A Comparison Between Moderate & Historic Calvinism
|
Moderate Calvinism Norman Giesler |
Historic Calvinism James White | |
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Sovereignty of God |
God is Sovereign / Man is Absolutely Free (Mystery) |
God is Sovereign/Man’s Will in Bondage (No Mystery) |
|
Decrees of God |
Passive |
Positive (Active) |
|
Love of God |
Universal / Unlimited (God’s love is persuasive but not coercive) |
Special (Efficacious) in One Sense / Universal (Common Grace) in Another Sense |
|
Will of God |
God Desires all Men to be Saved (Does not hold to Two Senses) |
Two Senses of God’s Will Decretive Will / Prescriptive Will |
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Will of Man |
Absolutely Free |
Enslaved, but not Destroyed |
|
Ability of Man |
Man is Commanded to Believe So He Must Be Able to Believe |
Man has a duty to Believe But He is Not Able To Believe |
|
Grace of God |
Works Synergistically on Free Will/ Must Be Received to be Effective/ (Resistible on the Unwilling/ Irresistible on the Willing) |
Works Monergistically/ Can Be Resisted (Common Grace)/ Irresistible/Efficacious (Special Grace) |
|
Salvation |
Conditioned Upon Man's Faith (Salvation is a Gift, But not Faith) |
Dependent on God's Sovereign Will & Grace/ Conversion (Faith &Repentance) is a Gift of God's Grace |
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Regeneration |
Two Nature View (Old & New) Conditional Regeneration (Faith Precedes Regeneration) |
New Human Nature Unconditional Regeneration (Regeneration Precedes Faith) |
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Atonement |
Unlimited (Universal)/ Substitutionary/ Only Provides Salvation/ Conditioned on Believing |
Particular (Definite/Limited)/ Also has benefits to the non-elect/ Substitutionary/ Actually Secures Salvation for the Elect |
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Election |
Conditional from the vantage point of the Receiver / Unconditional from the vantage point of the Giver |
Unconditional/ Depends on God's Sovereign Will |
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Original Sin |
Able to Believe/ Spiritually Dead, but Grace Works Synergistically with Faith |
Not Able to Believe/ Spiritually Dead/ Must Be Regenerated |
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Eternal Security |
Preservation by God (Man does not necessarily persevere) |
Preservation by God & Perseverance by Man |
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Predestination |
Rooted in God's Passive Decrees |
Rooted in God's Positive Decrees |
