as
John Calvin's Preachings About Predestination
.Contradict what the Scriptures Teach.

by Matt Moody, Ph.D.

John Calvin's interpretation of "Predestination" in the Bible, takes a sledge hammer to Human Free Will and smashes it to pieces:

"All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to
eternal damnation; and, accordingly, as each has been created for one or other
of these ends, we say that he has been predestinated to life or to death."

"By predestination we mean the eternal decree of God, by which
He determined with Himself whatever He wished
to happen with regard to every man."
~ John Calvin

Because John Calvin's teachings completely discard the reality of Free Will for all human beings, Calvinism is very unpopular with most Christians in the United States; according to a Pew Poll only 1% of Christians in the United States believe the teachings of John Calvin, and about 3% of Christians believe Calvinism globally.

This means about 2.6 million Christians in the USA believe the teachings of John Calvin, and about 70 million Christians world-wide believe in Calvinism.

Curiously, as we research an associated but different question, and ask: What percentage of all Christians believe in predestination? The number of Christians is substantially higher: About 25% of all Christians in the world believe in some type of predestination.

It is common to hear the implied belief in predestination, when people say, "there are no accidents" or "it was meant to be." So, 25% of 2.5 billion Christians worldwide = 750 million Christians. But the primary difference between these Predestinators vs. full-fledged Calvinators in found in they conceive of freewill:

While many Christians believe that "there are no accidents"—that the destiny of humanity is in the Hands of God—at the same time, these Predistinators believe that human beings still have the free will to choose their eternal destiny. And especially the freedom to choose NOT to be cast into Hell.

In contrast, predestination according to Calvinism means that humans have no Moral Agency; instead, God determines the choices and actions of both rightesous and wicked:

"Eternal life is foreordained for some,
and eternal damnation for others. Therefore,
every man, being created for one or the other of these ends,
is predestined either to life or to death."
~ John Calvin

Curiously, this means that Almighty God is the author and creator of the Holocaust, and that the young Jewish girl, Anne Frank, was predestined for Hell. Of course, within Calvinism there are only two destinations of Judgment: Heaven or Hell.

By the way, Dr Matt has written an article that presents a Biblical case for more that one Heaven; in fact, the Apostle Paul speaks of three heavens (2 Cor. 12:2). With each Heaven sinining with increasing whiteness and brightness: from the "glory of the stars," to the brighter shine of "the moon," to the brilliant brightness of "the Sun" (1 Cor. 15:40-42).

And human beings will inherit the degree of glory that matches their ability to do as Jesus admonished: "Let your light so shine" (Matt. 5:16). With three degrees of glory, our very wise God has already planned for an eternal reward for people who chose to live a life that did not brightly shine the light of the Lord. Here's that article.

Different from the dreary and predetermined consequences for which Calvinism contends, the truth about being "predestinated" (Eph. 1:5, 11), as taught solely by the Apostle Paul, includes a mortal life where all members of humanity are free to choose God—to choose whether to obey His requirement for a Heavenly inheritance, or not

Scriptures that Explain Free Will and God's Foreknowledge

Even amid a world full of Free-Will Choosers, God can still bring to pass the marvelous events prophesied in scripture; events that are predestined to occur decades and centuries before they happen.

One way God does this is through sweet invitations and gentle persuasions to His faithful children. For example, before Jesus was born an Angel of God appeared to Mary:

"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel
was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, ... and the
virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said,
Hail,  thou  that  art  highly  favoured,  the Lord  is  with  thee:
Fear not, Mary: for thou shalt conceive in thy womb,
and bring forth a son,
and shalt call his name Jesus.
He shall be great, and shall be called
the Son of the Highest."
(Luke 1:26-32).

God knows the hearts of the faithful—as well as knowing the thoughts and tendencies of the faithless—thus, God can bring forth His purposes, because He knows that the faithful will obey vital invitations from the Holy Spirit, that are crucial to God's Will being manifest.

Here's one Bible passages, that directly contradicts the assumptions of Calvinism. The Apostle John taught:

"And the Spirit and the bride say ...
Come. And let him that is athirst come. And
whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."
(Rev. 22:17).

In the Old Testament, the term "freewill offering" is mentioned 16 times, and when we look up the original word from which "freewill" is translated, we find the Hebrew noun: Nadab, which means = voluntariness.

Hence a freewill offering, is a voluntary offering. Reinforcing this truth, the word of God in the Old Testament, as recorded by Moses, states:

"And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the Lord,
ye shall offer it at your own will."
(Leviticus 19:5)

"Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, ...
And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving
unto the Lord, offer it at your own will."
(Leviticus 22:20, 29)

Clearly, an offering cannot be voluntary or "at your own will" if it's predestined in the way John Calvin defines that word. Many events happen because God sets them up to happen, at certain times and in certain ways. As previously mentioned, an Angel was sent from God to inform Mary that the child in her womb was "Jesus," the Son of God.

Thus, the "Predestination" of the Birth of Jesus happened as prophesied, and still, all of Humanity retained Free Will to choose what they felt inclined to do—whether good or evil. Another Old Testament prophet confirmed the reality of Free Will::

"So the king of the north
shall ... cast up a mount, and
take  the  most  fenced  cities ...
But  he  that  cometh  against  him
shall do according to his own will,
and none shall stand before [the king]"
(Daniel 11:15-16).

Because God the Father knows the tendencies of all His children through thousands of years of pre-mortal life, He has foreknowlege as to which of His children will choose to Obey Him and Do Good, when prompted by the Holy Spirit. And conversely, God knows who will yield to the temptations of "Satan" (Rev. 12:7-9)—just as the Lord knew that Peter would "deny [Him] thrice" (Matt. 26:34).

The Apostle John described God as "knowing all things that should come" (John 18:4); indeed Almighty God has foreknowledge of events that He personally sets-up through the invitations of His Spirit, and by the visitations of Angels to His faithful children.

Thus, predestination in the Bible can be explained by the foreknowledge that God has of His faithful and faithless children's tendencies. God's foreknowledge can be thought of according to this analogy:

If a cookie is left in a room where a child who loves cookies is playing, it is easy for even an average person to have foreknowledge that the child will eventually ... eat the cookie! And that foreknowing becomes even more certain as a parents, siblings, and friends gain many years of experience, observing the behavioral patterns of others—to include children.

Again, even though you or I may KNOW that a child will eventually eat a cookie, our foreknowlege of this, does not remove Free Will from children, to NOT eat the cookie.

While a loving and wise God does indeed strive to guide our paths through sweet invitations and gentle persuasions, nevertheless, Almighty God does NOT determine our choices. Meaning, the directions we may walk, and the way in which we choose to walk, are NOT preset or predestined according to God's Will—instead, personal decisions and directions are chosen, accoring to the Free-Will of God's children.

In stark contrast, predetermined and preset paths that you and I may walk are determined and set by God, according to John Calvin:

"We call predestination God's eternal decree, by
which He compacted with Himself what
He willed to become of each man."

Calvin's incorrect conclusions come from his misinterpretation of the word "predestinate" (Rom. 8:29-30) and "predestinated" (Eph. 1:5, 11) found in four Bible verses, all written by the Apostle Paul. Further, John Calvin used the word "election" (Rom. 9:18-24) also from the writings of Paul, to justify his false TULIP conclusions.

Here's a Bible principle that applies, taught by two witnesses, Paul and Jesus:

"In the mouth of
two or three witnesses
shall every word be established.
(2 Cor. 13:1; Matt. 18:16)

John Calvin's interpretations of the Apostle Paul's word, "predestinate," does not have a 2nd or 3th witness to establish God's particular meaning for that word.

Instead, the teachings of numerous Bible witnesses contradict John Calvin's characterization of Paul's word "predestinate"—a word used ONLY by the Apostle Paul, an no other witness.

Consider what will eventually happen during God's final judgment; the very word "judgment" suggests an "assessment" of every person's chosen thoughts, words, and deeds—for which they must be accountable:

"A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good
things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil
things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men
shall speak, they shall give account in the day
of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt
be  justified,  and  by  thy  words 
thou shalt be condemned."
(Matt. 12:35-37)

The Bible teaches that you and I will "give account in the day of judgment" for "every idle word" that we speak, every thought we think, and every action that we do. And this final accounting is ONLY meaningful, as you and I have freely chosen every thought word, and action.

But if John Calvin's beliefs were correct, then all thoughts, words, and deeds are predetermined and "predestinated" by the Will of Almighty God; which means, there is no practical need to "give account" in the day of judgment—because, according to John Calvin, all that is done on earth is ultimately "willed" by God.

While the Gospel Path we must follow is indeed established by God, and was declared by God's Son, whether we walk that Path, and how we walk that path is determined by free-will choices made by each of God's children.

All of humanity have been given the Freedom to Choose the Lord's Gospel Path, and that freedom or choice is spoken of throughout the Bible:

"Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice
between life and death, between prosperity and disaster.
For I command you this day to love the LORD your God and
to keep his commands and decrees by walking in his
ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply,
and the LORD your God will bless you."
(Deut. 30:15-16 NLT).

The prophet Joshua declared his ability to choose, in this famous and familiar verse:

"Choose you this day whom ye will serve
... but as for me and my house,
we will serve the Lord"
(Joshua 24:15).

Calvinism is established by John Calvin's misterpretation of two words: Predestinate and Election. Again, no other Bible author has used the word "predestinate." As for the word "election," Peter also used this word, but notice HOW he speaks of Election as conditional:

"According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain
unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath
called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto
us  exceeding  great  and  precious  promises:
that by these ye might be partakers
of  the  divine  nature, ...

"giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and
and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness;
and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, ...
ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in
the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

"brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure:
for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an
entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly
into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord
and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ."
(2 Peter 1:3-4, 5-8, 10-11)

John Calvin's only chance to get a 2nd witness pertaining to the meaning of the word "election," was with the only other Bible author who used the word, the Apostle Peter. And the Chief Apostle did NOT confirm and "establish" (Matt. 18:16) Paul's false notion about "election." Instead, the Apostle Peter made clear that according to our free-will choices:

"ye might be partakers of the divine nature,
For if these things be in you [and]
if ye do these things,
ye shall never fall"
(2 Peter 1:4, 8, 10).

Just as Jesus did over a dozen times, the Apostle Peter also guaranteed "precious promises" on the condition that Believers would "do these things." This linked-webpage cites the quoted words of Christ wherein He established sixteen conditions upon which Believers "might be" Saved from Sin, Inherit Eternal Life, and Enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Teachings of John Calvin Summarized by the Acronym: TULIP

Total Depravity

Because of the fall of Adam and Eve, every person is enslaved to sin; thus, mortal beings are by nature NOT inclined to love God, but rather to serve their own interests; Thus, all people by their own faculties are morally unable to choose to obey God and be saved.

Unconditional Election

God has chosen those whom He will save, not based upon the virtue, merit, or faith of believers; rather, His choice is unconditionally grounded in His Grace and Mercy alone. God has chosen to extend saving grace to the Elect whom He has chosen.

Limited Atonement

Only the sins of the elect were atoned for by the death of Jesus. But the atonement is not limited in its value or power; rather, the atonement is limited in the sense that it is intended for some people, the elect, and not for all people.

Irresistible Grace

The saving grace of God is applied to those whom He has determined to save, and He calls them "the elect." Therefore, God overcomes a believer's natural resistance to obeying His call. When God purposes to save someone, that individual will be saved.

Perseverance and Preservation of the Saints

The "Saints" are those whom God has predestined to save. Since God is sovereign, His will cannot be frustrated; those who are destined to continue in faith until the end will be divinely chastened (Hebrews 12:5-11) as needed, and will ultimately repent (1 John 3:6-9). And those who fall away never were "the Elect" to begin with (1 John 2:19).

* * * * *

Quotes by John Calvin that establish TULIP versus the Scripture Rebuttal

Total Depravity

"Man's will is so utterly vitiated and corrupted in every part
as to produce nothing but evil."

"Their whole nature is, as it were, a seed-bed of sin,
and therefore cannot but be odious
and abominable to God."

"If we can no more bear fruit of ourselves
than a vine can bud when rooted up and deprived of moisture,
there is no longer any room to ask what the aptitude of our nature is for good."

"We shall never be clothed with the righteousness of Christ
except that we first know assuredly that we
have no righteousness of our own."
~ John Calvin

Scripture Rebuttal:

"Behold, children are an heritage from the Lord,
and the fruit of the womb is a reward."
(Psalm 127:3)

"That the tradition might be done away, which saith that little children are
unholy; for it was had among the Jews; But little children are holy,
being sanctified through the atonement of Jesus Christ."
(D&C 74:6-7)

"Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning;
and God having redeemed man from the fall,
men became again, in their infant state,
innocent before God."
(D&C 93:38)

Unconditional Election

"God preordained, for his own glory and the display of His attributes of mercy and justice,
a part of the human race, without any merit of their own, to eternal salvation,
and another part, in just punishment of their sin, to eternal damnation."

"Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, God,
before the foundation of the world was laid...
out of His mere grace and love,
without any foresight of faith
or good works... hath
chosen in Christ."

"Many... admit the doctrine of election, but deny that any one is reprobated...
This they do ignorantly and childishly, since there could be no
election without its opposite reprobation."

"Without reprobation, election
itself cannot stand."
~ John Calvin

Scripture Rebuttal:

"If ye keep my commandments, [then] ye shall abide in my love; even
as I have kept my Father's commandments,
and abide in his love."
(John 15:10)

"If a man love me, [then] he will keep my words:
and my Father will love him."
(John 14:23)

"I love them that love me; and those that
seek me ... shall find me."
(Proverbs 8:17)

"He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth
me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and
I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."
(John 14:21)

Limited Atonement

John Calvin often argued that while Christ's death is sufficient for all, it is intentionally efficient only for the elect, defining a "limited atonement." A clear quote to this fact is found in Calvin's commentary on John 13:18, which states:

"Whence it comes about that the whole world does not belong to its Creator
except that grace rescues from God's curse and wrath and eternal death
a limited number who would otherwise perish. But the world itself
is left to its own destruction, to which it has been destined."

The false teaching of Limited Atonement is found in Calvin's response to Tileman Heshusius regarding the Lord's Supper:

"I should like to know how the wicked can eat the flesh
of Christ which was not crucified for them, and
how they can drink the blood which was
not shed to expiate their sins."
~ John Calvin

Scripture Rebuttal:

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, ... but is
longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish,
but that ALL SHOULD COME [emphasis added] to repentance."
(2 Peter 3:9)

"God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him,
and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him."
(Acts 10:34-35)

"If you keep not my commandments, [then] the love of the
Father shall not continue with you."
(D&C 95:12)

"And [the Lord] loveth those who will
have Him to be their God."
(1 Nephi 17:40)

Irresistible Grace

"This grace, therefore, which is hiddenly bestowed in human hearts by
the Divine gift, is rejected by no hard heart, because it is given
for the sake of first taking away the hardness of the heart."
~ John Calvin

Scripture Rebuttal:

"Therefore being justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we
stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."
(Romans 5:1-2)

Perseverance and Preservation of the Saints

"Those who do not persevere unto the end
belong not to the calling of God.”

"In the elect alone he implants the living root of faith,
so that they persevere even to the end."

"Seeing that a Pilot steers the ship in which we sail,
who will never allow us to perish even in the midst of shipwrecks,
there is no reason why our minds should be overwhelmed
with fear and overcome with weariness."

"Even well-disposed persons have been subject to so many
distractions that they readily vanish or fall away
unless they are strengthened to persevere"
~ John Calvin

Scripture Rebuttal:

"For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I; Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men."
(D&C 19:16-19)

The Bible specifically speaks of the possibility of falling away from the Path of God, and falling away is ONLY possible among people who possess Free Will to Choose the Path of God, or not—to be Wise, or not.

"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man:
but  God  is  faithful,  who will not suffer you to be tempted above that
ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape,
that ye may be able to bear it. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee
from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say."
(1 Cor. 10:12-15)

John Calvin's teachings tend to overemphasize one Central Belief: "God is Sovereign"—which means: God rules with absolute control over all creation. And this Central Teaching of Calvinism is overemphasized to the point of diminishing any human responsibility, and that Believers are ven capable of responding faithfully to the Call of the Almighty. Nevertheless, the scriptures say otherwise:

"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I
have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore
choose life,  that both thou and thy seed may live:  That thou mayest
love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice,
and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is
thy life, and the length of thy days."
(Deut. 30:19-20)

Why is God imploring His children to "choose," "love," "obey," and "cleave" ... if we are incapable of responding faithfully, due to assumed incurable depravity?

* * * * * * *

The free choice to express Faith in Jesus Christ IS how we "access ... grace" (Rom. 5:1-2). A truth that the Apostle Paul also preached to the Ephesians:

"For by grace are ye saved through faith"
(Eph. 2:8).

Clearly a Faith that "is dead" (James 2:17, 20, 26) cannot access saving Grace! Which is precisely why Jesus taught His followers to "shine" the Light of Truth and Glorify God by doing Good Works:

"Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
(Matt. 5:16)

Here are some of the "good works" the Savior taught His followers to do, that they might be Saved from Sin, Inherit Eternal Life, and Enter the Kingdom of Heaven:

1) "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved" (Matt. 10:22).

2) "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16).

3) "Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? ... Jesus said unto him, ... come and follow me" (Matt. 19:16, 21).

4) "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21).

5) "Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer ... Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal" (Matt. 25:42-46).

That's five teachings of Jesus, among others, that contradict the false interpretation that Faithful Human Acts play no role in manifesting a believer's Faith in Jesus Christ, and thereby, contribute to the Salvation, Eternal Life, and Entrance in God's Kingdom of Heaven. Again, it is this active Faith by which Believers gain "access" (Rom. 5:1-2) to Saving Grace!

What is the meaning of the word "Grace"?

In the New Testament, the English word "Grace" is translated from the Greek word Charis (pronounced: khar'-ece), and Charis means: Loving Kindness. And in the Old Testament, the English word "Grace" is translated from the Hebrew word Chen (pronounced khane), and Chen means: Favor.

Therefore, the English word "Grace" from its Greek and Hebrew origins means:
God's Favor and Loving Kindness.

The False Interpretation that Saving Grace means Unmerited Favor

Exactly who is most "in charge" of the words and meanings within the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Would it be the Apostle Paul? Or would it be the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ?

In His Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, Christ taught that the "righteous" shall go "into eternal life." Since the Son of God said it, we should simply believe it, because Jesus is the Divine Person through which His Gospel is primarily established.

Within the context of this parable, the "righteous" are those who show charity to "the least of these" by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick or in prison—these are "good works" that glorify God and are works that manifest Faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, according to the teachings of the Apostle James.

The assumption that Saving Grace means Unmerited Favor comes from a "private interpretation" (2 Peter 1:19-21) of a Bible verse (Eph. 2:8) that does not have "two or three witnesses" (2 Cor. 13:1; Matt. 18:16) to confirm this false conclusion: Salvation by Grace through Faith is granted by Unmerited Favor.

Here are the words that imply that Grace means Unmerited Favor:

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves: it is the gift of God"
(Ephesians 2:8)

Jesus clarified why His Favor and Loving Kindness (a.k.a., Grace) is a gift. The Savior said:

"I am the true vine ... Abide in me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine;
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me,
and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:
for without me ye can do nothing."
(John 15:1-5)

Thus, it is through Christ's Favor and Loving Kindness that we are fruitful, for without His generous gift of Grace, we "can do nothing."

The Gift of His Grace includes the bestowing of Faith, Salvation, Eternal Life, and Entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven—all these fruitful blessings come from Abiding in the True Vine.

In Ephesians 2:8, it is unclear exactly what the Apostle is referring to as God's gift?

Is "the gift of God" of which Paul speaks: that of being "saved," or is "the gift" referring to God's "grace"? Or was the Apostle speaking of the "faith" by which we access saving grace, as "the gift of God"?

Again, every blessing tied to our eternal salvation originates from the choice to Abide in the True Vine. And as Paul taught, Faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ is our "access" (Romans 5:1-2) to God's Saving Grace—with Faith in our Savior being most foundationally manifest by the free-will decision to Abide in the True Vine.

In harmony with the teachings of Christ, the Apostle Paul endeavored to be a witness for the following truths:

By God's Favor and Loving Kindness we are saved through faith, for without
sustaining nurture of the True Vine we can do nothing of our selves,
Thus fruitfulness is given as a gift from the True Vine. And
fruitfulness unto eternal salvation is accessed
only through the free-will choice to
Abide in the True Vine.

Accessing Saving Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ

While you and I do not merit or earn the Grace of God, still, we can "access" (Rom. 5:1-2) Saving Grace only through Faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ.

As established by what Christ declared and by what His Apostle James taught, Faith in Jesus Christ is not passive; instead, Faith in Jesus Christ is actively manifest by Obeying Christ's Word and Faithfully Following His Example.

Jesus confirmed that Belief and Faith in Him, are inseparable from Faithfully Following Him. The Savior said:

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me,
the works that I do will he do also" (John 14:12 NKJV).

"For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light,
lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who DOES THE TRUTH [emphasis added]
comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have
been DONE IN GOD [emphasis added]" (John 3:20-21 NKJV).

On the theme of Faith and Love manifest by Human Acts, the Apostle Paul adds this witness:

"Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming,
in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
And shall come forth; they that have DONE GOOD [emphasis added],
unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil,
unto the resurrection of damnation" (John 5:28-29).

What Christ calls "done good," is accomplished through obedience to Christ's new Law of Faith; obedience that is necessary to bringing forth the "good fruit ... of eternal salvation"—according to the teachings of Jesus and of His Apostle Paul:

"Though he were a Son, yet learned He obedience
by the things which He suffered; And being made perfect,
He became the author of eternal salvation unto all
them that obey Him" (Hebrews 5:8-9).

Jesus taught:

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and
he that believeth not the Son shall not see life;
but the wrath of God abideth on him"
(John 3:36).