Restless Seeker trudged along a narrow, winding road with a heavy heart. He was a man burdened not by physical weight, but by a despairing belief that he might be predestined to damnation. Though he had heard the sweet gospel promise of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone, he could not grasp it for himself. Every time hope fluttered in his chest, he would shake his head and lament, “That’s all right for others, but I’m predestined to damnation.” This sorrowful refrain was never far from his lips as he journeyed onward, eyes downcast and soul in turmoil.
A Helpless Encounter
Before long, Restless Seeker came upon his dear companion, Helpless Friend. Helpless Friend was sincere and kind, and he had been taught the same high doctrines of predestination that troubled Restless Seeker. Seeing Restless Seeker’s grief, Helpless Friend reached out to console him. But as he did, Restless Seeker noticed heavy chains coiled around Helpless Friend’s wrists. These invisible chains—links of strict Calvinist doctrine—bound Helpless Friend, preventing him from giving the assurance Restless Seeker so desperately needed.
“My friend,” Helpless Friend said softly, “do not despair. Perhaps in time you will find that you are chosen by God. We must trust His sovereign plan.” He meant well, but his words were cold comfort. Restless Seeker wrung his hands. “If… if I am not one of the elect,” he stammered, “is there nothing I can do?” Helpless Friend’s face fell in pity. “I fear that is so. If you were not chosen from eternity, I cannot offer you certainty or hope. We can only wait and see if faith blooms in you as a sign of election.”
Hearing this, Restless Seeker sighed deeply. “It’s all right for others who are chosen,” he muttered, “but I’m predestined to damnation—I just know it.” Helpless Friend had no answer, for his chained theology kept him from saying “Whosoever will, may come.” All he could do was pat Restless Seeker’s shoulder in helpless sympathy. So the two trudged on for a while, one bound by doctrine and the other by despair, until their paths diverged at a fork in the road. Helpless Friend went one way, whispering a prayer that perhaps his friend might be chosen after all, while Restless Seeker continued along the other path, which led into a darkening wood.
The Elect Teacher’s Warning
In the heart of those woods, Restless Seeker came upon a little clearing where an austere man stood upon a tree stump, preaching to a small gathering. The man’s name was Elect Teacher, and he wore a black robe with a white collar. In his hand was a large old book—the Westminster Catechism—from which he read in a grave, sonorous voice. Restless Seeker drew closer, curious to listen.
“All mankind, by their fall, lost communion with God,” Elect Teacher intoned, quoting the catechism, “and are under His wrath and curse.” The listeners nodded solemnly. Elect Teacher peered over his book and continued, “But God, from all eternity, hath chosen out a people to redeem. These are the elect, vessels of mercy. The rest he leaves to just condemnation as reprobates, vessels of wrath. Not all will be saved—only those predestined to life.”
Restless Seeker’s heart pounded. Here was confirmation of his worst fears. Elect Teacher’s words thundered in his ears: perhaps you are not chosen… perhaps you are a vessel of wrath… not everyone can be saved. Overcome, Restless Seeker stepped forward and pleaded, “Sir, what must I do to know if I can be saved? I have tried to believe the gospel, but dread fills me that I might be predestined for damnation. How can I know?”
Elect Teacher gazed at him with stern compassion. “My son,” he said, “not all receive saving grace. If you are elect, in due time you will have full faith and persevere. If you are not, there is nothing you can do, for God’s decree is unchangeable. You may indeed be one of the reprobate.” He closed the book with a thump. “Examine yourself. Do you see the marks of God’s chosen in your soul? If not, I fear you may be as you say—predestined to damnation. It would be better to find that out now than later.”
These words were like hammer blows on Restless Seeker’s weary soul. He felt as if a dark cloud had blotted out the last rays of hope. Stumbling backwards, he whispered, “No hope… no hope for me, then.” A tear rolled down his cheek. Elect Teacher offered a curt nod, as if to say this hard truth must be accepted, and then returned to his preaching to the others.
The Slough of Despond
Blinded by tears and utterly distraught, Restless Seeker wandered off the road. His mind was in turmoil, replaying the dreadful refrain: Only the elect can be saved… maybe I am not chosen… I am lost, lost forever… In his distraction he failed to see the ground before him turning to muck and mire. With one misstep, he fell headlong into a mire-filled bog known as the Slough of Despond.
He landed with a splash in cold, clinging mud. The swampy pit was fed by all the doubts, fears, and discouraging lies that travelers carried with them. Restless Seeker tried to stand, but the more he struggled, the deeper he sank into the sludge. The weight of hopelessness was like a millstone around his neck, dragging him down. Soon he was mired up to his waist. Panicking, he cried out, but his voice barely carried in the misty, stagnant air of Despond’s swamp.
“Help! Is anyone there?” he shouted, flailing. But only the echo of his own plea returned. The late afternoon light was fading, and in the gathering dusk the bog seemed to whisper to him with the voices of his own fears: “Predestined to damnation… no hope for you… why struggle? Give up…” Exhausted and heartbroken, Restless Seeker stopped fighting and slumped in the mire. “Perhaps I should just sink and be done,” he thought. It felt as if all hope was lost. In that desperate moment, he remembered the kind face of Helpless Friend and the grim voice of Elect Teacher—both helpless to save him from this fate. A sob racked his chest as he lamented aloud once more, “It’s all right for others, but I… I’m predestined to damnation!” The bog only gurgled in agreement as darkness closed in.
A Godly Rescuer
Just when despair threatened to swallow him entirely, a bright lantern’s glow appeared through the fog. A traveler was approaching the Slough’s edge. He was a strong, steady man with a warm light in his eyes, and his name was Godly Disciple. Godly Disciple was a biblical, fundamental, conservative evangelical—truly a faithful follower of Christ. He had walked this pilgrim path many times and knew its dangers well. Hearing cries of distress, he hurried to the edge of the bog and raised his lantern high.
“Hello there!” Godly Disciple called out. “I hear you. Take heart, I am coming.” He could see Restless Seeker’s form in the muddy pit, sinking slowly. Godly Disciple quickly found a sturdy branch nearby, and holding fast to one end, he extended the branch across the mire. “Grab hold, friend!” he urged.
Restless Seeker, half-sunk in despair, hesitated. “Why would you help me?” he groaned. “Perhaps I’m not worth saving… perhaps God Himself has abandoned me here.”
“Nonsense!” cried Godly Disciple. “Our gracious Lord has sent me. Now take hold.”
Mustering the last bit of strength and hope, Restless Seeker grasped the branch. Godly Disciple heaved with all his might and slowly pulled the weary man out of the muck. Covered in mud and shivering, Restless Seeker crawled onto solid ground. The two men collapsed on the grass, catching their breath. Stars were beginning to prick the sky above, and the only light was Godly Disciple’s lantern, which now lay on the ground between them, casting comforting shadows.
The Bronze Serpent’s Lesson
After a moment, Godly Disciple spoke gently, “How is it that you came to be in that awful Slough of Despond?” Restless Seeker sniffed and wiped his eyes with a muddy sleeve. In halting words, he poured out his story: how he had heard the gospel of grace and longed to believe, but had been taught he might be predestined to damnation. He recounted his conversations with Helpless Friend and Elect Teacher, and how each had only increased his fear. “I want to believe that Jesus died for me too,” Restless Seeker whispered, voice trembling, “but what if I am not one of the elect? The Teacher said I might be a reprobate. If that is true, then I have no hope at all.” Fresh tears rolled down his face. “I feel as if God’s promise of salvation is for others and not for me. That thought crushed me until I fell into despair.”
Godly Disciple listened with compassion, nodding slowly. When Restless Seeker finished, Godly Disciple placed a firm, fatherly hand on his shoulder. “My friend, you have been ensnared by a terrible and twisted doctrine. Those who taught you meant to honor God’s sovereignty, but in doing so they chained the gospel and took away its power in your life.” He looked intently into Restless Seeker’s eyes. “Let me share with you a truth from God’s own Word that will break those chains.”
Restless Seeker sat up, drawn by the kindness and certainty in the man’s voice. Godly Disciple picked up his lantern and held it between them. “Do you recall the story of the bronze serpent in the wilderness?” he asked. Restless Seeker furrowed his brow in thought. “The bronze serpent… you mean the story of Moses and the Israelites? I… I think I remember. They were bitten by serpents and dying, and God told Moses to raise a bronze snake on a pole…?”
“Yes, exactly,” Godly Disciple said, pleased. “The people were told that if they simply looked at the bronze serpent, they would be healed and live. Any bitten Israelite—anyone at all—could look and be cured. None were turned away. The serpent was lifted up so that whosoever looked upon it in faith would not die from the poison.”
Restless Seeker nodded slowly as the memory of the tale came back to him. “I remember. Many were saved… just by looking up at it.”
Godly Disciple’s eyes shone. “Our Lord Jesus spoke of that very story to explain what He came to do. He said, ‘As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up’ (John 3:16 Parallel: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only …). And do you know why Jesus said He would be lifted up on the cross?”
Restless Seeker shook his head, listening intently.
“He said it was ‘that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16 Parallel: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only …). Whosoever believes – that means anyone and everyone who trusts in Him,” Godly Disciple explained, his voice ringing with joy. “The promise is not limited to a secret few. It is offered to all. Just as any Israelite could look at the bronze serpent, anyone who looks to Jesus in faith will be saved. No exceptions.”
“But… Elect Teacher said not everyone is chosen…,” Restless Seeker interjected softly, still grappling with this new perspective.
Godly Disciple smiled and opened a small well-worn Bible he carried. In the lantern’s glow, he flipped to the Gospel of John and pointed to the verse he had just quoted. “Read it yourself,” he urged.
Restless Seeker read aloud in a trembling voice, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 Parallel: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only …) He stared at the words. The phrase “whosoever believes” shone on the page like a beacon.
“Do you see?” asked Godly Disciple. “It does not say ‘only if you are elect’ or ‘whosoever is predestined.’ It says whosoever believes. The offer of salvation is open to all who will receive it. Calvinism’s idea that Christ’s invitation is only for some chosen few cannot be reconciled with this clear, loving promise from God. The Scripture simply declares: whoever trusts in Jesus will be saved.”
Restless Seeker’s eyes widened as the truth dawned on him. “Then… then that means even me… even I can be saved, if I believe in Jesus!”
“Yes, you!” laughed Godly Disciple, joyously. “You see, the question is not whether you were pre-selected for salvation. The question is, will you take God at His word and trust in Christ? If you do, He promises to save you. ‘Him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out,’ Jesus said. He will never reject anyone who turns to Him.”
A flicker of hope ignited in Restless Seeker’s heart, warming the cold despair that had resided there. “All this time,” he murmured, “I feared I might be excluded from grace… but truly, the gate of mercy stands open for whosoever will. I only need to walk through it!”
“Exactly so,” said Godly Disciple, helping him to his feet. “The good news—the gospel—is that Christ died for sinners and rose again, and now He extends forgiveness and life to all who call upon Him. All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. That includes you, if you will only call.”
From Despair to Assurance
Right there at the edge of the Slough of Despair, under the night sky, Restless Seeker did just that. He fell to his knees on the firm ground, clasped his muddy hands together, and prayed earnestly — a simple prayer from the depths of his heart. With Godly Disciple beside him, he cried out to God: “Lord, I admit I am a sinner in need of Your grace. I believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son, that He died on the cross for my sins and rose again. I trust in Jesus alone to save me. Have mercy on me and save me, O Lord. I give my life to you. Amen.”
As he prayed this sinner’s prayer, a miracle unfolded in his soul. The crushing weight of fear and doubt that had so long burdened him was lifted. It was as if an enormous invisible pack fell off his back into the mud, never to be seen again. Restless Seeker felt light — truly free — for the first time in memory. A gentle breeze swept over the meadow, and the night’s stars seemed to shine brighter, as if rejoicing with him.
He rose to his feet slowly, tears of relief and joy streaming down his face. “It’s gone,” he whispered in amazement. “The despair… the fear… it’s gone!” In its place was a blessed assurance that he was forgiven and accepted by Christ. He actually felt loved by God, a child welcomed home.
Godly Disciple grinned broadly and embraced Restless Seeker like a brother. “Praise God! You have looked to Christ and you live! Never again believe the lie that you are beyond His grace. You are His now, and He is yours.”
Restless Seeker realized that his very name had been a reflection of his former state. But now his soul was no longer restless; it had found rest in the truth of the gospel. He had been a seeker, and at last he had found the Savior who had been seeking him all along.
Onward to the Celestial City
With the first light of dawn, Restless Seeker and Godly Disciple began walking together on the pilgrim road once more. The path ahead stretched toward high hills, at the summit of which gleamed the distant lights of the Celestial City — that golden city which is the promised homeland of all pilgrims of faith. Restless Seeker walked with a new spring in his step, joy and freedom evident in his bright eyes and confident stride. No longer muttering despair, he now hummed a song of praise as the morning sun broke over the horizon.
As they journeyed, Godly Disciple handed Restless Seeker a small travel-worn book — the Holy Scriptures — and marked a few passages within it. “Keep these words close to your heart,” he advised. “They will remind you of the truth whenever doubts try to creep in.” Restless Seeker opened the book to one marked verse and read: “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” He smiled, clasping the book tightly. “I will treasure these promises always,” he said gratefully.
The road was not always easy — there would be hills and valleys ahead — but the heavy fog of uncertainty had lifted. Whenever a leftover whisper of “What if you’re not truly chosen?” arose in his mind, Restless Seeker would answer it with the words of Scripture: “Jesus said whosoever believes – that includes me. I have believed, and His promise is true. I belong to Him.” Thus armed with faith, he found that the accusations of despair soon fell silent.
In the days that followed, word of Restless Seeker’s transformation spread among the other travelers. Helpless Friend heard the news and marveled; the chains of doctrine around his wrists began to loosen as he, too, revisited the Scriptures and found hope in the word “whosoever.” Even Elect Teacher was seen scratching his head, pondering whether he had perhaps emphasized God’s secret decrees so much that he had forgotten God’s revealed promise to all. The truth of the gospel was shining, breaking free from the dark clouds of doubt.
Restless Seeker — now a restful believer — continued his pilgrimage with Godly Disciple beside him for a time. Eventually, as all pilgrims do, they would part ways on their individual missions. But not before Restless Seeker thanked his rescuer profusely: “You have shown me the true face of my Lord’s mercy. I will never forget it.” Godly Disciple simply pointed upward and replied, “Thank Him, for it is Christ who saved you. I was but His servant.”
With a full heart, Restless Seeker journeyed on confidently toward the Celestial City. The sunrise ahead painted the sky with hope, and each step brought him closer to the King’s presence. No burden weighed him down now; no fear of damnation troubled his mind. His eyes were fixed on the gates of that glorious City, and his soul was at peace.
And so, the man once called Restless Seeker traveled joyfully onward, assured of his salvation. He had learned the most precious lesson: in the gospel of Christ, the promise of eternal life is extended to whosoever believes. What was once a source of fear had become a fountain of hope. Restless Seeker’s despair was gone forever, swallowed up in the grace of God, and he would walk the King’s Highway until he reached his heavenly home.
Moral: No one who seeks Christ need ever fear being turned away, for the offer of salvation is open to all. In the words of the King Himself, “Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
Digging Deeper:
- Calvinism, Arminianism & The Word of God: A Calvary Chapel Perspective — Calvary Chapels try to avoid conclusions, terminology, and arguments which are not clearly presented in the Bible. In no area of controversy is this approach more essential than in the long simmering debate between Calvinists and Arminians. In the midst of this heated argument it is easy to ignore or neglect the plain statements of the Bible, or to believe that we have the ability to fully understand the ways of God (Romans 11:33-36). But how tragic it is when we become more concerned with being “right” than being loving. When we discuss the ministry of the Holy Spirit, it is easy to disagree over terms such as “baptism” and “filling” and to miss the blessing and power of God’s Spirit in our lives. The way we conduct our debates and express our opinions will sometimes “quench” as well as “grieve” the blessed Spirit who dwells within the believer. In the midst of our arguments over spiritual gifts, we can miss the Biblical admonition to love, which clearly is greater than all the gifts (I Corinthians 12:31-14:1) Our desire is to bring believers together in the love and unity of the Holy Spirit. Our focus is on our awesome God, not on ourselves. We are committed to glorifying our Lord in all we say and do.
- Free Will in the Old Testament – The Old Testament contains almost 4000 years of history about people exercising free will to obey or disobey God bringing blessings and curses.
- The potter and the clay – The sovereign potter tries to make one kind of vessel but the stubborn willful clay ruins it by resisting him so he makes another kind of vessel.
- What is predestined? (God’s plan or people’s actions) – This Bible study describes the differences between what is predestined and who has free will in Romans and Ephesians.
- Whosoever will may come – The universal call of “whosoever will” includes everyone and anyone. No one has ever been excluded. You must choose to accept or reject the call.
- The Five Points of Calvinism, Weighed and Found Wanting by George Bryson (PDF) — It is amazing that so many Christians call themselves Calvinists and yet so few actually understand the distinctives of Calvinist doctrine. A careful look at Calvinism in light of Scripture, before it is embraced, is the best possible way for Christians to protect themselves against this error of considerable consequence. In this book, George Bryson not only allows you to hear directly from some of the world’s most famous Calvinists of the past, including John Calvin, but also from leading proponents of Calvinism today. What Calvinists admit may surprise you. Each of the much touted (but little understood) 5 points of Calvinism are carefully compared with the clear teaching of God’s holy and infallible Word. The Five Points of Calvinism – Weighed and Found Wanting offers a serious scriptural challenge and correction to the extremes of Calvinism.
- The Dark Side of Calvinism: The Calvinist Caste System by George L Bryson (PDF) — In the Dark Side of Calvinism you will discover that according to John Calvin: … God … arranges all things by his sovereign counsel, in such a way that individuals are born, who are doomed from the womb to certain death … If you disagree with this statement you must also disagree with John Calvin and Calvinism. If you agree with this statement you must also disagree with our Lord who said: …God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life…Jn. 3:16.