The Calvinism - Arminianism Debate: Does It Really Matter?

Asking whether the Calvinism/Arminianism debate really matters is a little unfair. Afterall, while faith is acting with confidence in the assurance of what we don’t see (Hebrews 11:1), it’s certainly based on something. No one takes an action in faith without at least a minimum of evidence. And the term "leap of faith" is not found in the Bible. Søren Kierkegaard coined the expression as a metaphor for belief in God. He argued that truth cannot be found by observation alone but must be understood in the mind and heart apart from empirical evidence. Since we cannot observe God with our eyes, we must have faith that He is there. We jump from material concepts to the immaterial with a “leap of faith.”

And so it is incumbent on us to understand to some degree what the Bible says before putting our faith in it. And I do that quite a bit. But recently I did a deep-dive into the Calvinism/Arminianism debate and, after initially finding it fascinating, I eventually had to ask myself if it was not only really necessary, but if it was in fact keeping someone from understanding the simple message of the Gospel - and, as a result, keeping them from coming to faith.

There are certain aspects of the Christian faith that are generally agreed upon throughout the Christian church - across denominations, geographies and theological interpretations. But there are debates over certain aspects - like this one - that have been going on for centuries and will seemingly never come to any definitive resolution one way or the other. And so I had to ask, “Does it really matter?” Does it really matter whether we are totally affected by sin, or just partially affected by sin, when the simple matter is, All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)? And does it really matter if God predestined an elect group based on his foreknowledge of the decision they would make, or by his sovereign will alone, when Jesus simply said, No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him (John 6:44)? The bottom line is, each of us has a decision to make. Each of us has sinned and is separated from God, and will one day stand in judgment. But God has made an offer of reconciliation for our sins and each of us has the opportunity to accept it or not. And that’s the only question that matters. What choice will you make? Will you accept God’s gracious gift or not?

And so, without going into the rest of the points of the debate, let me explain the circumstance each of us faces and the simple question we have to answer.

Each of us has a court date set for us when we will stand before God in judgment. Everyone is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment (Hebrews 9:27). For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body (2 Corinthians 5:10).

But this is no ordinary court. This is God Almighty we’re standing in front of and each of us should shake in our boots at the thought of it. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31). Don’t take this lightly. None of us can even begin to comprehend the dread of standing in the very presence of God, let alone to be there facing judgment. And every one of us will stand guilty. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The only question is, what will be your defense? How will you defend yourself and prove your worthiness before him? Will you point to your good works? That won’t work. God’s standard is perfection, and none of us meets  that criteria. All of us do some good, but none of us is perfect. God is holy and will only allow the perfectly righteous to enter.

So what will be your defense? We’ve all become so accustomed to talking our way in and out of things. Justifying ourselves and our behavior. But there will be none of that. Every mouth will be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God (Romans 3:19). The standard is perfection and if you don’t meet that standard, you will be found guilty and sentenced. There are no degrees of perfection. You’re either perfect or not. And there will be no talking your way out of it. No justifying yourself. Any good thing you point to in your defense will not work - the money you’ve given to charities, the good deeds you’ve done, the way you’ve tried to treat people well. All our righteous acts are like filthy rags before God (Isaiah 64:6). All of those good things are offset by the fact that we’ve done that make us less than perfect. God does not judge on a sliding scale. The standard is perfect.

So again, what will be your defense? What's your plan?

In spite of ourselves, God has offered each of us a defense, a way out. And what’s brilliant about it is that it is a way he can fully maintain his justice - that is, he can still judge and punish sin - yet, at the same time, give us a way out. God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). God’s standard is perfection and Jesus is the only person to have lived a perfect life. There was no sin in him at all. He is the only person who can stand before God fully perfect. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). And God offers it wholly by his grace. That is, it has nothing to do with anything we’ve done to earn it or deserve it - it is simply that he offers it to us out of his choice to be gracious. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is offered by grace and received through faith.

When was the last time you flew on an airplane? When you did, did you make sure to see a copy of the pilot’s current certification? Did you ask to see the construction plans and maintenance log of the aircraft to ensure its integrity, or the fuel level to make sure there was enough fuel to get where you're going. Of course not. You got on the plane in faith based on empirical evidence and common sense. And that’s how you make the decision to put your faith in Jesus.

God’s offer is this: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame (Romans 10:9-11). That is to say, if you put your faith and trust in Jesus - believe in your heart he died to pay the price of your sins and that God raised him from the dead to demonstrate his power over death - when you stand before God on that day, God will see the righteousness of Jesus in your place and your case will be dismissed.

So what do the fine points of the debate really matter? The offer is clear and simple, and it’s made to everyone. Each of us has the chance to make the decision to accept it or not. You have the chance to make the decision. What decision will you make? Don’t make it more complicated than it is. It’s a simple decision to make, on an offer made by grace, received through faith. Stop waiting. Make it now. Put your faith in Jesus and get on board!