I recently found myself down a bit of a rabbit hole on YouTube. I was watching a video that laid out the differences between Calvinism and Arminianism, and it got those old gears in my head turning again. If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time, you know I’ve always been curious. I’m the guy who would take apart a perfectly good piece of machinery just to see how it worked; though I sometimes ended up with a few “extra” pieces that I couldn’t quite figure out where they went.
Theology can be a lot like that. We try to take apart the way God saves us to see the inner workings, but we often find ourselves with pieces that don’t seem to fit our limited human logic.
On one side, you have Calvinism. This view really leans into the “Sovereignty” of God. It suggests that because we are completely dead in our sins, God has to be the one to do it all: from choosing us before the world began to ensuring we stay saved until the end. It reminds me of how I felt when the Holy Spirit finally performed a “heart transplant” on me. I wasn’t looking for Him; He came and found me.
A couple of verses that folks often use to support this view are:
“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world… he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 1:4-5
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them.”
John 6:44
On the other side, you have Arminianism. This view emphasizes the “Choice” and responsibility we have as humans. It suggests that God’s grace is available to everyone, but we have to be the ones to reach out and accept the gift. It highlights the idea that God doesn’t want anyone to perish and that He gives us the free will to follow Him or reject Him.
Two verses that are often central to this perspective are:
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise… instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16
I’ll be honest with you: I still struggle with this and most likely land somewhere in the middle. I see how both truths can be seen in the Word. I see a God who is 100% in control, and I see a world where our choices have eternal consequences.
Melinda always had that beautiful, child-like faith. She didn’t feel the need to take the watch apart; she just trusted the One who made it. Maybe the “springs” that don’t seem to fit for us make perfect sense to the Creator. At the end of the day, what matters most isn’t the label we wear; Calvinist or Arminian; but whether we have truly surrendered to Jesus.
Are you trusting in Him today? Don’t wait to figure out all the “hows” before you say yes to the “Who.”
Believe Emmanuel: God is with us.
