Since a new found friend of mine offered me positive feedback on a recent analogy of mine, I figured I’d share it with others who might like to pass it around. Before I begin though, I’ll offer my brief¹ description of what Calvinism is for those who are not familiar with the term.
Calvinism is a theological expression describing those who believe man, by his own “free” will, is not able to sincerely “accept Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and savior” and to confess Him as Lord. People who are duped in this way are called Arminians. The reason self-deception happens is because human nature is corrupted with pride and Arminian theology complements this.
Arminians believe that Jesus died and paid for the sins of each and every human being that ever existed, exists now, and will come to existence. One of the reasons this happens is because they sometimes misinterpret how the word all in the bible is being used.
When correctly understanding in certain versus of scripture that all is being used as a comparison between Israel and other nations of the world [this then is not all, but is rather a division] versus including all the other nations of the world with the nation of Israel, then one is able to see God is saying no nation is excluded from His salvation plan. It does not mean each and every person within every nation. Big difference.
Proof of this as being correct comes from knowing that everything in scripture must harmonize because God does not lie. When man believes there are contradictions in the bible, it’s because he isn’t understanding what God is saying correctly. He is viewing what he reads through his private interpretation rather than allowing God’s spirit to abide and lead in his life. Since God states that Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of mankind, that then means two things: It is only mankind who was made in the image of God for His glory (not animals, plants, etc.), and those who have been pardoned by Christ’s righteousness have eternal life. Logic then dictates not each and every single human being has been pardoned, because God also states that most people will suffer everlasting punishment.
Now that I’ve said this, most people will think “If that’s so, then how can God be a loving God?” After all, John 3:16 does state, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Yes, but two major thoughts here get twisted: What love means and what is being referred to when God uses the word world. The word “world” is used to refer to different groups of men which do not include all men without exception.
Here comes my analogy (it’s not perfect, but hopefully helpful) for possibly better understanding what God means when He tells us He loves the world:
I sometimes equate salvation to be a bit like we’re dogs at the pound awaiting our death sentence. God is the dog lover looking to adopt. He decides what dogs He wants, goes home to prepare a place for them, and then comes back to bring them home. I know it’s not quite like that (especially since God elects His children before they’ve even been conceived), but still in all, it describes love. Dog lovers don’t adopt every single dog that has ever been born and/or is alive; but yet one can still be a lover of dogs even if he never adopts more than just one dog.
People have a hard time to grasp that concept. It’s as if God can’t possibly love people if He didn’t send His son to die for each and every human being that was ever conceived. How arrogant to think that God owes this favor in order to be called a loving God.
Either a person thinks people must wait upon the Lord for His salvation or a person thinks God must helplessly wait while people decide whether or not they want God’s salvation. One or the other is in control; it can’t be both ultimately and equally. It makes no sense that a supernatural being, who created all things out of no thing, would be at the mercy of his creation. That would be like the author of a book being at the mercy of his typewriter (with the typewriter telling the typist what to say).
If it wasn’t for God, nothing would exist. So who is man to complain about what God decides to do with his creation?
A couple of last notes I’ll add while I’m typing here:
“Christians” who try to force their beliefs onto others are not really Christians. True Christians know that it is God who does the converting. God provides helpers to be there for those who He draws in by His gift of faith. Those helpers recognize who to share their faith with because converted people will seek after truth.
If you’ve arrived at this post from a link at the blog Love Acceptance Forgiveness, then since you’ve come this far, please continue on towards a few other posts titled: The Golden Rule, How Did I Know?, and Are you looking for trouble?, if you’d like some balance for sorting out conflicting perspectives.
¹I say brief description because there are books written on this topic that are loaded with scripture verses explaining this more extensively.
