Posted on 09/07/2003 6:36:06 PM PDT by nobdysfool
The Christ of Arminianism
The Bible warns us that in the last days in which we live there will be many false Christs-those who claim to be Christ but who are imposters. Jesus said, "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying I am Christ; and shall deceive many." (Matt. 24:4-5). We who profess to be Christians must take heed. We must be very careful that we are not deceived. Our calling is to trust, love, and follow the true Christ and Him only. We may have nothing to do with the false Christs who are so numerous in our day.
We know about the Christ of the cults and other religions. He is a good man, a prophet, the first creation of God, a great spirit, a divine idea, or even a god himself. But he is not true and eternal God. He receives his existence from another who is greater than he. He is not the Christ of the Bible. We are not deceived by this Christ. He is a false Christ.
We know about the Christ of Roman Catholicism. They profess that He is true God. He suffered and died for the forgiveness of sin. He arose again, ascended into heaven, and is coming again. But he is not a complete Savior. The Christ of the Roman Catholics can not save sinners without their own good works and the intercession of priests. He is not the Christ of the Bible. We are not deceived by this Christ. He is a false Christ.
There is, however, another false Christ who is much more dangerous than the Christ of the cults and the Christ of Roman Catholicism. He has deceived people for many years and he continues to deceive millions. This Christ is so dangerous that, if it were not impossible, he would deceive the very elect (Matt. 24:24). He is the Christ of Arminianism.
This false Christ is extremely dangerous because in many ways he appears to be the True Christ. They say that he is true God, equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. They say that he died on the cross to save sinners. They even say that he saves by his grace alone, without the work of man. This Christ will have nothing to do with the Christ of the cults and the Christ of Roman Catholicism.
But watch out! Be warned! The Christ of Arminianism is not the Christ of the Bible. Do not be fooled!
1. The Christ of Arminianism - loves every individual person in the world and sincerely desires their salvation.
The Christ of the Bible - earnestly loves and desires the salvation of only those whom God has unconditionally chosen to salvation. (Ps. 5:5, Ps. 7:11, Ps. 11:5, Matt. 11:27, John 17:9-10, Acts 2:47, Acts 13:48, Rom. 9:10-13, Rom. 9:21-24, Eph. 1:3-4)
2. The Christ of Arminianism - offers salvation to every sinner and does all in his power to bring them to salvation. His offer and work are often frustrated, for many refuse to come.
The Christ of the Bible - effectually calls to Himself only the elect and sovereignly brings them to salvation. Not one of them will be lost. (Isa. 55:11, John 5:21, John 6:37-40, John 10:25-30, John 17:2, Phil. 2:13)
3. The Christ of Arminianism - can not regenerate and save a sinner who does not first choose Christ with his own "free will." All men have a "free will" by which they can either accept or reject Christ. That "free will" may not be violated by Christ.
The Christ of the Bible - sovereignly regenerates the elect sinner apart from his choice, for without regeneration the spiritually dead sinner can not choose Christ. Faith is not man's contribution to salvation but the gift of Christ which He sovereignly imparts in regeneration. (John 3:3, John 6:44 & 65, John 15:16, Acts 11:18, Rom. 9:16, Eph. 2:1,Eph. 2:8-10, Phil. 1:29, Hebr. 12:2)
4. The Christ of Arminianism - died on the cross for every individual person and thereby made it possible for every person to be saved. His death, apart from the choice of man, was not able to actually save anyone for many for whom he died are lost.
The Christ of the Bible - died for only God's elect people and thereby actually obtained salvation for all those for whom He died. His death was a substitutionary satisfaction which actually took away the guilt of His chosen people. (Luke 19:10, John 10:14-15 & 26, Acts 20:28, Rom. 5:10, Eph. 5:25, Hebr. 9:12, I Peter 3:18)
5. The Christ of Arminianism - loses many whom he has "saved" because they do not continue in faith. Even if he does give them "eternal security," as some say, that security is not based upon his will or work but the choice which the sinner made when he accepted Christ.
The Christ of the Bible - preserves His chosen people so that they can not lose their salvation but persevere in the faith to the very end. He preserves them by the sovereign electing will of God, the power of His death, and the mighty working of His Spirit. (John 5:24, John 10:26-29, Rom. 8:29-30, Rom. 8:35-39, I Peter 1:2-5, Jude 24-25)
As you can see, although the Christ of Arminianism and the Christ of the Bible may at first seem to be the same, they are very different. One is a false Christ. The other is the true Christ. One is weak and helpless. He bows before the sovereign "free will" of man. The other is the reigning Lord Who wills what He pleases and sovereignly accomplishes all that He wills.
If you believe and serve the Christ of Arminianism, you must recognize the fact that you do not serve the Christ of the Bible. You have been deceived! Study the Scriptures and learn of the True Christ. Pray for grace to repent and trust Christ as your sovereign
Yep.
I would submit that God's knowledge of His elect is much more intimate.
I agree, simple but also personal.
BigMack
And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.' [NAS95, Mt 7:23]
I agree, simple but also personal.
Ok, I understand where your coming from at this point. What is your view of God's action as a result of this knowledge? What does God do when he predestinates?
Sorry, no can do...
Rom 9:12-24 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. (13) As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. (14) What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. (15) For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. (16) So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. (17) For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. (18) Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. (19) Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? (20) Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? (21) Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? (22) What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: (23) And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, (24) Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
My Bible says He did chose, not just "know", and He did decide whom He would save, not just let them decide for themselves.
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified [Rom. 8:29–30].
“For” refers back to verse 28 to remind us that he is not talking about anybody being elected to be lost, but he is speaking of “the called,” the predestined ones.
Predestination never has any reference to the lost. You will never find it used in connection with them. If you ever hear someone talk about being predestined to be lost, you know he is not being scriptural.
Predestination means that, when God saves you, He is going to see you through. Whom He foreknew, He predestinated, and whom He predestinated, He called, and whom He called, He justified, and whom He justified, He glorified. In other words, this section is on sanctification yet Paul does not even mention being sanctified. Why? Because sanctification is the work of God in the heart and life of the believer. This is God’s eternal purpose. It just simply means this: When the Lord—who is the Great Shepherd of the Sheep, the Good Shepherd of the Sheep, and Chief Shepherd of the Sheep starts out with one hundred sheep, He’s going to come home with one hundred sheep; He will not lose one of them.
You may remember that the Lord gave a parable about this, recorded in Luke 15. There was a shepherd, a good shepherd, who represents the Lord Jesus. One sheep got lost, got away. You would think He might say, “Well, let him go. We’ve got ninety-nine of them safe in the fold. That’s a good percentage.” Anyone raising sheep knows that if you get to market with a little over fifty percent of those that are born, you’re doing well. But this is an unusual shepherd. He is not satisfied with ninety-nine. If He justifies one hundred sheep, He’s going to glorify one hundred sheep.
I’ll make this personal. Someday He will be counting them in “One, two, three, four, five … ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine—where in the world is BigMack? Well, it looks like he didn’t make it. We’ll let him go because a great many people didn’t think he was going to make it anyway.” Thank God He won’t let him go. That shepherd is going after him.
The doctrine of election means that the Lord will be coming home with one hundred sheep! This is not a frightful doctrine; it is a wonderful doctrine. It means that BigMack going to be there; and it means you are going to be there, if you have trusted Christ. This is a most comforting doctrine in these uncertain days in which we live.
BigMack
I really feel bad for you being so wrong and all. :)
God says that He used Pharaoh. “But,” you may say, “he was not elected.” No, he sure wasn’t. Just think of the opportunities God gave him. Pharaoh would have said, “I am Pharaoh. I make the decisions around here. I reject the request to let the people of Israel go.” God says, “You may think you won’t, but you are going to let them go.” God’s will prevails. When the Scriptures say that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, it means that God forced Pharaoh to make the decision that was in his heart. God forced him to do the thing he wanted to do. There never will be a person in hell who did not choose to be there. You are the one who makes your own decision.
Paul shows that God deals in patience and mercy even with the vessels of wrath. God did not fit them for destruction, the rebellion and sin of the clay made them ripe for judgment. God would have been right in exercising immediate judgment, but He dealt with these vessels, not as lifeless clay, but as creatures with a free will. He gave them ample opportunity to reveal any inclination they might have of obeying God. Although God hates sin and must judge it in a most final manner, His mercy is constantly going out to the creatures involved.
BigMack
I appreciate your concern...:o)
The simple fact of the matter is that man chooses according to his nature, every time! No natural man will of his own volition choose Christ. Can't happen. Won't happen. Impossible to happen. God must regenerate their hearts, or they will not turn to Him. Real life tells you that God doesn't do that for everybody. Those that He does it for, choose Him. Those He doesn't do it for, don't. To say that God would regenerate a man's heart, and that man would then reject Him, makes man's will greater than God's will. Man can stop God dead in His tracks. Man holds the trump card. Man calls his own shots.
That's not the God of the Bible, Mack. That's not the Christ of the Bible. Go back and read the article. It explains this better than I can.
No problem here, God calls all, some accept, most reject, but all have a shot. And thats my story and I'm sticking to it. We ain't gonna change each other, only God will can change us to the truth, its either gonna be me or you, I got my money on you. :)
You still got the girl friend in Tulsa?
BigMack
(sigh) Doesn't appear so. I was going to come there for Valentine's Day this year, and was in Nashville (on the way) visiting some friends, when she stopped taking my calls, e-mailed me and told me she was very upset I was coming down, and we've barely talked since.
Her loss....
I'd hate to see you lose your money, Mack...but, you places your bet, and you takes your chances....:o)
BigMack
In a case like that, I'd be praying that she would....
If ya wanna be happy for the rest of your life
Never make a pretty woman your wife
So from my personal point of view
Get an ugly girl to marry you...
There's a song for everything....:o)
If it's all the same to you, Mack, I'll pass on the ugly woman. Meeting you and Becky would be fine...
17) For GOD sent not His Son into the WORLD to condemn the WORLD, but that the WORLD through HIM might be saved?
Who, in your mind is the "WORLD"?
I anxiously await your reply!
Then by all means, shoot it down and riddle it to pieces.
No. Just like your poor, unfounded interpretation of the words to suit your "Blasphemous religion".
Rochester Fan already explained it to you. Peter is talking to believers, and ONLY believers. Go back and read in context. Verses don't stand alone.
Calm down. No need to shout. No need to hurl accusations and innuendo, either. If you can't discuss this calmly, it would be better for you to leave it alone, for your own blood pressure if nothing esle.
Change "has chosen" to "knows" and "He will", to "will be saved", you will then have it right. Come on boy get with the program. :)
Notice how you seem to change words to support your "Blasphemous Religion"? Just like ALL Heresy's. They just never seem to get the right words in there. I wonder why? Maybe it's because it will destroy their argument for what they perceive to be "their" truth.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.