False Doctrine: Calvin's Doctrines of
Unconditional Election (Predestination)
Bible study on Calvinism: unconditional election, predestination.

Calvin's doctrine of unconditional election (predestination) contends that God has predestined some people to be saved and some people to be lost. This doctrine maintains that man does not have a free will.

Calvin taught that God did not elect (predestine) people by just looking into the future to see who would and would not obey. Calvin taught that God literally elected some people to be saved and allows everyone else to be lost. Commenting on Matt. 11:25-26, Calvin said, "This verse is impressive in two respects. The fact that not all receive the gospel is not due to the impotence of God, who could readily make all creatures submit to his empire. Secondly, that some arrive at faith, while others remain stupefied and obstinate, is due to his free election. He draws some to himself and passes others by; and in so doing, he himself distinguishes among men, whose situation by nature is the same" (Calvin Commentary VII: Election and Predestination).

Heb. 10:26

Man has a free will. We can either obey or disobey God.

Christians can sin willfully. "Willfully" means means voluntarily, of free will (cf. 1 Pet. 5:2; Ph'm. 14).

Christians have a free will. God has not predetermined who will be saved and who will be lost taking away man's free will in respect to sin. Each person must work out his own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12).

Christians are not predestined to salvation. They can fall from grace (Ga. 5:4; Heb. 12:15).

Abraham illustrates that we have a free will by the fact that God tested Him (Heb. 11:17; cf. Gen. 22:1). The fact that Christians are tested connotes that Christians have a free will (Jas. 1:2-3; 1 Pet. 1:7; 4:12; Rev. 2:10; 3:10).

God's command to Jeroboam illustrates the fact that we have a free will (1 Ki. 11:37-38). It was Jeroboam's decision whether to listen to all God commanded - to walk in His ways, to do what is right in His sight by observing His statutes and His commandments.

God has predestined (predetermined) that the people who are in Christ will be adopted as sons (cf. Rom. 8:1-25; Gal. 3:26-4:7).

We enter into Christ when baptized (Rom. 6:3; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27) and are saved (Mk. 16:16; 1 Pet. 3:21). People who have been baptized into Christ (Rom. 6:3) are adopted as sons (Rom. 8:1-17; Gal. 3:26-4:7).

Ezek. 18:20-28;
cf. 2 Ki. 14:6

The person who sins will die. The person who turns from sin will live. God is a fair and just God because He neither makes us obey nor disobey.

God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezek. 18:23; cf. 2 Pet. 3:9). Therefore, God has not predestined anyone to hell.

Matt. 18:11

Jesus came to save the lost, not the predestined.

Jesus' blood atones for the sins of everyone who obeys Him (Heb. 5:9).