Calvinism/Reformed Theology is on the rise today at alarming rates even among Fundamentalists.
The following is from Pastor Wilber Unger, Bethel Baptist Church, London, Ontario, --
“First, I think it is a response to the sickening practice of shallow, unscriptural methods of evangelism in our Baptist Churches. Any believer with spiritual discernment must conclude, in time, that what we have seen for the last 35 years is not true Biblical evangelism. As a movement in general we have deceived people who are now hanging on to a false hope and will die and go to hell--little different than the RC church or any other false religion. ... As a consequence of the above mentioned condition, some churches may now be swinging the pendulum in the opposite direction. I think I did that at one point. Taken from: Calvinism on the March Among Evangelicals -David Cloud
“First, I think it is a response to the sickening practice of shallow, unscriptural methods of evangelism in our Baptist Churches. Any believer with spiritual discernment must conclude, in time, that what we have seen for the last 35 years is not true Biblical evangelism. As a movement in general we have deceived people who are now hanging on to a false hope and will die and go to hell--little different than the RC church or any other false religion. ... As a consequence of the above mentioned condition, some churches may now be swinging the pendulum in the opposite direction. I think I did that at one point. Taken from: Calvinism on the March Among Evangelicals -David Cloud
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Calvin's Camels David Cloud- Way of Life Literature
http://www.wayoflife.org/database/calvins_camels.html |
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Does Regeneration Precede Faith?
http://www.middletownbiblechurch.org/reformed/regenera.htm
Is Faith the Gift of God? Ephesians 2:8
https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/716-is-faith-the-gift-of-ephesians-2-8
http://www.middletownbiblechurch.org/reformed/regenera.htm
Is Faith the Gift of God? Ephesians 2:8
https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/716-is-faith-the-gift-of-ephesians-2-8
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From Arminianism to Calvinism to the Bible
https://qoheleths.wordpress.com/2015/02/03/from-arminianism-to-calvinism-to-the-bible-a-personal-testimony/ |
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Predestination
When I was a new Christian reading my bible, I immediately came upon scriptures dealing with election, and predestination. "Wow. There it is," I thought. It wasn't long though, before I saw that man's free will and command to repent were also clearly spelled out. This "seeming" contradiction was difficult to handle, especially in light of the extreme positions traditionally associated with each, which at their core, demand the rejection of the other. Knowing that God's word cannot be wrong, I studied and prayed, in an attempt to reconcile the two. I prayed to God that he would give me an understanding of truth that would reconcile the whole truth of his word.
James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
God is good and true to his word! In time, He brought me to a place where each position could be reconciled with theother. I do not claim to have a perfect or even complete understanding of these difficult issues, but one that I believe is of God, and harmonizes the two ideas beautifully, without contradiction.
At its simplest form, it is this: That God predestinated the people and events that he would use to accomplish his greater purpose, which was to bring salvation to the entire world.
While predestination is a biblical term, the definition of this term is highly debatable. Predestination, according to Calvinism means that only some individuals are decreed by God to receive eternal life; which would demand the obvious conclusion that some are excluded. Arminianism states that those whom God foreknew would choose salvation are predestinated to receive it.
Paul’s letter to the Church at Ephesus shines some light on the true meaning and purpose of predestination. Looking at the big picture here, we see that Predestination has more to do with fulfilling God’s purposes than with individual salvation; that God predestinated the people & events that would fulfill his plan of making salvation available to all.
Ephesians chapters 1-3 is the clearest illustration of this. Calvinists and Arminians alike love to claim verses 4-6 of chapter 1 as proof of their PERSONAL, eternal predestination. A quick reading of these verses would seem to support their conclusion; but upon closer look Paul’s message reveals something more.
Ephesians 1: 1 “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”
Ephesians 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
While Paul addresses this epistle to the Church implying that what he is initially speaking of refers to the church as a whole; what he is actually addressing is two distinctly different groups of people that make up the Church. He discusses in detail, the history of each of these two groups.
As Non-Jewish people it can be hard for us to see from any other perspective than from that of the Church. Although Paul was God’s chosen apostle to the Gentiles, he was a Jew & understood & spoke to us from that perspective. At the time Paul was writing this letter, it was still a relatively new idea to accept that God was now offering salvation to the Gentiles. The Jews still considered themselves to be the elite, chosen people of God, while the Gentiles were trying to establish their place in the church.
The purpose of his letter was to address the growing problem of division within the church between Jewish & Gentile believers and more importantly, to reveal to them a mystery that until now was unknown. Paul refers to God’s purpose, according to the good pleasure of his will. What is the mystery of God’s purpose that Paul is referring to? It is summed up for us in verses 9&10. Paul explains that it was God’s plan from eternity
Ephesians 1:9-10 “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:” (Therefore Paul insists on unity in the church.)
A careful look at the scripture shows Paul’s illustration of this mystery & a shift of focus from one group of people to another, from Jews to Gentiles. Paul begins in verse 1“…to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus” Who are the saints? This phrase clearly adds to the confusion for many, as we – Christians are also referred to as Saints, so we must rely on the context for clarification. Comparing scripture with scripture, we can see that they are his Jewish Brethren. Paul clarifies this statement later in the text in stating that we as Gentiles have become fellow citizens and joint-heirs with them.
Ephesians 2:19 “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;”
Ephesians 3:6 “That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:”
In verses 3-12 he details the position of the Jewish people who were first to be blessed through God’s plan, as the privileged elect.
If you mark in your bible, I would challenge you to highlight every “us” and “we” in one color and then choose another color for “ye” to better illustrate the contrast.
3 …who hath blessed US…
4 …he hath chosen US in him before the foundation of the world, that WE should be holy and without blame before him in love:…
5 ...Having predestinated US unto the adoption…
6 … hath made US accepted in the beloved…
7 “In whom WE have redemption through his blood…
8 …he hath abounded toward US …
9 Having made known unto US the mystery of his will…
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11 In whom also WE have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated ACCORDING TO THE PURPOSE of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
12 That WE should be to the praise of his glory, WHO FIRST TRUSTED in Christ.” (emphasis added)
*Verse 13 shows the shift of focus.
13 “In whom YE also trusted, after that YE heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that YE believed, YE were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,” (emphasis added)
Look at verses 11&12 again. Paul tells us that WE (speaking of his Jewish brethren) have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Notice here it is clear that they were predestinated as a nation ACCORDING TO GOD”S PURPOSE, not individually for salvation. He goes on to further clarify: “That we should be… who first trusted in Christ” -that the Jewish people were predestinated to be the first to receive the promise. (This fact is consistently supported by scripture.)
Jesus told his disciples in Luke 24:47 “ that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" Most people think of the great commission in this way, that we are to reach our Jerusalem first, then a little farther away & then farther still. I believe that they are missing the significance of Jesus’ instructions. Until the temple was destroyed in 70 AD, the lost Jews were still worshipping according to their traditional methods with temple sacrifices & offerings, which can never take away sins. Jesus told the disciples to go to the Jews first with one last attempt to save those who would believe. After that, we find out that God’s judgment is passed upon them in that they were blinded until the fullness of the gentiles come in. God is a righteous judge.
Throughout the Old Testament, we see that He sent Prophets or messengers to witness against them & to warn them before his judgment was passed upon them.
Hebrews 10:28 tells us: “He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:”
The disciples were to be these witnesses to the Jews first. Paul describes this judgment to come, in Acts 28:28 “Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.”)
Chapter 2, shows the contrast of the lost estate of the gentiles who were “strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” Eph.2:12 but who now have become the elect according to the foreknowledge of God. (The foreknowledge referred to is that of God's eternal plan promised to Abraham. Genesis 12:3 “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” )
Ephesians 2:1 And YOU hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past YE walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
11 Wherefore remember, that YE being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time Ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: (emphasis added)
Looking again at Chapter 1 verse 5 we see that the group of people Paul refers to as predestinated unto adoption of children by Jesus Christ were his Jewish brethren. Verses 11 tells us that they obtained an inheritance, being predestinated ACCORDING to God’s PURPOSE. We can see that the predestination he is discussing in this verse is clearly NOT referring to Gentile believers, (or even the personal salvation of Jewish believers individually) but describes the part the Jews had in fulfilling God’s greater PURPOSE. Paul painfully describes the condition of the Gentiles before Christ.
Ephesians 2: 11 “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:”
It should be glaringly obvious that the people who are referred to as predestinated unto the adoption of children, who obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose, are NOT the same people who were strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
But, praise God, now the promise is fulfilled which was spoken to Abraham, and the purpose of God’s predestinating is revealed, that through him all nations would be blessed.
Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus YE who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”
19 “Now therefore YE are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;” (emphasis added)
Paul further reveals the mystery:
Ephesians 3:3 “How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:” (emphasis added)
Through Christ the Gentiles now have become fellow-heirs who previously had no inheritance. Fulfilling the prophesy of Hosea 2:23 “And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.”
1 Peter 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”
We see the same thing conveyed in 1Peter chapters 1 & 2, we see that Peter is writing to the church. He refers to them as “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father”. He goes on to praise God for their salvation.
1 Peter 1: “Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:”
He tells them that the Prophets spoke of this salvation that would come to them. Why? He further goes on to clarify in 1Peter 2: 9 & 10 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” -Because he understood this mystery that they are now the elect according what the prophets proclaimed was God’s plan to bring salvation to the entire world.
So we see that a biblical understanding of Predestination in no way prevents anyone from being saved, neither does it exclude our human responsibility, or our free will. What is our responsibility? To repent. Paul preached: “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 20:21
We’ve made predestination much more complicated than it should be. If we could simply read the scriptures without filtering everything through or presuppositions and what we’ve been taught; and step back to look at the bigger picture of God’s plan for the world instead of just our own personal salvation, we might see the simplicity of his plan.
When I was a new Christian reading my bible, I immediately came upon scriptures dealing with election, and predestination. "Wow. There it is," I thought. It wasn't long though, before I saw that man's free will and command to repent were also clearly spelled out. This "seeming" contradiction was difficult to handle, especially in light of the extreme positions traditionally associated with each, which at their core, demand the rejection of the other. Knowing that God's word cannot be wrong, I studied and prayed, in an attempt to reconcile the two. I prayed to God that he would give me an understanding of truth that would reconcile the whole truth of his word.
James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
God is good and true to his word! In time, He brought me to a place where each position could be reconciled with theother. I do not claim to have a perfect or even complete understanding of these difficult issues, but one that I believe is of God, and harmonizes the two ideas beautifully, without contradiction.
At its simplest form, it is this: That God predestinated the people and events that he would use to accomplish his greater purpose, which was to bring salvation to the entire world.
While predestination is a biblical term, the definition of this term is highly debatable. Predestination, according to Calvinism means that only some individuals are decreed by God to receive eternal life; which would demand the obvious conclusion that some are excluded. Arminianism states that those whom God foreknew would choose salvation are predestinated to receive it.
Paul’s letter to the Church at Ephesus shines some light on the true meaning and purpose of predestination. Looking at the big picture here, we see that Predestination has more to do with fulfilling God’s purposes than with individual salvation; that God predestinated the people & events that would fulfill his plan of making salvation available to all.
Ephesians chapters 1-3 is the clearest illustration of this. Calvinists and Arminians alike love to claim verses 4-6 of chapter 1 as proof of their PERSONAL, eternal predestination. A quick reading of these verses would seem to support their conclusion; but upon closer look Paul’s message reveals something more.
Ephesians 1: 1 “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”
Ephesians 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
While Paul addresses this epistle to the Church implying that what he is initially speaking of refers to the church as a whole; what he is actually addressing is two distinctly different groups of people that make up the Church. He discusses in detail, the history of each of these two groups.
As Non-Jewish people it can be hard for us to see from any other perspective than from that of the Church. Although Paul was God’s chosen apostle to the Gentiles, he was a Jew & understood & spoke to us from that perspective. At the time Paul was writing this letter, it was still a relatively new idea to accept that God was now offering salvation to the Gentiles. The Jews still considered themselves to be the elite, chosen people of God, while the Gentiles were trying to establish their place in the church.
The purpose of his letter was to address the growing problem of division within the church between Jewish & Gentile believers and more importantly, to reveal to them a mystery that until now was unknown. Paul refers to God’s purpose, according to the good pleasure of his will. What is the mystery of God’s purpose that Paul is referring to? It is summed up for us in verses 9&10. Paul explains that it was God’s plan from eternity
Ephesians 1:9-10 “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:” (Therefore Paul insists on unity in the church.)
A careful look at the scripture shows Paul’s illustration of this mystery & a shift of focus from one group of people to another, from Jews to Gentiles. Paul begins in verse 1“…to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus” Who are the saints? This phrase clearly adds to the confusion for many, as we – Christians are also referred to as Saints, so we must rely on the context for clarification. Comparing scripture with scripture, we can see that they are his Jewish Brethren. Paul clarifies this statement later in the text in stating that we as Gentiles have become fellow citizens and joint-heirs with them.
Ephesians 2:19 “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;”
Ephesians 3:6 “That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:”
In verses 3-12 he details the position of the Jewish people who were first to be blessed through God’s plan, as the privileged elect.
If you mark in your bible, I would challenge you to highlight every “us” and “we” in one color and then choose another color for “ye” to better illustrate the contrast.
3 …who hath blessed US…
4 …he hath chosen US in him before the foundation of the world, that WE should be holy and without blame before him in love:…
5 ...Having predestinated US unto the adoption…
6 … hath made US accepted in the beloved…
7 “In whom WE have redemption through his blood…
8 …he hath abounded toward US …
9 Having made known unto US the mystery of his will…
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11 In whom also WE have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated ACCORDING TO THE PURPOSE of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
12 That WE should be to the praise of his glory, WHO FIRST TRUSTED in Christ.” (emphasis added)
*Verse 13 shows the shift of focus.
13 “In whom YE also trusted, after that YE heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that YE believed, YE were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,” (emphasis added)
Look at verses 11&12 again. Paul tells us that WE (speaking of his Jewish brethren) have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Notice here it is clear that they were predestinated as a nation ACCORDING TO GOD”S PURPOSE, not individually for salvation. He goes on to further clarify: “That we should be… who first trusted in Christ” -that the Jewish people were predestinated to be the first to receive the promise. (This fact is consistently supported by scripture.)
Jesus told his disciples in Luke 24:47 “ that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" Most people think of the great commission in this way, that we are to reach our Jerusalem first, then a little farther away & then farther still. I believe that they are missing the significance of Jesus’ instructions. Until the temple was destroyed in 70 AD, the lost Jews were still worshipping according to their traditional methods with temple sacrifices & offerings, which can never take away sins. Jesus told the disciples to go to the Jews first with one last attempt to save those who would believe. After that, we find out that God’s judgment is passed upon them in that they were blinded until the fullness of the gentiles come in. God is a righteous judge.
Throughout the Old Testament, we see that He sent Prophets or messengers to witness against them & to warn them before his judgment was passed upon them.
Hebrews 10:28 tells us: “He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:”
The disciples were to be these witnesses to the Jews first. Paul describes this judgment to come, in Acts 28:28 “Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.”)
Chapter 2, shows the contrast of the lost estate of the gentiles who were “strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” Eph.2:12 but who now have become the elect according to the foreknowledge of God. (The foreknowledge referred to is that of God's eternal plan promised to Abraham. Genesis 12:3 “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” )
Ephesians 2:1 And YOU hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past YE walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
11 Wherefore remember, that YE being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time Ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: (emphasis added)
Looking again at Chapter 1 verse 5 we see that the group of people Paul refers to as predestinated unto adoption of children by Jesus Christ were his Jewish brethren. Verses 11 tells us that they obtained an inheritance, being predestinated ACCORDING to God’s PURPOSE. We can see that the predestination he is discussing in this verse is clearly NOT referring to Gentile believers, (or even the personal salvation of Jewish believers individually) but describes the part the Jews had in fulfilling God’s greater PURPOSE. Paul painfully describes the condition of the Gentiles before Christ.
Ephesians 2: 11 “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:”
It should be glaringly obvious that the people who are referred to as predestinated unto the adoption of children, who obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose, are NOT the same people who were strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
But, praise God, now the promise is fulfilled which was spoken to Abraham, and the purpose of God’s predestinating is revealed, that through him all nations would be blessed.
Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus YE who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”
19 “Now therefore YE are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;” (emphasis added)
Paul further reveals the mystery:
Ephesians 3:3 “How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:” (emphasis added)
Through Christ the Gentiles now have become fellow-heirs who previously had no inheritance. Fulfilling the prophesy of Hosea 2:23 “And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.”
1 Peter 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”
We see the same thing conveyed in 1Peter chapters 1 & 2, we see that Peter is writing to the church. He refers to them as “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father”. He goes on to praise God for their salvation.
1 Peter 1: “Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:”
He tells them that the Prophets spoke of this salvation that would come to them. Why? He further goes on to clarify in 1Peter 2: 9 & 10 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” -Because he understood this mystery that they are now the elect according what the prophets proclaimed was God’s plan to bring salvation to the entire world.
So we see that a biblical understanding of Predestination in no way prevents anyone from being saved, neither does it exclude our human responsibility, or our free will. What is our responsibility? To repent. Paul preached: “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 20:21
We’ve made predestination much more complicated than it should be. If we could simply read the scriptures without filtering everything through or presuppositions and what we’ve been taught; and step back to look at the bigger picture of God’s plan for the world instead of just our own personal salvation, we might see the simplicity of his plan.
Reconciling Predestination & Freewill
Traditionally, there are two positions that are generally accepted concerning our understanding of conversion. These seemingly conflicting beliefs have been hotly debated for some time. Both have strong Biblical basis. Both seem to be suggested in scripture. I believe that each position contains some points of truth but also contain errors based upon presumed truths. Neither position can be ignored or rejected; however both also cannot be correct alone. These ideas are obviously incomplete apart from each other. Is there a way to reconcile both ideas? Both positions are described briefly below.
The Five Points of Arminianism are, generally speaking, as follows:
1. Free will, or human ability. This teaches that man, although affected by the fall, is not totally incapable of choosing to do good, and is able to exercise faith in God in order to receive the gospel and to bring himself into possession of salvation.
2. Conditional election. This teaches that God called those individuals who, He knew- or foresaw- would believe and receive the gospel. God elected those that He saw would choose to be saved of their own free will and in their natural fallen state- which was, according to the first point of Arminianism, not completely fallen anyway.
3. Universal redemption. This teaches that Christ died to save all men; but only in a potential way. Christ’s death allowed God to pardon sinners, but only on the condition that they believed.
4. The work of the Holy Spirit to save is limited by the human will. This teaches that the Holy Spirit, as he begins to work to bring a person to Christ, can be resisted and His purposes frustrated. He can not bring new life unless the sinner is willing to receive this life.
5. Falling from grace. This teaches that a saved man could fall from salvation. It is the logical and natural outcome of the system. If man can decide to receive salvation, he can also refuse or return this gift.
The Five Points of Calvinism are generally set forth in the form of an acrostic on the word TULIP, as follows:
T Total Depravity This teaches that man, by nature, is DEAD: "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." (Rom. 5:12) If this is man’s natural state then, the logical question arises, Can the Dead raise themselves? Salvation then, by its very nature, must be of the Lord.
U Unconditional Election Teaches that if man is unable to save himself because of the fall, and if God alone can save, and if all men are not saved, then the logical conclusion is that God has not chosen to save all men.
L Limited Atonement This teaches that Christ died to save a set number of sinners; that is, those "chosen in him before the foundation of the world"(Eph. 1:4); "those whom the Father had given him out of the world.” (John 17:9)
I Irresistible Calling This teaches that when the Holy Spirit calls a man by His grace, that call is irresistible.
P Perseverance of the Saints This teaches that those whom God has elected and effectually called and sanctified by His Spirit, can never totally fall from grace, but will be eternally saved, seeing “the gifts and callings of God are without repentance.”
Not all Calvinists believe every one of these points. There are many different types of Calvinists Hyper or 5 Pointers, Extreme, Moderate, 3 pointers…etc. Most Calvinists wrongly assume that anyone who is not a Calvinist must be an Arminian; however most Bible believing churches do not consider themselves Arminian, differing in many points from traditional Arminianism. They tend to fall somewhere in between.
Calvinism focuses to one extreme on their understanding of God’s sovereignty and our perceived inability; while Arminianism goes to the opposite extreme placing undo emphasis on man’s responsibility and participation in salvation. Sometimes we try to run so far from error that we actually enter into another error. Both of these positions illustrate this point. Somewhere between these two extremes lies a mediate position based on Biblical truth. When we look at the issue through the fog of our own positional preconceptions & pre-assigned definitions, it can be difficult to see that truth. We must compare scripture with scripture & find the truth that is consistent with God’s character & his word.
This is in not in any way a comprehensive work and does not attempt to examine each one of these points, but touches on basic points in order to illustrate the errors of both and the need to put aside our preset definitions in favor of Biblical truth. Although there is a natural tendency within us to reject any ideas that do not agree with what we've already decided to be true, we know that the Word of God is as powerful as a two-edged sword and can cut through the cloud of our misunderstandings and shine new light if we are willing.
Free Will or Total Depravity/Inability? or simply Depravity?
Total Depravity means that man is totally corrupt and dead in his sin so that he cannot even respond to the gospel unless God sovereignly enables him, which only happens if he is one of the elect. God not only must enable the dead sinner, but must sovereignly regenerate him and give him the gift of faith. In the words of the Westminster Confession Total Depravity is defined as follows: “Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation; so as a natural man being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto.”
The foundation for all of Calvinism rests upon this teaching. Without it, all the rest fall.
Depravity: Webster’s Dictionary- 1: a corrupt act or practice 2: the quality or state of being depraved . Synonyms: abjection, corruptness, debasement, debauchery, decadence, decadency, degeneracy, degenerateness, degeneration, degradation, demoralization, corruption, dissipatedness, dissipation, dissoluteness, libertinage, libertinism, perversion, pervertedness, rakishness, turpitude.
The doctrine of man’s depravity is without argument a biblical doctrine. The fact that man in his fleshly carnal state is at enmity with God and unable to do any good or to please God in any way is clearly spelled out in scripture.
Romans 3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Jeremiah 18: 8 If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.
Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually .
1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
The Calvinist doctrine of Total Depravity however, goes far beyond the biblical definition and adds philosophical, unsupported doctrines as well. According to their doctrine, depravity does not mean merely that the sinner has no righteousness of his own or that his heart is depraved. It means also that his will is in bondage to sin in such a way that he is unable to repent or believe the gospel.
Free will is also an indisputable concept in the Bible. You cannot read through its pages & deny that God has set forth promises of blessings to those who do his will & cursings to those who do not. It is abundantly clear that we are accountable for the choices we make and the actions we do.
Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
Deuteronomy 8:19 And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.
Deuteronomy 28:2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God
Malachi 2:2 If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.
It is clear that even Cain who was referred to as “of that wicked one” had a choice. It would be unreasonable to try to say that he was unable to perform that which God demanded.
Genesis 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
God tells him that it is up to him whether or not he would be accepted. Could we even dare suggest that he was “of that wicked one by God’s decree because he was not one of those predestinated to life? No. It is obvious that he chose to be “of that wicked one”, because he refused the opportunity to do well.
So we know that we are dead in our sins and that there is nothing good in us at all. We also know that God gives us a free will but desires that we turn from our sins. These two spiritual truths simply cannot be denied and also cannot contradict one another. Our total depravity according to Calvinism equals total inability. So the assumption is made that we are totally unable to respond to God’s calling. Can the dead choose to turn to God? Is God asking of us something that he knows we are not capable of? How could God command us to believe if it were impossible?
1 John 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
Psalms 7 :11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked ever day.. 2 Chronicles 15:13 That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.
This wrong understanding of man’s Depravity results in further errors. Because it is believed that man is unable to repent or believe, until he is regenerated by God, according to Calvinist belief, regeneration precedes faith (he must therefore be born again before he can repent or believe).
Arthur Pink states this doctrine as follows: “Faith is not the cause of the new birth, but the consequence of it. This ought not to need arguing. ... Faith is a spiritual grace, the fruit of the spiritual nature, and because the unregenerate are spiritually dead--‘dead in trespasses and sins’--then it follows that faith from them is impossible, for a dead man cannot believe anything” (The Sovereignty of God, p. 73).
Based solely on human reason this makes perfect sense, because, as they reason, how can the dead who are slaves to sin, and can do nothing to save themselves, repent and turn to God? In our limited human understanding this seems to be the only logical conclusion, but the Bible simply does not agree.
Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace are ye SAVED THROUGH FAITH; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” We are saved THROUGH faith, not PRIOR to faith.
Even following human reasoning, can we actually say that someone is regenerated who has not yet repented or believed? Have they become new creatures? Are they washed, and renewed prior to repentance and belief? The bible tells us that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. And that He saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Will God go against His own word and regenerate an unrepentant, proud sinner?
When asked by the Phillipian jailer “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? “ They said: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Acts 16:30-31 They did not say, you have already been saved, (quickened, brought to life) so that you could repent and believe. They said you must BELIEVE to be saved.
Ephesians 1:13 “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also AFTER THAT YE BELIEVED, YE WERE SEALED with that holy Spirit of promise,”
Titus 3:5 “ … HE SAVED US, BY THE WASHING OF REGENERATION, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”
We are saved BY the washing of regeneration.
Mark 16:16 “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT SHALL BE DAMNED.” Belief is essential for salvation, it is not simply and after-effect of salvation.”
If regeneration preceded faith then it would mean that those who are regenerated PRIOR to belief are regenerated AND STILL DAMNED.
John 3:18 “HE THAT BELIEVETH on him is not condemned: but HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT IS CONDEMNED already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” This is telling us clearly that prior to belief, man is condemned. While Romans 8:1 tells us that the man who has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit is no longer under condemnation. So how can a man be regenerated and still condemned?
Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
According to the bible, we are either, in the flesh or in the spirit. We cannot be both. Romans 8:9 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. How then can a man dead in sin, blind and in the dark, at enmity with God, ever see his sin, and turn in repentance?
Perhaps because even though we are at enmity with God through the fall, God in His merciful provision made a way for us to hate our sin and turn to him by putting enmity between us and the Devil as well. (Gen. 3:15) Although we are wicked through and through, we consistently reject and despise the designation of sinners, always choosing instead to see ourselves as good. Although as slaves to sin, we are unable to “be” good, or break the bonds of sin, and are even deceived by our own sin, we can still desire to be good. God through his perfect law shows us what Good really is and how far we come short of it, showing us our helpless condition and our need for a Savior. Then through hearing the gospel we receive faith to believe unto salvation.
The bible tells us that by THE LAW is the knowledge of sin. Romans 3:20 “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” It is the law that is our school master that shows us how sinful our sin is so that we can repent.
Even Old Testament saints had faith that was counted for righteousness and were saved, but were they regenerated? No. They were looking forward to the coming of the Savior who would in the future complete the way of Salvation. But we are told that these died, IN FAITH not having yet received the promise. Could the Holy Spirit have been at that time an indwelling presence, tabernacleing with men while the Old covenant was still in effect, not having been done away with by the New?
John 7:39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
We are told that these things were a shadow of things to come, but not the very things themselves. The Holy Spirit was known to come upon individuals for a time, empowering them for service as God’s purposes demanded, but also departed from them at times. We know that a regenerated person with the indwelling Holy Spirit can quench that a Spirit, but never lose it. What about Peter? I have heard it preached that he was a born-again believer when he denied Christ. Was he regenerated before Christ’s death, burial and resurrection? Were the apostles sealed with the Holy Spirit, and baptized by the Spirit into one body prior Pentecost? Certainly not.
It would not make sense for God to be angry with the wicked if they were completely bound by sin and unable to even desire righteousness or salvation. On the other hand if predestination according to Calvinism were true, meaning that those predestinated for salvation are irresistibly called regardless of their own actions or desires, then sin would not ultimately even matter. It would be impossible for anyone to stumble, let alone fall.
In the beginning, we were created in God's image. We had a soul, a spirit & a body. When Adam sinned, death came into the world. It was an immediate spiritual death & an eventual physical death of our now sinful, corrupt bodies. Our soul however, the part of us that makes up our personality, the part that controls our mind & our will remains and will even continue on past the grave in either heaven or hell. Our sinful flesh draws us ever toward sin, but our soul, the part of us that allowed Adam to choose sin in the first place, continues to exercise free will. Clearly the ability to choose is within us. When we are born again, the Spirit of God quickens us & begins to live within us. We are once again spiritually alive & able to have fellowship with God. Although our flesh remains sinful and continues to pull us toward sin, we now have help from the Holy Spirit to resist our flesh.
1 Corinthians 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God;
Our flesh will never enter into heaven but we will be clothed with new heavenly bodies. So, how are we, as spiritually dead and completely sinful people, able to desire to choose good? Only by God’s grace and provision. Genesis 3 14 & 15 And the LORD God said into the serpent, because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shat bruise his heel.
We are spiritually dead & corrupt but God did not leave us helpless. He enables us to come to him. In the garden God, in spite of our ruined condition not only promised to send a Savior, but also made for us a way of escape. He put enmity between us and Satan; that we being bound by sin might be freed to choose Him. It is interesting to note, that no matter how sinful and evil we are, we are reluctant to accept our designation as sinners, Most of us are not joyfully reveling in our evilness and eagerly banding together with our rebel leader, Satan. Instead we deny our sin and try to hide our evil motives and desires. We like to think of ourselves as basically good, but the truth is that we are completely fallen and that without remedy apart from God’ grace.
God did not leave us as Satan’s dupes; neither did he create us as His own puppets. With the fall came the knowledge of good and evil. With the curse God made a way for us to abhor evil and seek good. He sends his Holy Spirit to convict us of our sin. He put within our soul the knowledge of him and an ability to see our sin as he sees it through the mirror of the law and to choose to turn to him in repentance. He gave us a conscience & He draws us and woos us and sends his Holy Spirit to convict us of our sin. Might I suggest that if it were not so, there would be no morality, no societal laws, no consideration for our fellow man. We would live as animals with a survival of the fittest mentality. It would only be small isolated pockets of the saved who would seek to live peaceably. But, we have witnessed from the beginning of time, that even unsaved humanity has an inward sense of justice and a desire for fair and lawful treatment within most every society.
According to Calvinism’s understanding of God’s sovereignty, having faith in God or turning toward God in repentance are works on our part which imply merit & take away from the glory of God.
Ephesians 2:8&9 tells us: “ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
It is only by God’s Grace, through the instrument of faith that we are saved. The scripture is clear that there is no merit there. Can we even suggest that God views our faith as a work? If we need further clarification, we can compare scripture with scripture. Romans 11:6 “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” If God considered our faith to be works then it would no longer be by grace & we would not be saved, but he tells us in no uncertain terms that we are saved by grace through faith.
Arminianism on the other hand, places the responsibility for our receiving salvation as well as maintaining it, upon our decision. They reason that if we can decide to be saved then obviously we can also decide to no longer be saved. Again this would be logical if the original idea were correct. However, our decision to turn to God is not what saves us. It is not our decision that is the catalyst for regeneration, but faith. John 1:13 makes this clear “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.“ When we make a decision we are using an act of our will to choose.
The Bible is clear that we are not born-again by the will of man. The only decision we have is to cling to our sin, or turn in repentance toward God, in order to receive the free gift of salvation. Acts 17:30 “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:” Repentance is not an act of saving ourselves, or deciding to be saved, it is nothing more than being convicted of our sin, agreeing with God about our sin & being willing to turn to God to hear his word in order to receive the faith to be saved.
This excerpt is taken from The Life Walk & Triumph of Faith By William Romaine
Speaking of repentant sinners, he writes: When they were convinced of these truths in their judgments, and the awakened conscience sought for ease and deliverance, they found they were helpless and without strength. They could take no step, nor do anything, which could in the least save them from their sins. Whatever method they thought of, it failed them upon trial, and left conscience more uneasy than before.
Suppose they thought of reforming their lives, yet what is to become of their old sins? Will present obedience, if it could be perfectly paid, make an atonement for past disobedience? Will the broken law take part of our duty for the whole? No. It has determined, that whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. And let him be ever so careful in doing what the law requires, or in avoiding what the law forbids, let him fast and pray and give alms, hear and read the Word, be early and late in ordinances, yet the enlightened conscience cannot be herewith satisfied; because by these duties he cannot undo the sin committed, and because he will find so many failings in them that they will be still adding to his guilt and increasing his misery.
What method shall he take? The more he strives to make himself better, the worse he finds himself. He sees the pollution of sin greater. He discovers more of his guilt. He finds in himself a want of all good, and an inclination to all evil. He is now convinced, that the law is holy, just, and good; but when he would keep it, evil is present with him. This makes him deeply sensible of his guilty, helpless state, and shows him that by the works of the law, he cannot be saved. His heart, like a fountain, is continually sending forth evil thoughts, yea the very imaginations of it are only and altogether evil, and word and works partake of the nature of that evil fountain from whence they flow; so that after all his efforts, he cannot quiet his conscience nor attain peace with God.
Repentance is not a saving work. God does not command us to repent so that we can save ourselves, and neither does he expect us to achieve sinless perfection. We can never reform our lives enough to meet God’s holy & perfect standard, but it is such a necessary step in teaching us our helplessness & preparing us for faith in Christ’s finished work. Just as the law was weak in that it was not the fulfillment of righteousness, but a shadow of good things to come, so is repentance a shadow of the rebirth & change only given us by God through Christ Jesus.
Romaine goes on to say: The law having done its office, as schoolmaster, by convincing him of these truths, stops his mouth, that he has not a word to say, why sentence should not be passed upon him. And there it leaves him, guilty, and helpless. It can do nothing more for him, than shew him that he is a child of wrath, and that he deserves to have the wrath of God abiding on him for ever. The gospel finds him in this condition, as the good Samaritan did the wounded traveler, and brings him good news. It discovers to him the way of salvation contrived in the covenant of grace.
Repentance brings us to the point of need, making us ready & willing to turn to God to receive the faith that cometh by hearing. Faith is the point of rebirth where the Spirit of God begins to dwell internally and does what our flesh was unable to accomplish.
“Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God”. Faith cometh by hearing, NOT by deciding. There are many mentions of those who hear, but do not really hear. Mark 4:24 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. A heart that is hardened by sin, may be initially willing to accept salvation, but the seed of faithi snot abl;e to take root within that stony ground. Therefore, many who initially “choose” salvation, eventually whithers and dies, being not truly regenerated through faith.
Matthew 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
But a repentant sinner willing to receive the words of life within good soil, receives the word which brings faith and brings forth much fruit.
Matthew 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. That faith is the means by which God regenerates us. It is He that saves us through faith and not we ourselves by our will.
An illustration might be a man who goes to a Doctor, because he feels that something is wrong with him. The Doctor confirms his suspicions. He informs the man that his condition is fatal unless he receives a new heart. At first the man refuses to accept his diagnosis. He denies his illness for a while, he seeks a second opinion, researches his condition & tries his own remedies. After realizing that all other options are useless, he returns to the Doctor & accepts the offer of a transplant. The Doctor performs the operation successfully & the man lives the rest of his days with a new heart.
Now, did the man's decision save his life? No. It simply made it possible for the Doctor to save him. Could the man someday deny his illness & question again the necessity of that new heart? Quite possibly. Can he simply by changing his mind nullify the operation that has already taken place? Of course not. It will have already happened. That's how it is when God saves us. We (repent) agree with him that we need his saving intervention & allow him to perform the operation of regeneration for us. We cannot save ourselves anymore than the man in the story could perform his own heart transplant.
The problem is not, as some would suggest, that these two “truths” contradict, but that we have viewed them through incorrect definitions and presumptions. The premise for each position is simply incorrect. Total depravity does not demand or even imply inability. Neither does free will equal decisional regeneration.
Universal Redemption or Limited Atonement
While predestination is a biblical term, the definition of this term is highly debatable. Predestination, according to Calvinism means that only some individuals are decreed by God to receive eternal life; which would demand the obvious conclusion that some are excluded. Arminianism states that those whom God foreknew would choose salvation are predestinated to receive it.
Paul’s letter to the Church at Ephesus shines some light on the true meaning and purpose of predestination. Looking at the big picture here, we see that Predestination has more to do with fulfilling God’s purposes than with individual salvation; that God predestinated the people & events that would fulfill his plan of making salvation available to all. Ephesians chapters 1-3 is the clearest illustration of this. Calvinists and Arminians alike love to claim verses 4-6 of chapter 1 as proof of their PERSONAL, eternal predestination.
Ephesians 1: 1 “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, TO THE SAINTS which are at Ephesus, AND TO THE FAITHFUL in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed US with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen US in him before the foundation of the world, that WE should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated US unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made US accepted in the beloved.”
Reading these verses alone would seem to support their conclusion; but an overall view of Paul’s real message reveals something more. While Paul addresses this epistle to the Church implying that what he is initially speaking of refers to the church as a whole; what he is actually addressing is two distinctly different groups of people that make up the Church. He discusses in detail, the history of each of these two groups.
As Non-Jewish people it can be hard for us to see from any other perspective than from that of the Church. Although Paul was God’s chosen apostle to the Gentiles, he was a Jew & understood & spoke to us from that perspective. At the time Paul was writing this letter, it was still a relatively new idea to accept that God was now offering salvation to the Gentiles. The Jews still considered themselves to be the elite, chosen people of God, while the Gentiles were trying to establish their place in the church.
The purpose of his letter was to address the growing problem of division within the church between Jewish & Gentile believers and more importantly, to reveal to them a mystery that until now was unknown. Paul refers to God’s purpose, according to the good pleasure of his will. What is the mystery of God’s purpose that Paul is referring to? It is summed up for us in verses 9&10. Paul explains that it was God’s plan from eternity Ephesians 1:9-10 “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:” Therefore Paul insists on unity in the church.
A careful look at the scripture shows Paul’s illustration of this mystery & a shift of focus from one group of people to another, from Jews to Gentiles. Pauls begins in verse 1“…to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus” Who are the saints? Comparing scripture with scripture, we can see that they are his Jewish Brethren. He clarifies this statement later in the text in stating that we as gentiles have become fellow citizens and jointheirs with them. Ephesians 2:19 “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;”
Ephesians 3:6 “That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:”
In verses 3-12 he details the position of the Jewish people who were first to be blessed through God’s plan, as the privileged elect; and then in chapter 2, contrasts it with the lost estate of the gentiles who were “strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” Eph.2:12 but who now have become the elect according to the foreknowledge of God.( The foreknowledge referred to is that of God's eternal plan promised to Abraham. Genesis 12:3 “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” )
Ephesians 1:7 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11 In whom also WE have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated ACCORDING TO THE PURPOSE of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
12 That WE should be to the praise of his glory, WHO FIRST TRUSTED in Christ.”
Verse 13 shows the shift of focus.
13 “In whom YE also trusted, after that YE heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that YE believed, YE were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”
Look at verses 11&12 again. Paul tells us that WE (speaking of his Jewish brethren) have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Notice here it is clear that they were predestinated as a nation ACCORDING TO GOD”S PURPOSE, not individually for salvation. He goes on to further clarify: “That we should be… who first trusted in Christ” -that the Jewish people were predestinated to be the first to receive the promise. (This fact is consistently supported by scripture.) Jesus told his disciples in Luke 24:47 “ that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem"
Most people think of the great commission in this way, that we are to reach our Jerusalem first, then a little farther away & then farther still. I believe that they are missing the significance of Jesus’ instructions. Until the temple was destroyed in 70 AD, the lost Jews were still worshipping according to their traditional methods with temple sacrifices & offerings, which can never take away sins. Jesus told the disciples to go to the Jews first with one last attempt to save those who would believe. After that, we find out that God’s judgment is passed upon them in that they were blinded until the fullness of the gentiles come in. God is a righteous judge.
Throughout the Old Testament, we see that He sent Prophets or messengers to witness against them & to warn them before his judgment was passed upon them. Hebrews 10:28 tells us: “He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:” The disciples were to be these witnesses to the Jews first. Paul predicts this judgment to come, in Acts 28:28 “Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.”)
Looking again at verse 5 we see that the group of people Paul refers to were predestinated unto adoption of children by Jesus Christ. Verses 11 tells us that they obtained an inheritance, being predestinated ACCORDING to this PURPOSE. We can see that the predestination he is discussing in this verse is NOT referring to the Gentile believers, but describes the part the Jews had in fulfilling God’s greater PURPOSE, because as we read in chapter 2 Paul painfully describes the condition of the Gentiles before Christ.
Ephesians 2: 11 “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:”
It should be glaringly obvious that the people who are referred to as predestinated unto the adoption of children, who obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose, are NOT the same people who were strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
But, praise God, now the promise is fulfilled which was spoken to Abraham, and the purpose of God’s predestinating is revealed, that through him all nations would be blessed. Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”
19 “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;”
Paul further reveals the mystery: Ephesians 3:3 “How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:”
Through Christ the Gentiles now have become fellow-heirs who previously had no inheritance. Fulfilling the prophesy of Hosea 2:23 “And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.”
1 Peter 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”
We see the same thing conveyed in 1Peter chapters 1 & 2, we see that Peter is writing to the church. He refers to them as “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father”. He goes on to praise God for their salvation 1 Peter 1: “Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:” He tells them that the Prophets spoke of this salvation that would come to them. Why? He further goes on to clarify in 1Peter 2: 9 & 10 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” Because he understood this mystery that they are now the elect according what the prophets proclaimed was God’s plan to bring salvation to the entire world.
So we see that a biblical understanding of Predestination in no way prevents anyone from being saved, neither does it exclude our human responsibility, or our free will. What is our responsibility? To repent. Paul preached: “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 20:21
We’ve made predestination much more complicated than it should be. If we could simply read the scriptures without filtering everything through or presuppositions and what we’ve been taught; and step back to look at the bigger picture of God’s plan for the world instead of just our own personal salvation, we might see the simplicity of his plan.
Traditionally, there are two positions that are generally accepted concerning our understanding of conversion. These seemingly conflicting beliefs have been hotly debated for some time. Both have strong Biblical basis. Both seem to be suggested in scripture. I believe that each position contains some points of truth but also contain errors based upon presumed truths. Neither position can be ignored or rejected; however both also cannot be correct alone. These ideas are obviously incomplete apart from each other. Is there a way to reconcile both ideas? Both positions are described briefly below.
The Five Points of Arminianism are, generally speaking, as follows:
1. Free will, or human ability. This teaches that man, although affected by the fall, is not totally incapable of choosing to do good, and is able to exercise faith in God in order to receive the gospel and to bring himself into possession of salvation.
2. Conditional election. This teaches that God called those individuals who, He knew- or foresaw- would believe and receive the gospel. God elected those that He saw would choose to be saved of their own free will and in their natural fallen state- which was, according to the first point of Arminianism, not completely fallen anyway.
3. Universal redemption. This teaches that Christ died to save all men; but only in a potential way. Christ’s death allowed God to pardon sinners, but only on the condition that they believed.
4. The work of the Holy Spirit to save is limited by the human will. This teaches that the Holy Spirit, as he begins to work to bring a person to Christ, can be resisted and His purposes frustrated. He can not bring new life unless the sinner is willing to receive this life.
5. Falling from grace. This teaches that a saved man could fall from salvation. It is the logical and natural outcome of the system. If man can decide to receive salvation, he can also refuse or return this gift.
The Five Points of Calvinism are generally set forth in the form of an acrostic on the word TULIP, as follows:
T Total Depravity This teaches that man, by nature, is DEAD: "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." (Rom. 5:12) If this is man’s natural state then, the logical question arises, Can the Dead raise themselves? Salvation then, by its very nature, must be of the Lord.
U Unconditional Election Teaches that if man is unable to save himself because of the fall, and if God alone can save, and if all men are not saved, then the logical conclusion is that God has not chosen to save all men.
L Limited Atonement This teaches that Christ died to save a set number of sinners; that is, those "chosen in him before the foundation of the world"(Eph. 1:4); "those whom the Father had given him out of the world.” (John 17:9)
I Irresistible Calling This teaches that when the Holy Spirit calls a man by His grace, that call is irresistible.
P Perseverance of the Saints This teaches that those whom God has elected and effectually called and sanctified by His Spirit, can never totally fall from grace, but will be eternally saved, seeing “the gifts and callings of God are without repentance.”
Not all Calvinists believe every one of these points. There are many different types of Calvinists Hyper or 5 Pointers, Extreme, Moderate, 3 pointers…etc. Most Calvinists wrongly assume that anyone who is not a Calvinist must be an Arminian; however most Bible believing churches do not consider themselves Arminian, differing in many points from traditional Arminianism. They tend to fall somewhere in between.
Calvinism focuses to one extreme on their understanding of God’s sovereignty and our perceived inability; while Arminianism goes to the opposite extreme placing undo emphasis on man’s responsibility and participation in salvation. Sometimes we try to run so far from error that we actually enter into another error. Both of these positions illustrate this point. Somewhere between these two extremes lies a mediate position based on Biblical truth. When we look at the issue through the fog of our own positional preconceptions & pre-assigned definitions, it can be difficult to see that truth. We must compare scripture with scripture & find the truth that is consistent with God’s character & his word.
This is in not in any way a comprehensive work and does not attempt to examine each one of these points, but touches on basic points in order to illustrate the errors of both and the need to put aside our preset definitions in favor of Biblical truth. Although there is a natural tendency within us to reject any ideas that do not agree with what we've already decided to be true, we know that the Word of God is as powerful as a two-edged sword and can cut through the cloud of our misunderstandings and shine new light if we are willing.
Free Will or Total Depravity/Inability? or simply Depravity?
Total Depravity means that man is totally corrupt and dead in his sin so that he cannot even respond to the gospel unless God sovereignly enables him, which only happens if he is one of the elect. God not only must enable the dead sinner, but must sovereignly regenerate him and give him the gift of faith. In the words of the Westminster Confession Total Depravity is defined as follows: “Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation; so as a natural man being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto.”
The foundation for all of Calvinism rests upon this teaching. Without it, all the rest fall.
Depravity: Webster’s Dictionary- 1: a corrupt act or practice 2: the quality or state of being depraved . Synonyms: abjection, corruptness, debasement, debauchery, decadence, decadency, degeneracy, degenerateness, degeneration, degradation, demoralization, corruption, dissipatedness, dissipation, dissoluteness, libertinage, libertinism, perversion, pervertedness, rakishness, turpitude.
The doctrine of man’s depravity is without argument a biblical doctrine. The fact that man in his fleshly carnal state is at enmity with God and unable to do any good or to please God in any way is clearly spelled out in scripture.
Romans 3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Jeremiah 18: 8 If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.
Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually .
1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
The Calvinist doctrine of Total Depravity however, goes far beyond the biblical definition and adds philosophical, unsupported doctrines as well. According to their doctrine, depravity does not mean merely that the sinner has no righteousness of his own or that his heart is depraved. It means also that his will is in bondage to sin in such a way that he is unable to repent or believe the gospel.
Free will is also an indisputable concept in the Bible. You cannot read through its pages & deny that God has set forth promises of blessings to those who do his will & cursings to those who do not. It is abundantly clear that we are accountable for the choices we make and the actions we do.
Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
Deuteronomy 8:19 And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.
Deuteronomy 28:2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God
Malachi 2:2 If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.
It is clear that even Cain who was referred to as “of that wicked one” had a choice. It would be unreasonable to try to say that he was unable to perform that which God demanded.
Genesis 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
God tells him that it is up to him whether or not he would be accepted. Could we even dare suggest that he was “of that wicked one by God’s decree because he was not one of those predestinated to life? No. It is obvious that he chose to be “of that wicked one”, because he refused the opportunity to do well.
So we know that we are dead in our sins and that there is nothing good in us at all. We also know that God gives us a free will but desires that we turn from our sins. These two spiritual truths simply cannot be denied and also cannot contradict one another. Our total depravity according to Calvinism equals total inability. So the assumption is made that we are totally unable to respond to God’s calling. Can the dead choose to turn to God? Is God asking of us something that he knows we are not capable of? How could God command us to believe if it were impossible?
1 John 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
Psalms 7 :11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked ever day.. 2 Chronicles 15:13 That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.
This wrong understanding of man’s Depravity results in further errors. Because it is believed that man is unable to repent or believe, until he is regenerated by God, according to Calvinist belief, regeneration precedes faith (he must therefore be born again before he can repent or believe).
Arthur Pink states this doctrine as follows: “Faith is not the cause of the new birth, but the consequence of it. This ought not to need arguing. ... Faith is a spiritual grace, the fruit of the spiritual nature, and because the unregenerate are spiritually dead--‘dead in trespasses and sins’--then it follows that faith from them is impossible, for a dead man cannot believe anything” (The Sovereignty of God, p. 73).
Based solely on human reason this makes perfect sense, because, as they reason, how can the dead who are slaves to sin, and can do nothing to save themselves, repent and turn to God? In our limited human understanding this seems to be the only logical conclusion, but the Bible simply does not agree.
Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace are ye SAVED THROUGH FAITH; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” We are saved THROUGH faith, not PRIOR to faith.
Even following human reasoning, can we actually say that someone is regenerated who has not yet repented or believed? Have they become new creatures? Are they washed, and renewed prior to repentance and belief? The bible tells us that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. And that He saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Will God go against His own word and regenerate an unrepentant, proud sinner?
When asked by the Phillipian jailer “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? “ They said: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Acts 16:30-31 They did not say, you have already been saved, (quickened, brought to life) so that you could repent and believe. They said you must BELIEVE to be saved.
Ephesians 1:13 “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also AFTER THAT YE BELIEVED, YE WERE SEALED with that holy Spirit of promise,”
Titus 3:5 “ … HE SAVED US, BY THE WASHING OF REGENERATION, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”
We are saved BY the washing of regeneration.
Mark 16:16 “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT SHALL BE DAMNED.” Belief is essential for salvation, it is not simply and after-effect of salvation.”
If regeneration preceded faith then it would mean that those who are regenerated PRIOR to belief are regenerated AND STILL DAMNED.
John 3:18 “HE THAT BELIEVETH on him is not condemned: but HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT IS CONDEMNED already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” This is telling us clearly that prior to belief, man is condemned. While Romans 8:1 tells us that the man who has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit is no longer under condemnation. So how can a man be regenerated and still condemned?
Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
According to the bible, we are either, in the flesh or in the spirit. We cannot be both. Romans 8:9 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. How then can a man dead in sin, blind and in the dark, at enmity with God, ever see his sin, and turn in repentance?
Perhaps because even though we are at enmity with God through the fall, God in His merciful provision made a way for us to hate our sin and turn to him by putting enmity between us and the Devil as well. (Gen. 3:15) Although we are wicked through and through, we consistently reject and despise the designation of sinners, always choosing instead to see ourselves as good. Although as slaves to sin, we are unable to “be” good, or break the bonds of sin, and are even deceived by our own sin, we can still desire to be good. God through his perfect law shows us what Good really is and how far we come short of it, showing us our helpless condition and our need for a Savior. Then through hearing the gospel we receive faith to believe unto salvation.
The bible tells us that by THE LAW is the knowledge of sin. Romans 3:20 “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” It is the law that is our school master that shows us how sinful our sin is so that we can repent.
Even Old Testament saints had faith that was counted for righteousness and were saved, but were they regenerated? No. They were looking forward to the coming of the Savior who would in the future complete the way of Salvation. But we are told that these died, IN FAITH not having yet received the promise. Could the Holy Spirit have been at that time an indwelling presence, tabernacleing with men while the Old covenant was still in effect, not having been done away with by the New?
John 7:39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
We are told that these things were a shadow of things to come, but not the very things themselves. The Holy Spirit was known to come upon individuals for a time, empowering them for service as God’s purposes demanded, but also departed from them at times. We know that a regenerated person with the indwelling Holy Spirit can quench that a Spirit, but never lose it. What about Peter? I have heard it preached that he was a born-again believer when he denied Christ. Was he regenerated before Christ’s death, burial and resurrection? Were the apostles sealed with the Holy Spirit, and baptized by the Spirit into one body prior Pentecost? Certainly not.
It would not make sense for God to be angry with the wicked if they were completely bound by sin and unable to even desire righteousness or salvation. On the other hand if predestination according to Calvinism were true, meaning that those predestinated for salvation are irresistibly called regardless of their own actions or desires, then sin would not ultimately even matter. It would be impossible for anyone to stumble, let alone fall.
In the beginning, we were created in God's image. We had a soul, a spirit & a body. When Adam sinned, death came into the world. It was an immediate spiritual death & an eventual physical death of our now sinful, corrupt bodies. Our soul however, the part of us that makes up our personality, the part that controls our mind & our will remains and will even continue on past the grave in either heaven or hell. Our sinful flesh draws us ever toward sin, but our soul, the part of us that allowed Adam to choose sin in the first place, continues to exercise free will. Clearly the ability to choose is within us. When we are born again, the Spirit of God quickens us & begins to live within us. We are once again spiritually alive & able to have fellowship with God. Although our flesh remains sinful and continues to pull us toward sin, we now have help from the Holy Spirit to resist our flesh.
1 Corinthians 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God;
Our flesh will never enter into heaven but we will be clothed with new heavenly bodies. So, how are we, as spiritually dead and completely sinful people, able to desire to choose good? Only by God’s grace and provision. Genesis 3 14 & 15 And the LORD God said into the serpent, because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shat bruise his heel.
We are spiritually dead & corrupt but God did not leave us helpless. He enables us to come to him. In the garden God, in spite of our ruined condition not only promised to send a Savior, but also made for us a way of escape. He put enmity between us and Satan; that we being bound by sin might be freed to choose Him. It is interesting to note, that no matter how sinful and evil we are, we are reluctant to accept our designation as sinners, Most of us are not joyfully reveling in our evilness and eagerly banding together with our rebel leader, Satan. Instead we deny our sin and try to hide our evil motives and desires. We like to think of ourselves as basically good, but the truth is that we are completely fallen and that without remedy apart from God’ grace.
God did not leave us as Satan’s dupes; neither did he create us as His own puppets. With the fall came the knowledge of good and evil. With the curse God made a way for us to abhor evil and seek good. He sends his Holy Spirit to convict us of our sin. He put within our soul the knowledge of him and an ability to see our sin as he sees it through the mirror of the law and to choose to turn to him in repentance. He gave us a conscience & He draws us and woos us and sends his Holy Spirit to convict us of our sin. Might I suggest that if it were not so, there would be no morality, no societal laws, no consideration for our fellow man. We would live as animals with a survival of the fittest mentality. It would only be small isolated pockets of the saved who would seek to live peaceably. But, we have witnessed from the beginning of time, that even unsaved humanity has an inward sense of justice and a desire for fair and lawful treatment within most every society.
According to Calvinism’s understanding of God’s sovereignty, having faith in God or turning toward God in repentance are works on our part which imply merit & take away from the glory of God.
Ephesians 2:8&9 tells us: “ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
It is only by God’s Grace, through the instrument of faith that we are saved. The scripture is clear that there is no merit there. Can we even suggest that God views our faith as a work? If we need further clarification, we can compare scripture with scripture. Romans 11:6 “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” If God considered our faith to be works then it would no longer be by grace & we would not be saved, but he tells us in no uncertain terms that we are saved by grace through faith.
Arminianism on the other hand, places the responsibility for our receiving salvation as well as maintaining it, upon our decision. They reason that if we can decide to be saved then obviously we can also decide to no longer be saved. Again this would be logical if the original idea were correct. However, our decision to turn to God is not what saves us. It is not our decision that is the catalyst for regeneration, but faith. John 1:13 makes this clear “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.“ When we make a decision we are using an act of our will to choose.
The Bible is clear that we are not born-again by the will of man. The only decision we have is to cling to our sin, or turn in repentance toward God, in order to receive the free gift of salvation. Acts 17:30 “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:” Repentance is not an act of saving ourselves, or deciding to be saved, it is nothing more than being convicted of our sin, agreeing with God about our sin & being willing to turn to God to hear his word in order to receive the faith to be saved.
This excerpt is taken from The Life Walk & Triumph of Faith By William Romaine
Speaking of repentant sinners, he writes: When they were convinced of these truths in their judgments, and the awakened conscience sought for ease and deliverance, they found they were helpless and without strength. They could take no step, nor do anything, which could in the least save them from their sins. Whatever method they thought of, it failed them upon trial, and left conscience more uneasy than before.
Suppose they thought of reforming their lives, yet what is to become of their old sins? Will present obedience, if it could be perfectly paid, make an atonement for past disobedience? Will the broken law take part of our duty for the whole? No. It has determined, that whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. And let him be ever so careful in doing what the law requires, or in avoiding what the law forbids, let him fast and pray and give alms, hear and read the Word, be early and late in ordinances, yet the enlightened conscience cannot be herewith satisfied; because by these duties he cannot undo the sin committed, and because he will find so many failings in them that they will be still adding to his guilt and increasing his misery.
What method shall he take? The more he strives to make himself better, the worse he finds himself. He sees the pollution of sin greater. He discovers more of his guilt. He finds in himself a want of all good, and an inclination to all evil. He is now convinced, that the law is holy, just, and good; but when he would keep it, evil is present with him. This makes him deeply sensible of his guilty, helpless state, and shows him that by the works of the law, he cannot be saved. His heart, like a fountain, is continually sending forth evil thoughts, yea the very imaginations of it are only and altogether evil, and word and works partake of the nature of that evil fountain from whence they flow; so that after all his efforts, he cannot quiet his conscience nor attain peace with God.
Repentance is not a saving work. God does not command us to repent so that we can save ourselves, and neither does he expect us to achieve sinless perfection. We can never reform our lives enough to meet God’s holy & perfect standard, but it is such a necessary step in teaching us our helplessness & preparing us for faith in Christ’s finished work. Just as the law was weak in that it was not the fulfillment of righteousness, but a shadow of good things to come, so is repentance a shadow of the rebirth & change only given us by God through Christ Jesus.
Romaine goes on to say: The law having done its office, as schoolmaster, by convincing him of these truths, stops his mouth, that he has not a word to say, why sentence should not be passed upon him. And there it leaves him, guilty, and helpless. It can do nothing more for him, than shew him that he is a child of wrath, and that he deserves to have the wrath of God abiding on him for ever. The gospel finds him in this condition, as the good Samaritan did the wounded traveler, and brings him good news. It discovers to him the way of salvation contrived in the covenant of grace.
Repentance brings us to the point of need, making us ready & willing to turn to God to receive the faith that cometh by hearing. Faith is the point of rebirth where the Spirit of God begins to dwell internally and does what our flesh was unable to accomplish.
“Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God”. Faith cometh by hearing, NOT by deciding. There are many mentions of those who hear, but do not really hear. Mark 4:24 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. A heart that is hardened by sin, may be initially willing to accept salvation, but the seed of faithi snot abl;e to take root within that stony ground. Therefore, many who initially “choose” salvation, eventually whithers and dies, being not truly regenerated through faith.
Matthew 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
But a repentant sinner willing to receive the words of life within good soil, receives the word which brings faith and brings forth much fruit.
Matthew 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. That faith is the means by which God regenerates us. It is He that saves us through faith and not we ourselves by our will.
An illustration might be a man who goes to a Doctor, because he feels that something is wrong with him. The Doctor confirms his suspicions. He informs the man that his condition is fatal unless he receives a new heart. At first the man refuses to accept his diagnosis. He denies his illness for a while, he seeks a second opinion, researches his condition & tries his own remedies. After realizing that all other options are useless, he returns to the Doctor & accepts the offer of a transplant. The Doctor performs the operation successfully & the man lives the rest of his days with a new heart.
Now, did the man's decision save his life? No. It simply made it possible for the Doctor to save him. Could the man someday deny his illness & question again the necessity of that new heart? Quite possibly. Can he simply by changing his mind nullify the operation that has already taken place? Of course not. It will have already happened. That's how it is when God saves us. We (repent) agree with him that we need his saving intervention & allow him to perform the operation of regeneration for us. We cannot save ourselves anymore than the man in the story could perform his own heart transplant.
The problem is not, as some would suggest, that these two “truths” contradict, but that we have viewed them through incorrect definitions and presumptions. The premise for each position is simply incorrect. Total depravity does not demand or even imply inability. Neither does free will equal decisional regeneration.
Universal Redemption or Limited Atonement
While predestination is a biblical term, the definition of this term is highly debatable. Predestination, according to Calvinism means that only some individuals are decreed by God to receive eternal life; which would demand the obvious conclusion that some are excluded. Arminianism states that those whom God foreknew would choose salvation are predestinated to receive it.
Paul’s letter to the Church at Ephesus shines some light on the true meaning and purpose of predestination. Looking at the big picture here, we see that Predestination has more to do with fulfilling God’s purposes than with individual salvation; that God predestinated the people & events that would fulfill his plan of making salvation available to all. Ephesians chapters 1-3 is the clearest illustration of this. Calvinists and Arminians alike love to claim verses 4-6 of chapter 1 as proof of their PERSONAL, eternal predestination.
Ephesians 1: 1 “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, TO THE SAINTS which are at Ephesus, AND TO THE FAITHFUL in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed US with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen US in him before the foundation of the world, that WE should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated US unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made US accepted in the beloved.”
Reading these verses alone would seem to support their conclusion; but an overall view of Paul’s real message reveals something more. While Paul addresses this epistle to the Church implying that what he is initially speaking of refers to the church as a whole; what he is actually addressing is two distinctly different groups of people that make up the Church. He discusses in detail, the history of each of these two groups.
As Non-Jewish people it can be hard for us to see from any other perspective than from that of the Church. Although Paul was God’s chosen apostle to the Gentiles, he was a Jew & understood & spoke to us from that perspective. At the time Paul was writing this letter, it was still a relatively new idea to accept that God was now offering salvation to the Gentiles. The Jews still considered themselves to be the elite, chosen people of God, while the Gentiles were trying to establish their place in the church.
The purpose of his letter was to address the growing problem of division within the church between Jewish & Gentile believers and more importantly, to reveal to them a mystery that until now was unknown. Paul refers to God’s purpose, according to the good pleasure of his will. What is the mystery of God’s purpose that Paul is referring to? It is summed up for us in verses 9&10. Paul explains that it was God’s plan from eternity Ephesians 1:9-10 “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:” Therefore Paul insists on unity in the church.
A careful look at the scripture shows Paul’s illustration of this mystery & a shift of focus from one group of people to another, from Jews to Gentiles. Pauls begins in verse 1“…to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus” Who are the saints? Comparing scripture with scripture, we can see that they are his Jewish Brethren. He clarifies this statement later in the text in stating that we as gentiles have become fellow citizens and jointheirs with them. Ephesians 2:19 “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;”
Ephesians 3:6 “That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:”
In verses 3-12 he details the position of the Jewish people who were first to be blessed through God’s plan, as the privileged elect; and then in chapter 2, contrasts it with the lost estate of the gentiles who were “strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” Eph.2:12 but who now have become the elect according to the foreknowledge of God.( The foreknowledge referred to is that of God's eternal plan promised to Abraham. Genesis 12:3 “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” )
Ephesians 1:7 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11 In whom also WE have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated ACCORDING TO THE PURPOSE of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
12 That WE should be to the praise of his glory, WHO FIRST TRUSTED in Christ.”
Verse 13 shows the shift of focus.
13 “In whom YE also trusted, after that YE heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that YE believed, YE were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”
Look at verses 11&12 again. Paul tells us that WE (speaking of his Jewish brethren) have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Notice here it is clear that they were predestinated as a nation ACCORDING TO GOD”S PURPOSE, not individually for salvation. He goes on to further clarify: “That we should be… who first trusted in Christ” -that the Jewish people were predestinated to be the first to receive the promise. (This fact is consistently supported by scripture.) Jesus told his disciples in Luke 24:47 “ that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem"
Most people think of the great commission in this way, that we are to reach our Jerusalem first, then a little farther away & then farther still. I believe that they are missing the significance of Jesus’ instructions. Until the temple was destroyed in 70 AD, the lost Jews were still worshipping according to their traditional methods with temple sacrifices & offerings, which can never take away sins. Jesus told the disciples to go to the Jews first with one last attempt to save those who would believe. After that, we find out that God’s judgment is passed upon them in that they were blinded until the fullness of the gentiles come in. God is a righteous judge.
Throughout the Old Testament, we see that He sent Prophets or messengers to witness against them & to warn them before his judgment was passed upon them. Hebrews 10:28 tells us: “He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:” The disciples were to be these witnesses to the Jews first. Paul predicts this judgment to come, in Acts 28:28 “Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.”)
Looking again at verse 5 we see that the group of people Paul refers to were predestinated unto adoption of children by Jesus Christ. Verses 11 tells us that they obtained an inheritance, being predestinated ACCORDING to this PURPOSE. We can see that the predestination he is discussing in this verse is NOT referring to the Gentile believers, but describes the part the Jews had in fulfilling God’s greater PURPOSE, because as we read in chapter 2 Paul painfully describes the condition of the Gentiles before Christ.
Ephesians 2: 11 “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:”
It should be glaringly obvious that the people who are referred to as predestinated unto the adoption of children, who obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose, are NOT the same people who were strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
But, praise God, now the promise is fulfilled which was spoken to Abraham, and the purpose of God’s predestinating is revealed, that through him all nations would be blessed. Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”
19 “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;”
Paul further reveals the mystery: Ephesians 3:3 “How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:”
Through Christ the Gentiles now have become fellow-heirs who previously had no inheritance. Fulfilling the prophesy of Hosea 2:23 “And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.”
1 Peter 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”
We see the same thing conveyed in 1Peter chapters 1 & 2, we see that Peter is writing to the church. He refers to them as “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father”. He goes on to praise God for their salvation 1 Peter 1: “Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:” He tells them that the Prophets spoke of this salvation that would come to them. Why? He further goes on to clarify in 1Peter 2: 9 & 10 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” Because he understood this mystery that they are now the elect according what the prophets proclaimed was God’s plan to bring salvation to the entire world.
So we see that a biblical understanding of Predestination in no way prevents anyone from being saved, neither does it exclude our human responsibility, or our free will. What is our responsibility? To repent. Paul preached: “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 20:21
We’ve made predestination much more complicated than it should be. If we could simply read the scriptures without filtering everything through or presuppositions and what we’ve been taught; and step back to look at the bigger picture of God’s plan for the world instead of just our own personal salvation, we might see the simplicity of his plan.
Can a dead man repent and believe?
Ephesians 2:1 “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;”
Can a dead man repent and believe? This is a question posed often by Calvinists. They reason that if a man is (spiritually) dead in sins and trespasses then he is completely unable to do that which God commands. He is unable to turn to God in repentance, to believe, or even to desire anything which God commands. According to the Calvinist, God must 1st quicken man (who is spiritually dead in trespasses and sins), bringing him to new life before he can believe or desire to be right with God.
If we are going to apply this interpretation to this verse, we must also apply it to others (in the proper context). The same Apostle who penned Ephesians 2:1 also penned the following verses. Speaking of born again believers, Paul writes:
Romans 8:10 “And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” Applying this same interpretation, it would have to be suggested that if our bodies are now dead, that we could no longer walk or talk or breathe. Can a born again believer yet walk, talk and breathe?
Romans 6:11 “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Can and do we yet sin? The obvious and logical answer to all these questions is a resounding Yes.
We should never base our theology only on our human reasoning or philosophies, but on the word of God itself. So, what does the word of God tell us? Can a spiritually dead man do as God commands -turn to him in repentance and believe? Can an unsaved man desire to worship God?
Acts 16:14 “And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.”
The example of Lydia is often used to prove that man cannot. But notice here that Lydia is a described as a worshipper of God prior to God’s opening her heart. Of course, we cannot hang our beliefs on this one verse.
Acts 10:1 “There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, 2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.”
Cornelius also worshipped God prior to regeneration. We are told that he feared God, gave alms and prayed to God. It sure sounds like he desired to be right to God and turned to him.
We are also told of many Old Testament saints who repented and believed God. It would be difficult, I believe, to find anyone who would suggest that they were regenerated.
John 7:39 “ (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”
Old Testament saints had faith that was counted for righteousness and were saved, but they were not regenerated as we are. They were looking forward to the coming of the Savior who would in the future complete the way of Salvation. But we are told that these died, IN FAITH not having yet received the promise. The Holy Spirit was not an indwelling presence, tabernacling with men while the Old covenant was still in effect. We are told that these things were a shadow of things to come, but not the very things themselves.
The Holy Spirit was known to come upon individuals for a time, empowering them for service as God’s purposes demanded, but also departed from them at times. We know that a regenerated person with the indwelling Holy Spirit can quench that a Spirit, but never lose it. The Old Testament saints were forgiven, but not born again. They were justified by faith (saved) but they were not regenerated; and yet we are told that :
Romans 4:3 “…Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”
Romans 4:6-9 “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.”
As a solution to this obvious problem posed by scripture itself, some would suggest that regeneration and faith happen at the exact same time. (To me, this seems like faulty reasoning at best. Logic itself would demand that one must come before the other. Just as if we were entering a house, we might describe it as one singular act, but that act is made up of more than one element. Clearly we must open the door before we can go through it, and not the other way around.)
Again we have to look to word for the answer. Do we repent and believe to be saved? Or are we saved so that we CAN repent and believe? Are we saved through faith? or through regeneration? Does faith come by hearing or by regeneration?
John 20:31 “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
Mark 16:16 “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
John 3:18 “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
John 3:36 “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
Notice the idea here: The believing are saved to everlasting life, while the unbelieving are condemned. Can a man be regenerated prior to belief? Not according to the scriptures, for then would a regenerate man yet be condemned, and still have the wrath of God abiding on him. He would still be damned.
Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
According to the bible, we are either in the flesh or in the spirit. We cannot be both.
Romans 8:9 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.
Can we actually say that someone is regenerated who has not yet repented or believed? Are they washed, and renewed prior to repentance and belief? The bible tells us that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. And that He “saveth such as be of a contrite spirit” Psalms 34:18. Will God go against His own word and regenerate an unrepentant, proud sinner?
Psalms 119:155 “Salvation is far from the wicked: for they seek not thy statutes.”
If that is not clear enough, there is more:
Ephesians 1:13 “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also AFTER THAT YE BELIEVED, YE WERE SEALED with that holy Spirit of promise,”
The bible is exceedingly clear here when it tells us that after they heard the word, they trusted (believed). After they believed, they were sealed with the Holy Spirit.
So then, if man is capable of repenting and believing before he is regenerated, who gets the glory? Of course God does. Man cannot anymore regenerate himself than he can sprout wings. It is only by the great and merciful grace of God, that salvation is possible. If God had not planned from the foundation of the world, to provide his son as a sacrifice for sin, no one could ever be saved.
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.” How does God draw sinners to Christ? Christ said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” John 12:32 God draws us through the preaching of the word. Romans 10:17 “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” Faith cometh by hearing, not by regeneration.How many does God desire to draw? All.
2 Peter 3:9 “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.”
Repent & Believe!
Ephesians 2:1 “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;”
Can a dead man repent and believe? This is a question posed often by Calvinists. They reason that if a man is (spiritually) dead in sins and trespasses then he is completely unable to do that which God commands. He is unable to turn to God in repentance, to believe, or even to desire anything which God commands. According to the Calvinist, God must 1st quicken man (who is spiritually dead in trespasses and sins), bringing him to new life before he can believe or desire to be right with God.
If we are going to apply this interpretation to this verse, we must also apply it to others (in the proper context). The same Apostle who penned Ephesians 2:1 also penned the following verses. Speaking of born again believers, Paul writes:
Romans 8:10 “And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” Applying this same interpretation, it would have to be suggested that if our bodies are now dead, that we could no longer walk or talk or breathe. Can a born again believer yet walk, talk and breathe?
Romans 6:11 “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Can and do we yet sin? The obvious and logical answer to all these questions is a resounding Yes.
We should never base our theology only on our human reasoning or philosophies, but on the word of God itself. So, what does the word of God tell us? Can a spiritually dead man do as God commands -turn to him in repentance and believe? Can an unsaved man desire to worship God?
Acts 16:14 “And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.”
The example of Lydia is often used to prove that man cannot. But notice here that Lydia is a described as a worshipper of God prior to God’s opening her heart. Of course, we cannot hang our beliefs on this one verse.
Acts 10:1 “There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, 2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.”
Cornelius also worshipped God prior to regeneration. We are told that he feared God, gave alms and prayed to God. It sure sounds like he desired to be right to God and turned to him.
We are also told of many Old Testament saints who repented and believed God. It would be difficult, I believe, to find anyone who would suggest that they were regenerated.
John 7:39 “ (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”
Old Testament saints had faith that was counted for righteousness and were saved, but they were not regenerated as we are. They were looking forward to the coming of the Savior who would in the future complete the way of Salvation. But we are told that these died, IN FAITH not having yet received the promise. The Holy Spirit was not an indwelling presence, tabernacling with men while the Old covenant was still in effect. We are told that these things were a shadow of things to come, but not the very things themselves.
The Holy Spirit was known to come upon individuals for a time, empowering them for service as God’s purposes demanded, but also departed from them at times. We know that a regenerated person with the indwelling Holy Spirit can quench that a Spirit, but never lose it. The Old Testament saints were forgiven, but not born again. They were justified by faith (saved) but they were not regenerated; and yet we are told that :
Romans 4:3 “…Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”
Romans 4:6-9 “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.”
As a solution to this obvious problem posed by scripture itself, some would suggest that regeneration and faith happen at the exact same time. (To me, this seems like faulty reasoning at best. Logic itself would demand that one must come before the other. Just as if we were entering a house, we might describe it as one singular act, but that act is made up of more than one element. Clearly we must open the door before we can go through it, and not the other way around.)
Again we have to look to word for the answer. Do we repent and believe to be saved? Or are we saved so that we CAN repent and believe? Are we saved through faith? or through regeneration? Does faith come by hearing or by regeneration?
John 20:31 “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
Mark 16:16 “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
John 3:18 “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
John 3:36 “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
Notice the idea here: The believing are saved to everlasting life, while the unbelieving are condemned. Can a man be regenerated prior to belief? Not according to the scriptures, for then would a regenerate man yet be condemned, and still have the wrath of God abiding on him. He would still be damned.
Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
According to the bible, we are either in the flesh or in the spirit. We cannot be both.
Romans 8:9 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.
Can we actually say that someone is regenerated who has not yet repented or believed? Are they washed, and renewed prior to repentance and belief? The bible tells us that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. And that He “saveth such as be of a contrite spirit” Psalms 34:18. Will God go against His own word and regenerate an unrepentant, proud sinner?
Psalms 119:155 “Salvation is far from the wicked: for they seek not thy statutes.”
If that is not clear enough, there is more:
Ephesians 1:13 “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also AFTER THAT YE BELIEVED, YE WERE SEALED with that holy Spirit of promise,”
The bible is exceedingly clear here when it tells us that after they heard the word, they trusted (believed). After they believed, they were sealed with the Holy Spirit.
So then, if man is capable of repenting and believing before he is regenerated, who gets the glory? Of course God does. Man cannot anymore regenerate himself than he can sprout wings. It is only by the great and merciful grace of God, that salvation is possible. If God had not planned from the foundation of the world, to provide his son as a sacrifice for sin, no one could ever be saved.
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.” How does God draw sinners to Christ? Christ said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” John 12:32 God draws us through the preaching of the word. Romans 10:17 “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” Faith cometh by hearing, not by regeneration.How many does God desire to draw? All.
2 Peter 3:9 “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.”
Repent & Believe!
Recommended Reading:
The Other Side of Calvinism -Lawrence M. Vance
Deconstructing Calvinism -Hutson Smelley
Getting the Gopel Right: A Balanced View of Salvation - C. G
The Other Side of Calvinism -Lawrence M. Vance
Deconstructing Calvinism -Hutson Smelley
Getting the Gopel Right: A Balanced View of Salvation - C. G
