The Calvinism Debate - Way of Life Literature

or withholdeth mercy as he pleaseth, for the glory of hissovereign power over his creatures, to pass by, and to ordainthem to dishonor and wrath for their sin, to the praise of hisglorious justice.”John Calvin expressed the doctrine of unconditionalelection in these words: “Predestination we call the decree ofGod, by which He has determined in Himself, what He wouldhave to become of every individual of mankind. For they arenot all created with a similar destiny: but eternal life isforeordained for some, and eternal damnation forothers” (Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book III, chap.21).Note that sovereign election is accompanied by the twindoctrine of sovereign reprobation of the non-elect. Calvinemphasized this as follows. “[God] devotes to destructionwhom he pleases … they are predestinated to eternal deathwithout any demerit of their own, merely by his sovereignwill. … he orders all things by his counsel and decree in sucha manner, that some men are born devoted from the womb tocertain death, that his name by glorified in theirdestruction. ... God chooses whom he will as his children …while he rejects and reprobates others” (Institutes of ChristianReligion, Book III, chap. 23).Following are chief proof texts that are put forth in supportof Sovereign Election:John 1:11-13--“He came unto his own, and his ownreceived him not. But as many as received him, to themgave he power to become the sons of God, even to themthat believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood,nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but ofGod.”e words in verse 13 are used by Calvinists to prove theirdoctrine that the new birth is a matter of sovereign electionand irresistible drawing. Does the verse not say that we arenot born of the will of man, but of God? Indeed, it does, butthe context itself says that men are saved by receiving Christ92