God's calling is a holy calling.

God does not call anyone to do unrighteousness.  However, Calvinists believe that God's call for the non-elect is not sincere since the Calvinists teach that it is God's will that the non-elect will not repent but that they continue in sin.  Therefore, Calvinists do not always believe that God's call is an honest and sincere call. (Matt.11:20-24; II Peter 3:9).  Here is how the Calvinists interpret II Peter 3:9:

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance"  (II Peter 3:9).

The Calvinists say that the words "us-ward",  "any", and "all" refers to no one but only to the elect.   Now let us see how the verse would sound if we replace such words with the words "elect only".

As the Calvinists say that the Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness but is longsuffering only to the elect, not willing that any of the elect will perish, but that only the elect will come to repentance.

Now let us ask them a question, Is it God's will that some people will not repent?  And the Calvinists will say that it is by the depraved nature that men will not repent.  But the question is whether it is God's will or not.  Has God a will for them or not?  But they say that all events are decreed by God. The Calvinists are very clever in evading questions and when they got cornered, they will say, "You cannot question God!"  God calls all men to salvation and He is willing for all to know the truth, to repent,  and to be saved (I Tim.2:3-4, Acts 17::30).  God's calling is indeed a holy calling.

God's salvation and calling is not according to our works.

No one is good enough to be saved. God calls all men to repent and believe in order to be saved even if they are not worthy.  When a man repents and  believes and is saved, God calls him to serve Him.  He may not have a perfect work, but God does not base His kindness upon our works in order to find pleasure in us, but takes pleasure in our faith (Heb.11:6). We may work and work and yet God is not pleased with us.  The only work that the Father is pleased is the work of His Son on the cross of Calvary, and when we place our faith in His Son Jesus Christ, He is so pleased (I Cor.5:21).

God does not call the believers to service because he is pleased with our works, but because He is pleased with the works of His Son in and through us (Phil.1:6; I John 1:7)  It is by faith that Abel's sacrifice was made acceptable (Heb.11:4).  In the same way, it is by our faith in the cleansing blood of the Lamb that we are made acceptable before God the Father (I John 1:7).   We are saved by faith and so we ought to live by faith (Gal.3;11). God's salvation is not by works (Eph.2:8-9).  Faith is not a work. It is harmonious with grace (Rom.11:6).  Rather, real faith produces good works.  (James 2:17).  Faith that produces good works are pleasing to God (James 2:18; John 15:8).  John chapter 15 does not teach that works without Christ are pleasing, rather it teaches that works as a result of faith or abiding in Christ is pleasing.  Heb. 11:6 says "...without faith it is impossible to please God...."

God's salvation and calling is according to His purpose.

God calls all men to repent and be saved but he will save only those who would respond to His call by believing. Matthew 22:14 says, "For many are called but few are chosen". The Calvinists believe that there are two kinds of call, the effectual call and the general call. They say that the effectual call is God's call and the general call is the preacher's call.  The question is who made the call, God or the preacher?  If they say that it is the preacher, then we find men who were elected by God through the preacher's call. If they say it is God, then we can find some men who were not chosen yet called by God.  It is evident that not all who are called are chosen.  Why were they not chosen?  Because there are some who did not respond to God's call according to Matt.22.

There is a call to salvation and there is a call to service. All those who were saved by faith, God calls to serve Him (John 14:15).   Therefore the sequence is God calling all men to salvation, God's act of regenerating and saving the believers, then God calling the believers to serve HIm.  That's why you will notice in II Tim.1:9  "...saved...called...."   Call to salvation first, then regeneration, then call to service.  It is God's purpose for the saved to serve Him.  We are saved to serve (Eph.2:8-10; Luke 1:74)

God's salvation and calling is according to His grace.

Without the death of Christ, there can be no basis for a call and salvation. (Heb.9:22).  God created man with a freewill because He is not pleased with a man who cannot decide.  God is pleased when a man exercises faith voluntarily under God’s call and invitation.  God knew that the man He created would fall, however He did not decreed or ordered him to fall to sin.  It was the choice of man to sin, not God.  God allowed it because He has given man the freedom of choice or decision.   Man was tempted by the devil and the devil works against God.  God created the angels, and one of the angels named Lucifer sinned and he became the devil.   God has never been pleased with the sins of fallen angels and  men, so He provided a solution. That solution was already in the mind of God before the world began. (Eph.1:4). Because of His grace and mercy,  He planned to provide salvation by the death of Christ even in the beginning, and decided to choose to salvation those who would respond to his call by humility, repentance and faith in Christ.(II Thes.2:13). Indeed the plan of God was fulfilled –Christ died for our sins. (I Cor.15:1-4). Now God offers salvation through the message of the death of Christ –the gospel of Christ, and those who repent and believe are given eternal life. Thus, the basis of God's election in eternity is Christ’s death which in time past was already in the mind of God. (Eph.1:4) It is by God's grace and decree that those who would trust in Jesus will be saved. (Eph.2:8-9).  God wants all men to repent in order to be saved.  (I Tim.2:1-6). God made a provision for man's sins by Christ death on the cross.  Christ died for all men however He decided to save only those who would humble and hear the gospel, repent and trust in Jesus under divine influence. (John 3:16, II Cor.5:14-15, I Cor. 1: 21, 26-27).

Questions to the Calvinists:

1.  Is it God's will that some people will not repent?
2.  Is God longsuffering only to the elect?
3.  Is it God's will of pleasure that some people go to hell?
4.  Does God want some people not to believe in Christ?
5.  Has God a will for the non-elect?
6.  Does God want all men to come to know the truth?
7.  Does God sincerely offer salvation to all men through the gospel?
8.  Can God offer salvation to all men apart from the death of Christ?
9.  Is the gospel intended for all men?
10. Is the command of the gospel to repent intended to all men?
11.  How can the message of the gospel be intended to all men if Christ did not die for all men?
12.  Are Calvinist preachers really honest when they preach "Christ died for you...you must
       repent...." when in fact they are just guessing whether Christ really died for the
       listener or not?