Arminianism, Calvaninism and the Truth
ARMINIAN VIEWPOINT
5 POINTS OF ARMINIAN VIEW POINT
(AS QUOTED BY LEWIS SPERRY CHAFER SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY VOL 7 PAGE 137)
1. CONDITIONAL ELECTION ACCORDING TO GODS FOREKNOWLEDGE OF SUPPOSED HUMAN WORTHINESS.
2. A UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION, BUT ONLY THOSE WHO BELIEVE TO BE SAVED.
3. SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH.
4. GRACE IS NOT IRRESISTIBLE.
5. FALLING FROM GRACE POSSIBLE.
JOHN 3V16 FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.
2 PETER 3V9 … NOT WISHING ANY TO PERISH BUT FOR ALL TO COME TO REPENTANCE.
1 TIM 2V4 …WHO DESIRES ALL MEN TO BE SAVED AND COME TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF TRUTH.
IN ESSENCE, THOSE WHO ARE OF THIS SYSTEM OF THINKING, BELIEVE THAT MANS WILL IS THE ULTIMATE ISSUE AND THAT MAN CAN CHOOSE TO BE SAVED IF AND WHEN HE WANTS. IF HE HAS THE CHOICE TO CHOOSE TODAY, THEN HE HAS THE CHOICE TO REJECT TOMMORROW. GOD PROVIDES COMMON GRACE AND MAN CHOOSES WHETHER OR NOT TO BELIEVE. THIS IS SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH. IF MAN CAN CHOOSE TO BE SAVED THEN IT FOLLOWS THAT MAN CAN REJECT GOD AND BECOME UNSAVED IF HE CHOOSES. SOME HOLD THE POSITION THAT IF A MAN SINS HE CAN LOOSE HIS SALVATION AND BECOME A “BACKSLIDER” OR “FALLEN FROM GRACE” AND NEEDS TO BE “RE-SAVED”.
PROBLEMS CONCERNING THIS VIEWPOINT
THIS VIEWPOINT TAKES MANS WILL TO THE LEVEL OF SOVEREIGNTY. MAN ULTIMATELY SAVES HIMSELF BY USING THE COMMON GRACE PROVISION. MAN CAN NEVER BE SURE OF HIS SALVATION BECAUSE HOW CAN HE KNOW THAT SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE HE IS NOT GOING TO REJECT GOD. WHAT SIN OR HOW MUCH SIN DOES ONE HAVE TO COMMIT UNTIL ONE LOOSES HIS SALVATION? NO SCRIPTURE WHEN “RIGHTLY DIVIDED” TEACHES THAT MAN CAN LOOSE HIS SALVATION.
CALVINISTIC VIEWPOINT
5 POINTS OF CALVINISTIC VIEWPOINT (BY CHAFER. SAME PAGE.)
1.TOTAL INABILITY OF FALLEN MAN (TOTAL DEPRAVITY)
2. UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION
3. A LIMITED REDEMPTION. (LIMITED ATONEMENT)
4. EFFICACIOUS DIVINE GRACE. (IRRESISTIBLE GRACE)
5. PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS.
JOHN 6V44 NO-ONE CAN COME TO ME UNLESS THE FATHER WHO SENT ME DRAWS HIM…
EPHESIANS 1V4 JUST AS HE CHOSE US IN HIM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD…
IN ESSENCE, THOSE WHO ARE OF THIS SYSTEM OF THINKING, BELIEVE THAT IN ETERNITY PAST GOD DECREED FOR SOME TO BE SAVED AND OTHERS TO BE LOST AND THAT MAN HAD ABSOLUTELY NO PART TO PLAY IN THE DECISION. IT WAS GOD WHO DECIDED. THEY BELIEVE IN THE ETERNAL SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER BECAUSE OF THE FACT OF ELECTION. GOD “DRAWS” MEN OR ” CALLS” THEM AND THAT CALLING IS SO IRRESISTIBLE THAT MAN HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO CHOSE. THIS IS IRRESISTIBLE GRACE. AN OFFER SO GOOD HOW COULD YOU REFUSE? BUT HE ONLY CALLS THOSE WHOM HE HAS ELECTED. JESUS ONLY DIED FOR THOSE WHO WOULD BE SAVED AND NO-ONE ELSE. THIS IS THE LIMITED ATONEMENT.
PROBLEMS CONCERNING THIS VIEWPOINT
HOW DO YOU EVER KNOW IF YOU ARE ELECT?
IF GODS GRACE IS SO IRRESISTIBLE THAT MAN CANNOT BUT CHOSE THEN IT IS NOT A CHOICE.
JESUS SAID THAT HE DIED FOR ALL
THIS VIEWPOINT IS A DIRECT ATTACK ON THE CHARACTER AND NATURE OF GOD, A GOD WHO IS COMPLETELY RIGHTEOUS AND JUST AND DESIRES ALL MEN TO BE SAVED. 2Tim 2V4
CONCLUSION AND 3RD VIEWPOINT OPTION
SAD TO SAY, THAT TODAY THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN SOCIETY EXPECT TO FALL AND EXPECT YOU TO FALL INTO ONE OF THESE TWO SYSTEMS OF THINKING. EITHER CALVINISM OR ARMINIANISM. HOWEVER, THERE IS A THIRD OPTION. ONE WHICH RECONCILES THE TWO VIEWS AND SATISFIES THE SEEMING CONTRADICTIONS.
GODS WORD CANNOT CONTRADICT ITSELF. IF IT DID IT WOULD NOT BE GODS WORD. WHEN WE LOOK AT THESE TWO VIEWS WE DO SEEM TO HAVE A CONTRADICTION. IE.
“WHOSOEVER WILL” AND “NO-ONE COMES EXCEPT”
IT IS VERY OBVIOUS TO ANY READER THAT THESE TWO TERMS CONTRADICT EACH OTHER. THEN WE HAVE A PROBLEM. WE KNOW THAT GOD CANNOT CONTRADICT HIMSELF SO THERE MUST BE SOME FORM OF RECONCILIATION AND THERE IS.
GODS “OMNISCIENCE”(ALL KNOWING) RECONCILES THE TWO.
GODS SOVEREIGNTY SAYS THAT “WHOSOEVER WILL BELIEVE SHALL BE SAVED” AND GODS OMNISCIENCE SEES THAT DECISION THAT MAN MADE AND THUS BECOMES ELECT OR NOT. NO HUMAN BEING IS EVER PART OF THE ELECT WITHOUT MAKING A CHOICE TO BELIEVE.
THUS MAN HAS A CHOICE BUT GOD ALREADY KNEW THAT CHOICE FROM ETERNITY PAST. GOD LOOKED DOWN THE CORRIDORS OF TIME, AND SAW YOU MAKE A DESCISION EITHER TO BELIEVE OR TO REJECT THE OFFER OF SALVATION. GOD DID NOT MAKE THE DECISION NOR DID HE VIOLATE MANS FREEWILL. MANS FREEWILL IS THE ISSUE IN THE “ANGELIC CONFLICT“. (FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.GBIBLE.ORG) WITHOUT FREEWILL MAN WOULD BE JUST A ROBOT OR A PUPPET. THE ABILITY TO CHOOSE SOMEONE IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE ABILITY NOT TO CHOOSE. E.G. A MAN PUTS A GUN TO HIS WIFE’S HEAD AND SAYS “ DO YOU LOVE ME” SHE HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO SAY YES. THIS IS FORCED, BUT GOD NEVER FORCES HIMSELF ON ANYONE NOR WOULD HE WANT ANYONE TO LOVE HIM UNDER DURESS.
GOD IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHTEOUS, FAIR AND JUST. MAN HAS NO CHOICE IN THE FACT THAT HE IS BORN IN SIN. THEREFORE, IF SOMEONE WENT TO THE LAKE OF FIRE FOR ETERNITY AND NEVER WAS GIVEN THE CHOICE OF SALVATION, THEN HE (THE PERSON) WOULD BE RIGHT AND HAVE A CASE TO SAY THAT GOD WAS UNJUST AND NOT FAIR. AS GODS CREATED CREATURES, HE (GOD)HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY MEMBER OF THE HUMAN RACE HAS THAT CHOICE TO CHOOSE OR REJECT GODS PLAN FOR SALVATION. (FAITH ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE) EPHESIANS 2 V 8,9. AND ACCORDING TO ECCLESIASTES 3 V 11 …HE HAS SET ETERNITY IN THEIR HEART (NAS) AND ROMANS 1 V 18-20 ,GOD HAS PLACED A DESIRE AND A KNOWLEDGE OF HIMSELF IN EVERY PERSON, ALTHOUGH THIS KNOWLEDGE IS BY THE MAJORITY OF THE HUMAN RACE SUPPRESSED OR HID OR RATIONALIZED AWAY OR DECEIVED. GOD DOES DESIRE ALL MEN TO BE SAVED 1 TIM 2V4, 2 PETER 3 V 9, AND ALL MEN CAN BE SAVED ALTHOUGH THE REALITY IS THAT ALL MEN ARE NOT SAVED BUT IT IS OF THEIR OWN CHOICE. GOD NEVER SENDS ANYONE TO HELL AND ULTIMATLEY THE LAKE OF FIRE, THEY CHOOSE TO GO THERE BY THEIR REJECTION OF THE GOSPEL.
Mark Williamson Bible Ministry 
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