PARTIALITY - RESPECT OF PERSONS - AN ERROR OF CALVINISM

Calvinism, without biblical basis, restricts and limits God’s love and grace to a select minority. According to Calvin God deliberately and sovereignly chose to love and save only a few and predetermined the doom of the rest of humanity. This is a false doctrine, because Scripture teaches that there is no partiality or respect of persons with God. God loves the world (Jn. 3:16) and in Christ provides for the salvation of all. Those who are lost have none but themselves to blame. Consider the following texts:

2 Chronicles 19:7  “there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons”

Proverbs 24:23 “it is not good to have respect of persons in judgment”  (cf. 28:21)

Isaiah 45:22  “Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is none else.”

Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Luke 19:10  “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

John 1:29  “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 12:22  “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”

Acts 2:21  “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”

Romans 1:16  “…the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek”.

Romans 2:11  “there is no respect of persons with God.”

Romans 3:9  “they are all under sin.”

Romans 3:19 “…that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”

Romans 3:22-23  “for there is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God…”

Romans 5:6  “when we were yet without strength, Christ died for the ungodly.”   Not for “the elect”

Romans 5:8  “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”     “us” being the sinners, everyone

Romans 5:10  “when we were enemies”                   

these terms in verses 6, 8 and 10 describe all humanity:         

without strength, ungodly, sinners, enemies

Romans 5:12  “death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned”

Romans 5:15  “many be dead…the grace of God…that abounded unto many”     

many refers to all, not a limited number

Romans 5:18  “judgment came upon all men to condemnation…the free gift came unto all men…”

Romans 5:19  “by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners”     

· “many” here means all – see Ro. 3:23 “all have sinned”

Romans 5:19 “many shall be made righteous”

here it refers to believers Ro. 3:22  “upon all them that believe”

Romans 10:13 “for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”

Romans 11:32 “For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.”

Ephesians 6:9  “neither is there any respect of persons with him”

1 Timothy 2:4  “who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth”

1 Timothy 2:6  “who gave himself a ransom for all”

1 Timothy 4:10  “the Saviour of all men”

Titus 2:12 “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men”

Hebrews 2:9 “That he by the grace of God should taste death for every man”

2 Peter 2:1 “false teachers…even denying the Lord that bought them”    no limits to atonement

2 Peter 3:9  “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance”

1 John 2:2 “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Revelation 22:17 “And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”