Brethren,
I would like to start by saying that I do not say that those who believe in
Arminian, or partially
Arminian doctrines are not believers, I know and love several fellow Christians who have
Arminian tainted beliefs. However, this does not take away from the essential nature of this doctrine. Improper theology is in essence idolatry, as we create in our minds a false god, and worship it.
Where do we start when debating between Sovereign Grace and
Arminanism? It is such an essential doctrine, and its effects so far reaching that one could write a dozen books on the subject and merely scratch the surface.
I would say that the place to start would be the Sovereignty of God.
What is God? What is the nature of His will? Can God be thwarted? Does God author history, the present, and the future, or is He the god of the Deist who claims that God has no dealings with men, or the universe? Is God
omniscient? Is God Righteous and Holy? Is God a Just God?
What about Man? Is man
basically good, or totally depraved? Are we dead in
trespasses and sins, or are we merely sick? Can we reach out to God as fallen creatures?
What about the Fall? What was its nature? What was Man before and after the Fall?
All the above, and many more, are essential doctrines of orthodox Christianity. If you call into question even one of them you call into question the most basic nature of our Lord.
Arminianism calls into question every last one of the aforesaid doctrines and many many more essential doctrines of the faith.
The
Arminian claims that God desires all men to come to Him. - If what the
Arminian says is true, we serve either an impotent, or lazy God.
A God who is not omnipotent is not God. A God who is not able to effect His desires upon His creation is no greater than His creation, this is the epitome of idolatry. It would be no worse to worship a God of wood or metal. The idol is entirely dependant upon its "subject" to accomplish its design, and the idol of the
Arminian is entirely dependant upon the creature to fulfill His design, the salvation of mankind.
The reformed fellow however believes in Sovereign Grace, that salvation is of the Lord alone, He elects, and completes our salvation. He is the Author and Finisher of salvation. We believe that all whom God desired to save, He has and will save for the sake of the shed blood of Christ. We call those whom God has chosen to save the "elect" of God, and all those are safe in His hand for eternity. God desired the salvation of His elect, and He accomplished it without reservation. This is the true God, omnipotent and able to save.
The
Arminian claims that God "looks through the tunnels of time" and merely sees what goes on in the future. How blatant a heresy to claim that the God who created time is bound by its restraint! God does not see the future, He authored it.
Many people who cannot escape the doctrine of election try to explain it away by claiming that God saw who "would have believed" and based His election accordingly. The logic that concludes this is laughable at best. Salvation by nature is initiated by God even the
Arminian will not argue this. How then can the effect determine the cause? To claim that the author of salvation, somehow is effected by those whom he will author, in order to make him author them is so
ludacris even my loopy mind cannot fathom it.
As always, the reason the
Arminian comes up with this rationale is because he is stuck on the idea that everyone is entitled to a "fair chance". This
Jacobin notion, if interpreted in the context of a Just God, puts all of us in Hell.
Another foundational element in this debate is the nature of the sacrifice of Christ. How does
Christ's atonement "work" so to speak?
In order for God to effect the salvation of His church and remain Just, the sins of the church must be punished totally. This punishment must be meted out upon one with the same
existence as the Church, yet on one so great that He could endure the wrath due to all the elect, not just one. The wrath of God must be meted out upon a being so great, infinite, and eternal that an
eternity of eternities worth of wrath could be endured.
The only one who could fulfill this was Jesus Christ, He was "very man and very God".
I say all this to show that if God poured out His wrath towards every individual in its totality upon Christ, then a Just God could not of right punish any man. God can not, and will not punish a man for sins and sin nature that has all ready been punished in Christ.
The only way this works, is if Christ died for the elect only, and suffered the wrath of Almighty God, for the elect only.
The elect are now safe, heirs of Christ, and purified in Him.
Though countless volumes could be written upon the attributes of God, and the nature of Christ's finished work I will stop here and move on to mankind and our total inability.
So, what is man? To find out we must begin at Creation. Mankind was created in the image of God, perfect in every area. Mankind was able to experience true communion with God, and man's nature was pure. Man was created with a "Free Will", able to chose what he desired and a "free agent" so to speak.
This would seem to agree with
Arminians would it not? This is only so because I have not yet mentioned the Fall. All the above changed with the Fall. Man is now bound to his sin nature, and is unable to experience communion with God in his fallen state. Now our inclination and will is only evil continually, all our actions are done with sinful motivations.
As long as we are "In Adam" we are in Sin, and dealt with accordingly. We are dead in sin, and unable to change this fact. Fallen man by nature hates God
exceedingly. How can a dead man who hates God, choose and desire God and communion with Him?
The
Arminian claims that this desire is a result of the Will of man. Man's will is bound to sin, every action is under the bondage of his sin nature. Therefore the
Arminian's claim is an impossibility.
What is the correct answer? God regenerates the will of man, changes his inclination, and instills a love for God in his heart. As a result of this, man repents of his sins, and strives to live in accordance with the Word of God.
The only way the
Arminian doctrine works is if God is impotent and fickle, and if man is a free moral agent and not in bondage to sin and sin nature.
Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23 And changed the glory of the u
ncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and
fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
I believe this applies to all
idolatries,
Arminianism included. Theology is not a frivolous matter, it is serious business. It is this alone which motivated me to write this short
dissertation on
Arminianism. The Glory and Name of God is my passion, and it fills me with Righteous anger to see God portrayed as He is not. I know I am not very concise and eloquent in my arguments, and I realize I bounce around
alot in my writing. However, I pray this helps you in your walk with our Saviour.
For the Crown Rights of Christ Jesus,
R.G. Miller
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