Articles
How Ezekiel 18 Destroys Calvinism
Calvinism (aka Reformed theology) is a doctrinal system promoted by, though not invented by, John Calvin in the 1500’s which has infiltrated almost every denomination today. Ezekiel 18 destroys it. The Calvinistic “Doctrines of Grace” are summarized by the acronym TULIP.
Total Hereditary Depravity means we’re born in sin. We don’t have free will because we’re enslaved to sin. We can make choices, we’re not robots, but because of our sinful nature, we’re incapable of choosing good or of coming to God on our own. Ezekiel 18 says we can. “When a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life.” (18:21). If we were enslaved to only make wicked choices, we wouldn’t be able to choose righteousness. “Yes, but without God’s supernatural intervention he couldn’t choose righteousness,” a Calvinist might reply. If so, why does the text say he saved his own life? God didn’t supernaturally save it for him. He made the choice available by His grace, and the wicked man chose life! (cf. Deut. 30:19-20; Joshua 24:15; Acts 2:40).
Unconditional Election means God chose before the foundation of the world who would be saved and who would be lost. It’s unconditional and has nothing to do with our own choices. It’s all about His choice. Ezekiel 18 says it’s not. “The person who sins will die.” (v. 20a). God doesn’t say, “The person I didn’t choose will die.” Nor does He say, “The person I’ve hand-selected before the foundation of the world will live.” He says, “If he walks in My statutes and My ordinances so as to deal faithfully, he is righteous and will surely live.” (18:9). If our salvation were based only on God’s choice, He’d choose to save everyone because He has “no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies.” (18:32). Ezekiel 18 shows us people are lost based on their own choices, not God’s (cf. Matthew 23:37; 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9).
Limited Atonement means Jesus only died on the cross to atone for those chosen for salvation. It wasn’t for all people; only for the elect. Ezekiel 18 doesn’t address the cross, but the entire basis for the chapter is the understanding that God’s blessings under the Law were available to all Jews, not just a select few. The blessings were there for anyone willing to obey. “I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.” (Deut. 30:19). On the cross, Jesus did the same thing; He set life and death before us all. Life for those who choose Him; death for those who don’t. (cf. John 3:16; 1 John 2:2 [emphasis on world]; 1 Tim. 2:6 [emphasis on all])
Irresistible Grace means we can’t reject God if we’re chosen by Him. If it’s God’s will to save us, His grace overpowers our resistance to Him and our hearts are softened and changed. Again, Ezekiel 18 says if that were the case, He would overpower and save everyone (18:32). What’s more, God doesn’t give us a new heart against our will. God makes the new heart available by His grace (Ezekiel 11:19), but it’s our choice to adopt it. “…Make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.” (18:31b). (cf. 2 Chron. 36:15-16; John 1:11).
Perseverance of the saints means since we’ve been chosen by God and His grace is irresistible, we can never be lost. If you do turn away from God, it means you were never one of the righteous in the first place. Ezekiel 18 disagrees. “When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness…all his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die.” (18:24). He doesn’t say, “If he turns away, he was never righteous in the first place.” He says his previous righteousness won’t matter. (cf. 2 Peter 2:20-22; Hebrews 6:4-6)
The truth is, the 5 doctrines of grace stand or fall together. Like a house of cards, if one falls, the rest go with it. Ezekiel 18 doesn’t just destroy one card; it takes them all down.
