What the Doctrine Teaches
Few questions have stirred more conversation among Christians than this one: did God choose who would be saved? The Bible plainly speaks of God's choosing. Believers are called elect, chosen, and predestinated. The same Bible just as plainly offers salvation to every person and holds every person responsible to believe.
This article teaches from a non-Calvinistic Baptist conviction. Before the foundation of the world, God chose to save in Christ all who would believe. His election is according to His perfect foreknowledge (1 Peter 1:2), and His predestination marks out the destiny He has prepared for believers. God is fully sovereign, and people are genuinely responsible. Grace takes the initiative, and faith receives what grace provides.
God's gracious choice, made before the foundation of the world, to save a people for Himself in Christ (Ephesians 1:4).
God's complete and certain knowledge of all things before they occur, including the free responses of people to His grace (Acts 2:23).
God's determination beforehand of the destiny of those who belong to Christ: conformity to His Son, adoption as His children, and final glory (Romans 8:29–30, Ephesians 1:5).
Calvinists, Arminians, and non-Calvinistic Baptists all love the Lord and seek to submit to His Word. The disagreement is real and it matters, but it is a family conversation among believers.
Loading the rest of this article
For Deeper Study
- Whosoever Will: A Biblical-Theological Critique of Five-Point CalvinismAmazon David L. Allen and Steve W. Lemke, eds.Non-Calvinistic Southern Baptist scholars. Closest to the view taught here.
- Salvation and Sovereignty: A Molinist ApproachAmazon Kenneth KeathleyNon-Calvinistic Baptist. Uses middle knowledge to relate God's sovereignty and human freedom; affirms eternal security.
- Chosen But FreeAmazon Norman L. GeislerSelf-described moderate Calvinist whose conclusions are close to the non-Calvinistic Baptist view.
- The Potter's PromiseAmazon Leighton FlowersPopular-level non-Calvinistic Baptist (Traditionalist) reading of Romans 9 and related texts.
- Perspectives on Election: Five ViewsAmazon Chad Owen Brand, ed.Several views in dialogue, including Calvinist and Arminian contributors.
- Chosen by GodAmazon R. C. SproulReformed. A clear, popular case for the Calvinist view.
- The Potter's FreedomAmazon James R. WhiteReformed Baptist. Written as a response to Geisler's Chosen But Free.
- Arminian Theology: Myths and RealitiesAmazon Roger E. OlsonClassical Arminian. Explains what Arminians actually teach.
- Grace, Faith, Free WillAmazon Robert E. PicirilliFree Will Baptist (Reformed Arminian). Holds conditional security.
- Why I Am Not a CalvinistAmazon Jerry L. Walls and Joseph R. DongellWesleyan Arminian.
- Why I Am Not an ArminianAmazon Robert A. Peterson and Michael D. WilliamsReformed. Written as a companion to the Walls and Dongell volume.
- Foxe's Book of MartyrsAmazon John FoxeThe classic Protestant record of those who died for the faith, from the early church to the English Reformation.
As an Amazon Associate, Theologica earns from qualifying purchases.
The Sovereignty of God
God rules over all things. Scripture presents His sovereignty as the reign of a personal King, not the mechanism of a fixed determinism.
Open Doctrine