Challenge to Anti-Calvinists:
Author of Sin / Author of Salvation
Many Anti-Calvinists claim that Calvinistic theology makes God the author of sin. Calvinists routinely deny this charge, and explain the difference between being merely a cause of sin, and being the doer of sin.
Too often, however, the focus of the rebuttal is simply on answering the false charge that Calvinism makes God the author of sin. What we sometimes forget is that there are implications to the anti-Calvinist's charges.
They say that if sin happens because God ordained it, then God, not man, is the author of sin.
CHALLENGE
IF you, as an anti-Calvinist make that argument, then answer this:
If that's the standard by which you decide authorship of sin, how do you attribute to God authorship of Salvation, in a way that does not make God the author of sin?
Argument 1) You may say, God is the author of Salvation, because He makes Salvation possible, by giving man a free will and the opportunity to be saved.
Response 1) But God also made Sin possible, by giving man a free will and the opportunity to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Argument 2) You may say, God is the author of Salvation, because Jesus' work is the basis of salvation.
Response 2) I respond:
a) that means that you define authorship one way to attack Calvinism, and another way to define your own doctrine;
b) isn't Jesus' work only part of the basis of salvation in your theology? After all, His work was supposedly for everyone, but not everyone is saved. That means that there is something else that is also a part of salvation: man's free will. Thus, if being a part of the process entitles one to authorship, then God is not "the" but only "an" author of salvation in your theology.
c) if you say that God is the author because he does the first thing along the path to salvation, then isn't God also the author of the rejection of His Son (by that standard) since he also does the first thing along that path, in your system?
Argument 3) God is neither the author of Sin or Salvation.
Response 3) I respond:
Hebrews 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
Praise be to the Author and Finisher of our Faith!
-Turretinfan
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