The golden mean of Calvinism

"Hyper-Calvinism is all house and no door; Arminianism is all door and no house." (John 'Rabbi' Duncan). Only Calvinism adheres faithfully to apostolic testimony.

Hyper-Calvinism and Arminianism both miss the biblical balance of truth; they depart from the norm, one to the left and the other to the right.

Hyper-Calvinism denies or, at best, disregards the use of means that God has ordained (e.g. prayer, evangelism) and so shuts the door to new converts. "If God will convert the heathen, he can do so without your help" (a Hyper-Calvinistic rebuttal to Carey's appeal for assistance to go to India as a missionary). Thus, no door! Those who are in are in; those who are outside remain outside.

On the other hand, Arminianism claims that God is willing to save everyone, head by head, and has made it possible for everyone to be saved. The invitation is so wide that no security is offered. Man is rendered savable, but there is no house (permanent right standing before God) for him. Because salvation, at the end of the day, depends on his faithfulness and continuance in the faith, not on God's covenant of grace.