Calvinism and Easy-believism

(A personal observation)

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Rightfully so, many Calvinists accuse their Arminian brothers of teaching an easy-believism type of salvation.  Because of the too often denied, yet promoted, decisional regeneration method to salvation the Arminian can face some criticism from many Calvinists.   But does easy-believism only exists in the Arminian camps?

 

In the biological world the term “osmosis” can be described as a process of absorption by its very being in close proximity to something.  In other words, by something’s nearness to another something there can be an equal level of whatever is getting absorbed or transferred through the cell wall of an organism.  So, what does this have to do with easy-believism? Calvinism holds strongly to the doctrines of grace with salvation being monergistic while Arminianism exhibits a high order of synergism with cooperation from man to God or from God to man, whichever order one wants to place it.  That being that God “wants” someone to be saved but it is man who makes the final decision. The extreme opposite to this is that since God is going to save whomever He so chooses then man does not have to do anything. This view can be termed fatalistic salvation. Those holding to this view of fatalism can be described as hyper-Calvinists.  It is without human responsibility. However, every lost soul is responsible to God. But, again, what does osmosis have to do with easy-believism?

 

In a lot of post-sermon Sunday mornings in a typical Arminian church body it can be proved that man is being coerced into making a “decision for Jesus” with the cry of “let Jesus in your heart.”  Post-sermon Sunday mornings in many a Calvinist church body may have the preacher invite the lost to talk to him if they are troubled in their soul about their eternity. Or, the post-sermon Sunday morning may simply end with some singing and a closing prayer.  Either way, it would be a rare spectacle to see a Calvinist preacher beg an unrepentant sinner to “let Jesus in your heart.” This observation is in no way denying the power of God through the work of the Holy Spirit that God cannot save a soul in an Arminian church body.  He can do whatever He pleases. Neither is it denying also that the quietness at the end of a Calvinist sermon does not bring salvation to the equally sinful person. God can do whatever He pleases. The Triune and Sovereign God of the Bible can save anyone He wants anywhere He wants and at any time He wants.

 

It has been observed that although the children of Arminian parents look for the sign (decision day) of regeneration in their children many Calvinist parents seem to be rather presumptive when it comes to salvation in their children.  Thus, the osmosis of regeneration. It is also not uncommon to hear the parents or adults within the Calvinist’s church body mention that someone is getting baptized but not that God saved them. Regeneration seems to be a vague or even non-visible show of repentance.  Wild screaming and dancing certainly do not have to be proof of regeneration but certainly someone should be able to know when God saved them. We all remember birthdays, graduations, weddings, etc. but too many Calvinists cannot remember when God saved them. A specific day or time is not as important has being very cognizant of that moment.  What is important is that the Holy Spirit did something to the sinner (regenerated them) and that their salvation was not an act of osmosis from parent to child. Scripture makes it clear that Abraham knew, that Moses knew, that Paul knew, that Lydia knew, that the Ethiopian eunuch knew and that so many others knew about their salvation (Hebrews 11:1-11).  There is no hint that they wondered around not sure of or not knowing of their regeneration.

 

Although the Calvinist is biblically correct in acknowledging his monergistic salvation to God, some are equally in line with some Arminians who promote a non-regenerated easy-believism.  Osmosis (sitting in a pew in church next to someone who is truly saved or going on short-term mission trips or teaching Sunday school, being a good person, etc.) has nothing to do with one’s own salvation.  Both the Calvinist and the Arminian need to read and understand John 3:1-8, Titus 3:5, and other scriptures related to salvation.

 

Many Calvinists are as guilty as many Arminians as it pertains to easy-believism in salvation.

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