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2026 John Bunyan Conference, Session 8, Teaching Slot 3, Bill Sasser, The Calvinist-Arminian Controversy 6/30/2026

Message from the 2026 John Bunyan Conference by Pastor Bill Sasser, entitled "The Calvinist-Arminian Controversy."

The sermon examines Ephesians 1:11-14 to clarify the relationship between divine predestination and human free will, specifically refuting Calvinist determinism. It argues that God's work applies exclusively to those who freely trust in Christ, emphasizing that salvation is a choice rather than a forced decree. The speaker highlights the Holy Spirit as a seal guaranteeing eternal security until the final redemption of the believer. By contrasting biblical truth with philosophical fatalism, the message assures listeners that their inheritance is secure and guaranteed by God's wisdom, not blind fate. This assurance provides comfort and confidence for living a faithful Christian life amidst the uncertainties of the world.

In this lesson we take a look at the beginnings of the transition from territorial sectarianism to religious tolerance and modern denominationalism.

This sermon centers on a single towering truth: every spiritual blessing, our being chosen, our predestinated, our adoption, our inheritance, and our final glory, is lodged in one place only, in Christ. It is secured not by works but by faith in His death, burial, and resurrection. The message clears away the Calvinistic fog that hangs over the word "predestinate." Predestination is not a sealed decree settling who may be saved and who may not; it is God's sure pledge concerning the believer's destiny, that we shall be conformed to the image of His Son, brought into the full standing of sons, and granted the redemption of the body at the resurrection. Adoption, the sermon presses, is not the moment a sinner becomes a child of God. It is the future crowning of a sonship already ours, the day when this mortal body is changed and the believer stands wholly united to Christ. The tone throughout is pastoral and urgent. It calls the Body of Christ to live in eternal hope, to see that not one of these blessings is earned, that each is a free gift of God's grace reserved for those who are in Christ, and so to walk in faith, in surrender, and in readiness for the inheritance soon to be revealed.

The sermon presents a robust biblical defense of free will and conditional election, arguing that God's choosing of believers in Ephesians 1 is not a predetermined decree of salvation but a result of personal faith in Christ. It refutes Calvinist interpretations by emphasizing that 'chosen' and 'predestinated' refer to those already in Christ through faith in the gospel, not a prior selection apart from human response. The preacher underscores that election is located in Christ, the true elect, and that access to its blessings requires believing the gospel and being baptized by the Holy Spirit. Through scriptural examples—including Judas, Israel, and the call to 'whosoever will'—the sermon dismantles the idea of a fixed, preordained group, instead affirming that God's purpose in election is to make believers holy, blameless, and loving before Him. Ultimately, the assurance of being chosen is not found in hidden decrees but in the present, personal decision to trust in Christ, making the gospel the open door to eternal blessings.

Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8 The sermon presents a robust defense of divine sovereignty intertwined with human responsibility, arguing that God's predestination and mercy are not incompatible with genuine human choice. Centered on Scripture from Romans 9, Deuteronomy 30, and the Gospels, it emphasizes that God's grace is universally offered through the 'if' of Scripture—inviting all to believe, repent, and choose life—rather than being limited to a predetermined few. The preacher refutes a rigid Calvinist interpretation of election by highlighting God's repeated appeals to humanity, such as in Joshua 24:15 and Deuteronomy's call to 'choose life,' underscoring that divine foreknowledge does not negate free will. It affirms that salvation is by grace through faith, not of works, yet insists that faith is a real, responsive act made possible only through God's mercy and revelation. Ultimately, the message calls believers to a life of continual surrender, recognizing that God's mercy is extended to all, and that the invitation to salvation remains open until the final moment, with the assurance that God desires no one to perish but all to come to repentance.

"Effectually Called" – John 5:25 I. The true church hears the voice of the Son of God and lives (Eph. 2:1-6; 1 Sam. 3:7; Mk. 1:16-20; Rom. 1:6-7; Rom. 8:29-30; Rom. 9:10-13; 1 Cor. 1:22-24; Eph. 4:1-4; Rev. 14:4) II. The true church recognizes the voice of Christ and follows Him, not strangers (Jn. 10:1-8, 14-16, 24-28; 1 Jn. 4:1-6; 2 Tim. 4:1-4; 1 Jn. 2:18-21; Jn. 8:43-47; Col. 1:21-23) III. The true church hears the voice of Christ and follows Him in obedience (1 Thes. 4:3-7; 2 Thes. 2:13-14; Eph. 4:1-3; Mt. 28:19-20) IV. Questions and Answers (Mt. 24:4-5; Acts 20:28-31; 2 Cor. 11:3-4)

"Chosen and Called to be Holy" – 1 Peter 2:9-10 I. What a true church is not II. The church is a chosen race (Jn. 15:6; Rom. 11:5-6) III. The church is a royal priesthood (1 Pet. 2:5; Heb. 13:5-6; Rev. 20:6; Rev. 1:4-6) IV. The church is a holy nation (2 Tim. 2:3-4; Mt. 21:43; Eph. 1:3-4; Eph. 2:19-22; Rom. 12:1; 1 Pet. 1:14-16; 2 Pet. 3:10-11) V. The church is a people for God's own possession (Acts 20:28; 1 Cor. 6:18-20; 1 Pet. 1:17-19; Rev. 5:9-10; Acts 9:1-6, 15-16) VI. The church proclaims the excellencies of Christ

The sermon presents a biblically grounded exploration of predestination, emphasizing that it is not a divisive theological system but a comforting truth rooted in Scripture's narrative of God's sovereign grace. Centered on Ephesians 1, it affirms that predestination refers to God's eternal purpose to adopt believers into His family, secure their holiness, and conform them to Christ's image—not to condemn the lost, but to guarantee the salvation of those in Christ. The preacher rejects both hyper-Calvinist and hyper-Arminian extremes, arguing that Scripture consistently upholds both God's sovereignty and human responsibility without resolving the tension into a philosophical system. Instead, he calls for humility, urging believers to hold labels loosely, define terms by Scripture rather than tradition, and embrace the mystery of divine sovereignty while honoring the real, moral responsibility to respond to God's invitations. Ultimately, predestination is not a source of confusion but a foundation for worship, assuring believers of God's unchanging faithfulness and the certainty of His redemptive work.