Nuggets from "Whatever Happened to Heaven?" by Dave Hunt

Nuggets from "Whatever Happened to Heaven?" by Dave Hunt

It would be a libel upon God’s character (as well as a denial of the clear teaching of many Scriptures), to say that He is able, but unwilling, to save all. It is not, however, a slur upon either God’s love or power to say that, having given man the power of choice, and having done all He could to persuade man to choose aright, He is unable to force him to do so. That inability to violate love, which is the essence of His own character, no more diminishes God’s omnipotence than to say that He is unable to commit sin in violation of His holiness.

Calvinists argue that it detracts from God’s glory and gives credit to man if he has the power to say “yes’’ or “no’’ in response to the gospel. On the contrary, it is no credit to man that Christ, in loving response to our helpless and hopeless condition, has provided a full and free salvation. Nor is it any credit to those who, in recognition of their own inability to save themselves, accept such an offer, for only a fool would refuse.

God has all the glory when we say “yes’’ to His grace and love, because He has both provided the salvation and drawn us by His Spirit. And man has all the blame when he rejects Christ, for God has done all that He can to persuade him to believe. Calvinism diminishes God’s glory in both respects.