Matthan
17th July 2006, 01:49 PM
[Here is my reply to a request that I expound on the unbiblical nature of both Calvinism and Arminianism. What I have written here is my opinion, and is based only on my knowledge of Holy Scripture as the Holy Spirit has moved me during my ongoing learning process.]
It is a fact that every Protestant denomination in existence today either sprang forth from or is somehow found to be rooted in the same "protest", which is the scriptural heresy of Roman Catholicism. In that respect, we find that every single Protestant denomination carried with it at least some doctrines that were Roman Catholic in origin, and heretical in spiritual nature. Granted that, with some such denominations the extent of retained Catholic doctrines may be few in number, but they are still present, retained by the sect and still heretical in nature. They are still the traditions of men serving to "supplement" (read: subvert) the Truth of God. And, it is those heretical doctrines that serve as the primary differences between Protestants and true Baptists.
There is a primary and very basic difference between most Baptists (all true Baptists) and most if not all Protestants, regardless of whether or not any particular denomination adheres to the five points of Calvinism or the five points of Arminianism [Arminian Articles of Remonstrance] All Protestants adhere to one of these two professions, but both are scripturally flawed, and seriously so. And, neither profession is or can make any claim on true, Bible-believing Baptists. Here, in summation form, are both professions:
The five points of Arminianism are:
1.) God has decreed to save through Jesus Christ those of the fallen and sinful race who through the grace of the Holy Spirit believe in him, but leaves in sin the incorrigible and unbelieving. (In other words predestination is said to be conditioned by God’s foreknowledge of who would respond to the gospel.)
2.) Christ died for all men (not just for the elect), but no one except the believer has remission of sin.
3.) Man can neither of himself nor of his free will do anything truly good until he is born again of God, in Christ, through the Holy Spirit. (Though accused of such, Arminius and his followers were not Pelagians.)
4.) All good deeds or movements in the regenerate must be ascribed to the grace of God but his grace in not irresistible.
5.) Those who are incorporated into Christ by a true faith have power given them through the assisting grace of the Holy Spirit to persevere in the faith, but it is possible for a believer to fall from grace.
The Five Points of Calvinism are:
1.) That fallen man was totally unable to save himself. (Total Depravity)
2.) That God’s electing purpose was not conditioned by anything in man. (Unconditional Election)
3.) That Christ’s atoning death was sufficient to save all men, but efficient only for the elect. (Limited Atonement)
4.) That the gift of faith, sovereignly given by God’s Holy Spirit, cannot be resisted by the elect. (Irresistible Grace)
5.) That those who are regenerated and justified will persevere in the faith. (Perseverance of the saints)
The Arminian profession, which will be addressed here first, appears to be somewhat farther apart from to true scriptural teaching than is the Calvinist doctrine. This doctrine is fatally flawed in that it supports the heretical tradition that God’s grace can not be "resisted" and true Christians can "fall from grace." God clearly tells us that neither of these two suppositions are possible. More importantly, to adhere to such a doctrine is to completely deny the omniscience of God. Such a doctrine necessarily dictates that God can make a mistake.
By way of a hypothetical example, let us suppose that a fifteen year boy goes forward in church and declares that he believes in Jesus, he also claims that he repents of his sinful life, and he wants to be baptized into the church. He is baptized. Years later, this person robs banks, kills people, rapes women, and generally lives a life ripe with the most terrible sins. Arminian followers would claim such a person is fallen from God’s grace. He had God’s salvation, but decided to reject it himself and do evil.
True Baptists would state the obvious, that this person was never truly saved in the first place. How could they say that? Because, when a person is truly saved by baptism of the Holy Spirit, it is forever (see John 10:27-30). The Holy Spirit will not enter into anyone who is not a true believer. After all, why would He? What reason would He have for entering into and spiritually sealing such a non-believer? Furthermore, there is no such thing as a true Christian, one who has been baptized by the Holy Spirit, who wants to live a sinful life. That is also an impossibility because the person has been spiritually sealed by the Holy Spirit. To believe that it is possible for someone with God’s grace to fall from that grace is to say that God does not know what truth is found within that person’s heart, and that He does not know everything that was, that is, and that ever will be (His omniscience).
The Calvinist profession is also scripturally flawed, but in a spiritually doctrinal manner rather than in the character of its five individual parts. To adhere to its precepts is to support the doctrine of predestination or "fatalism," with God dictating who is to be saved and who is to be eternally separated from Him. While His omniscience is such that He surely knows who within the ranks of human kind will be saved eternally (their names will be found written in the Book of Life, after all), He does not predestinate them to their eternal destinations. That spiritual journey has to be the result of their own spiritual life-choices.
Why is that? Because for it to be anything else would make God a liar, which He is not! When we read verses such as Romans 10:13, we are better able to understand the why of this concept. That verse reads, " For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Notice the complete lack of qualifiers found in that verse. Any person who calls upon the name of the Lord SHALL BE SAVED!
Do you see the problems cropping up here? They are many in number, and somewhat difficult to comprehend. According to the Calvinist profession a person who is numbered among the elect of God but who does absolutely nothing towards learning about Jesus, or living a righteous life, or loving God and her neighbors, will still find eternal salvation at the instant of her death. At the same time a person who is not numbered among the elect but who spends his entire life reading the Bible, learning about Jesus, praying continuously and calling upon His holy name, donating a quarter of his earnings to the church, and generally living the most pious of lives, is still destined for eternal damnation.
Carrying this thought process of Calvinism one step farther, a number of questions must be asked and answered. If God predestinates every person to his or her eternal destiny, then why will there be a great judgement of all persons? Why will we all be called to account for our actions and sins if our fate is already sealed? Why was Jesus’ earthly mission even necessary when God has already dictated the outcome for every person? Why would our Savior instruct us to go and preach the Gospel to all nations? After all, the elect are the elect, and everyone else is already damned, so why bother preaching God’s Truth at all?
So, what is the answer? True Baptists believe what Jesus stated in John 6:44, "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." God has to work in the hearts and minds of people to bring them to salvation. And here is the real difference between Baptists and everybody else. We believe that God wants and desires for every single person to find eternal salvation. In 2nd Peter 3:9, we read, "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." You can also go back and read Romans 10:13 again with a true Baptist’s frame of mind. Or, read John 3:16 (actually Jesus gives us the same exact promise three times in four verses if you read John 3:15-18). And do not forget Mark 16:15 where we are instructed by God to "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Why would He tells us to do that if the people we preach to have no real spiritual choice?
Calvinism preaches limited atonement, but God repeatedly tells us otherwise in Scripture. Therefore, for anyone to adhere to the Calvinist profession is to deny God, calling Him a liar in the process.
Now, here is the conundrum for all Christians, and not just Baptists, to consider. Man has free will, and can do almost as he pleases. God has essentially left us all to do what we will. And yet God is omniscient, knowing everything that was, that is, and that ever will be. He even knows the eternal destination for each of us. In that regard, that He already knows, He foreordains. For that reason "predestination" is a scriptural fact. Are these two situations inconsistent? Are they contradictory to each other? Not at all, at least to the believer! God can do absolutely anything. Therefore, He can dictate that both of these situations coexist in harmony, and they certainly will. And, in His good time, they will meld together peacefully in that place that exists immediately in front of the great Judgement Seat.
Always keep in mind that both Calvinism and Arminianism are solidly rooted in Protestantism and, by logical extension, Roman Catholicism. True Baptist beliefs are, on the other hand, solidly rooted in the most ancient and primitive teachings in the Christian Churches of Jerusalem, Ephesus, Antioch, and Corinth. That is a good thing. Very good, indeed.
Matthan
It is a fact that every Protestant denomination in existence today either sprang forth from or is somehow found to be rooted in the same "protest", which is the scriptural heresy of Roman Catholicism. In that respect, we find that every single Protestant denomination carried with it at least some doctrines that were Roman Catholic in origin, and heretical in spiritual nature. Granted that, with some such denominations the extent of retained Catholic doctrines may be few in number, but they are still present, retained by the sect and still heretical in nature. They are still the traditions of men serving to "supplement" (read: subvert) the Truth of God. And, it is those heretical doctrines that serve as the primary differences between Protestants and true Baptists.
There is a primary and very basic difference between most Baptists (all true Baptists) and most if not all Protestants, regardless of whether or not any particular denomination adheres to the five points of Calvinism or the five points of Arminianism [Arminian Articles of Remonstrance] All Protestants adhere to one of these two professions, but both are scripturally flawed, and seriously so. And, neither profession is or can make any claim on true, Bible-believing Baptists. Here, in summation form, are both professions:
The five points of Arminianism are:
1.) God has decreed to save through Jesus Christ those of the fallen and sinful race who through the grace of the Holy Spirit believe in him, but leaves in sin the incorrigible and unbelieving. (In other words predestination is said to be conditioned by God’s foreknowledge of who would respond to the gospel.)
2.) Christ died for all men (not just for the elect), but no one except the believer has remission of sin.
3.) Man can neither of himself nor of his free will do anything truly good until he is born again of God, in Christ, through the Holy Spirit. (Though accused of such, Arminius and his followers were not Pelagians.)
4.) All good deeds or movements in the regenerate must be ascribed to the grace of God but his grace in not irresistible.
5.) Those who are incorporated into Christ by a true faith have power given them through the assisting grace of the Holy Spirit to persevere in the faith, but it is possible for a believer to fall from grace.
The Five Points of Calvinism are:
1.) That fallen man was totally unable to save himself. (Total Depravity)
2.) That God’s electing purpose was not conditioned by anything in man. (Unconditional Election)
3.) That Christ’s atoning death was sufficient to save all men, but efficient only for the elect. (Limited Atonement)
4.) That the gift of faith, sovereignly given by God’s Holy Spirit, cannot be resisted by the elect. (Irresistible Grace)
5.) That those who are regenerated and justified will persevere in the faith. (Perseverance of the saints)
The Arminian profession, which will be addressed here first, appears to be somewhat farther apart from to true scriptural teaching than is the Calvinist doctrine. This doctrine is fatally flawed in that it supports the heretical tradition that God’s grace can not be "resisted" and true Christians can "fall from grace." God clearly tells us that neither of these two suppositions are possible. More importantly, to adhere to such a doctrine is to completely deny the omniscience of God. Such a doctrine necessarily dictates that God can make a mistake.
By way of a hypothetical example, let us suppose that a fifteen year boy goes forward in church and declares that he believes in Jesus, he also claims that he repents of his sinful life, and he wants to be baptized into the church. He is baptized. Years later, this person robs banks, kills people, rapes women, and generally lives a life ripe with the most terrible sins. Arminian followers would claim such a person is fallen from God’s grace. He had God’s salvation, but decided to reject it himself and do evil.
True Baptists would state the obvious, that this person was never truly saved in the first place. How could they say that? Because, when a person is truly saved by baptism of the Holy Spirit, it is forever (see John 10:27-30). The Holy Spirit will not enter into anyone who is not a true believer. After all, why would He? What reason would He have for entering into and spiritually sealing such a non-believer? Furthermore, there is no such thing as a true Christian, one who has been baptized by the Holy Spirit, who wants to live a sinful life. That is also an impossibility because the person has been spiritually sealed by the Holy Spirit. To believe that it is possible for someone with God’s grace to fall from that grace is to say that God does not know what truth is found within that person’s heart, and that He does not know everything that was, that is, and that ever will be (His omniscience).
The Calvinist profession is also scripturally flawed, but in a spiritually doctrinal manner rather than in the character of its five individual parts. To adhere to its precepts is to support the doctrine of predestination or "fatalism," with God dictating who is to be saved and who is to be eternally separated from Him. While His omniscience is such that He surely knows who within the ranks of human kind will be saved eternally (their names will be found written in the Book of Life, after all), He does not predestinate them to their eternal destinations. That spiritual journey has to be the result of their own spiritual life-choices.
Why is that? Because for it to be anything else would make God a liar, which He is not! When we read verses such as Romans 10:13, we are better able to understand the why of this concept. That verse reads, " For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Notice the complete lack of qualifiers found in that verse. Any person who calls upon the name of the Lord SHALL BE SAVED!
Do you see the problems cropping up here? They are many in number, and somewhat difficult to comprehend. According to the Calvinist profession a person who is numbered among the elect of God but who does absolutely nothing towards learning about Jesus, or living a righteous life, or loving God and her neighbors, will still find eternal salvation at the instant of her death. At the same time a person who is not numbered among the elect but who spends his entire life reading the Bible, learning about Jesus, praying continuously and calling upon His holy name, donating a quarter of his earnings to the church, and generally living the most pious of lives, is still destined for eternal damnation.
Carrying this thought process of Calvinism one step farther, a number of questions must be asked and answered. If God predestinates every person to his or her eternal destiny, then why will there be a great judgement of all persons? Why will we all be called to account for our actions and sins if our fate is already sealed? Why was Jesus’ earthly mission even necessary when God has already dictated the outcome for every person? Why would our Savior instruct us to go and preach the Gospel to all nations? After all, the elect are the elect, and everyone else is already damned, so why bother preaching God’s Truth at all?
So, what is the answer? True Baptists believe what Jesus stated in John 6:44, "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." God has to work in the hearts and minds of people to bring them to salvation. And here is the real difference between Baptists and everybody else. We believe that God wants and desires for every single person to find eternal salvation. In 2nd Peter 3:9, we read, "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." You can also go back and read Romans 10:13 again with a true Baptist’s frame of mind. Or, read John 3:16 (actually Jesus gives us the same exact promise three times in four verses if you read John 3:15-18). And do not forget Mark 16:15 where we are instructed by God to "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Why would He tells us to do that if the people we preach to have no real spiritual choice?
Calvinism preaches limited atonement, but God repeatedly tells us otherwise in Scripture. Therefore, for anyone to adhere to the Calvinist profession is to deny God, calling Him a liar in the process.
Now, here is the conundrum for all Christians, and not just Baptists, to consider. Man has free will, and can do almost as he pleases. God has essentially left us all to do what we will. And yet God is omniscient, knowing everything that was, that is, and that ever will be. He even knows the eternal destination for each of us. In that regard, that He already knows, He foreordains. For that reason "predestination" is a scriptural fact. Are these two situations inconsistent? Are they contradictory to each other? Not at all, at least to the believer! God can do absolutely anything. Therefore, He can dictate that both of these situations coexist in harmony, and they certainly will. And, in His good time, they will meld together peacefully in that place that exists immediately in front of the great Judgement Seat.
Always keep in mind that both Calvinism and Arminianism are solidly rooted in Protestantism and, by logical extension, Roman Catholicism. True Baptist beliefs are, on the other hand, solidly rooted in the most ancient and primitive teachings in the Christian Churches of Jerusalem, Ephesus, Antioch, and Corinth. That is a good thing. Very good, indeed.
Matthan