Protestant
Well-Known Member
I sympathize with the Arminian Christian. The God portrayed by the Calvinists is unfair. According to them He is not an ‘equal-opportunity employer-God.’ He does not call and employ all men equally to salvation. Instead He discriminates as to whom He will call and employ [elect]. Incredibly, His discrimination is not based on anything we can perceive. His choice of employees [the Elect] makes no earthly sense. It is not based on past job performance since all have failed miserably and fallen short of the glory of God. Nor is it based on family connections. The Jews had the esteemed patriarchs in their blood line, yet by far most Jews were rejected. It is not based on the religious propensity of the candidate. Nicodemus didn’t qualify, though he was the most prestigious religious man in all Israel. Nor is God’s choice based on our friendship and support of His Son since He died for us while we were still His enemies.
Furthermore, to make matters worse, His election is not based on foreseen future faith or good works. God had the audacity to elect Jacob over Esau (a perfectly reasonable candidate) before either was born….before either had done good or evil. In fact, His election of Jacob (and all other Elect) was before the foundation of the world. It was even before Prevenient Grace had come into their lives -- before they could will to come or not will to come to Christ. Where is the fairness in that, I ask?
And last, but not least, how fair is it to have the Gospel preached to those whom God wills to not give Holy Spirit effectual regenerating grace in order that the spiritually dead sinner may spiritually hear, see and believe? Is that grace not owed all, since God loves all His creation? (John 3:16). Is not His withholding of saving grace a sure sign of His unrighteousness? How can man be held accountable for that which God does not will to give him, but which he allegedly desperately needs?
I, therefore, sympathize with the Arminians’ version of God. Their God is fair. He calls all men to Christ, giving them an equal chance to believe or reject the Savior. He is a just God who gives to every man exactly what he deserves….whether salvation or judgment, depending on the free will choice man makes. The Parable of the Vineyard Workers exemplifies this perfectly. God is a just employer who does not discriminate, calling all men for an equal opportunity salvation. Furthermore, He pays His workers exactly what is right and fair because He is a good God. However, I do believe there is a small problem with His giving the same wage earned by the all-day worker to the worker who labored only one hour. I can’t help but agree with the first worker that it was unjust of the Lord to give the last worker that which he did not deserve or earn. To be fair and equitable the Lord should have also given the first worker more pay, though the Lord made no such promise.
Fortunately that parable does not address the doctrine of the sovereign grace of God in election, whereby the Calvinists insist that God does no injustice in freely and mercifully giving to some sinners saving grace which they do not deserve, while righteously giving to other sinners the justice which they do deserve. Otherwise I might have to re-think the Arminian position, since I claim to be an obedient Christian who believes all the Lord reveals in His Word.
Furthermore, to make matters worse, His election is not based on foreseen future faith or good works. God had the audacity to elect Jacob over Esau (a perfectly reasonable candidate) before either was born….before either had done good or evil. In fact, His election of Jacob (and all other Elect) was before the foundation of the world. It was even before Prevenient Grace had come into their lives -- before they could will to come or not will to come to Christ. Where is the fairness in that, I ask?
And last, but not least, how fair is it to have the Gospel preached to those whom God wills to not give Holy Spirit effectual regenerating grace in order that the spiritually dead sinner may spiritually hear, see and believe? Is that grace not owed all, since God loves all His creation? (John 3:16). Is not His withholding of saving grace a sure sign of His unrighteousness? How can man be held accountable for that which God does not will to give him, but which he allegedly desperately needs?
I, therefore, sympathize with the Arminians’ version of God. Their God is fair. He calls all men to Christ, giving them an equal chance to believe or reject the Savior. He is a just God who gives to every man exactly what he deserves….whether salvation or judgment, depending on the free will choice man makes. The Parable of the Vineyard Workers exemplifies this perfectly. God is a just employer who does not discriminate, calling all men for an equal opportunity salvation. Furthermore, He pays His workers exactly what is right and fair because He is a good God. However, I do believe there is a small problem with His giving the same wage earned by the all-day worker to the worker who labored only one hour. I can’t help but agree with the first worker that it was unjust of the Lord to give the last worker that which he did not deserve or earn. To be fair and equitable the Lord should have also given the first worker more pay, though the Lord made no such promise.
Fortunately that parable does not address the doctrine of the sovereign grace of God in election, whereby the Calvinists insist that God does no injustice in freely and mercifully giving to some sinners saving grace which they do not deserve, while righteously giving to other sinners the justice which they do deserve. Otherwise I might have to re-think the Arminian position, since I claim to be an obedient Christian who believes all the Lord reveals in His Word.
