How do I address this question? Let’s plunge into the Deeper Waters and find out.
Working at a seminary post office, I have new students come in from time to time and sometimes when we click on our interests, they want to ask me questions. I recently had someone ask me if I was a Calvinist. It’s a common question. I said I usually consider myself mere Christianity.
I said then that my problem with so much of this is that on a practical level, I really do not see the point. Let’s consdier the question of eternal security. Can someone lose their salvation or not? The answer to this question is either yes or no, but from a practical perspective, how does it matter?
If a person is struggling with sin, will a Calvinist and an Arminian both call the sinner to repentance? Yes. If a Calvinist or an Arminian is giving a sermon at a church, will they both encourage the audience to live holy lives and honor God with how they live? Yes. What about if someone says that they used to be a Christian and aren’t any more?
The Arminian is going to say that they lost their Christianity The Calvinist is going to say that they never had salvation to begin with. Whichever one is right, the conclusion is still the same. The person is not a Christian.
Let’s consider another question, what about evangelism The Calvinist will hold that God has indeed elected who will be saved. The Arminian is going to say that no one is predestined for salvation and we need to go out there and do evangelism.
If a Calvinist gets in a pulpit to speak about evangelism, will he not encourage the audience to do to the work of missions and enccourage them to support missions if they can’t do that themselves? An Arminian will say the exact same thing. It is true that either people are predestined to salvation. Yet once again, from a practical perspective, what difference does it make? Both of them are going to encourage evangelism and both of them are going to do evangelism.
So when it comes to the question, how do I answer? I usually just say this.
God is sovereign.
Man has free-will.
How do you unite those two?
Don’t know. Don’t care. It can be something fun to think about, but I see both of those in Scripture. I prefer to just leave it at that.
Can I get along with Calvinists just fine? Absolutely. My first boss at the post office was a Calvinist. We got along great. We still get along when he comes into the post office to pick up packages. He knew I wasn’t. No big deal. We disagreed on that, and we still could talk about politics and movies and video games just fine.
That is still my whole attitude Let’s discuss the issue, but make it just that. It’s a discussion. At the end of the day, Calvinists and Arminians still bow the knee to the same Jesus and still have the same work. Let’s let what unites us be the most important.
In Christ,
Nick Peters
(And I affirm the virgin birth)
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