By: Ronald Lloyd
John Calvin was a priest of the Roman Catholic Church. Calvin saw that the rituals imposed by the church and the misuse of authority by the clergy were contrary to God’s will. In his study of the scriptures he concluded that man is saved by God’s grace apart from anything man might do. In fact, he believed God had determined who would and would not be saved. This doctrine is called UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION. One of the passages used to support unconditional election is Ephesians 1:4” “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation for the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” The matter of adoption and being made acceptable in the beloved [Christ] was misunderstood by Calvin. The subject of the letter to the Ephesians is the acceptance, or adoption, of the Gentiles along with the Jews. This adoption occurred when Jew and Gentile were united in the body of Christ, the church or the kingdom of Heaven. The passage quoted says there will be an adoptive process through Jesus Christ. It is this way in which adoption will take place that has been pre-destined. All of these prophets spoke of it, the scriptures record those prophecies and promises.
Most who believe in Christ do not believe in Calvin’s doctrine of unconditional election. But many sectarian manuals or disciplines have statements concerning salvation by grace only or by faith only which are Calvin’s doctrine. How does God’s grace act in salvation? What part does our faith play in salvation? The gospel of Christ was made effective in the death of Christ. Salvation is by the gospel. The gospel was given by God’s grace. Paul in Colossians 1:5, refers to”---the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth and the gospel.” Should we suppose this hope to be anything less than the adoption of our study text? The gospel is spoken of as being God’s grace in Titus 2:11 - “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly, in this present world.” This passage says two things of grace: (1) it has appeared to all and (2) it teaches. Is this grace anything less than the gospel of Christ? Romans 1:16 is helpful in further understanding, it says: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth: to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Calvin is to be respected for his courage and for pointing out the false doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church and for his condemnation of the excesses practiced by the clergy. His teaching of salvation by grace only and predestined salvation to individuals has no Biblical foundation and must be rejected. If this doctrine is accepted it effectively relieves man of responsibility for making the choices necessary in obedience. If God has already determined the saved and lost then the death of Christ is without meaning and Peter’s admonition to Simon to repent and pray for forgiveness is meaningless.
Salvation is through the gospel of Christ, which was ratified in his blood. When the gospel is hard it causes belief. Responding to the words of life in baptism and subsequently living by the word we can be assured of heaven for the obedient as expressed in Matthew 25:21.