When people ask me the question, “Are you a Calvinist?” my answer is usually, “It depends on what you think a Calvinist is!” This isn’t an attempt to be evasive or deceptive. Rather, it’s a recognition that most people who have a negative, gut-level reaction to the idea of “Calvinism” are also asking questions that are really objections. These objections are typically based on one of several misconceptions about what “Calvinists” actually believe. Here are the most common misconceptions people have when it comes to “Calvinism.”

“If God is sovereign over all things, including salvation, that means God is the author of evil and God is responsible for sending people to hell.” To be sure, Calvinists do believe that God is sovereign over all things, including salvation. However, no real Calvinist believes that God is the author of evil or that God is responsible for sending people to hell. Calvinists believe James 1:13 which says God cannot be tempted with evil, nor does God tempt anyone with evil. God is clearly sovereign over evil (see Job 1-2), and God certainly ordains evil (see the suffering of Joseph and the crucifixion of Jesus), but this doesn’t mean God is the author of evil. Reformed theologians often make a distinction between primary and secondary causes, insisting that God is not the primary cause of evil in the world. Furthermore, the clear teaching of the Bible is that those who spend eternity in hell are receiving the just reward for their sins. Calvinists believe in human responsibility (even if they don’t believe in a libertarian view of free-will that doesn’t reckon with the fall of mankind and the depravity of human beings). Even Calvinists who believe in “double-predestination” would insist that unbelievers spend eternity in hell because of their heinous sin against the holy, holy, holy God.

“If God is sovereign over all things, including salvation, that means evangelism is irrelevant and God is going to save whoever he decides to save.” To be sure, Calvinists do believe that God is sovereign over all things, including salvation. However, no real Calvinist believes that evangelism is irrelevant or that God will save people apart from the preaching of the gospel and the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. Calvinists believe Romans 10:13-17 which says everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved – but those who call on Jesus have to first hear about Jesus, which means someone has to first preach about Jesus, which requires someone to be sent. God uses ordained means (the preaching the gospel) to accomplish his ordained ends (the salvation for the elect). Furthermore, Calvinists are solid on the question of exclusivism – only those who hear the gospel, experience the regenerating work of the Spirit, repent of their sins, and believe in Jesus Christ will be saved. Thus, evangelism and missions are both essential and urgent. Historically, there are many examples of Calvinists being deeply and sacrificially committed to the work of taking the gospel to those who have never heard (William Carey, George Whitefield, Hudson Taylor, Adoniram Judson, Charles Simeon, Henry Martyn, David Brainerd, Charles Spurgeon, Francis Schaeffer, John Eliot, John Stott, D. James Kennedy).

“If God is sovereign over all things, including salvation, that means our choices have no meaning and our actions are pre-programmed and determined.” To be sure, Calvinists do believe that God is sovereign over all things, including salvation. However, no real Calvinist believes that human beings are merely pre-programmed robots whose lives and actions and decisions have no moral significance. Calvinists believe Romans 3:23 and 6:23, all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, and the wages of our sin is death. Our sinful hearts move us to commit actual sins, and our sins have real and eternal consequences. Some Calvinists prefer the language of Luther who wrote about the “bondage of the will.” Others prefer the language of Edwards who wrote about the “freedom of the will.” Both men believed that human beings have a will that makes morally significant decisions and choices. And, both men believed that all human beings are born in a state of sin so that – apart from the gracious intervention of God – we always and only choose sin. Luther spoke of bondage to emphasize sin’s control over our wills, while Edwards spoke of freedom to emphasize that our wills were free to choose what we wanted – which, apart from God’s gracious intervention is always and only sin. Thus, Calvinists certainly believe that our choices have meaning, and these meaningful choices are made by our wills – wills that apart from the miracle of regeneration are warped and bound by sin. True freedom is only experienced by those who are born again.