Remember Jesus’ words in Luke 13: 24: “Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and not be able.” Likewise, Jesus tells us in Matthew 7: 12: “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.”
Arminianism may be compared to a wide bridge in the sense that it holds that Christ died for everybody. Everybody has a chance to be saved. However, the Arminian will be the first to admit that not everyone is saved. The bridge is broad, but it only goes across one-half of the stream. Man must take a “leap of faith” to get to salvation’s shore.
In comparison to the wide bridge of Arminianism, Calvinism is like a narrow bridge, because salvation is only available for the Elect. But, unlike the Arminian bridge which only goes half-way across the stream, Calvinism’s narrow bridge completely crosses the stream, because God handles and provides all the points of salvation. Yes, The Arminian bridge is wide and open to all, but only those who take a big enough leap of faith will be saved. In Calvinism, because Man is so totally depraved (first point of Calvinism) that he is “dead” in sin, hostile to God, cannot please God, cannot understand the things of God, and is in bondage to sin and Satan, God must and does make His elect “born again” or “alive” or “draw” them to Christ, or else no one would believe and be saved. God must and does everything for His elect, including giving them faith, sanctifying them, and preserving them to salvation, so that all the elect will be saved. For example, see the golden chain of salvation set forth in Romans 8: 29-30.
In conclusion, Arminianism rests on “the wisdom of man” while Calvinism rests on “the power of God”. Should our faith rest on man’s choice – “the wisdom of man” – or God’s work – “the power of God”? Certainly, Arminianism is more attractive and wise and just to our natural human mind to believe that everyone has an equal opportunity to be saved and to believe in free will and to believe in sufficient goodness in man and to believe that salvation is ultimately controlled by us as to whether or not we will choose Christ and be saved. However, our faith should not rest on the wisdom of men (Arminianism) but on power of God (Calvinism). See I Corinthians 2: 5.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 