Evangelical Calvinism, part 1

Paul begins his letter to the Ephesians writing, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will" (1:3-6).

But later in chapter 3 he writes, "Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things" (3:7-9).

And here we face a dilemma. What does it mean that God elects and predestines? The plain meaning is that God chooses who will be saved and how they will be saved and for what purpose they will be saved. All the credit for salvation goes to God and none goes to man. But what about a Christ-like desire to seek and save the lost? Why strive to bring the gospel "to light for everyone" if not everyone is elect?

Historically the Christian church has debated this in a variety of contexts. Protestants divide into Calvinists (those who agree with John Calvin's interpretation) and Arminians (those who agree with Jacobus Arminius's interpretation). Presbyterians and Reformed and Anglicans side with Calvin. Lutherans may not like the label, but on the fundamentals they also are in Calvin's camp. Methodists and Pentecostals and most Baptists side with Arminius. But the modern evangelical church has chosen a middle road: undecided.

Here are some possible reasons:

We desire to be broad and inclusive, to focus on the essentials and leave the non-essentials aside. Protestantism has a long history of splitting over creeds and dividing over this and many other doctrines. We'd like to avoid any divisive teaching if it's not essential.

We desire to be humble before deep and mysterious truths. Who can really say how God works? We expect God to explain it in heaven, so let's get on with what we do know.

Finally, we desire to be practical and effective. Our understanding of evangelical is to be actively bringing the gospel to the lost. Any teaching that seems to hinder this is a problem.

However, in ignoring or remaining undecided on election, we are ignoring core teaching of the Bible. The Bible tells us what God is like and how God works. If its teaching challenges our reason, then our reason needs to be challenged. If there is mystery, let God define where it is. In matters of faith, where God has revealed, we should study; where God has not revealed, we should not speculate.

With this submissive attitude toward God's Word and sound doctrine, the Bible speaks clearly to both matters:

1) God has elected a people unto salvation, without regard to any goodness they have or choices they will make. "We love because he first loved us" (I John 4:19).

2) God eagerly desires us to to preach the gospel to all people, without regard to whether they are elect or not. "For God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son" (John 3:16).

Some may think this is a blend of Calvinism and Arminianism: it is not. This is simply Calvinism. The Arminian view is quite different. It holds that God is not sovereign. He is only hopeful. He wants everyone to be saved and has made it possible, but it remains for man to actually make it happen. So get out there and make it happen.

The correct "middle road" for evangelicals is not remaining undecided on these issues: it is holding a robust doctrine of how God saves along with a robust doctrine on evangelism. The challenge is how to understand the work of evangelism, our ministry of reconciliation, in light of what God has revealed about how he saves.

Again, we look to Paul's words. In Romans 9 he explains how not all ethnic Israel is included in spiritual Israel, and the reason is God's election, not man's choice. In verses 14-18 he says, "What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.' So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.' So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills."

But right after that, in Romans 10:1 in writes, "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved." His reverence for God's sovereignty did not hinder his desire for evangelism: it enabled it. He believed in a God who works all things together for his glory and our good. He brought the gospel to the nations with the confidence that God was the one actually doing the work. This is the model for an evangelical Calvinism: believing God's sovereignty in salvation, and correctly understanding it as a motivation for evangelism, done in God's way, for God's glory.