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Divine Calling and Election: A Comparison of Different Beliefs

 

The idea that “if we are truly called, we will overcome” is a deeply rooted theological concept, especially in Christian soteriology and eschatology. It’s often tied to doctrines of perseverance, divine election, and spiritual victory. Here's a breakdown of how this idea plays out:

✝️ Core Theological Themes

1. Divine Calling and Election

  • In Reformed theology, being “called” refers to God’s sovereign act of drawing individuals to Himself.
  • Romans 8:30 outlines a golden chain: “Those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.”
  • The implication: if God truly calls someone, their salvation and ultimate victory are assured.

2. Perseverance of the Saints

  • This doctrine teaches that those who are genuinely regenerated by God will persevere in faith until the end.
  • Overcoming is not a human achievement but a sign of divine grace at work.
  • Revelation repeatedly promises rewards “to the one who overcomes,” linking perseverance with eternal inheritance.

3. Spiritual Victory Through Christ

  • John 16:33: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
  • Believers overcome not by their own strength, but through union with Christ, who has already secured victory over sin, death, and the devil.

🛡️ What “Overcome” Means Biblically

  • Moral and spiritual triumph: resisting sin, enduring trials, remaining faithful.
  • Victory over worldly systems: not conforming to the values of a fallen world. This includes a sep3ration from the world in regards to godliness but also its political and economic systems.
  • Eschatological promise: inheriting eternal life, reigning with Christ, escaping the second death.

🧠 Theological Implications

  • If someone does not overcome, it may suggest they were never truly called (see 1 John 2:19).
  • Assurance of salvation is tied to the fruit of perseverance—not perfection, but enduring faith.
  • This idea challenges superficial or nominal belief and emphasizes transformation and endurance.

🧭 Views of Calling and Perseverance

1. Conditional Security

  • Arminian theology teaches that salvation is maintained through ongoing faith. A person may be genuinely called and saved, but they must continue in faith to remain in that state.
  • This contrasts with the Calvinist view of irresistible grace and perseverance of the saints, where true calling guarantees final salvation.

2. Possibility of Apostasy

  • Arminian theology affirms that believers can fall away from faith (apostasy) and lose salvation if they abandon their trust in Christ.
  • The Calvinist view is that apostasy is impossible for the truly called and elect. 
Our relationship with Christ is dynamic—not a one-time transaction but a living union that is sustained. John 15:4 is often cited: “Remain in me, just as I in you” or "abide in me just as I in you" which Jesus compares to a branch connected to a vine. It remains or abides and is nourished in the vine,

A dynamic faith involves abiding, continuous interaction and progress, where a believer's understanding and relationship with Jesus deepens over a lifetime. This contrasts with a "static" or stagnant religion based only on rituals or rules.

3. Free Will and Human Responsibility

  • Arminian theology emphasizes that humans have genuine free will to respond to God's grace and to continue in that grace.
  • Perseverance is not automatic; it involves cooperation with God’s grace through faith, obedience, and love.

🔄 Summary Comparison of Calvinist and Arminian Views

Doctrine Calvinism (True Calling = Overcoming)      Arminianism (Conditional Perseverance)
Nature of Calling Irresistible and effectual Resistible and conditional
Perseverance Guaranteed for the elect Required but not guaranteed
Apostasy Impossible for the truly called Possible for genuine believers
Role of Will Subordinate to divine sovereignty Central to maintaining salvation
Assurance of Salvation     Based on God's decree Based on continued faith

Arminians would say: “Yes, you were truly called—but you must remain in Christ to overcome.” It’s a theology of relational fidelity rather than predetermined outcome.

🧠 Foreknowledge In Regards To Election

This is a rich theological distinction, —one that shapes how entire traditions understand God's sovereignty and human freedom. Both Calvinists and Arminians affirm that God has foreknowledge, but they define and apply it very differently when it comes to election.

🔍 Calvinist View: Unconditional Election

  • Foreknowledge = Foreloving
    Calvinists interpret “foreknowledge” as God’s intimate, sovereign choice to love and elect certain individuals before time began—not merely knowing facts about them, but choosing them relationally and purposefully.

  • Election is unconditional
    God’s choice is not based on anything foreseen in the person (like future faith or good works). It’s rooted entirely in His will and grace.

    “Those whom He foreknew, He also predestined…” (Romans 8:29) is read as: God fore-loved and chose them.

  • God knows the future because He decrees it
    In this view, God’s foreknowledge flows from His sovereign plan. He knows what will happen because He ordained it.

🧠 Arminian View: Conditional Election

  • Foreknowledge = Foreseeing
    Arminians interpret foreknowledge as God’s awareness of future human choices. He sees who will freely respond to His grace and elects them based on that response.

  • Election is conditional
    God’s choice to save is contingent on a person’s future decision to believe.

    “God foreknew who would choose Him, so He elected them.”

  • God’s foreknowledge respects free will
    God doesn’t cause the choice—He simply knows it in advance. Election is a response to foreseen faith, not a cause of it.

🧩 Side-by-Side Summary

Concept Calvinism (Unconditional)         Arminianism (Conditional)
Foreknowledge God’s sovereign love and commitment       God’s foresight of human choices
Basis of Election God’s will alone Human response to grace
Role of Free Will Subordinate to divine decree Central to salvation
View of Romans 8:29       “Foreknew” = “Foreloved” “Foreknew” = “Foreseen faith”
Divine Sovereignty Absolute and determinative Cooperative with human freedom


Election plays out through God's foreknowledge, as seen in Romans 8:29. So either God sees the future and knows you will believe, so it is according belief. Or that you are chosen, Ephesians 1:3-4, before you did anything good or bad (like God choosing Jacob over Esau, Romans 9:10, Malachi 1:2-3), so it is according to grace. These distinctions affects everything from assurance of salvation to how we preach the gospel.


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