Calvinists are inconsistent with their own theology on this point of faith as a “gift” which God grants only to His elect. Calvinist Philip Ryken, former pastor of the Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia and now President of Wheaton College, stated the following in his 2011 internet Christmas greeting to the alumni of the college.
“The gifts that we give and receive at Christmas, or any other time of year, echo the greatest of all gifts, God incarnate, Jesus Christ, the savior of the world. In sending us the Son, God has provided everything that we need, and he’s done it by giving everything that he had, especially on the cross where Jesus died. As we take this greatest gift by faith, we receive a new vision of what God wants us to be and what God wants us to do. We also receive a wonderful promise, that one day God will bring us home to himself. In this Christmas season your friends at Wheaton College wish you the joy of the greatest of all gifts.” 1
Dr. Ryken presents “Jesus Christ” as “the savior of the world.” So, what does Ryken mean by this? It would be reasonable for the reader to think that by “world” Ryken, is referring to everyone. But we know that is not what his doctrine of unconditional election teaches. Ryken tells us that Jesus is the “the greatest of all gifts” and states that this gift provides “everything that we need,” which surely in this context includes salvation (i.e., Jesus is “the savior” and “the promise, that…God will bring us home.”) But who is the “we” Ryken is referring to? All of us? The “world?” It would be reasonable to take this “we” as referring at least to those reading these words, let alone to all people. Does Ryken intend the “we” to refer only to elect believers? He must intend that because that is what his theology requires. But he does not write so as to make this clear. He does not write in a way that reflects his underlying theology. Indeed, the meaning of what he does write is contrary to his theology. And that is the issue to note here.
He also says that we “take this greatest gift by faith.” We know what the Calvinist believes about the nature of faith. Ryken’s underlying theology teaches that God must regenerate the elect “we” first before they can exhibit this faith and that faith is also a “gift” that must be granted to them by God (Eph. 2:8, ESV). But there is nothing here that would make us think that the elect “we” must be given this faith by God as his theology states. There is nothing here that leads us to think that the elect “we” either must be regenerated prior to believing and that it is God who causes the elect “we” to believe as a “gift.” What is reasonable to take away from Ryken’s words here is that God has given us all a “gift” in Jesus Christ and that anyone can take “this greatest gift” simply “by faith” or believing in this message that Jesus is “the savior of the world.” It is reasonable to take away from Ryken’s words that since it is a “gift,” that anyone can receive it as a “gift” and be saved. The message here is that “we,” as in everyone, are provided salvation by what Jesus did on the cross and that the exercise of faith, or believing, which is something we do, is the means by which that salvation comes to us, along with a “new vision” of God’s will and a “home” in heaven.
My point is that there is nothing in what Ryken writes here that reflects his limited and exclusive soteriology or theology in general. There is nothing here about salvation applying only to a limited number of people whom God chose to receive it and thereby he grants them, and only them, first regeneration and then faith. Indeed, the major issue here is that his words lead us to believe otherwise; that the gift is salvation in Jesus Christ, “the savior of the world,” who may be received by any sinner by faith without qualification.
My contention is that Ryken could have and should have said precisely what his theological and soteriological doctrines demand, especially in that Calvinists claim their “doctrines of grace” are the biblical gospel. Ryken gives a summary of the gospel here. But in doing so his Calvinist soteriological doctrines are nowhere to be found. Indeed, the opposite is the case. His presentation accords more with non-Calvinist soteriology. Again, Calvinists claim their “doctrines of grace” are the biblical gospel. But if that is so, one would think that they would take every opportunity to present those “doctrines of grace” when speaking and writing about the “good news.” You would think Ryken would do so here, but he does not. He does not because I contend that it is impossible for Ryken to proclaim his soteriology as “good news.” This is why he and all other Calvinists do not talk of their “doctrines of grace” when they want to present the gospel to their readers or listeners. In that context, as we see here, they speak as if they were non-Calvinists. In doing this they are being disingenuous and duplicitous, let alone inconsistent. And that is the point to note. Obviously Ryken desires his message here to remain one of saving hope, true joy and the promise of heaven to all those who may hear it. But his “doctrines of grace” simply cannot provide such hope and the promise of salvation. From this I conclude that a theology and soteriology that cannot be put into the service of the gospel or truly “good news” evangelism is not what the Bible teaches.
Granted, Ryken may respond that for the sake of brevity he could not expand his thoughts with theological depth and consistency, but the point is that what he does say is not just brief but misleading. To be consistent with his theology, and remain concise, Ryken should have said something along the lines of “As God’s elect are granted the faith to receive this greatest gift…” or “As God gives his elect ones this greatest gift of salvation by regenerating them and granting them the gift of faith…” These statements would accurately reflect his soteriology and still be brief and to the point. But such statements would not be “good news.” Furthermore, such statements would be biblically and linguistically convoluted. Gifts are either received or rejected by those to whom they are offered. The implication of the language of a gift is that it is without cost, may be accepted, and yet may also be refused. In this case, the gift of Jesus Christ and salvation is received by faith or rejected through continued unbelief. This is the response of the person being offered the gift to the person [God] giving the gift. How then is faith also a gift granted by God to an unknown limited number of elect sinners who are being offered the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ? Faith as a “gift” that God irresistibly effects only in his elect ones turns the gift metaphor of the salvation that is offered in Jesus Christ into a meaningless confusion. Furthermore, does God offer the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ to any of the non-elect without also effectually producing the “gift” of faith in them? This would render the message of the provision of “everything that we need” and the “wonderful promise” and “joy in the greatest of gifts” null and void for many. And that should be made clear because that is what Ryken believes. To write otherwise is disingenuous.
Some final summary thoughts. I would like to ask Dr. Ryken who are the “we” and the “us” he speaks of, and what he means by Jesus Christ being the savior of “the world.” In addition, if we are saved by faith, then it would seem that on Calvinism “the greatest of all gifts” as far as the “wonderful promise that one day God will bring us home to himself” is concerned, is not primarily Jesus Christ, but the “gift” of faith. The “greatest of all gifts” – “God incarnate, Jesus Christ, the savior of the world” – is meaningless to all those who have not been predestined for salvation. Indeed, God has not provided “everything that we need” in Jesus Christ if “we” are not among those predetermined to also “receive” the “gift” of faith. On Ryken’s Calvinism we are not actually or ontologically saved “by taking this greatest gift by faith” but only by being one of the elect; those chosen by God to be saved. That decision was made in eternity past and nothing in the present can change that divine decree regarding our eternal destinies. This is Reformed Calvinist soteriology. It is what Ryken believes theologically, but it is not what Ryken clearly communicates verbally.
1 http://www2.wheaton.edu/alumni/christmas/2011/greeting/ Note: This link is no longer associated with Dr. Ryken’s greeting.
The Truth of the Gospel 