Out of all the arguments for Calvinism, this is the one that I probably hear the most. It comes in a variety of forms but usually imagines two people under the influence of prevenient grace, suggesting that the one who responds positively should have some reason to boast over the one who did not. It is meant to imply that in Arminianism (which holds that God desires all to be saved and makes it possible for anyone who hears the Gospel to believe it and receive salvation) we can boast in our salvation, that we contribute something to our salvation, or that we must be better than others because of the choice we made that they did not (or something similar). Several posts and articles have been written here and elsewhere that address the various implications of this argument and I thought it would be good to gather them together in one post for easy reference since this argument continues to make the rounds:
Addressing the Calvinist Challenge: Why Did You Believe And Your Neighbor Did Not? (Brian Abasciano)
Is Faith a Work Created by Man?
The Fallacies of Calvinist Apologetics – Fallacy #9: Faith is Some Reason to Boast?
The Fallacies of Calvinist Apologetics – Fallacy #10: Wait, Now Faith is a Work?
Does Arminian Theology Suggest That We Depend on Ourselves Instead of Christ for Salvation?
Synergism as a Model for God’s Glory
Does Paul Support Calvinism’s View of Irresistible Grace in 1 Corinthians 4:7?
[This post was taken from Ben Henshaw’s blog. Here is a link to the original post and comments.]
