Two Evangelical Views on Salvation

All Evangelical Christians embrace the Five Solas of the Protestant Reformation. This means that, because we belong to the same Protestant Evangelical heritage, Calvinist Evangelical Christians and Non-Calvinist Evangelical Christians historically affirm that salvation is by God’s grace alone (Sola Gratia), that salvation is through faith alone (Sola Fide) in Christ alone (Solus Christus), that our faith is based on Scriptures alone (Sola Scriptura), and that we live for the glory of God alone (Soli Deo Gloria). However, not all Evangelical Christians are Calvinistic in their soteriology. This also implies that, while we disagree with many of the finer points of their theology, we still consider many in the Reformed-Calvinist camp as brothers and sisters in Christ. Hence, we seek to become bearers of grace towards fellow believers who differ from our theological persuasions. 

Two Evangelical Views on Salvation

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There are at least two general streams of soteriological thoughts within the Evangelical Family — the Evangelical Calvinist View (decreetal theology) and the Evangelical Non-Calvinist View (whosoever will theology).

Evangelical Calvinist Views

Human nature is totally sinful and unable to save himself without God’s grace. The work of the Spirit is needed for human salvation. The gift of salvation is given only to the elect (the pre-chosen ones) and there are no conditions.

God loves only the elect. He desires to save only the elect.

Christ died only for all the elect. And the elect will surely be made to believe.

A person goes to heaven because God chose him. A person goes to hell because God did not choose him.

Salvation is God’s work (grace) from beginning to end. No human part.

Humans have no free will at all (determinist view) or they have constrained free will (compatibilist view). God controls and pre-determines all that humans will do by decreeing their actions in advance. All behaviors, beliefs, and desires are already fixed and pre-determined. It was pre-determined that everything would happen exactly as it would.

God is sovereign, in tight control of all and so ultimately the cause of all. God controls actions as God controls desires and their attendant thoughts and actions.

Salvation through predestination for the elect has been decided before the world began and even before humans were born. God grants the gift of salvation only to the elect, and only the elect ones are enabled to believe. The rest of humanity are not given the ability to believe at all.

Evangelical Non-Calvinist Views*

Human nature is totally sinful and unable to save himself without God’s grace. The work of the Spirit is needed for human salvation. The gift of salvation is offered to all people; the only condition is belief in Christ.

God loves every person in the world. He desires to save all people.

Christ died for all people. But only those who believe will be saved.

A person goes to heaven because he chose God. A person goes to hell because he did not choose God.

Salvation is both God’s initiative (grace) and human response (faith).

Humans have free will, and have the freedom to choose without external coercion, and their choices are not pre-determined. Free will allows the existence of the concepts of “good” and “evil” because people have the capacity to do either of those with the ability to have chosen the alternative. Forced love is not love at all.

God sovereignly delegated free choice to His creatures. So human freedom is a God- given power to make moral choices.

Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ. God offers the gift of salvation to everyone and all people are invited to respond in faith. Whosoever believes will be saved and given new life. We cannot initiate, attain, or be the source of our own salvation but we can receive it.

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*Non-Calvinist Evangelical Christians are fellow born-again believers from various theological persuasions, which include Provisionists, Molinists, Free Grace, Arminians, Free Will Baptists, General Baptists, Wesleyans, Lutherans, Pentecostals, Methodists, Mennonites, Brethren, Nazarenes, Evangelical Free, Anabaptists, Anglicans, and all believers who embrace “Whosoever Will” theologies.