Posted on 08/13/2003 6:04:31 PM PDT by OrthodoxPresbyterian
Introduction: the Anti-Predestinarian Syllogism
In debates between Reformation Protestants and Arminian neo-Protestants, it is common for Arminians to invoke a peculiar and logically-fallacious syllogism in an effort to deflect attention from the evidentiary insurmountability of the Biblical Case for Reformation Protestantism. This syllogism is constructed in the form of a classic ad hominem Guilt-by-Association argument, according to the following general Form:
Needless to say, it makes little impression upon the Arminian neo-Protestant that the Doctrines of Absolute Predestination were believed by Godly Christians for centuries before Calvin (i.e., 10th-15th Century Waldensian CredoBaptists, the 6th-9th Century Presbyters of Iona, the 4th-10th Century Ambrosian Catholics, Saint Augustine, the Apostles, Jesus Christ Himself, etc). What matters is the argumentative usefulness of being able to lay this charge to the particular account of John Calvin, and thus evade the theological defeat of the UnBiblical Arminian systematic heresy by re-framing the debate as a mud-throwing competition directed against one particular Reformer.
Now, before we proceed, we should observe: the Arminian neo-Protestant assertions against Calvin are not borne out by the Facts of History in the first place.
Uncomfortable Facts about Michael Servetus
Michael Servetus was:
In point of History, Michael Servetus was executed as a matter of State Punishment, as sentenced by the Civil Council of Geneva – which itself was controlled at the time by Calvin’s political enemies, the Libertines. In fact, as the Libertine Party itself rejected Calvin’s doctrine of Predestination, it is more historically accurate to say that Servetus was killed by the Anti-Predestinarian “protestants”, than to attribute the deed to Calvin (who at any rate pleaded for a more merciful execution “by the Sword”, rather than the slow burning-to-death on which the vicious Anti-Predestinarians insisted).
Be that as it may, however, it needs be asked – if it is appropriate for Arminian neo-Protestants to employ such a Syllogism against the Reformer John Calvin, is it not equally appropriate to measure by the same standard the heretical Schismatic who, perhaps more than any other single man, was fundamentally responsible for sundering the Godly unity of Reformation Protestantism into a thousand confused and competing sects – James Arminius? To that Question we now turn:
Arminius – his teachings on Politics, Religion, and the Sword of the State
All Authority under Heaven, concerning both Natural and Spiritual matters, is concentrated in the Absolute Power of the State
It is the sole and absolute duty of the State to enforce all Ten Commandments, and to enact all laws both civil and ecclesiastical, and to eradicate all Evil from society.
All Authority over the Christian Church is concentrated in the Absolute Power of the State
The Utter Subjection of all Human life, whether natural or spiritual, to the Dictates of the Absolute State should be “terrified and compelled” by the Power of the Sword:
Phew.... Thank God that America was founded primarily by convinced Calvinists, and not Arminians. Moving along, though, let us now apply the Arminian's Favorite Syllogism -- to Arminius himself.
Arminius at the Bar of the Arminian Syllogism:
Hmmmm. Howzabout that.
Let's consider allowing the Arminians to address that.
Christ's work is understood as the payment of ransom or satisfaction. The sinner is up to his neck in debts that can never be paid. Christ's work pays all the debts. He suffered for all humanity, bore our punishment, paid the price of our sins for us.
John Wesley's Scriptural Christianity Thomas C. Oden.
I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”
Refrain
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
Elvina Hall (1820-1889) , Monument Street Methodist Church, Baltimore, Maryland
--------------
Arise, my soul, arise; shake off thy guilty fears;
The bleeding sacrifice in my behalf appears:
Before the throne my surety stands,
Before the throne my surety stands,
My name is written on His hands.
He ever lives above, for me to intercede;
His all redeeming love, His precious blood, to plead:
His blood atoned for all our race,
His blood atoned for all our race,
And sprinkles now the throne of grace.
Five bleeding wounds He bears; received on Calvary;
They pour effectual prayers; they strongly plead for me:
“Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry,
“Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry,
“Nor let that ransomed sinner die!”
Charles Wesley
Justification is more than pardon, though. By the life and death of Christ, the demands of Gods's law have been fully satisfied. God didn't just decide one day that mankind's rebellion doesn't matter after all. Instead, by Jesus' sinless life and obedience he fulfilled the law, satisfying its demands. In his death on the cross, Christ bore the guilt and punishment of all humanity.
James V. Heidinger II in Basic United Methodist Beliefs
That Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that His atonement is for the whole human race, and that whosoever repents and believes through faith in Him is justified and regenerated and saved from the dominion of sin.
Asbury College Statement of Purpose
But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?" Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?Woody.
Arminianism says that Christ fulfilled God's first set of conditions, living a perfect life according to the Law, so that God would have an opportunity to start anew with man, thus God established a new law. (neonomianism) Thus, Faith is the new Law. The Atonement is an agreement between the Father and the Son that allows the first set of conditions, the Law, to be set aside for a new condition.
The Reformed faith thinks differently. Christ's perfect sacrifice is a substitution for our debt. Think of it as a Surety or Guarantor. Mankind reneged on the contract in the Garden of Eden and the Son was the gaurantor of the debt to the Father's demand for Justice. The Father "called-up" the debt and the gaurantor had to pay. Thus, our debt is covered and we no longer owe the debt.
For (God) made (Christ) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him
I don't think so. I posted five Wesleyan-Arminian sources that disagree with the statement I pulled from your post.
And Woody, perhaps you're right that I should make the distinction, but Wesleyan-Arminianism is the only "flavor" of which I speak.
Let's say something really outrageous like, "God's in control and prayer changes things!"
As one who believes that is here summarized as "Calvinism" is simply a synopsis of the teachings of the Scriptures regarding the nature of man and redemption by Christ, I have no problem with this statement. I would point out that I believe that God answers prayer in accordance to His will. Nothing He decrees is contigent upon anything I do. That is the nature of sovereignty. One of the biggest changes resulting from my prayers has been His changing of my attitude and perspective. I would suspect that you agree with this statement.
Then perhaps you aren't saved yet.
For myself, I heard the Gospel and understood the meaning through common grace. A call was made by the Father and I accepted. The moment of my faith and belief in the propitiation of our sin through Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit imputed an efficacious grace for my salvation.
I continue to grow in Him. If I slip because my soul had been scarred, I nevertheless have been reborn and regenerated in the spirit.
The Holy Spirit indwells me and my joy remains as long as I do not quench the Spirit.
If I do sin, or fall away from Him, for a period, my sins have already been paid for at the cross. All that I must do is return to Him so He may return to me if He so wills. By my confession of those sins through Christ and repentence, He remains just and faithful to His judgment of sin in Christ.
Sin was paid for on the cross. Not good nor evil. Even unbelievers have capacity to perform good. Not divine good which is understood by things eternal in righteousness by Him, and it is for this reason that they will be judged by the opening of the second Book of Works. When they show no works of righteousness via divine good, then their works will amount simply to good for nothingness and the Lake of Fire will become their destiny.
Perhaps God has chosen me or yourself in eternity past, but using the criterion of such we will never know from that perspective which attempts to place man as judge of God's past foreknowledge.
On the contrary, it is only by acceptance of the Perfect Sacrifice, the unlimited atonement which was made for us by Jesus Christ, that have faith in Him. Once that faith exists, even coincident, then conditions have been established for God to meet His promises as we return to Him, He is able then to return to us. His grace and His love then continues in His faithfulness to His Son, whereby we receive the indwelling even of all three persons of God.
We also have the ability to choose evil. If we choose to sin, or disobey God, we still become separated from Him. But as sin has already been paid for,...all sin, past and future, then we still may return to Him and a situationa again arises where He may return to us in righteousness.
If we continually sin after we believe in Him, then He will probably discipline us, and if we continue in sin, to the point where we have no saltiness left, then He might call us home via the sin unto death. In that situation we no longer afford Him any usefulness while in this body and continued evil would only serve as disadvantageous to those seeking righteousness.
If you sincerely believe God's design of all things was to create sin, then you have things backwards. Now can you chew on that, and rephrase yourself so that the public isn't misguided to believe your implication that God condones sin to promote His Will.
We agree that man does nothing to perform the salvation, but it his the work of Christ on the Cross, the call from the Father, and the efficacious grace of the Holy Spirit to complete that good work in us.
The common grace is applied to all men. It is sufficient for us to accept Him. If we act through our volition and reject Him then we deny God or sin against Him. The penalty of sin is death.
Note that Christ did not pay the price for the sin of denying the Spirit. We know Him through Christ, by common grace and efficacious grace from the Holy Spirit.
Our sin against that grace hasn't been paid for by the cross.
God didn't create us without any good, but we inherited that old sin nature and were imputed with such along with our human soul at birth.
This is also why, if man fails to accept Jesus Christ through faith in Him, prior to our first death, our bodily death, then we have no salvation but have already been condemned, as we are dead spiritually until we are regenerated and only by faith alone, lest by works that any man should boast.
Spoken like a soulish man. But by faith in Him we can will through Him to even move mountains. If we attempt to will this merely for ourselves then we act independent of His will and not through Divine righteous faith through Him. Both we and Him have free will and when man exercises positive volition through Him we are afforded the power to perform good works of the eternal sense.
And I'd say it's certain that you are not qualified to make that judgment.
Actually, with a few exceptions where you insert your own Arminian views, much of what you say in this post I have no problem with. What surprises me is that you have recently espoused views contrary to what you stated here vis-a-vis the atonement. For that reason, I am forced to view what you say with extra scrutiny and suspicion. But, your answer had very little to do with the article I excerpted on Free Will. How about addressing that, instead of making an assinine statement questioning my salvation?
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