Calvinists believe that God elected or chose certain people to be saved. If we believed Jesus Christ for our salvation, it’s not because of our own free will, it’s because God chose us to be that way.
John 6:44 “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
This is their proof text that God picks and chooses. Nobody can come to God out of his or her free choice unless the Father draws us to Him. We believe only if the Father draws us.
The reason why they could not have the Father drawing them to begin with, is that they refused the Father to draw them to Him, they wanted to come to their own terms of being drawn by God rather than following God’s own terms.
Matthew 15:3 “But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?“
Matthew 15:6 “And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.”
Matthew 15:8-9 “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
In v3, they go by their tradition here rather than God’s commandment. In v8, notice that these people are trying to be drawn to God. Remember Calvinists argue that we can’t be drawn to God unless the Father draws us. Here’s an example of people trying to draw themselves to God. v9 but it’s in vain, this drawing is wrong.
Matthew 15 showed that these people tried to draw to God but they’re rejected because they went to their own terms of drawing (traditions). Jesus kept emphasizing there that they go by their tradition rather than God’s commandment. They rejected the word of God/God’s commandment on His own terms of drawing. This becomes an even stronger point because this shows God gave a command on how to be drawn and they rejected that command. This disproves Calvinism because they believe when God commands something, ‘I draw you to Me’, they’ll automatically be drawn.
Psalms 69:18 “Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies.”
Notice that these people have the ability to be drawn to God.
But Calvinists say that we can’t be drawn to God unless the Father draws us. Then why are there verses where they want to be drawn by God?
In order for the Father to draw us, then all we have to do is to go by His terms.
What does it mean ‘the Father draws you’? What it means is we come to His terms, in our case it’s accepting Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. When we believe and accept the Lord Jesus Christ, then the Father draws us. Calvinists think it’s the Father drawing first then believing. We believe it’s believing first then the Father draws us. If that’s not what it means then ask them, ‘What does that mean, the Father draws you? How does He do that?’
Psalms 73:28 “But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.”
The drawing to God is explained in this case when we trust in God.
The drawing to Him is defined by people having the ability to do that, not people who are unable to do that.
James 4:8 “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”
Notice here also explained to them how to draw nigh to God, that’s how the Father will draw them to Him.
Why would God command them to be drawn and yet there are a lot of lost people who reject that drawing? That debunks Calvinism.
We believe that to be drawn by God is that we got to believe first. But Calvinist would argue the other way round. But if we keep harping to them, ‘What does it mean, the Father drawing him, how does He do that? Can you tell me the details?’ They might stutter. In order to prove themselves, these are the verses they’re going to use.
John 6:37 “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”
John 6:39 “And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.”
John 6:65 “And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.“
John 6:40 “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
v37, 39, 65 are their crux argument where no man can come to Him for salvation unless the Father does something first. In v39 the Father gives to the son first, then in v40 we believe.
Here’s the easy argument against this, how do they know in v40 all who believe on the son, that’s why in v39 the Father gives to the Son? How did they not know that v40 is further explaining v39?
Nowhere is a passage in all of John 6 where God enforces anyone to come to Christ for salvation. It only said whoever God gives to the Son will come to Him for salvation. The simple answer to that is those who come to Christ are the ones who believed in Him. All it’s saying here is that God gives the Son who comes to Him for salvation and those who come for salvation are the ones who believed in Him first, not after the drawing.
John 6:24-29 “When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus. And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.“
v24 these people were seeking for Jesus. In v27 Jesus said God’s going to give to them, in v28 they’re asking what is that work. v29 is very important” the reason why they can’t come to Christ and the Father cannot draw them is because they failed to believe in Jesus.
Calvinists are liberally biased, they jumped all the way to v30 onwards and ignored v20 onwards.
John 6:30 “They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?”
John 6:36 “But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.”
v30 they’re asking Him about believing. v36 Jesus said that they have seen me believe not, that’s why He said v37 (the Calvinist verse). Why v37? Because v36, believing first.
In all of Calvinist’s debates, we have to overlook all their technical, philosophical wordplay. Find out if there is a condition involved in every Calvinist doctrine. When we look at that, we can easily dismantle Calvinism.
Here’s another argument against Calvinist: if the ones given by the Father to the Son were enforced to believe as Calvinist argue, then why does Jesus even bother commanding them to believe at v29? Not only that, why were they able to resist this belief when Jesus said believe? They resisted at v36.