Responding to the Most Common Myths About Calvinism

Grace in the Midst of the Cage Stage

If you spend enough time in Christian social media comment sections or theological groups, you’ll notice something strange: people can become surprisingly combative (and ungracious) when they start talking about God’s grace.

It sounds ironic, doesn’t it?

The truth is, this corner of theology—what we often refer to as soteriology, the doctrine of salvation—has sparked centuries of debate between those who emphasize God’s sovereignty in salvation (often called Calvinists) and those who emphasize human responsibility and freedom (often called Arminians or Provisionists). While the differences are not insignificant, the way we handle them can say a lot about whether we’ve truly grasped the grace we claim to defend.

I’ve seen it on both sides. Some young Calvinists, freshly convinced of the doctrines of grace, go through what we sometimes jokingly call the “cage stage.” They are so zealous that, for the safety of the Church, they probably need to be locked in a cage for a few months before engaging in debate. Their Arminian counterparts are not immune either; some become so reactive to Calvinism that they turn every Scripture into a prooftext against election and accuse Calvinists of believing in a cruel, robotic God.

I’m convinced that much of this conflict comes not from Scripture itself, but from misunderstandings and misrepresentations of what Calvinism actually teaches. What follows is not a battle cry, but a heartfelt effort to clarify, correct, and—hopefully—reunite brothers and sisters in Christ around the essential truths of the Gospel.

I believe that many Arminians are genuine, Spirit-filled believers who love Jesus and want to be faithful to the Word. If they believe in the Gospel, they’re my brothers and sisters in the Lord. I believe that Calvinists, when properly grounded, are not arrogant or cold but deeply aware of their unworthiness and in awe of God’s mercy. We don’t need to caricature each other—we need to speak the truth in love.

That having been said, there are numerous misconceptions and strawman arguments about both Calvinism and Calvinists that I’d like to dispel once and for all. 

So let’s look carefully at some of the most common myths about Calvinism, and respond with a mix of grace, truth, and biblical depth.

Tackling the Most Common Myths About Calvinism

Myth 1: Calvinism Teaches That God Is the Author of Evil

One of the most serious objections people raise against Calvinism is that if God ordains all things, including the existence of evil, then He must be the author of it. This idea is understandably troubling. It challenges our sense of justice and goodness, and at face value, seems to contradict the very character of God.

But here is where we need to walk carefully, both biblically and logically.

The Bible teaches that God is sovereign over all things, including calamity, suffering, and even the sinful decisions of people. Isaiah 45:7 says, “I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things.” Similarly, Lamentations 3:37–38 asks, “Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?”

Yet Scripture also makes clear that God is not the cause of sin, nor does He take pleasure in evil. James 1:13 affirms, “God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts no one.” 1 John 1:5 says that God is light and “in Him is no darkness at all.”

Calvinism upholds both of these truths. God ordains all things, even permitting evil for His wise and just purposes, but He is not morally culpable. As Charles Spurgeon once put it, “That God predestines, and yet that man is responsible, are two things that few can see. They are believed to be inconsistent and contradictory, but they are not.”

John Calvin himself addressed this tension. In his Institutes of the Christian Religion (Book 1, Chapter 18, Section 3), he writes:

“But how it was that God, by His foreknowledge and decree, ordained what should take place respecting man, and yet so ordained it without His being in the least a participator in the fault, or being at all the author of the transgression, is clearly a secret so much excelling the insight of the human mind, that I am not ashamed to confess ignorance.”

In other words, God is not stained by the sin He permits. Just as He ordained the crucifixion of Christ—an act of unimaginable evil—yet remained holy and righteous, He also ordains human history with purposes we do not fully grasp. Acts 2:23 says Jesus was “delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God,” and yet those who crucified Him “acted in ignorance” (Acts 3:17) and bore moral responsibility.

Calvinism affirms mystery, not contradiction. God’s holiness and His sovereignty are not enemies; they are perfect partners in His redemptive plan.

Myth 2: Calvinists Follow John Calvin, Not the Bible

This accusation usually arises when someone hears the term “Calvinism” and assumes it’s a system built around the teachings of one man. Some even say, “I follow Jesus, not Calvin,” as if anyone who aligns with Reformed theology is somehow exalting a mere man over Scripture.

But the name “Calvinism” is just a label—like “Trinitarian” or “Evangelical”—used to summarize a theological position. Calvin didn’t invent these doctrines, and Reformed Christians do not treat him as infallible. In fact, most don’t even agree with every little thing he taught.

Reformed Baptists like me, for example, depart from Calvin on infant baptism, church polity, and the precise nature of the sacraments. But even modern-day Presbyterians, who hold Calvin in high esteem and trace their tradition more closely to him, also may disagree with him on some points. For instance:

• Calvin believed in weekly communion as the biblical norm, while many modern Presbyterian churches celebrate it monthly or quarterly.

• Calvin held to the perpetual virginity of Mary, a view virtually all modern Presbyterians do not affirm.

• Calvin was more sympathetic to using musical instruments in worship than many early Reformed churches after him, who insisted on exclusive psalmody and a cappella singing. Many modern reformed churches practice with more of a “regulative principle” approach, which means that if the Bible doesn’t specifically prescribe something, then we should not practice it.

These differences show that even among those who honor Calvin’s legacy, Scripture—not the man—remains the final authority.

When Paul rebuked the Corinthian church for saying, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” he pointed them back to the unity they had in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:12–13). The goal of theology should never be personality-centered. A true Calvinist, if he’s faithful, would say with Calvin himself:

“Let us not take it into our heads to devise any kind of doctrine for ourselves, but let us be content with the doctrine which He has given us by His Word.”
(Calvin’s Commentary on Galatians 1:8)

Myth 3: Calvinists Don’t Believe in Free Will

This is one of the most misunderstood elements of the Calvinist system. It’s not that Calvinists deny that humans make real choices. We choose every day—we choose what to eat, what to wear, whether to pray, whether to sin. No Reformed thinker denies this kind of agency.

The real issue is what kind of freedom we actually possess in our fallen state. The Bible teaches that humanity is not morally neutral. We are spiritually dead apart from grace (Ephesians 2:1). Jesus says in John 8:34, “Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.”

So yes, we have a will—but it is bound by our sinful nature until the Holy Spirit changes the heart.

Martin Luther, in The Bondage of the Will, wrote that fallen man does not have the moral power to choose righteousness apart from grace. Jonathan Edwards built on this and explained that we always choose according to our strongest desire—but in our natural state, our strongest desire is not for God. In other words, we are free to choose, but our desires are not free until God liberates us.

This is why Calvinists talk about “moral inability.” Just as a leopard cannot change its spots, sinners cannot change their hearts by sheer effort. They must be born again (John 3:3). As R.C. Sproul put it, “The sinner is free to choose what he wants. The problem is that he does not want God.”

When the Spirit regenerates, the heart is changed. The will is not violated—it is renewed. That’s why Paul says in Philippians 2:13, “It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

True freedom is not the ability to do anything, but the ability to do what is pleasing to God. And that only comes by grace.

Myth 4: Calvinists Believe God Arbitrarily Damns People

This objection usually flows from an emotional response, and understandably so. No one wants to believe in a God who is unjust or cruel. The concern is that Calvinism portrays a God who randomly chooses some for salvation and others for damnation, like drawing names from a celestial lottery hat.

But this is a misunderstanding of both Scripture and what Reformed theology actually teaches.

First, let’s be clear: no one deserves salvation. Romans 3:10–12 declares, “None is righteous, no, not one… no one seeks for God.” All of us are by nature children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3). If God were to leave everyone in their rebellion, He would be entirely just.

So when God chooses to save some, it is not injustice—it is mercy. Paul anticipates this very objection in Romans 9:14–15:

“What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy.’”

Yet the objection remains: What about the ones who are not chosen? Is that not arbitrary?

Paul continues in Romans 9:22–23:

“What if God, desiring to show His wrath and to make known His power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of His glory for vessels of mercy, which He has prepared beforehand for glory?”

This is not randomness—it is purpose. God’s glory is revealed in both His justice and His mercy. The ones who are not saved are not rejected because they were innocent—they are passed over because of their sin. Those who are saved are chosen, not because of their merit, but because of God’s grace.

It is a difficult doctrine, yes. But it portrays a God who is not only holy and just, but deeply merciful—and who is always acting according to wisdom that far exceeds ours.

Myth 5: Calvinism Makes Evangelism Useless

At first glance, this seems logical. If God has already chosen who will be saved, then what’s the point of sharing the Gospel? Why pray, preach, or go to the mission field if the outcome is already determined?

But that misunderstands how God works. Calvinism teaches that God ordains both the ends and the means. That means He not only determines who will be saved, but also how they will be saved—namely, through the preaching of the Gospel.

Romans 10:14–15 puts it plainly:

“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”

Paul knew that God had chosen people, yet he still endured beatings, imprisonments, and shipwrecks to spread the Gospel. Why? Because God uses human witnesses to call His people to Himself. As Jesus said in John 10:16, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice.” How would they hear that voice? Through the mouths of His messengers.

Charles Spurgeon, whose church baptized over 14,000 people during his ministry, was unashamedly Calvinistic and passionately evangelistic. He once said:

“If I believed that God had not chosen some, I should give it up in despair. But because He has chosen some, I have hope of success in preaching.”

Calvinism actually fuels evangelism. It means we are not speaking into the void. We go with confidence, knowing that God will draw His people. We preach the Gospel to everyone indiscriminately, because we do not know who the elect are. Our job is not to peek at the Lamb’s Book of Life—it’s to proclaim the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world.

6. Myth: Calvinists Believe God Hates Most People

This myth often arises from a misreading of doctrines like election and reprobation, and it tends to paint a harsh, cold picture of God that does not match the full counsel of Scripture. People hear that Calvinists believe in predestination and assume that means God only loves a select few and actively hates the rest.

The confusion usually comes down to the different ways the Bible uses the word “love.” Calvinists acknowledge that God expresses love in different ways toward different people, and not all love is redemptive.

Scripture teaches that God has a general love for all mankind. Jesus says in Matthew 5:45 that God “makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Acts 14:17 says that even to idol-worshipping Gentiles, “He did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” This is often referred to as God’s common grace—His general kindness and care for all people.

But there is also a particular, covenantal love that God reserves for His people—His elect. This love is not just a disposition of kindness, but an active, saving, eternal love that leads to regeneration, sanctification, and glory. As Paul writes in Ephesians 1:4–5, “In love He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will.”

John Calvin affirmed both of these truths. Commenting on John 3:16, he wrote:

“Christ brought life, because the Heavenly Father loves the human race, and wishes that they should not perish.”
(Commentary on the Gospel of John, 3:16)

Yet Calvin also distinguished between God’s general love and His saving love. God’s love is deep and wide—but His saving grace is effectual, applied to those whom He calls.

So no, Calvinists do not believe that God is indifferent or hateful toward most people. We believe that God is loving, patient, and kind, even toward those who reject Him. But we also affirm that His love toward His people is of a different quality—one that secures salvation through Christ.

7. Myth: Calvinism Was Invented by John Calvin

This one is more of a historical misunderstanding than a theological one, but it deserves mention. Many assume that the system of thought we call “Calvinism” began in the 1500s with John Calvin, as if before him no one believed in election, predestination, or total depravity.

That simply is not true.

The doctrines commonly called Calvinism—especially God’s sovereignty in salvation—were clearly taught by Augustine of Hippo over a thousand years earlier in his debates with Pelagius. Augustine wrote:

“The grace of God does not find men fit to be elected, but makes them so.”
(On the Predestination of the Saints, Ch. 17)

In fact, Augustine’s view of original sin, election, and grace laid the groundwork for later Reformers. Calvin was standing on a well-worn foundation, not building something new.

Even further, these doctrines are not dependent on Augustine or Calvin—they are rooted in Scripture itself. Romans 8:29–30, Ephesians 1:3–11, and John 6:37–44 are all passages that clearly speak to the sovereignty of God in salvation. The term “Calvinism” came about much later, primarily in response to the Remonstrants (early Arminians) at the Synod of Dort in 1618–1619.

Calvin was a brilliant theologian and a faithful expositor of God’s Word. But no Reformed Christian elevates him to the status of Scripture. As the Reformers themselves proclaimed: “Sola Scriptura”—Scripture alone is our final authority.

8. Myth: Calvinists Are Cold, Proud, and Unloving

This myth is often rooted in unfortunate experiences rather than theological content. Let’s be honest: some people come to Calvinism with more zeal than maturity. Their joy in discovering the doctrines of grace can turn into an unhealthy obsession with debating them. They’re in what we call the “cage stage”—and it can be off-putting.

But this behavior is not the fruit of Calvinism—it’s the fruit of immaturity. True Calvinism, when rightly understood, should not make someone arrogant. It should make them humble, thankful, and gentle.

The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 4:7, “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” That’s the essence of Reformed theology: everything we have is a gift. How can anyone be proud of a gift they didn’t earn?

Jonathan Edwards, whose view of God’s sovereignty was as high as any theologian who ever lived, wrote:

“The eminently humble Christian has the firmest resolution, the greatest patience, and the most invincible firmness in standing for the cause of his Master.”
(Charity and Its Fruits)

Calvinism should lead to worship, not warfare. It should produce doxology, not division. The more we understand our sin and God’s grace, the less inclined we will be to boast.

9. Myth: Calvinists Don’t Believe in Human Responsibility

This objection flows from the assumption that if God is sovereign over all things, then human decisions don’t really matter—or that people are merely puppets.

But Calvinism affirms what is sometimes called “compatibilism.” That is, God’s sovereignty and human responsibility are not contradictory—they are perfectly compatible.

We see this clearly in Scripture. In Acts 2:23, Peter says:

“This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.”

Was Jesus’ crucifixion part of God’s sovereign plan? Yes. Were the men who carried it out responsible for their actions? Also yes.

Joseph says the same thing to his brothers in Genesis 50:20:

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”

Their intentions were wicked. God’s plan was redemptive. Both truths stand.

Reformed theology does not flatten human responsibility. It simply recognizes that no one seeks God unless God first seeks them (Romans 3:11). But when He does, they respond freely, joyfully, and willingly.

We are not forced into the Kingdom. We are drawn. As Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44). That word “draws” doesn’t mean drag—it means woo, compel, bring along. The heart is made willing, not overridden.

10. Myth: The Calvinist View of Predestination Contradicts God’s Justice

Some people hear about election and ask, “How can that be fair? Isn’t it unjust for God to choose some and not others?”

But this question assumes that salvation is something God owes to us—that justice means everyone must receive the same opportunity. But according to Scripture, justice would be God condemning us all. Mercy is Him saving any.

Romans 9:20–21 addresses this very challenge:

“But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, ‘Why have you made me like this?’”

God is not accountable to us. He is the potter. We are the clay. He is just in all His ways. And He is free to show mercy to whom He wills.

That might sound hard—until you remember that you and I are not the righteous ones wronged—we’re the rebels rescued. If God were only just, none of us would be saved. But because He is rich in mercy, some are saved, and not because of anything they have done.

This is not injustice. It is grace. The very heart of the Gospel is that salvation is not fair. Praise God that it’s not.

11. Myth: Calvinists Believe Babies Who Die Go to Hell

This is one of the most painful questions any pastor or parent can wrestle with: “What happens to infants who die before they can understand the Gospel?” Some believe that because Calvinists teach that we are born sinful and in need of grace, they must also believe that infants who die without professing faith are condemned.

That is false. In fact, many prominent Calvinists—including John Calvin himself—affirmed that infants of believers are saved by God’s sovereign grace.

Calvin wrote:

“It is certain that children who die in infancy are saved, for they are included in the covenant of grace.”
(Commentary on Genesis 17:7)

The Westminster Confession of Faith says:

“Elect infants, dying in infancy, are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit.”
(WCF 10.3)

This isn’t universalism for babies. It’s an affirmation that salvation is always by grace, and God can apply that grace even before the child reaches an age of understanding. David expressed this hope in 2 Samuel 12:23 after his infant son died, saying, “I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”

Some Calvinists hold to what’s called the “age of accountability” or, better put, the “condition of accountability.” In other words, God judges people justly based on their moral and spiritual capacity.

We entrust such souls to the mercy of God—not because they are innocent, but because we know God is both just and compassionate.

12. Myth: Calvinism Denies That “God is Love”

Because Calvinism emphasizes God’s sovereignty, wrath, and justice, some think it downplays His love. Critics ask, “How can a God who only saves some still be loving?”

But this assumes that love must express itself the same way toward all people. The Bible doesn’t describe God’s love as a flat, generic affection. It is covenantal, sacrificial, and multi-dimensional.

1 John 4:8 tells us, “God is love.” That is true. But we must let Scripture define love. God’s love is not mere sentiment. It is holy, faithful, and directed by His perfect will.

Romans 5:8 says, “God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” And Ephesians 2:4–5 states, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us… made us alive together with Christ.”

These passages speak of a particular love, which is a saving love that regenerates and redeems.

Calvinism does not deny that God is love. It simply insists that love does not cancel out holiness, justice, or sovereignty. All of God’s attributes exist in harmony. His love is not at odds with His glory—it expresses it.

As A.W. Pink wrote:

“The love of God is a divine perfection, as eternal and unchanging as His other attributes. It is not a passion but a principle.”

13. Myth: Calvinists Can Never Be Sure They—or Anyone Else—Are Truly Saved

This myth is subtle but serious. Some critics argue that Calvinism, because of its emphasis on divine election, must necessarily produce deep anxiety. If God has chosen some before the foundation of the world, and not others, then how can anyone know if they are truly among the elect? Does a Calvinist spend their entire life wondering if they’re really saved?

This objection usually comes from a misunderstanding of how Reformed theology handles assurance.

Calvinism does not teach that the elect walk around with glowing halos or that there’s some secret registry on earth that reveals who’s in and who’s out. What it teaches is that election is made visible and knowable through faith in Christ and the fruit of regeneration.

The elect are not chosen because they believed—they believe because they were chosen. And yet, the evidence of being chosen is not some mystical experience or arbitrary feeling. It is this: Do you trust in Christ alone for your salvation? Do you rest in His finished work? Do you love Him, however imperfectly, and desire to follow Him?

John Calvin made this exact point in his Third Sermon on Ephesians 1:4–6:

“How do we know that God has elected us before the creation of the world? By believing in Jesus Christ.”

The one who believes in Christ—truly and persistently, not just intellectually but from the heart—has every reason for assurance. As Jesus said in John 6:37, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never cast out.”

Calvinists find their comfort, not in gazing into the hidden decrees of God, but in looking to Christ crucified and risen. That’s the whole point of election—to magnify the grace of God in His Son. Romans 8:30 says that “those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified.” The chain is unbreakable, and it all culminates in glory.

Assurance in the Reformed tradition is not automatic or presumptuous—it is grounded in Christ. It is strengthened through the ordinary means of grace: the Word of God, prayer, the sacraments, the fellowship of the saints, and a conscience washed in the blood of the Lamb.

As the Canons of Dort say:

“Elect persons, in due time, though in various degrees and in different measures, attain the assurance of this their eternal and unchangeable election.” (Canons of Dort, I.12)

So no, Calvinism does not leave the believer in hopeless doubt. It calls us to look to Christ, not inwardly for worthiness or outwardly for signs, but upward to the Cross, where our hope was sealed forever.

14. Myth: Calvinism Is Another Gospel

Some people, out of deep concern for preserving the truth of salvation, go so far as to claim that Calvinism isn’t just wrong—it’s a false gospel. They equate it with heresies like Roman Catholicism or legalistic sects, warning others that to embrace the doctrines of grace is to deny the Gospel itself.

That is a serious accusation. And because the Gospel is the center of our faith, this myth must be handled with great care.

First, let’s be clear: Calvinism is not another gospel. It is a system of theology that seeks to explain the same Gospel that all faithful Christians affirm—namely, that sinners are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone. Jesus died for our sins on the cross, was buried, and was raised from the dead to save us (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). That is not a distortion of the Gospel. That is the Gospel.

Calvinism simply emphasizes that this grace is sovereign and effectual, that faith itself is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8–9), and that salvation is not a cooperative transaction but a divine rescue (Colossians 1:13). It teaches that God chooses to save sinners not based on foreseen merit, but purely out of mercy (Romans 9:15–16), and that this salvation is secure in Christ from start to finish (Romans 8:29–30).

Those who accuse Calvinists of preaching “another gospel” often misunderstand what Reformed theology actually teaches. Calvinists do not deny human responsibility. We do not teach that people are saved without faith or repentance. We preach that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13). And we proclaim Christ crucified to all people, trusting God to draw His sheep to Himself.

To call Calvinism a false gospel is to misrepresent brothers and sisters in Christ and to create unnecessary division in the Body. It turns a family disagreement about how grace works into an excommunication over whether grace exists at all.

As J.C. Ryle wisely said:

“It is not open Calvinism, but bitter, narrow-minded, and uncharitable Calvinism, which does the Church harm. A Calvinism which is all light and no love is a dangerous weapon.”

Paul did warn about “another gospel” in Galatians 1:6–9—but he was talking about those who added works to grace (in this instance, circumcision), not those who explained grace in sovereign terms.

If someone denies the deity of Christ, or the sufficiency of the cross, or teaches that salvation is earned, then yes—they are promoting another gospel. But that is not what Calvinism does.

Calvinism is not a threat to the Gospel—it is an attempt to uphold the truth that “salvation belongs to the Lord“ (Psalm 3:8), from beginning to end.

Let us disagree if we must—but not divide over what we should still call family.

Why This Matters

You may be wondering to yourself, “Scott, why take the time to sort through all of this?” At the end of the day, does it really matter whether someone is a Calvinist or not? Isn’t it more important that we simply love Jesus?

Yes—and that’s precisely why this matters.

Because if we love Jesus, we should care deeply about what He has revealed about Himself, about the Gospel, about grace, and about how salvation works. The goal of theology is never to win arguments or build factions—it is to know God more deeply, to worship Him more truthfully, and to give glory to Him and live for Him more faithfully.

If you’ve spent your whole life avoiding Calvinism because of a caricature you were handed early on—maybe someone told you it’s unbiblical—I gently encourage you to examine it again. Not through internet debates or soundbites, but through Scripture. Look at how the Bible describes God’s sovereignty. Dive deep into the riches of Romans 9, Ephesians 1, John 6, and Acts 13. Look all through the Old Testament (as well as the New Testament) and see how every person, patriarch, prophet, and king was chosen by God. Even the Hebrews and the nation of Israel were chosen. See how God’s grace is not reactive but initiating. See how salvation is not a cooperative contract, but a divine rescue.

If you’re a Calvinist who’s been quick to argue and slow to love, then remember that doctrinal precision without love is just noise. (1 Corinthians 13:1) The sovereignty of God should never be a hammer to crush others—it should be a comforting pillow to rest your soul, to paraphrase Charles Spurgeon. You didn’t earn your salvation. So be kind to others who are still working these things out.

We will not all agree on every point of soteriology in this life. But we can agree that salvation belongs to the Lord (Psalm 3:8), that Jesus Christ is the only way (John 14:6), and that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).

What we believe about God’s grace shapes how we worship, how we evangelize, how we suffer, and how we rest. Calvinism, when rightly understood, leads not to pride or passivity, but to humility, holiness, and hope.

Not because we’ve figured it all out—but because God, in His mercy, has drawn near.

Soli Deo Gloria.