The debate on this topic has been ongoing for many decades, with no clear outcome. I do not think anyone has truly persuaded someone from the opposing view to change. The problem is that both theological views are man-made, so both contain some truths but also some faults. This is why there is not a definitive resolution to this debate, even when it is conducted in love and with good intentions.
I would like to present another perspective that I believe will bring more clarity to the issue of who is correct: Calvinism or Arminianism.
In 2021, the Lord had mercy on me, picking me up from the miry clay (Psa 40:1-3) and setting my feet on the solid foundation, Jesus Christ (1Cor 3:11). I had a life-changing experience when God revealed Himself to me through the Scriptures.
As a Christian all my life, I read the Bible and knew about Adam, Moses, Noah, Jonah and the fish, Jesus, and the disciples, but I did not really have any understanding of the scripture.
When I became a born-again Christian (Joh 3:3), my spirit was awakened, and I received the Holy Spirit as a gift (Acts 2:38), as I read through the Bible, the Autor of the Scripture (2Tim 3:16), the Holy Spirit, began revealing the Word to me (Joh 14:26). I then understood why I never understood the Bible “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1Cor 2:14).
For six months, after been saved, I lived in a little hut at the back of a missionary compound just reading the Bible, day and night. I just could not put the Bible down, everything just made sense, and I was like a sponge just absorbing this wonderful truth. God’s message to a lost world.
All my questions were answered. For the first time, I understood where everything began, where it all went wrong, what God plan was to rectify it to ensure salvation for all people. I understood how it all played out through history exactly as prophesied, just confirming the authentication of the Word. I understood where it is all heading and see it playing out, just as prophesised, in the world today, heading to that wonderful day of the Lord where Jesus will return.
I understood who God is, what He expects from man, who Jesus is, who the Holy Spirit is, and where they fit in and how they function in the Trinity. I was in awe. Now, I can never just say I believe in God, the Trinity and the Bible, because now I know it’s all true, my spirit knows. I am saved, born again by the mercies of God.
The missionaries who helped me find the narrow path (Mat 7:13-14) were not pastors or priests, they were just born-again Bible-believing Christians doing mission work as the Bible teaches, having fellowship in house churches. They were not influenced by systematic theology or doctrinal thought patterns, just the Bible under the guidance of the Holy Spirit (Act 4:13).
So, I do not classify myself as a Calvinist or Arminian, I am just a Bible-believing, born-again Christian seeking the truth that set me free (Joh 8:31).
Calvinism seems to focus mainly on the Sovereignty of God (SOG), whereas Arminianism acknowledges the Sovereignty of God (SOG) but also acknowledges the responsibility of man. (ROM)
I dedicated a complete Bible marking all text where it clearly states the Sovereignty of God (SOG) and then also the responsibility of man (ROM). I was in awe again seeing how the two work in conjunction all over in the Scriptures. I could not deny it or just sweep it under the carpet, I had to deal with it. This made me lean more toward an Arminian view.
Let’s look at the two theologies in summary:
The five points of Calvinism, also known as TULIP, summarize Reformed Christianity’s soteriology:
- Total depravity:The belief that sin has corrupted every aspect of humanity, making it impossible for humans to come to God on their own.
- Unconditional election:The belief that God chose those who would be saved before the world began.
- Limited atonement:The belief that the atonement is limited to those for whom it was intended.
- Irresistible grace:The belief that God produces the desire for Christ in people.
- Perseverance of the saints:The belief that those who are saved are eternally secure in Christ.
The five points of Arminianism are:
- Conditional election:God chooses those He foresees will believe.
- Atonement:Christ’s death is sufficient for all people, but only those who believe are saved.
- Human ability:People can respond to God’s will with the help of the Holy Spirit.
- Grace:Grace is not irresistible.
- Falling from grace:Believers can fall from grace, but they are able to resist sin.
Through the years I found myself often, in love, debating many brothers and sisters and pastors on this topic. I was often labelled as a “Jesus + Christian,” meaning that I was been accused of adding to the work done on the Cross by Jesus and denying the sovereignty of God (SOG). Thus, I was accused of holding a works-based theology. But this is not true, because nothing can and will ever be added to the wonderful work done on the cross by Jesus Christ. In His sovereignty, He and only He paid the price and is worthy (Rev 5:8-10).
The best way to explain this from a Biblical perspective is by using the example of a marriage between a man and a woman. God is the creator of everything. Marriage was created by God for a man to leave his house, take his wife, so they can become one (Gen 2:24). Marriage is a sacred union designed by God, a reflection of His love and commitment to His people.
Nothing can be added to the marriage; it is done in God’s sovereignty (SOG), and man cannot add or take away from it. When you fall in love, a chemical, mystical response happens between a man and a woman, leading to the sovereign mystery of marriage. BUT you have free will and can stop the process if you choose to, even though it was created in such a way that, if you trust and go with the process, it will all work out.
Once you let go and go with the process you will end up in a marriage that God in His sovereignty designed, you become one flesh, husband and wife. Sadly, many people have had multiple partners before marriage and the sacred union is influenced by many souls from previous relationships (1Cor 6:16).
Once you are married, you can do nothing to add to the marriage; it is done. BUT now, you have a responsibility. You cannot just sit and enjoy the marriage; you need to work at it to make it a successful relationship. Many times, one party works at it while the other does not. Children may be born as designed by God, but the marriage becomes dysfunctional because only one party is working at it. 
It is not the work that adds to the marriage; the marriage is already complete. The works are a necessity to ensure the marriage functions as designed. If this is neglected, it will result in a dysfunctional marriage where people are not happy but stay together for the children’s sake, or they may give up and get divorced.
It is the same with salvation. God is sovereign, and He created salvation for all. You have free will and can choose whether you want to follow the Holy Spirit as He pulls you toward salvation. God will never override your free will. Once you go with the flow and become a born-again believer, there is nothing you added to your salvation; it’s all God’s work. BUT now, according to the Bible, you have a responsibility (ROM). Just as in a marriage, it is your responsibility to do your part to ensure it is a holy, healthy relationship. God will always do His part; He is sovereign. It is up to us to do our part (Joh 15:6).
Let’s take another topic within this category “Once saved, always saved” or Eternal security.
I have been accused many times in a debate that I hold to a view that one can lose one’s salvation and then get it back, lose it again, and get it back again. I am once again in awe of the ignorance of these debaters, who completely misunderstand the point. Nowhere in the Bible is there any evidence of this being taught and it does not even make sense. What the Bible does teach and give many examples of is that one can continue drifting away from the Lord. He will continue pulling you closer, but if you keep resisting, like an elastic band, it will stretch and stretch, until it reaches a point where it breaks. Once broken, it cannot be fixed again.
A good example that pops up regularly in these debates is, Hebrews 6. A text that clearly refers to someone who was saved and then out of free will moved away from God and reached a point where they cannot come back again. These type of texts are a huge problem for someone holding to a Calvinistic view. Debating these texts I always find the same pattern of answer: “I hear what you say, but it cannot mean that because it contradicts my theology, so it must mean something else. So I think it means…………” It is as if scripture is read with thick lenses that blur the vision to see the truth.
The Bible is full of texts that clearly define both Sovereignty Of God (SOG) and Responsibility Of Man (ROM), and the consequences for not working at this relationship. Some samples of (SOG) and (ROM) scriptures.
1Joh1:5-7 This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light (SOG), and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: BUT if we walk in the light(ROM), as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin(SOG)
God is light and in Him is no darkness – that is the sovereignty of God (SOG). Now just because He is sovereign does not mean that we have no responsibility, BUT if we walk in the light (ROM), we are responsible for doing our part we need to walk in that sovereign light, and ONLY if we do we have fellowship, and ONLY then the sovereignty of God works for us, thus the blood of Jesus cleanseth us from all sin (SOG). The opposite is if we do not walk in that sovereign light it cannot cleanse us from our sin.
Romans 12
Philippines 4
Jam 4:4-10 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God (ROM)? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God (ROM). Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy (SOG)? BUT He giveth more grace (SOG). Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble (SOG). Submit yourselves (ROM) therefore to God. Resist the devil (ROM), and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God (ROM), and he will draw nigh to you (SOG). Cleanse your hands (ROM), ye sinners; and purify your hearts (ROM), ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep (ROM): let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves (ROM) in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up (SOG).
It is your responsibility as a born-again believer to deny this world and not be friendly with it. God’s sovereignty is not going to do it for you, you are capable and it’s your responsibility. God is sovereign and He lusteth and envies to have us for Himself, not half in Him and half in the world. It is our responsibility to surrender our all to Him and enjoy His grace. We have to submit ourselves, resist the devil so he can flee from us, he is not going to flee because God is sovereign he will flee if we do our part, resist him. We must draw nearer to God; He is sovereign He is there our responsibility is to draw nearer to Him. We need to keep our hands clean and we need to purify ourselves by keeping His commandments and obey Him. We must humble ourselves and seek Him, then only will He lift us up. We have a responsibility, we can not just sit back in this relationship and hope on the sovereignty of God.
1Pet1:3-11 According as His divine power (SOG) hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises (SOG): that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature (SOG), having escaped (ROM) the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence (ROM), add to your faith (ROM) virtue; and to virtue knowledge (ROM); And to knowledge temperance (ROM); and to temperance patience (ROM); and to patience godliness (ROM); And to godliness brotherly kindness (ROM); and to brotherly kindness charity (ROM).
For IF these things be in you, and ABOUND, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence (ROM) to make your calling and election sure (SOG): for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (SOG).
God is sovereign and has divine power. He is sovereign and can not lie, we can trust His promises, that if we do our part that we are responsible for we can be partakers of His divine nature, ONLY if we do our part:
We must escape the corruption and lust of this world, we must give all diligence, and we must have faith, and we must study the word so we can obtain knowledge, we must be temperance, we must develop patience, we must live godly, we must practice brotherly kindness, we must practice charity.
For only IF these are in you and abound in you, you can bear fruit. It is not the sovereignty of God that makes you bear fruit, you have a responsibility, and there is stuff that you need to do. You have to be diligent to make your calling and election sure. The sure is the sovereignty of God, it’s your responsibility to obtain it.
The promise if you do your part, entrance to the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
1Pet1:13-19 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind (ROM), be sober (ROM), and hope to the end (ROM) for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ (SOG); As obedient children (ROM), not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance (ROM): BUT as He which hath called you is holy (SOG), so BE YE holy in all manner of conversation (ROM); Because it is written, Be ye holy (ROM); for I am holy (SOG). And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work (ROM), pass the time of your sojourning here in fear (ROM): Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. (SOG)
You must grid up your lion, God is not going to do it for you because He is sovereign, you must be sober, you must have hope, for He is sovereign and has grace through Jesus Christ, you need to be obedient, not live in former lust and ignorance, BUT you must live a holy life, it’s your responsibility because He is sovereign and He is Holy. He is going to judge us according to our work, not work for salvation, but our responsibility to work at this relationship, according to His rules as laid out in the Bible. We have to live in this world in fear that we do not become lukewarm but do what He expects of us. Because we are purchased by a sovereign God, not with silver or gold, but the sovereign precious blood of Jesus Christ.
At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes Mat 11:25
In love, we must always tolerate one another, always, always seeking the truth, only using the scripture as the source and not man-mad theology.
Farther Along: Chorus:
Farther along we’ll know all about it
Farther along we’ll understand why
Cheer up my brother live in the sunshine
We’ll understand it all by and by
Jacques Lucas
