In this series of articles reviewing Roger Olson’s book, Against Calvinism, we have considered his introduction to the subject, and the first 3 letters of TULIP, the acrostic that many use to summarise Calvinism’s main tenats.
To read those articles you can follow these links:
- Part 1 – Introduction and Calvinism’s Resurgence
- Part 2 – Total Depravity
- Part 3 – Unconditional Election and Limited Atonement
In this fourth and final installment, I want to deal with the final two letters of the TULIP:
I – Irresistible Grace
P – Perseverance of the Saints
Once more, Olson remains fair and allows Calvinists to speak for themselves. One of the most used defences or attacks used by Calvinists is to propose that non-Calvinists do not understand or have never studied the issues. So, by extensively quoting from historical and current figures within Calvinism, Olson sidesteps that allegation.
Irresistible Grace
This doctrine of Calvinism has several other titles such as effectual grace and efficacious grace. Olson explains its
“…monergism—belief that God is the sole active agent in salvation. Monergism is the opposite of synergism—the belief that salvation includes cooperation by the person being saved.”
Olson, R. E. (2011). Against Calvinism (p. 50). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
The natural question some might ask is if God is not willing that any should perish, and if He can make His grace irresistible, then why is it that many do not come to Christ?
Olson explains,
“Irresistible grace does not mean that all grace is always irresistible or efficacious. Rather, only saving grace given to the elect to regenerate them and to give them new birth is irresistible and effectual. A person chosen by God for salvation will not, because he or she cannot, resist the “inward call” of God because God “bends their will.” It is not a matter of coercion; the Holy Spirit does not overwhelm and force the person to repent and believe; rather, the Holy Spirit transforms the person’s heart so that he or she wants to repent and believe.”
Olson, R. E. (2011). Against Calvinism (p. 50). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
This point is inseparable from the Calvinists belief in Total depravity, as explained by Boettner,
“As Calvinists, we hold that the condition of men since the fall is such that if left to themselves they would continue in their state of rebellion and refuse all offers of salvation. Christ would then have died in vain. But since it was promised … the work of God in redemption has been rendered effective through the mission of the Holy Spirit who so operates on the chosen people that they are brought to repentance and faith, and thus made heirs of eternal life.”
Olson, R. E. (2011). Against Calvinism (p. 50). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
I find three issues with this teaching. Where is free will in the equation if I cannot refuse God’s drawing? Where does the Bible teach that God first rebirths us so that we want to be saved? And once more, if God could compel all to be saved, why doesn’t He?
If God first rebirths me, a process by their teaching I am unable to refuse, and then find myself unable to resist God’s grace, then how does that leave Christians as anything other than mindless robots? If the will to be saved comes after being forcibly rebirthed, then the issue of being mindless
Calvinists strongly object to this, stating that we are compelled but not coerced, but as with so many other points it seems to be splitting hairs.
As to the second
This term, rebirth, describing God essentially saving us before conversion, is one that Sproul uses and is not a word put into the Calvinist’s mouth. Here is how Sproul describes it,
“The whole point of irresistible grace is that rebirth quickens someone to spiritual life in such a way that Jesus is now seen in his irresistible sweetness.”
Olson, R. E. (2011). Against Calvinism (p. 51). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Olson answers this point well and goes to the passages the Calvinists use and gives alternative interpretations.
So, contrary to the order of Scripture, the Calvinist puts being born again BEFORE conversion.
Finally, if God could make His grace irresistible to all, then why doesn’t He? It doesn’t satisfy the non-Calvinist to leave it to the realm of mystery. What kind of love could save, but does not, for whatever reason?
Irrisistable Grace, once more, brings up contradictions which are impossible to reconcile without adding presumptions or appealing to mystery.
Perseverance of the Saints
Olson describes this as the least controversial of the TULIP teachings. As it reflects least on the character of God, it finds the least objections from opponents of Calvinism.
What is meant by the Perseverance of the Saints?
All Calvinists believe that a truly elect person cannot ever be finally or fully lost because God will keep him or her from falling.
Olson, R. E. (2011). Against Calvinism (p. 53). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Many believers who reject Calvinism would find agreement with the fact that once adopted into the family of God we can never be lost. We are saved by grace and kept by grace.
For the remainder of this section of his book, Olson discusses varieties of Calvinism within the reformed circles and demonstrates that the two terms, Calvinist and Reformed, are not always interchangeable terms.
These articles have focused on Olson’s first three chapters. The rest of the book goes into much greater detail in explaining what has been summarised in chapter 3.
Here are the chapter headings for the book:
- Introduction: Why This Book Now?
- Whose Calvinism? Which Reformed Theology?
- Mere Calvinism: The Tulip System
- Yes to God’s Sovereignty; No to Divine Determinism
- Yes to Election; No to Double Predestination
- Yes to Atonement; No to Limited Atonement
- Yes to Grace; No to Irresistible Grace
- Conclusion: Calvinism’s Conundrums
I want to conclude with two quotes from the end of the book.
In the first Olson reiterates his spirit towards those who disagree with him and his desire to treat the subject fairly,
Some readers may question the sincerity of my pledge or the success of my effort to write about Calvinism with an irenic spirit. I ask, however, that you keep clearly in mind the difference between persons and beliefs. By no means do I wish to denigrate Calvinists; that I hold their belief system ultimately undermines the reputation of God is not any reflection on their integrity, sincerity, spirituality, or success as ministers and evangelists. I carry no hostility toward my Calvinist brothers and sisters on account of their mistaken beliefs. I struggle with some of their misrepresentations of my own theology, but I try not to have hard feelings toward them even for that.
Olson, R. E. (2011). Against Calvinism (p. 179). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
If you have doubts about his sincereity or success, I would encourage you to read the Foreward which was written by Michael Horton, the author of, For Calvinism.
The final quote from the end of the book summarises my feelings of the system of Calvinism as a whole well, so here Olson will have the final word:
Don’t all theologies contain certain conundrums insofar as they attempt to be comprehensive and systematic? Probably so. One way to look at the choice between competing theologies (when Scripture is not absolutely clear) is to decide on the basis of which conundrums one can live with. For me, and most non-Calvinists, nothing is more important to preserve, protect, and promote than the good name of God—God’s reputation based on his good character. Insofar as Calvinism undermines that, I cannot live with its conundrums because they all ultimately injure God’s reputation—making it difficult to tell the difference between God and the devil.
Olson, R. E. (2011). Against Calvinism (p. 179). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan
You can get your own copy of the book by following this link: Against Calvinism by Roger Olson
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