A John 3:16 Christian

 

How getting saved works for me.

 

 So, attending a Calvinist Church I have struggled for a while to accept the idea that God elects each Christian and through Grace Alone. That the whole process takes place automatically. No personal input required. As you can imagine this created a backlash back in the day. It created and entire counter movement called Arminianism which completely opposes Calvinism. Instead of Grace doing it all, Grace enables YOU to do it all. Prevenient Grace enables you to accept or reject the gospel and then it enables you to accept or reject the sanctifying acts of the Holy Spirit on a piece by piece basis.

 

Honestly, my opinion of all of this is that Calvinism has some of it right. We are elected from the foundation of the world and we are totally depraved. We are justified by our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus. We are entirely sanctified by the Holy Spirit over the course of our lives and presented to the Almighty God perfect in the resurrection.

The Arminians also have some of it right that we are elected by being foreseen rather than predestined. We are drawn to Christ through the hearing of the gospel under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Through grace we have the choice to believe on Christ Jesus or to reject Him as our Savior. As to whether we are sanctified on choice by choice basis. I don't believe so personally. As I mentioned before I believe the Holy Spirit sanctifies us during the course of our lives. We don't inherently have that ability as fallen men ourselves

 

However, other than justification in Christ Jesus and sanctification by the Holy Spirit. I don't really think the contentions of the Calvinists and the Arminians matter all that much. Some people get very agitated over it all and I have to confess to being profoundly caught up in the controversy about election and double predestination myself but it is just a storm in a tea cup compared to the real battle for the hearts and minds of men and women, between God and Satan.

 

Hence the great commission of Matthew 28 verses 19-20 "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

 

From <https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/mat/28/1/s_957001>

 

So, in the end I'm just a John 3:16 Christian, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." I believe in the redemptive work of Christ Jesus on the Cross and I shall not perish but inherit eternal life. My sins are washed away by His blood, the blood of the Lamb of God shed on that Cross at Calvary.

 

From <https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/jhn/3/16/p0/t_bibles_1000016>

 

It's a simple gospel and a simple faith both of which are gifts of God. You should try it.