John Wesley was a giant of the Christian faith—a man who preached tirelessly, pursued holiness with passion, and sparked revivals that touched thousands. His concerns about Reformed theology came from a deep love for God’s character and a desire to see people embrace the gospel. These are values Reformed Christians share wholeheartedly.

Yet Wesley believed Calvinism—he even called it “a plague”—distorted the Bible’s teaching about God and salvation. His objections remain influential today, shaping how many Christians view Reformed theology. But do these critiques hold up when examined carefully against Scripture? Let’s revisit Wesley’s six main objections and consider what the Bible actually teaches.

 

DOES GOD’S DECREE MAKE HIM CRUEL?

Wesley argued predestination portrays God as “crueller than the devil,” condemning people to hell without giving them a real chance at salvation.

This concern deserves a thoughtful answer. The Bible does teach God chose some people for salvation before the world began (Ephesians 1:4-5). But consider what this actually means. After Adam’s fall, all humanity stood guilty before God, dead in sin and unable to save themselves (Romans 5:12-19, Ephesians 2:1-5). Every person deserved judgment.

God didn’t have to save anyone. That He chose to rescue some—that He set His love on a people and guaranteed their salvation—demonstrates overwhelming grace, not cruelty. As Paul writes in Romans 9:14-24, God has mercy on whom He chooses to have mercy, like a potter shaping clay. The marvel isn’t that some aren’t saved; the marvel is that any of us are saved at all.

There’s a crucial difference here: the devil actively tempts people and seeks their destruction. God, by contrast, justly holds people accountable for sins they genuinely commit. He doesn’t create evil; He permits it for purposes we can’t fully grasp—purposes that Joseph recognised when he told his brothers, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20).

God’s ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). In His decree, He displays both justice toward those who reject Him and mercy toward those He saves. Both attributes glorify Him perfectly.

 

DOES CHRIST DECEIVE BY OFFERING SALVATION TO ALL?

Wesley’s second objection: if Christ died only for the elect, then His offer of salvation to everyone is deceptive.

But there’s no deception in the gospel. Jesus promises, “Whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37). The invitation is genuine—anyone who comes will be saved. The question is: who will come?

Jesus explains in John 6:44: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” And in John 10:11-18, He describes Himself as the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep—a specific people, not every person who ever lived.

Reformed theology distinguishes between the value of Christ’s death and its purpose. His sacrifice was sufficient to save every person who ever lived. But it was intended to actually accomplish salvation for those the Father gave Him. This ensures Christ’s work succeeds completely rather than merely making salvation possible.

When God commands all people everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30), He means it. Those who respond prove they’re among the elect. Those who refuse reveal their spiritual condition. Jesus said, “You refuse to come to me that you may have life” (John 5:40). The problem isn’t God’s insincerity—it’s human unwillingness.

 

DOES ELECTION UNDERMINE GOD’S JUSTICE AND LOVE?

Wesley worried that choosing some for salvation while passing over others contradicts God’s justice, mercy, and love.

The Bible addresses this directly. In Romans 9:15-16, God declares, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”

God’s love takes different forms. He shows general kindness to all people—making the sun rise on the evil and the good (Matthew 5:45). But He has a special, saving love for those He chose (John 17:9). Both forms of love are real and true.

Justice means giving people what they deserve. Every person deserves judgement for sin. Mercy means withholding that judgment from some. God doesn’t owe salvation to anyone. That He freely gives it to some while justly judging others displays the full spectrum of His character.

Importantly, God doesn’t force anyone to sin. People sin freely, following their own desires as fallen creatures. God’s eternal choice to save some was made before sin even entered the picture (Ephesians 1:4, “before the foundation of the world”). His sovereignty ensures His purposes succeed, which reveals His faithfulness.

 

DOES PREDESTINATION DESTROY HOLINESS?

Wesley feared that if salvation is unconditional, Christians will stop pursuing godliness—a problem called antinomianism.

History and Scripture prove otherwise. Paul, who wrote most clearly about God’s sovereign choice, also gave the church its strongest teachings on holiness. In Romans 6, right after explaining predestination, he writes, “Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means!” In Philippians 2:12-13, he tells believers to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you.”

Election doesn’t produce laziness; it produces holiness. Ephesians 2:10 says believers were “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” God ordains both the end (salvation) and the means (faith, repentance, and transformed living).

The Puritans—deeply Reformed Christians—were known for their rigorous pursuit of godliness. Historic Reformed confessions explicitly condemn the idea that Christians can live carelessly. The Westminster Confession states that good works are “the fruits and evidences” of true faith.

Growing assurance of salvation comes through obedience, not presumption. Peter writes, “Be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election” through godly living (2 Peter 1:10).

 

DOES ELECTION CONTRADICT FREE GRACE?

Wesley argued emphasising God’s choice diminishes the freedom of grace by making human will irrelevant.

But Scripture consistently presents salvation as entirely God’s work. John 1:12-13 says believers “were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” Romans 9:16 declares, “It depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”

“Free grace” means unmerited favour—salvation we didn’t earn and don’t deserve. It doesn’t mean universally offered grace that human choice activates. Paul couldn’t be clearer: “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” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

If salvation ultimately depends on human decision, then we contribute something to our rescue. But the Bible tells us we were “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1)—and dead people can’t make themselves alive. God must act first, choosing us, regenerating us, and drawing us to Christ.

This doesn’t eliminate human will; it liberates it. Jesus said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). God’s choice doesn’t override our choices—it enables us to choose rightly.

 

DOES ELECTION HINDER EVANGELISM?

Wesley also worried believing in predestination would discourage sharing the gospel, since “only the elect can respond anyway.”

Remarkably, the opposite is true. The apostle Paul evangelised with great confidence precisely because he trusted God’s sovereignty. In Acts 18:9-10, the Lord told him, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking… for I have many in this city who are my people.” Paul preached knowing God had already secured success.

Luke records this beautiful pattern in Acts 13:48: “When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.” God’s appointment and human belief work together seamlessly.

We don’t know who the elect are, so we preach the gospel to everyone (Mark 16:15). God promises us His Word won’t return empty but will accomplish His purposes (Isaiah 55:11). This assurance empowers evangelism rather than hindering it.

History confirms this. Some of Christianity’s greatest missionaries—William Carey, Adoniram Judson, John Paton—were convinced of God’s sovereign grace. Their confidence in God’s power to save drove them to be His witnesses even to the ends of the earth.

 

WHERE WE STAND TOGETHER

These doctrines involve mystery we must humbly acknowledge. Both Wesleyan and Reformed traditions wrestle with tensions in Scripture—passages that seem to emphasise human responsibility alongside others that stress God’s sovereignty.

But we share vital common ground: Scripture alone is our authority. Christ alone saves. The Holy Spirit alone transforms. The gospel must be preached. Holiness matters deeply. These truths unite us even when we differ on the mechanics of salvation.

Reformed theology doesn’t diminish God’s character—it magnifies His sovereignty, celebrates grace’s completeness, and rests in salvation’s certainty. When properly understood, it drives us to worship, holiness, and bold proclamation of the gospel.

Paul’s response to these deep truths remains the best conclusion: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counsellor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:33-36).

 

CALVINISM: WESLEY’S OBJECTIONS—RELATED FAQs

Did Wesley maintain friendships with Calvinists despite his objections? Yes, Wesley had genuine friendships with Reformed believers, most notably George Whitefield, the great evangelist. Though they disagreed sharply on predestination—even publicly debating the issue—they maintained mutual respect and affection throughout their lives. When Whitefield died, Wesley preached his funeral sermon, praising his friend’s faithfulness to Christ despite their theological differences.

• Was Wesley’s own brother Charles more sympathetic to Reformed views? Charles Wesley’s position was complex and has been debated by historians. While he wrote hymns that clearly affirm free will and universal atonement, some of his lyrics also contain language about God’s sovereign choice that sounds remarkably Reformed. He generally avoided the controversy, focusing on the experiential aspects of faith rather than the theological mechanics his brother John debated so vigorously.
• Did any of Wesley’s own Methodist followers eventually become Calvinists? Yes, this created significant tension within early Methodism. George Whitefield led a Calvinistic Methodist movement that remained separate from Wesley’s Arminian Methodism. Even some of Wesley’s own preachers, like John Fletcher’s successor at Madeley, adopted Reformed views. These divisions show how seriously both sides took these doctrines and how difficult it was to maintain unity across this theological divide.

How did Reformed theologians respond to Wesley in his own time? Reformed theologians like Augustus Toplady responded vigorously to Wesley’s critiques, sometimes with unfortunate harshness that exceeded Wesley’s own tone. The exchanges became quite heated, with Toplady publishing works like “The Historic Proof of the Doctrinal Calvinism of the Church of England.” These debates, while often uncharitable, did force both sides to sharpen their biblical arguments and clarify their positions.

• Did Wesley’s views on predestination change over his lifetime? Wesley’s opposition to Calvinism remained consistent throughout his life, though he may have softened slightly in tone as he aged. In his later years, he emphasised practical holiness over doctrinal controversy and seemed more willing to acknowledge godly Calvinists like Whitefield. However, he never wavered in believing Reformed theology was fundamentally flawed and dangerous to true Christianity.
• Are there any areas where Wesley and Calvinists agreed theologically? Absolutely. Wesley and Reformed theologians agreed on all the essentials: the Trinity, Christ’s deity and humanity, salvation by grace through faith alone, the authority of Scripture, the necessity of the new birth, and the importance of personal holiness. Their disagreement was about how God’s sovereignty and human responsibility fit together, not about whether salvation comes through Christ alone or whether good works are necessary evidence of true faith.

Why does this 300-year-old debate still matter today? This debate endures because it addresses fundamental questions every Christian faces: How does God’s sovereignty relate to human choice? How can we be certain of salvation? What motivates holy living? These aren’t abstract theological puzzles—they shape how we pray, evangelize, counsel struggling believers, and understand our own relationship with God. Both traditions offer biblical answers that have nurtured millions of faithful Christians, which is why the conversation continues.

 

CALVINISM: WESLEY’S OBJECTIONS—OUR RELATED POSTS

• Is Calvinism Fatalism in Christian Disguise? Think Again
• Old vs New Calvinism: What’s the Difference?
• The Calvinist View of Human Free Will: Are We Truly Free?
• Challenges to Calvinism and the Calvinist Responses
• The Calvinist-Arminian Debate
• Calvinism vs Molinism: A Deep Dive into the Debate