Articles
Unbelief Is A Choice
Classic Calvinism asserts that all men are born so spiritually depraved that they cannot believe in God unless God first “enables” them to do so by directly putting His Holy Spirit within them. This, of course, makes God responsible for some being saved (the “elect”) and most being lost because it is obvious He doesn’t enable all to believe. Calvinism says “grace” is merely God’s sovereign decision to save a fraction of humanity.
Sounds like barbarism to me. The truth is that grace makes salvation available to all, but many will exercise their free will to disbelieve in God and the Savior He provided.
One passage that should forever put this false doctrine to rest is Rom. 11:17-24. Paul here likens the Jews and Gentiles to branches of an olive tree, and he is explaining how God has used the Jews’ rebellion and unbelief to open a door of salvation to the Gentiles. He says …
1) Some of the original Jewish branches were broken off from the tree because of their unbelief (11:17, 20). God did not “spare the natural branches” -- i.e., those who were Jews by heritage were cut off -- because they didn’t have faith in God.
2) The Gentiles (wild olive, not included in the covenant descendants of Abraham) were grafted in because of their belief: “you stand by faith” (11:20). God had made provisions that all who have faith, Jew or Gentile, could be saved through their faith in God. Without these redemptive provisions, faith could not make one acceptable, for faith alone cannot remove sin.
3) The Gentiles who were grafted in by their faith could just as well be cut off if they allowed their faith to wane: “For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off” (11:22).
Initial faith is a choice, and continued faith is a choice. God provides incentive to make the right choice, but what choice we make is up to us. The whole notion of free will is reduced to absurdity by Calvinism. The Holy Spirit’s role was and is to provide instruction so that God-respecting sinners can find their way back to Him through Christ. There’s no magical, mysterious “awakening” that the Spirit works within us to enable us to believe. Belief is our choice, but God be thanked that He provides both the evidence and the incentive to spark that belief.
Some will respond favorably to that information, and some will not. It is unfathomable to humans why some accept it and others reject it, but such are the workings of the human mind. The most important question is: Do I believe?
