An Alternative to the Five Points of Calvinism & Arminianism
=========================
A) & B) compare the five points of Calvinism and the five points of Arminianism arising out of the Dutch Remonstrance controversy. Adapted from “Romans and Interpretive Outline” by David N Steele and Curtis C Thomas ISBN 978-0-87552-443-6 Appendix D pp 144-147. Used with permission from P&R Publishing Co. P.O. Box 817, Phillipsburg, N.J. 08865.
C) is an alternative viewpoint, a Simplified Soteriological Proposition (SSP) from a layman, Samie S. Pimentel of the Philippines. He can be contacted via email at puregospelpreacher@yahoo.com or at samsprograms@yahoo.com.ph.
First Point.
A) Arminianism: Free Will or Human Ability
Although human nature was seriously affected by the fall, man has not been left in a state of total spiritual helplessness. God graciously enables every sinner to repent and believe, but He does not interfere with man's freedom. Each sinner possesses a free will, and his eternal destiny depends on how he uses it. Man's freedom consists of his ability to choose good over evil in spiritual matters; his will is not enslaved to his sinful nature. The sinner has the power to either cooperate with God's Spirit and be regenerated or resist God's grace and perish. The lost sinner needs the Spirit's assistance, but he does not have to be regenerated by the Spirit before he can believe, for faith is man's act and precedes the new birth. Faith is the sinner's gift to God; it is man's contribution to salvation.
B) Calvinism: Total Inability or Total Depravity
Because of the fall, man is unable of himself to savingly believe the gospel. The sinner is dead, blind, and deaf to the things of God; his heart is deceitful and desperately corrupt. His will is not free, it is in bondage to his evil nature, therefore, he will not--indeed he cannot--choose good over evil in the spiritual realm. Consequently, it takes much more than the Spirit's assistance to bring a sinner to Christ--it takes regeneration by which the Spirit makes the sinner alive and gives him a new nature. Faith is not something man contributes to salvation but is itself a part of God's gift of salvation--it is God's gift to the sinner, not the sinner's gift to God.
C) SSP: Total Empowerment
Adam, by his own death that day he sinned, could have paid the penalty for his sin, but that would be his eternal end. He could have paid for his sin God hates, but God would have eternally lost the sinner He loves. So right on that same day Adam fell into sin, God’s plan of redemption devised before the foundation of the world automatically came into play. God's plan made it possible for man to not only pay for the penalty of his own sin, but also gave him another shot at life eternal. That plan necessitated the creation of all in Christ unto good works and hence empowered us all to overcome evil with good. That plan was revealed in the life, death and resurrection of our Lord. No wonder Christ Who is the True Vine is called the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Second Point:
A) Arminianism: Conditional Election
God's choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of the world was based upon His foreseeing that they would respond to His call. He selected only those whom He knew would of themselves freely believe the gospel. Election therefore was determined by or conditioned upon what man would do. The faith which God foresaw and upon which He based His choice was not given to the sinner by God (it was not created by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit) but resulted solely from man's will. It was left entirely up to man as to who would believe and therefore as to who would be elected unto salvation. God chose those whom He knew would, of their own free will, choose Christ. Thus the sinner's choice of Christ, not God's choice of the sinner, is the ultimate cause of salvation.
B) Calvinism: Unconditional Election
God's choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of the world rested solely in His own sovereign will. His choice of particular sinners was not based on any foreseen response or obedience on their part, such as faith, repentance, etc. On the contrary, God gives faith and repentance to each individual whom He selected. These acts are the result, not the cause of God's choice. Election therefore was not determined by or conditioned upon any virtuous quality or act foreseen in man. Those whom God sovereignly elected He brings through the power of the Spirit to a willing acceptance of Christ. Thus God's choice of the sinner, not the sinner's choice of Christ, is the ultimate cause of salvation.
C) SSP: Universal or General Election
God’s choice of everyone in Adam’s race before the foundation of the world rested solely upon His grace and great love for His creatures. To simply choose certain individuals and not all of Adam’s race is blatantly not compatible with the character of Him Who is not a respecter of persons and Who wants all to be saved and come to a knowledge of truth. Hence, He created us all in His Son unto good works via The One New Man that Christ created in Himself: Christ the Head, we all, Jews and Gentiles, His Body. God gave each one faith that they may please Him and gain victory over evil. Being part of the Body of Christ, all have access to His Power to overcome evil with good. Thus, God’s choice of man made him part of the Body of Christ, but it is man’s choice whether or not to forever remain part of the Body by overcoming evil with good.
Third Point:
A) Arminianism: Universal Redemption or General Atonement
Christ's redeeming work made it possible for everyone to be saved but did not actually secure the salvation of anyone. Although Christ died for all men and for every man, only those who believe on Him are saved. His death enabled God to pardon sinners on the condition that they believe, but it did not actually put away anyone's sins. Christ's redemption becomes effective only if man chooses to accept it.
B) Calvinism: Limited Atonement or Particular Redemption
Christ's redeeming work was intended to save the elect only and actually secured salvation for them. His death was a substitutionary endurance of the penalty of sin in the place of certain specified sinners. In addition to putting away the sins of His people, Christ's redemption secured everything necessary for their salvation, including faith which unites them to Him. The gift of faith is infallibly applied by the Spirit to all for whom Christ died, therefore guaranteeing their salvation.
C) SSP: Limitless and Unconditional Redemption or Atonement
Christ’s redeeming work was intended to save all of Adam’s race and actually secured salvation for them having been created by God in Christ unto good works via The One New Man that Christ created in Himself. Hence, when the Head died, the Body died. That death reconciled us all to God and pardoned us from all sin. When the Head resurrected, the Body was made alive together with Him, caused to be born again into a living hope of life eternal. Hence having been created in Christ Who is the True Vine, everyone is physically born into this world already In Christ, already His branch. But only those who God judges as having overcome evil with good will not be cut off from the True Vine, that is, not blotted out from the book of life and will ultimately make it to the heavenly portals.
Fourth Point:
A) Arminianism: The Holy Spirit Can be Effectually Resisted
The Spirit calls inwardly all those who are called outwardly by the gospel invitation; He does all that He can to bring every sinner to salvation. But inasmuch as man is free, he can successfully resist the Spirit's call. The Spirit cannot regenerate the sinner until he believes; faith (which is man's contribution) precedes and makes possible the new birth. Thus, man's free will limits the Spirit in the application of Christ's saving work. The Holy Spirit can only draw to Christ those who allow Him to have His way with them. Until the sinner responds, the Spirit cannot give life. God's grace, therefore, is not invincible; it can be, and often is, resisted and thwarted by man.
B) Calvinism: Irresistible Grace or The Efficacious Call of the Spirit
In addition to the outward general call to salvation which is made to everyone who hears the gospel, the Holy Spirit extends to the elect a special inward call that inevitably brings them to salvation. The external call (which is made to all without distinction) can be, and often is, rejected; whereas the internal call (which is made only to the elect) cannot be rejected; it always results in conversion. By means of this special call the Spirit irresistibly draws sinners to Christ. He is not limited in His work of applying salvation by man's will, nor is He dependent upon man's cooperation for success. The Spirit graciously causes the elect sinner to cooperate, to believe, to repent, to come freely and willingly to Christ. God's grace, therefore, is invincible; it never fails to result in the salvation of those to whom it is extended.
C) SSP: Imperative Call to Repentance, to overcome evil with good
Repentance is the Greek metanoia, change of mind for that which is good. Faced with the opportunity and about to do evil, one changes his mind and does good instead. In other words, it is overcoming evil with good; thus, Christ’s admonition for us to “Repent or perish”. The command to repent is the same command God made in the old testament, the same command God now wants all men every where to obey; the same command Jesus made in the gospel that He preached; the same gospel He wanted preached to the world before He comes again. Being part of the Body of Christ, a person has access to His Power to overcome evil. It is not a question of inability but one of refusal, if one does not overcome evil with good. Being members of the family of God, we all grow up in Christ. Those who God determines that it is best for them to know His Son, He will send someone, just as the Holy Spirit directed Philip to the Ethiopian eunuch who readily accepted and believed in Christ. Believing is overcoming the evil of unbelief and disbelief. It is only after a person dies that God through Christ judges whether one is an overcomer or not. There’s always hope while one is yet alive.
Fifth Point:
A) Arminianism: Falling from Grace
Those who believe and are truly saved can lose their salvation by failing to keep up their faith, etc. All Arminians have not been agreed on this point; some have held that believers are eternally secure in Christ--that once a sinner is regenerated, he can never be lost.
B) Calvinism: Perseverance of the Saints
All who are chosen by God, redeemed by Christ, and given faith by the Spirit are eternally saved. They are kept in faith by the power of Almighty God and thus persevere to the end.
C) SSP: Perseverance to Overcome Evil with Good
Being part of the Body of Christ, one is empowered to act in accordance with what the Head wants its body part to do. We can either use His power to do good or evil. Our choice. Freewill. But only those who God through Christ judges as having persevered in overcoming evil with good will remain part of the Body of Christ. Our Savior Himself gave the assurance that overcomers will not be blotted out from the book of life.
Evaluation:
=========================
A) & B) compare the five points of Calvinism and the five points of Arminianism arising out of the Dutch Remonstrance controversy. Adapted from “Romans and Interpretive Outline” by David N Steele and Curtis C Thomas ISBN 978-0-87552-443-6 Appendix D pp 144-147. Used with permission from P&R Publishing Co. P.O. Box 817, Phillipsburg, N.J. 08865.
C) is an alternative viewpoint, a Simplified Soteriological Proposition (SSP) from a layman, Samie S. Pimentel of the Philippines. He can be contacted via email at puregospelpreacher@yahoo.com or at samsprograms@yahoo.com.ph.
First Point.
A) Arminianism: Free Will or Human Ability
Although human nature was seriously affected by the fall, man has not been left in a state of total spiritual helplessness. God graciously enables every sinner to repent and believe, but He does not interfere with man's freedom. Each sinner possesses a free will, and his eternal destiny depends on how he uses it. Man's freedom consists of his ability to choose good over evil in spiritual matters; his will is not enslaved to his sinful nature. The sinner has the power to either cooperate with God's Spirit and be regenerated or resist God's grace and perish. The lost sinner needs the Spirit's assistance, but he does not have to be regenerated by the Spirit before he can believe, for faith is man's act and precedes the new birth. Faith is the sinner's gift to God; it is man's contribution to salvation.
B) Calvinism: Total Inability or Total Depravity
Because of the fall, man is unable of himself to savingly believe the gospel. The sinner is dead, blind, and deaf to the things of God; his heart is deceitful and desperately corrupt. His will is not free, it is in bondage to his evil nature, therefore, he will not--indeed he cannot--choose good over evil in the spiritual realm. Consequently, it takes much more than the Spirit's assistance to bring a sinner to Christ--it takes regeneration by which the Spirit makes the sinner alive and gives him a new nature. Faith is not something man contributes to salvation but is itself a part of God's gift of salvation--it is God's gift to the sinner, not the sinner's gift to God.
C) SSP: Total Empowerment
Adam, by his own death that day he sinned, could have paid the penalty for his sin, but that would be his eternal end. He could have paid for his sin God hates, but God would have eternally lost the sinner He loves. So right on that same day Adam fell into sin, God’s plan of redemption devised before the foundation of the world automatically came into play. God's plan made it possible for man to not only pay for the penalty of his own sin, but also gave him another shot at life eternal. That plan necessitated the creation of all in Christ unto good works and hence empowered us all to overcome evil with good. That plan was revealed in the life, death and resurrection of our Lord. No wonder Christ Who is the True Vine is called the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Second Point:
A) Arminianism: Conditional Election
God's choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of the world was based upon His foreseeing that they would respond to His call. He selected only those whom He knew would of themselves freely believe the gospel. Election therefore was determined by or conditioned upon what man would do. The faith which God foresaw and upon which He based His choice was not given to the sinner by God (it was not created by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit) but resulted solely from man's will. It was left entirely up to man as to who would believe and therefore as to who would be elected unto salvation. God chose those whom He knew would, of their own free will, choose Christ. Thus the sinner's choice of Christ, not God's choice of the sinner, is the ultimate cause of salvation.
B) Calvinism: Unconditional Election
God's choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of the world rested solely in His own sovereign will. His choice of particular sinners was not based on any foreseen response or obedience on their part, such as faith, repentance, etc. On the contrary, God gives faith and repentance to each individual whom He selected. These acts are the result, not the cause of God's choice. Election therefore was not determined by or conditioned upon any virtuous quality or act foreseen in man. Those whom God sovereignly elected He brings through the power of the Spirit to a willing acceptance of Christ. Thus God's choice of the sinner, not the sinner's choice of Christ, is the ultimate cause of salvation.
C) SSP: Universal or General Election
God’s choice of everyone in Adam’s race before the foundation of the world rested solely upon His grace and great love for His creatures. To simply choose certain individuals and not all of Adam’s race is blatantly not compatible with the character of Him Who is not a respecter of persons and Who wants all to be saved and come to a knowledge of truth. Hence, He created us all in His Son unto good works via The One New Man that Christ created in Himself: Christ the Head, we all, Jews and Gentiles, His Body. God gave each one faith that they may please Him and gain victory over evil. Being part of the Body of Christ, all have access to His Power to overcome evil with good. Thus, God’s choice of man made him part of the Body of Christ, but it is man’s choice whether or not to forever remain part of the Body by overcoming evil with good.
Third Point:
A) Arminianism: Universal Redemption or General Atonement
Christ's redeeming work made it possible for everyone to be saved but did not actually secure the salvation of anyone. Although Christ died for all men and for every man, only those who believe on Him are saved. His death enabled God to pardon sinners on the condition that they believe, but it did not actually put away anyone's sins. Christ's redemption becomes effective only if man chooses to accept it.
B) Calvinism: Limited Atonement or Particular Redemption
Christ's redeeming work was intended to save the elect only and actually secured salvation for them. His death was a substitutionary endurance of the penalty of sin in the place of certain specified sinners. In addition to putting away the sins of His people, Christ's redemption secured everything necessary for their salvation, including faith which unites them to Him. The gift of faith is infallibly applied by the Spirit to all for whom Christ died, therefore guaranteeing their salvation.
C) SSP: Limitless and Unconditional Redemption or Atonement
Christ’s redeeming work was intended to save all of Adam’s race and actually secured salvation for them having been created by God in Christ unto good works via The One New Man that Christ created in Himself. Hence, when the Head died, the Body died. That death reconciled us all to God and pardoned us from all sin. When the Head resurrected, the Body was made alive together with Him, caused to be born again into a living hope of life eternal. Hence having been created in Christ Who is the True Vine, everyone is physically born into this world already In Christ, already His branch. But only those who God judges as having overcome evil with good will not be cut off from the True Vine, that is, not blotted out from the book of life and will ultimately make it to the heavenly portals.
Fourth Point:
A) Arminianism: The Holy Spirit Can be Effectually Resisted
The Spirit calls inwardly all those who are called outwardly by the gospel invitation; He does all that He can to bring every sinner to salvation. But inasmuch as man is free, he can successfully resist the Spirit's call. The Spirit cannot regenerate the sinner until he believes; faith (which is man's contribution) precedes and makes possible the new birth. Thus, man's free will limits the Spirit in the application of Christ's saving work. The Holy Spirit can only draw to Christ those who allow Him to have His way with them. Until the sinner responds, the Spirit cannot give life. God's grace, therefore, is not invincible; it can be, and often is, resisted and thwarted by man.
B) Calvinism: Irresistible Grace or The Efficacious Call of the Spirit
In addition to the outward general call to salvation which is made to everyone who hears the gospel, the Holy Spirit extends to the elect a special inward call that inevitably brings them to salvation. The external call (which is made to all without distinction) can be, and often is, rejected; whereas the internal call (which is made only to the elect) cannot be rejected; it always results in conversion. By means of this special call the Spirit irresistibly draws sinners to Christ. He is not limited in His work of applying salvation by man's will, nor is He dependent upon man's cooperation for success. The Spirit graciously causes the elect sinner to cooperate, to believe, to repent, to come freely and willingly to Christ. God's grace, therefore, is invincible; it never fails to result in the salvation of those to whom it is extended.
C) SSP: Imperative Call to Repentance, to overcome evil with good
Repentance is the Greek metanoia, change of mind for that which is good. Faced with the opportunity and about to do evil, one changes his mind and does good instead. In other words, it is overcoming evil with good; thus, Christ’s admonition for us to “Repent or perish”. The command to repent is the same command God made in the old testament, the same command God now wants all men every where to obey; the same command Jesus made in the gospel that He preached; the same gospel He wanted preached to the world before He comes again. Being part of the Body of Christ, a person has access to His Power to overcome evil. It is not a question of inability but one of refusal, if one does not overcome evil with good. Being members of the family of God, we all grow up in Christ. Those who God determines that it is best for them to know His Son, He will send someone, just as the Holy Spirit directed Philip to the Ethiopian eunuch who readily accepted and believed in Christ. Believing is overcoming the evil of unbelief and disbelief. It is only after a person dies that God through Christ judges whether one is an overcomer or not. There’s always hope while one is yet alive.
Fifth Point:
A) Arminianism: Falling from Grace
Those who believe and are truly saved can lose their salvation by failing to keep up their faith, etc. All Arminians have not been agreed on this point; some have held that believers are eternally secure in Christ--that once a sinner is regenerated, he can never be lost.
B) Calvinism: Perseverance of the Saints
All who are chosen by God, redeemed by Christ, and given faith by the Spirit are eternally saved. They are kept in faith by the power of Almighty God and thus persevere to the end.
C) SSP: Perseverance to Overcome Evil with Good
Being part of the Body of Christ, one is empowered to act in accordance with what the Head wants its body part to do. We can either use His power to do good or evil. Our choice. Freewill. But only those who God through Christ judges as having persevered in overcoming evil with good will remain part of the Body of Christ. Our Savior Himself gave the assurance that overcomers will not be blotted out from the book of life.
Evaluation:
- REJECTED by the Synod of Dort
- Calvinism: REAFFIRMED by the Synod of Dort
- AFFIRMED by Christ Himself:
