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Arminians are Christians, Barely
Posted : 31 Mar, 2011 11:59 AM

Arminians are Christians, Barely

Submitted by WilliamBirch on Tue, 08/24/2010 - 7:51am



In the introduction to his book, Willing to Believe: The Controversy over Free Will, R. C. Sproul, Sr., when asked if he thinks Arminians are Christians, answers, "'Yes, barely.' They are Christians by what we call a felicitous inconsistency."1 He agrees with J. I. Packer and O. R. Johnston, who insist that Arminians, because they reject the (unproven and eminently philosophical) theory that regeneration must precede faith, they "thereby deny man's utter helplessness in sin, and affirm that a form of semi-Pelagianism is true after all."2 This is the reason, so the authors are convinced, that "Reformed theology condemned Arminianism as being in principal a return to Rome (because in effect it turned faith into a meritorious work) and a betrayal of the Reformation (because it denied the sovereignty of God in saving sinners . . .).3

Calvinists rightly believe that all sinners inherently lack any ability to know or understand "the depths of God" (1 Cor. 2:10 NRSV), or the natural ability to "receive the gifts of God's Spirit," or "understand them because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor. 2:14 NRSV). The unregenerate do not "submit to God's law -- indeed [they] cannot" (Rom. 8:7 NRSV). However, for the Calvinist, the only solution to the sinner's desperate plight is strict monergistic regeneration. Packer and Johnston explain: "The sovereignty of grace found expression in their [the Reformers'] thinking at a profounder lever still, in the doctrine of monergistic regeneration -- the doctrine, that is, that the faith which receives Christ for justification is itself the free gift of a sovereign God, bestowed by spiritual regeneration in the act of effectual calling."4 If a Christian does not hold to this theory, then he or she is charged with advocating "self-reliance and self-effort."5

[[[ By posing these statements thus, Calvinists have hedged themselves in their own convenient niche, declaring all other believers as unorthodox, heterodox, or as Packer, Johnston and Sproul have it, "un-Christian" or "anti-Christian."6 Either one holds to strict monergism (i.e., that regeneration precedes faith), or one holds to heresy. ]]]

First, evangelical faith, in Arminianism, is championed as a gift of God, and cannot in any sense be a "work" of one's own doing. By definition, however, faith cannot be viewed as a work, for the apostle Paul argues that, "to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness" (Rom. 4:5 NRSV). Faith is not a work. Therefore, strict monergism (i.e., that regeneration must precede faith) is a superfluous theory at best. Arminius explicitly states: "Faith is a gracious and gratuitous gift of God, bestowed according to the administration of the means necessary to conduce to the end; that is, according to such an administration as the justice of God requires either towards the side of mercy or towards that of severity."7 What Calvinists cannot abide is his following statement: "It is a gift which is not bestowed according to an absolute will of saving some particular men: For it is a condition required in the object to be saved, and it is in fact a condition before it is the means for obtaining salvation."8 For the Calvinist, God cannot merely enable an individual to believe, but must cause a sinner to believe through regeneration. Thus a person is actually saved (regenerated) to faith, not by faith, which is contrary to explicit biblical teaching (Eph. 2:8).

Second, Arminianism advocates initial monergism. The Holy Spirit is sent out by Christ Jesus to "prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment" (John 16:8 NRSV). No one asks to be convicted by the Spirit of God. This work is monergistic. The proactive power and grace and action of God is meant to lead the sinner to repentance (Rom. 2:4). Yet, nowhere in Scripture are we taught that God's intention or purpose is to monergistically regenerate His unconditionally elect, so that they can then believe in Christ Jesus. More to the point, Scripture teaches the exact opposite, making strict monergism a man-made, Scripture-contorting, God-dishonoring doctrine.

Scripture teaches that all who first receive Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior are then given the right to become children of God (John 1:12). Faith, then, precedes regeneration, for the children were "born . . . of the will . . . of God" (John 1:13) only upon receiving or believing in Jesus Christ initially. We understand from Scripture that "regeneration" is the act of God which "saves" us (Titus 3:5): "he saved us . . . through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit" (NRSV). "Salvation" and "regeneration" are interconnected; there cannot be one without the other.

Yet, Scripture also confesses that an individual is "saved" by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:22, 25, 26, 27, 28; 4:1-5, 16; 5:1; Gal. 2:16, 20; 3:11; Eph. 2:8). If one is "saved" (by grace) through faith, then one is "regenerated" by God when one believes in Christ, which means that faith precedes regeneration. (We are not permitted to define the word grace as regeneration.) The apostle Paul explicitly states as much by informing the Colossian believers that God regenerated them ("made them alive") when they had been forgiven of their sins (Col. 2:13). We know that people are only forgiven of their sins and are justified by faith in Christ (Rom. 5:1). Thus, again, faith precedes regeneration. Though an individual must be enabled (John 6:44) and granted (John 6:65; Phil. 1:29) the power to believe, the actual believing is done by the individual (Matt. 9.22, 29; 15.28; Mk. 4.40; Luke 8.25; Acts 14.9; Rom. 1.8; 4.5; 1 Cor. 2.5; 15.14; 2 Cor. 1.24; Eph. 1.15; Phil. 2.17; Col. 1.4; 2.5; 1 Thes. 3.2, 5, 6, 7, 10; Philemon 1:6; Heb. 10.23; 12.2; James 1.3; 2.18; 1 Pet. 1.7, 9, 21; 2 Pet. 1.5; 1 Jn. 5.4; Jude 1:20), not by God. God does not believe for us, nor does He "implant" faith in our minds through regeneration. Scripture does not grant us warrant for such a belief.

Ultimately, what Calvinists such as Sproul and Packer have done is make the Reformed teaching of Luther and Calvin infallible doctrine, thereby excluding all others (the vast majority) who disagree with certain aspects of their doctrines, from any relation to the Reformation, declaring them "un-Christian" or "anti-Christian."9 Sproul's comment, that Arminians are Christians, "barely," further divides Christ's body. Arminians and semi-Pelagians, though redeemed by the same Savior (and by the Calvinist's own doctrine have been unconditionally elected by the same God), are relegated as some deformity on the body of Christ -- a blemish or pimple which disgraces the Head.

Even in my great disdain for Calvinism, I do not recall ever stating that Calvinism is either un-Christian or anti-Christian. Historically, Calvinism is heterodox, for the early Church prior to St. Augustine did not teach anything remotely related to the theories of unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, or the exhaustive determinism of God. Calvinism's novel conceptions have caused (and are still causing) some of the greatest controversies we have experienced in Christ's body. But I have never thought of Calvinism as un-Christian. The depths and lengths to which some Calvinists will tread in order to propagate Calvinism is utterly appalling.

One of the aspects which Calvinists disdain about Arminianism the most is God's granting the sinner a grace to believe in Christ which can be resisted. Sproul complains: "Then why say that Arminianism 'in effect' makes faith a meritorious work? Because the good response people make to the gospel becomes the ultimate determining factor in salvation." [[[ 10 Sproul's complaint is essentially with ( Scripture, ) and the manner in which God has declared He works in the earth with humanity, not with Arminian theology proper. ]]]

Since faith in Christ is not, biblically stated, a "work" (Rom. 4:4-5), then neither can it be viewed as a work in Arminian theology: trusting in Christ is not working for salvation. Paul settled that issue in his letter to the Romans. The "ultimate determining factor in salvation," as Sproul states, being the instrument of one's faith in Christ still cannot be viewed as a work, strictly taken, or a "return to Rome," since trusting in Christ is not considered working for one's salvation (Rom. 4:4-5). If God has established a condition for saving a person, and He has -- through one's faith in Jesus Christ -- then even the "ultimate determining factor in salvation" is still God, since He alone saves; faith in Christ does not save or cause one's regeneration. God causes or works one's regeneration or salvation when one's faith is placed in Christ. Faith is an instrumental means unto salvation, but not salvation or regeneration itself. That intellectual Calvinists such as Sproul and Packer (and a host of others) have not thought this out is an embarrassment.

Arminians are not "barely" saved, even by a felicitous inconsistency. Arminians, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, are saved Christians "to the uttermost" (Heb. 7:25 NKJV).

1 R. C. Sproul, Willing to Believe: The Controversy over Free Will (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1997), 25.

2 Ibid., 24.

3 Ibid.

4 Ibid., 22-23.

5 Ibid., 23.

6 Ibid., 24.

7 James Arminius, "Certain Articles to be Diligently Examined and Weighed: XIX. On Faith," The Works of Arminius, three volumes, the London Edition, trans. James and William Nichols (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996), 2:723.

8 Ibid., 2:723-24.

9 Sproul, 24.

10 Ibid., 26.

*** Just a lil more of Someone elses Spew for the Pew�I did find this interesting though�xo

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Arminians are Christians, Barely
Posted : 31 Mar, 2011 02:16 PM

I see

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Arminians are Christians, Barely
Posted : 31 Mar, 2011 02:17 PM

First of all, I'm not a Calvinist (which I've said before on other topics). I am a Christian. I simply follow Christ and believe what the Bible says. I believe in salvation by grace (NOT works) because it is what the Bible teaches, not because it is what Calvin teaches. To be honest, I'd never even heard of of Calvin until I'd joined CDFF a year ago. My beliefs have absolutely nothing to do with anything Calvin did or did not say.



Secondly, just because logic plays no role in your life, doesn't mean that it's irrelevant. God created us as logical, intelligent beings. My opinion is that He gave us brains so that we could use them. If He didn't want us to be able to think, He could have created us that way. He could have made robots, but He chose to make us instead. It's not like we just randomly got brains installed by Satan or something. *rolls eyes*

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Arminians are Christians, Barely
Posted : 31 Mar, 2011 02:40 PM

From the article - "Sproul's comment, that Arminians are Christians, "barely," further divides Christ's body. Arminians and semi-Pelagians, though redeemed by the same Savior (and by the Calvinist's own doctrine have been unconditionally elected by the same God), are relegated as some deformity on the body of Christ -- a blemish or pimple which disgraces the Head."

Touch�. Calvinists can blab all day long about those who don't agree with them, even saying the unagreeable are "barely" saved; but they fail to realize the damage they do to their own body [as we are ALL ONE body IN CHRIST]. Basically they're slapping the face of Christ. Nice, huh?

Romans 12:5 - So we, [being] many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

Also from the article - "The depths and lengths to which some Calvinists will tread in order to propagate Calvinism is utterly appalling."

Ain't that the truth! Seen it here several times.

From the article - "Arminians are not "barely" saved, even by a felicitous inconsistency. Arminians, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, are saved Christians "to the uttermost" (Heb. 7:25 NKJV)."

Amen!

Oh, and by the way... I'm not an Arminian [for those who don't know]. I just happen to disagree with the theory of Calvinism..."to the uttermost".

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Arminians are Christians, Barely
Posted : 31 Mar, 2011 02:50 PM

I don't understand the argument that "we are ALL ONE body IN CHRIST." Who is "ALL"? That sounds all nice and everything, but we can't just have "ALL" as this undefined group to which all who have some sort of fondness or recognition for Christ belong. At some point, we have to draw the line. Not everyone on the whole planet is saved. I believe in unity and all that, but unity is for true believers, not for everyone in the whole world.

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Arminians are Christians, Barely
Posted : 31 Mar, 2011 03:01 PM

Shared ~ Oh, and by the way... I'm not an Arminian [for those who don't know]. I just happen to disagree with the theory of Calvinism..."to the uttermost"�.God love ya Sister�.



That word Co-Operative is a Strange word...I see it as Ima a Christian...Repented...Born Again...Saved by Grace...Now...since I know I was a Sinner afor I Answered the Call of Christ Jesus...ifin I Continue in Sin...Ima purty much a Wishy Washy Christian believing that since ima Forgiven Already it dont make no nevermind what I do or how I believe...WRONG !!!...I Co-Operate with GOD...Aligning my puny lil will & efforts with His Sovoreign Will....to do His Will...That keeps it purty simple...Does this Qualify me as either Calvin or Arminian...NOPE !!!...Just a Christian following Christ Jesus Doctrine & Teachings...xo

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Arminians are Christians, Barely
Posted : 31 Mar, 2011 03:10 PM

Pixy, read the verse I provided. Paul is talking to "believers". As believers in Christ, we are "one body in Christ".

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Arminians are Christians, Barely
Posted : 31 Mar, 2011 03:30 PM

James replies:



well, this is Jude, just stirring the pot to see everyone's reaction.



She got the article here:



http://evangelicalarminians.org/birch.arminians-are-christians-barely



And there are lots of articles on this site, but she chose this one for the title.



There is a LOT wrong with the article and lot of complaints without being specific.



Now, the author does not mention that Arminianism was declared a heresy at the synod of Dort. Five points, or objections were brought to ALL the churches, and there was a HUGE gathering for this synod, and TONS of heavy weight Bible scholars, and ALL five points of the Arminians were rejected, because of lack of Scriptural evidence and DECLARED HERESY.



I don't call my Arminian brothers and sisters heretics, because I KNOW that 99% of them don't know enough to be heretical on the subject.



Almost ALL Arminian Christians today are merely inconsistent.



In other words, their own views conflict with other views they have, and they don't know it.



We also have a LOT of Christians who flat out refuse to grow up in their understanding of Scripture. They are spiritual babies, and have decided to stay that way. I would put the author of this article in that category.



So, I would say, Arminians are inconsistent Christians.



But, my brothers and sisters in Christ nonetheless.



But I would like to remind everyone that this is Jude stirring the pot, and she seems to more interested in heat than light.



In Christ,





James

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Arminians are Christians, Barely
Posted : 31 Mar, 2011 04:06 PM

James, the article Jude posted is really no different than those that you post slamming anyone who disagrees with Calvinism, only this time the table is turned. You don't like what one of the teachers you follow, says? I don't either. Almost everything you wrote in your reply to Jude can be said of you and your belief.

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Arminians are Christians, Barely
Posted : 31 Mar, 2011 04:08 PM

Shared ~ James replies: well, this is Jude, just stirring the pot to see everyone's reaction. She got the article here: http://evangelicalarminians.org/birch.arminians-are-christians-barely

*** Ha Ha Ha !!! Your Funny James...it makes no differance what site I pulled it from but that looks about right...what does matter is it gives Another View and Perspective for the Captive Audiance here...Its not Fair to People to Preach a One Sided Argument...might as well Hit them over the Head with your Reformers Bible...:bouncy:..xo

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Arminians are Christians, Barely
Posted : 31 Mar, 2011 06:42 PM

Well the simplicity of the argument is this Satan's Calvinism verses Armenian has no merit to the word of God, there are those that believe and those that don't very simple, if you proclaim you need to be regenerated to believe, you are of the persuasion of those that do not believe the word of God.

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