Calvinism, Arminianism, So What?
Wikipedia - Calvinism
Wikipedia - Arminianism
Wikipedia - Lutheranism
Wikipedia - Amyraldism
"The Five Points of Calvinism", R. L. Dabney

• Important as it is that we recognize God working in us, I would yet warn against a too-great preoccupation with the thought. It is a sure road to sterile passivity. God will not hold us responsible to understand the mysteries of election, predestination and the divine sovereignty. The best and safest way to deal with these truths is to raise our eyes to God and in deepest reverence say, "O Lord, Thou knowest." Those things belong to the deep and mysterious Profound of God's omniscience. Prying into them may make theologians, but it will never make saints.
  • A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

The Five Points of Calvinism:

1. Total depravity (Original Sin)
2. Unconditional election (God's Election)
3. Limited atonement (Particular Redemption)
4. Irresistible grace (Effectual Calling)
5. Perseverance of the Saints

Five Points of Arminianism

1. God from all eternity predestined to eternal life those of whom He foresaw that they would remain steadfast in faith to their end.
2. Christ died for all mankind, not only for the elect.
3. Man cooperates in his conversion by free will.
4. Man may resist divine grace.
5. Man may fall from divine grace.

From John MacArthur:

• Do you believe God is sovereign in salvation?
• Do you believe God chooses who will be saved?
• Do you believe the Father draws?
• Do you believe the Son keeps?
• Do you believe the Son raises?
• Do you believe that whosoever may come?
• Do you believe that God finds no pleasure in the death and judgement of the wicked?
• Do you believe that Jesus wept because sinners would not repent?
• Are you willing to call all sinners to repent?
• Do you believe they are responsible if they do not come?

Well, how do you harmonize that? I don't know. I don't know how to harmonize that. Well, you're asking too much of me - I'm not God. You want my little peanut, pea, pusillanimous brain to grasp that? Give me a break! It's not my problem. But, the one thing I can't do is deny what scripture says.

This will comfort you... Who wrote Romans? This is basic Christianity 101 here. Who wrote Romans? Can't answer the question, can you? Why? All of Paul? All his vocabulary? All his heart, all his thoughts? All his words? All of God? And yet not mechanical? Since you did so well on that question, I'll ask you another one. Who lives your christian life? God? So you want to hold Him responsible for the condition of your christian life? Who lives your christian life? This is pretty basic, right? You're doing it right now - every day. Who's living your christian life? You say "I am". Really? You say "God is". I don't know if you could convince everyone who knows you. You can't even answer that question. Listen to what Paul said: "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless, I live. Yet, not I." He didn't know either. He said this is the divine mystery. It's all of me and all of Him, and what's wrong is me and what's right is Him. In every major doctrine of the bible, in in every major doctrine you have an apparent paradox that you can not resolve. I know that I am kept eternally, secured by God, but I also know that I am commanded to persevere in faith. Two sides of the same thing. I know that I can't be saved unless I am chosen and called, and I know I can't be saved unless I am willing to repent and believe. I don't have to harmonize it, but nor can I deny those things. And in the end, mark it, folks, God will get all the glory for every righteous thing that is done, because it is all His work. So, rather than answering the question by removing your confusion, I just spread your confusion over a wider area. And you rest in the fact that you don't need to grasp the mysteries that are clear in the mind of the Eternal God.

MacArthur’s INCREDIBLE Take on Arminianism Vs Calvinism

John 3:16 NASB95
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

1 Timothy 4:10 NASB95
For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.

Mat 26:28
For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

2 Peter 2:1
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.

1 John 2:2
and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

1 Timothy 2:4
who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge (or recognition) of the truth.

Heb 2:9
But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.

Titus 2:11 NASB95
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

Ephesians 5:25 NASB95
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,

Romans 11:33-36 NASB95

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.