We continue to think about the real issue between Calvinism and Arminianism, as stated by Edward Griffin, and that is the difference between divine efficiency and of a self-determining power. Calvinism stresses that Scripture teaches that God alone is the power or efficient in salvation and Arminianism by necessity of its belief in a free-will holds to some form of self-determining power. If divine efficiency is true, then salvation is by grace and grace alone. If human beings have a self-determining power of any kind, even to the smallest degree, and it is involved in salvation, then salvation is not by grace alone.
It is in light of the distinction given to us by Edward Griffin that the words of John Owen hit us with even more relevance and power. We saw several BLOGS ago that Owen referred to free-will as an idol. This certainly sounds puzzling to many ears, but when we see that the real issue between Calvinism and Arminianism is over which power the sinner is to trust in to be saved, we see that Owen does indeed have ground to stand on when he makes that assertion. If we do not see that a human being must trust in grace alone by grace alone to be saved or to trust in grace by his own self-determining power, we might miss what John Owen is saying. It is from this position that we can also see that the character of God is also drastically changed as one goes between these positions. It is also easy to see that the evangelism practiced, whether by a professing Arminian or a professing Calvinist, of necessity would be changed as well. The Arminian will declare many things that are true, but according to the system, the evangelist must press upon the sinner to make a choice and accept the proffered grace. The Reformed system, at least as understood by those in previous centuries, was to press upon the sinner to give up all hope in himself and his own will and power. As we have seen earlier, Martin Luther wrote that a person must give up all hope in his own power in order to be saved. Things have changed drastically in our day.
A Baptist theologian from the 1800’s (Alexander Carson) writes about the sovereignty of God using strong language. Speaking of Scripture, he says, “The style of it is indeed truly in wisdom, but it is in sovereign wisdom. It strikes continually at the pride of man. God sends the message of mercy in such a way that many cry out that they will rather expose themselves to his wrath than receive such a forgiveness.” The Gospel does not offer mercy to the proud or those who trust in themselves or in their own power, but it is to the humbled. The Gospel is an offer to those that are broken from trust in themselves. Christ told those who were weary and heavy-laden to come to Him. He came to save sinners, not the righteous. Let us continue on with some more words of Carson:
“Even the rejection of revelation will not relieve from the evidence the sovereignty of God. The way of the God of Providence are in sovereignty as well as those of the God of the Bible. It is impossible to deny sovereignty, consistently with the admission of perfect power and wisdom in the Ruler of the world…The sovereignty of God is most illustriously displayed in the gospel. It meets us at the very threshold, in the fact that Christ interposed for man and not for fallen angels…In the redemption of sinners, sovereignty offends human wisdom with respect to its extent. Why are not all men saved from hell? The sovereignty of God is so offensive to the proud heart of man, that every expedient of artifice has been employed to banish it from the Bible…Nothing more strongly shows the enmity of the human heart to this part of the divine character, than the forced attempts of learning and ingenuity to expel it from the ninth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans. Every engine of torture has been employed to make the apostle retract, prevaricate, or soften. But all in vain. The obstinate witness, after every sinew is cracked, after every joint is dislocated, still cries, “Sovereignty, sovereignty, not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God who showeth mercy.”
Here we see one huge difference between the systems of thought. Calvinism looks to Romans 9 and bows to the God who tells us that it is not of him that wills or runs, but of God who shows mercy. When the text tells us that it is not of him that wills but is of God who shows mercy, we should understand that a person is not saved because of a free-will but solely because of the mercy of God. In terms of the efficient of salvation, it is the will and mercy of God and not the will of man. The text tells us what the efficient is and what it is not. We can see why Owen says it is an idol to trust in our own free-will as that which is able to apply grace to ourselves since God alone can show grace. We see in the words of Carson why people resist this so much. It is because they are offended at the sovereignty of God and want to rule themselves. They are offended at His sufficiency in His sovereignty and want to be at least partly sufficient in themselves. Are you offended or ashamed of His sovereignty in evangelism?
God Loves... Himself 
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