The Calvinist misapprehends faith as a meritorious work if it is other than what God alone grants to the sinner. That is, the Calvinists insists that it must be God alone who “effects” faith in those he has unconditionally elected to be saved, otherwise faith becomes a contribution, a work, or meritorious on the part of the sinner towards their salvation. If it depends upon the sinner himself to believe to any degree, then according to the Calvinist, the sinner can boast in their “work” of believing. Hence, salvation would not be “all of God.” Therefore, on Calvinism, elect persons are “totally passive” with respect to their salvation.1 If we maintain that ultimately the sinner is able and therefore responsible to exercise faith, the Calvinist concludes that the sinner has contributed to their own salvation. But is this what the Bible teaches? And is it true that the non-Calvinist position fails to affirm that salvation is “all of God?”
Addressing this last question first, we can see that this a matter of semantics. Non-Calvinists affirm that salvation is “all of God.” We just think that the Bible also affirms that faith, if it is the responsibility of the sinner, is not meritorious and therefore does not negate the fact that salvation is “all of God.” Salvation is “all of God” in the sense in which the scriptures affirm it is. Salvation is “all of God” because it is God who has purposed, planned, and accomplished salvation in Christ Jesus for the whole human race. Indeed, it was while we were yet sinners that Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8). Salvation certainly is all of God. Yet, God’s completed work of salvation, which exhibits his grace and love for us, is appropriated by the sinner by faith, that is, by believing the gospel message and personally trusting in Christ for salvation and committing oneself to him as Lord the sinner is saved. This aspect of faith or believing is also what God planned as essential to salvation. God sovereignly predestined that it is the sinner who must believe in order to be saved. This is the teaching of Scripture. Therefore, Paul can state in Eph. 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith” (ESV) or “For you are saved by grace through faith” (CSB). Let’s look at this passage more closely.
From Ephesians 2:8 and 9 the Calvinist attempts to find support for his view that faith is given by God only to the elect who are unconditionally chosen for salvation. There Paul writes,
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God – not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” (NRSV, Updated Edition)
Or,
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (ESV)
The Greek texts reads,
8 τῇ γὰρ χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι διὰ πίστεως· καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον· 9 οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων, ἵνα μή τις καυχήσηται. (SBLGNT)
The problem is that the Calvinist claims that “the gift of God” in verse 8 is faith. They therefore interpret the verse as faith “is not your own doing” and therefore is granted by God as “the gift of God” only to those chosen for salvation. Only the elect can and will receive this “gift” of faith from God so no one can boast in the “work” of believing. Faith, as caused by God, also accords with the Calvinist’s deterministic doctrines of an “effectual call” and “unconditional election.”
But New Testament scholar A. T. Robertson points out that the grammar and context will not allow for such an interpretation. He observes that back in verse 5 Paul inserted into his flow of thought the phrase “by grace you have been saved.” That phrase is repeated in verse 8 with the additional phrase “through faith.” Robertson exegetes verse 8 as follows:
“8. For by grace. Explanatory reason. “By the grace” already mentioned in verse 5 and so with the article. Through faith. This phrase he adds in repeating what he said in verse 5 to make it plainer. “Grace “is God’s part, “faith” ours. And that. Neuter, not feminine taute, and so refers not to pistis (feminine) or to charis (feminine also), but to the act of being saved by grace conditioned on faith on our part. Paul shows that salvation does not have its source (ex humon, out of you) in men, but from God. Besides, it is God’s gift (doron) and not the result of our work.”2
What this means is that “the gift of God” is not faith as the Calvinist mistakenly understands this verse. “The gift of God” is the way of salvation or the whole work of salvation accomplished by God in Christ. That “by grace you have been saved” is “the gift of God.” Here’s why. In verse 5 Paul interjected the phrase “by grace you have been saved.” But now in verse 8 the article is included, so literally, “for by the grace you have been saved…” So this phrase explains and identifies the particular nature of the work of salvation. Salvation has come about by the grace of God. Here the Calvinist will agree, but he also has faith in mind as granted by God to certain one’s chosen for salvation. But that would be incorrect, because now, right after this phrase “by grace you have been saved” in verse 8, Paul adds the phrase “through faith.” This expands upon what he said in verse 5 and is repeated here again in verse 8. His expansion adds the element of faith which Robertson explains as ““Grace” is God’s part, “faith” is ours.” And this is correct because the next phrase “and that” is neuter in gender and cannot refer to either “faith” or “grace” which are both feminine in gender. Rather, it refers to the salvation mentioned here. Paul could have used, and should have used, the feminine form of “and that” if he wanted to refer back to “faith” or “grace,” but he did not. Therefore, by using the neuter form of the demonstrative pronoun “this” (τοῦτο), Paul is referring to σεσῳσμένοι [lit. “have been saved”] or God’s having brought to pass our salvation in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Robertson sums it up as “the act of being saved by grace conditioned on faith on our part.” The demonstrative pronoun “this” (τοῦτο) refers to salvation. If the Calvinist insists the neuter demonstrative pronoun “this” refers to salvation which includes faith, I submit to you that the fuller context of the Ephesian letter along with so many passages in Romans and Jesus’ own ministry as recorded in the gospels do not allow for the Calvinist’s claim that faith is granted by God to a limited number based on their being chosen by God for salvation. Rather, faith is everywhere spoken of as the responsibility of the sinner. Moreover, God having brought to pass our salvation in the death and resurrection of Jesus is of course apart from “works” so that “no one may boast.” It is precisely because Paul’s “this” is referring to salvation that his following thought is about “this” being “not of yourselves” (CSB) or “not your own doing” (ESV). That God has provided a way of salvation is “the gift of God” (ESV) or “God’s gift” (CSB) to us. (See Romans 5) This is to say that salvation is not “a result of works” (ESV) or “from works” (CSB), as if God was beholden to the Jew who attempted to keep the Torah and could boast in his obedience to it. Paul has come to understand by the direct revelation of God (Gal. 1:11,12) what constitutes the gospel message. He realizes that the demands and expectations and assumptions of his Judaism, in and of itself, are inadequate. And although Paul was a stellar example of “the righteousness that is in the law” (Phil. 3:3-6), he has come to see that salvation is “the gift of God” and it is received on the basis established by God with Abraham, that is, by faith. It is the one who has faith in Christ that is saved. Paul writes in Romans that,
“But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets. The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God presented him as the mercy seat by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.
Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a law of faith. For we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.” (Rom. 3:21-30, CSB. Note: In v. 24 the ESV has “are justified by his grace as a gift,…”)
Note that redemption is “in Christ Jesus.” Jesus was presented as “the mercy seat” (“propitiation,” ESV). God presented him to “demonstrate his righteousness” so that “he would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (ESV) So Paul concludes that this “gift” is received through faith apart from “works” “so that no one may boast” (ESV) or “so that no one can boast” (CSB). Truly, what God has done for us in salvation has displayed “the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 2:7, CSB)
Hence, “the gift of God” is not faith as the Calvinist must have it as subsumed under the doctrines of total inability and unconditional election. “The gift of God” is the salvation accomplished by God in Christ. God’s grace to us is found in the saving work of Christ. Indeed, we are “called…in the grace of Christ” (Gal. 1:6, NRSV, ESV) or “called…by the grace of Christ” (CSB). That is another way of speaking about the gospel and its proclamation.
Now, if objectively it is by God’s grace that we have been saved (i.e., provided the way of salvation which we did not deserve and is not our own doing), then we become saved, subjectively, that is, with respect to ourselves, “through faith.” It’s God grace that brings to pass that by which we are objectively saved. This occurred in the person and work of Christ. God loves you and Jesus died for you. (Jn. 3:16; Rom 5:8, et al.) Such grace is God’s part. Faith is our humble response to that grace, and only in that sense, our part. Christ has fully accomplished salvation on our behalf. Faith is the condition God places upon the sinner to receive that salvation.
Therefore, Ephesians 2:8-9 does not support the Calvinist’s contention that it is God who gives faith as a gift only to those he has unconditionally elected to salvation.
Let’s examine other important passages that also refute the Calvinist view of faith.
1 G. I. Williamson, The Westminster Confession of Faith for Study Classes, ch. X, “Of Effectual Calling,” (Phillipsburg: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1978), 88.
2 Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, vol. 4, (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1931), 525.
The Truth of the Gospel 