IS IT GOD’S WILL FOR MEN TO SIN?
Calvinism says that man does not have the power or ability to reject the Gospel of God. The T in T.U.L.I.P. stands for total inability. The “I” stands for irresistible grace.
Calvinism teaches only those to whom God gives irresistible grace will be saved. The thought here is that there are people in this world that obviously have rejected the Gospel. Calvinism sees God’s sovereignty in such a way that man cannot resist God’s will. So the assumption here is if man can say no to the Gospel, he must be more powerful than God. (Note: To assume that man is more powerful than God is ridiculous. That is something every believer agrees with.)
This, of course, is simply an assumption (an assumption that has man’s total inability pre-built into it) and a faulty one at that. However, if we take this assumption to its logical conclusion, then not only can man not say no to God regarding the Gospel, but he must be incapable of saying no to God in ALL matters.
If men CANNOT say no to God regarding the Gospel because God is ultimately sovereign, and, in their view, sovereignty means no one can resist God, then it would only stand to reason that men CANNOT say no to God in any area of life. Otherwise, God would not be sovereign, at least the way Calvinism defines sovereignty.
If this is the case, then God must want men to sin. If people CANNOT resist God’s will, and there is sin in the world, then we must conclude, according to Calvinism, that sin is God’s will. And sadly, many historical teachers of Calvinism have said just that.
There is, however, a much more straightforward and biblical answer. God, in His sovereignty and love, created mankind with the ability to say yes and the capacity to say no to God’s will. Even after Adam sinned, every human being, while separated from God, maintained their God-given ability to accept or reject God.
Just because mankind is now separated from God does not mean we have lost certain spiritual faculties any more than it means we’ve lost our arms or legs. To think otherwise is simply an assumption based on philosophy, not the Bible. And this is the consistent thrust of Scripture.
When we understand the human condition this way, everything in the Bible makes so much sense. Evangelism is no longer a mystery. Jesus, praying for God’s will to be done makes sense. God judging sin makes sense. God hating evil and calling men to come to Him makes sense. Verses about Paul and Apollos reasoning with people, and Jesus pleading with the people now make perfect sense. Now our desire to see everyone saved and love God makes sense.
It is the will of God to see all men saved, and yet He chooses, out of His love and sovereignty, to allow mankind to choose. This is what we see all around us, and this is what the plain reading of Scripture teaches.
Calvinism is not some deeper or hidden understanding of Scripture. Those who hold to Calvinism do not have some sort of secret, mysterious knowledge. What they have is unbiblical. Instead of running to men and their philosophies, may we choose to freely run to the Scriptures and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus to us plainly and truthfully. That is Jesus’s invitation. That is the will of God.
You choose.
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9