I Love Calvinism Because it is Trinity-Centered

I am an unashamed Calvinist because the Calvinistic view of salvation is a Trinity-Centered view of salvation. The same cannot be said of what is taught in most evangelical churches today.

In most churches, the Arminian view of salvation reigns supreme. Even in most Baptist churches, where the members believe in perseverance of the saints, the overall view of salvation does not emphasize God's sovereignty.

Much of today's evangelical teachings about salvation emphasize the work of Christ on the cross (this is a good thing), BUT these teachings leave out the Father's role and the Holy Spirit's role. While Jesus' work is discussed over and over, the Father and Spirit are treated as sideline spectators in the entire salvation process.

The Father is seen by many as doing little more than hoping everyone is saved. The Holy Spirit is seen as the member of the Trinity who is ready to step in and regenerate a person's heart only AFTER he comes to faith (How a spiritually dead person can come to faith in Christ before the Spirit regenerates his heart is beyond my comprehension, but many people believe and teach this today).

The Calvinistic view of salvation emphasizes the roles of all three members of the Trinity in salvation. First, the Father's role was to elect and predestine a certain people to salvation. Paul clearly discusses this in several places, including Ephesians 1:3-6:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved." Ephesians 1:3-6 (ESV)

The Son's role was to pay for the sins of those who were elected and predestined to salvation by the Father. Jesus' work on the cross is clearly documented in many biblical passages. Galatians 3:13 is one of these:

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.'" Galatians 3:13

The role of the Holy Spirit is to regenerate the hearts of those elected and predestined by the Father, and whose sins were paid for by the Son. John 3 describes this:

"Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, "You must be born again." The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.'" John 3:5-8

The Calvinistic view of salvation emphasizes the involvement of all three members of the Trinity. It also emphasizes the cooperation of all three members: the Father elects those He sovereignly chooses, the Son pays for the sins of the elect, and the Spirit regenerates the hearts of the elect. All three members of the Trinity work together as One.

The best part of the Calvinistic view of salvation is that it is biblical. From beginning to end of the scriptures, we see the great redemption story of the Triune God working together to glorify Himself through the saving of His elect.