secret will (what He has allegedly predetermined). It suggests God is saying one thing while doing another—a characteristic we would condemn in humans.

4. It Makes Evangelism Problematic

If salvation is entirely predetermined, with humans having no genuine choice in the matter, then evangelism becomes merely going through predetermined motions. The urgency of Paul's evangelistic efforts—"I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some" (1 Corinthians 9:22)—makes little sense if the salvation of the elect is guaranteed regardless of human efforts.

Why did Paul write in Romans 10:1, "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved," if their salvation or damnation was fixed before creation? Paul's anguish over his fellow Jews in Romans 9:1-3 seems inexplicable if their destiny was unalterably decreed.

5. It Creates a Cruel Parody of Justice

Calvinism teaches that God creates most people specifically for eternal torment, without giving them any genuine opportunity for salvation. This is not justice by any recognizable definition.

Imagine a human judge who first secretly arranges for certain people to commit crimes and then sentences them to punishment for those very crimes. Would we call this justice? Yet this is precisely the picture Calvinism paints of God.

Ezekiel 18:23 asks, "Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?" The Calvinist view turns this on its head, suggesting God does take pleasure in creating people specifically for damnation.

The Arminian Alternative: Biblical Freedom and Responsibility

Having examined the biblical and theological problems with Calvinism, let's consider the Arminian alternative, which I believe better represents the full counsel of Scripture.

1. Prevenient Grace Rather Than Total Inability

Arminianism agrees with Calvinism that humans are thoroughly corrupted by sin and cannot come to God on their own. However, it recognizes that God extends prevenient (or "preceding") grace to all people, enabling them to respond to the gospel.

John 12:32 records Jesus saying, "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." This universal drawing enables response without guaranteeing it.

This view maintains both human depravity and responsibility. We cannot come to God without His enabling grace, but that grace is extended to all, making genuine response possible.

2. Foreknown Election Rather Than Unconditional Predestination

Arminianism teaches that God's election is based on His foreknowledge of who will freely respond to His grace. Romans 8:29 states, "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son."

Notice the order: foreknowledge precedes predestination. God doesn't arbitrarily select some for salvation and others for damnation. Rather, He knows in advance who will respond to His grace and predestines them to be conformed to Christ's image.

This view harmonizes God's sovereignty with human freedom. God remains fully sovereign—nothing happens outside His knowledge or permission—but He has sovereignly chosen to create beings with genuine freedom.

3. Universal Atonement Rather Than Limited Atonement

Arminianism affirms that Christ died for everyone, making salvation available to all, though effective only for those who believe.

1 John 2:2 is clear: "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." The atonement is sufficient for all but efficient only for those who believe.

This view magnifies God's love and grace. The offer of salvation is genuinely available to everyone, not just to a predetermined elect.

4. Resistible Grace Rather Than Irresistible Grace

Arminianism teaches that God's grace can be resisted. Stephen's accusation in Acts 7:51—"You always resist the Holy Spirit"—makes this clear.

God's grace is powerful but not coercive. He woos and persuades but does not override human will. As Augustine (whom Calvinists often claim) said, "He who created you without you will not save you without you."

This view preserves both God's sovereignty and human responsibility. God initiates salvation and provides everything necessary for it, but He allows humans the dignity of genuine response.

5. Conditional Security Rather Than Unconditional Perseverance

Arminianism teaches that believers are secure in Christ as long as they remain in faith. Security is conditional on continued trust, not on an irrevocable decree.

Jesus taught in John 15:6, "If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned." This warning to "abide" would be meaningless if perseverance were unconditional.

This view takes seriously both God's promises of security and His warnings against apostasy. It recognizes that salvation is a relationship, not just a transaction, and relationships involve ongoing faithfulness.

Conclusion: Choosing the God of Love and Freedom

As we conclude this examination of Calvinism and its biblical alternative, I want to return to where we began—with Joshua's challenge: "Choose this day whom you will serve."

The question before us is not just which theological system is more logically consistent or historically significant. The question is which understanding of God more faithfully represents the God revealed in Jesus Christ.

Is God a sovereign who predetermined most of humanity for eternal torment without giving them any genuine choice in the matter? Or is He the loving Father Jesus revealed, who genuinely desires all to be saved and gives each person the grace to respond?

Is God's love limited to an arbitrary elect, or does it extend to every person created in His image?

Is God's invitation to "come" sincere, or is it a cruel mockery to those predetermined for damnation?

These are not abstract theological questions. They strike at the very heart of who God is and what it means to be in relationship with Him.

I believe the Calvinist system, despite the sincere intentions of many who hold it, ultimately presents a distorted picture of God's character. It portrays a God who says He loves the world but has predetermined most people for damnation. A God who invites all to come while ensuring most cannot. A God who commands obedience while ordaining disobedience.

This is not the God revealed in Jesus Christ. The Jesus who wept over Jerusalem's unwillingness, who stretched out His arms on the cross for all, who invited "whoever will" to come and take the water of life freely—this Jesus reveals a God of genuine love and genuine freedom.

The theological implications are profound, but the practical implications are even more significant. If God has predetermined everything, why pray? Why evangelize with urgency? Why struggle against sin? Why make choices at all? The consistent Calvinist must admit these are merely going through predetermined motions.

But if God has created us with genuine freedom within His sovereignty, then our prayers matter. Our evangelistic efforts matter. Our moral choices matter. Our response to His grace matters.

I close with the words of Moses to Israel, words that only make sense if humans have genuine choice: "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days." (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)

The God of the Bible—the God revealed in Jesus Christ—is a God who sets before us life and death, blessing and curse, and then calls us to choose life. He doesn't predetermine our choice and then pretend we made it. He genuinely desires all to be saved and extends to all the grace that makes response possible.

This God—the God of genuine love and genuine freedom—is worthy of our worship, our trust, and our freely given love. This is the God I invite you to embrace today.