I
have seen a lot of posts from non-Calvinists and anti-Calvinists who believe
that Calvinism is evil. They call it a heresy, a lie, and the work of the
devil. As a Calvinist, this opinion makes me very sad. I think much of
it comes from a misunderstanding of what a Biblical Calvinist believes. Of
course, there are those who take the belief to an extreme or misrepresent it. Also,
once the idea of Calvinism clicks, it is easy to look at those who argue
against it and feel superior. This is sin, and believing you are better than
someone else because of a theological position is wrong. Once I understood
Calvinism, which I would say is the Biblical position of Salvation, things made
much more sense and clicked into place for me. It is hard for me not to want to
argue with someone who disagrees with it.
Now,
my point of this post is not to argue with you if you are not a Calvinist.
First, I want you to know that I understand and respect your position. I wasn’t
always a Calvinist and I think the traditionalist view (as it is called in the
SBC) is valid from a point of view. Calvinism works best if you examine time
from God’s perspective, but the traditional point of view works best from a man-centered
point of view. I think they are equally valid (to an extent) and even in those
places I disagree and find people mistaken, I still respect that. I admit that
I could be wrong about what I believe.
I
think the key is to have mutual respect. Calvinists need to act less arrogantly
and condescendingly. Non-Calvinists need to look beyond the disagreement to see
if the person loves God and loves God’s people. Calvinists and non-Calvinists/
Traditionalists can be friends. I have good friends on both sides, and I love
them all very much. The key is to see the things that unite, to find the common
ground, and love and serve God together.
