The Caricature of Calvinism

I can often tell when a theological opponent is working off what he and his friends say among themselves, rather than from actual knowledge of the topic. I see this in dealing with cults. I also see it from people spouting off against Calvinism. Rarely are they arguing against what Calvinists believe, but rather against their personal caricature of Calvinism.

One example is when they say that Calvinism denies choice, turning people into automatons (I state it in more-favorable terminology than they usually do). Supposedly, the Calvinist believes that God drags the unwilling into the kingdom, or bars people who want in, merely on some capricious whim. Everything in that sentence is a false representation of what Calvinists believe.

First of all, of course there's a choice! Every person who has ever been converted experienced it only as his chosen response to the Gospel. There has never been a single person, even Calvin himself, who said that he believed just because God had decreed that he would. Nor has there ever been a single unbeliever who wanted to turn to Jesus, but failed, because God had barred his way.

Do Calvinists believe that all things happen according to God's plan? Absolutely! Do we believe that God predetermined in prehistory who would and who would not be saved? Again, absolutely and unapologetically! Do we believe that God's predetermination acts contrary to the choices of the particular individuals? Absolutely not.

The error of these people is in equating necessity with compulsion. Everything in history happens by the necessity of God's will : "Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases" (Psalm 115:3, and in many other places). Does He achieve those ends by twisting arms, whether into the kingdom or turned away? Never. Rather, every person who is ever converted experiences the sorrow of sin and the hope of eternal life in Christ, and turns to Him by choice. On the other hand, every person who remains in unbelief does so because he loves his sin and hates God; he remains in unbelief because he prefers it. There is no compulsion on either part. Rather, each is acting exactly as he desires to act. The fact that each desires to act as God has decreed that he would act makes their choices no less the acts of their own wills.