December 2008
Why I Became an Arminian
Submitted by Kevin Jackson on Wed, 12/31/2008 - 12:12pmThis is a personal post that deals with my journey as an Arminian.
I became a Christian at a young age. I remember going to a church service, being convicted of sin, and going down to the altar to pray with my dad. I asked Jesus to forgive me and to come into my heart. He did. I remember the experience. I felt forgiveness, peace, and the personal love of Jesus. This brought me great joy. I was around the age of 4 or 5 when this took place.
Sufficient for All, Efficient for the Elect
Submitted by WilliamBirch on Tue, 12/30/2008 - 10:27amA missionary from our church who ministers in India told the story of a conversation he had with his three year old son concerning the word "famine." His son did not know what the word meant, so he asked his father. After telling his boy what the word meant, he asked his dad if there were people in India who were starving to death. His father responded, Yes. The boy asked if those people who were dying knew Jesus. His father responded, No. The boy then said, "Dad, we have to get there before someone else dies."
That story certainly pulled on our heart's strings. It was meant to. It demonstrates something simplistic about the profound: even a three year old child can understand the significance of spreading the gospel, and that each and every human life is very precious ~ even to God.
What is the purpose of giving people grace that God knows will never believe anyway?
Submitted by Eric Landstrom on Mon, 12/29/2008 - 5:47pmWhat is the purpose of giving people grace that God knows will never believe anyway?
The Scholasticism
By his antecedent will God wills that all people will be saved if they repent and believe, and he funds all peoples and persons with the grace to begin the journey of salvation. Consequent to the actions of persons, God renders judgment. For example, a judge may antecedently will all the citizens to live, yet consequent to the fact that some decide to be murderers, he wills the criminals to be punished. Likewise God antecedently wills all persons should be brought to eternal blessedness, yet consequent to the operation of other wills who reject grace and follow another way, God wills that those people face the consequences of their actions (cf. Rom. 2:6; 2 Cor. 5:10 and the like).
John 1:1-17; a Christmas Devotional
Submitted by Martin Glynn on Sat, 12/27/2008 - 2:22pmMany believe that there are only two tellings of the Christmas story in Scripture: Luke 3, and Matthew 1-2. But there is a third telling: John chapter one.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him as life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Friday Files: Cameron's Arminius- Hero or Heretic?
Submitted by Godismyjudge on Fri, 12/26/2008 - 12:19pmCharles Cameron’s article, “Arminius―Hero or Heretic?” explains that James Arminius comes as a bit of a surprise to both Calvinists and Arminians today, as he is closer to Calvinism than people expect. Cameron starts with some preliminaries about Arminius (his affinity for Calvin’s commentaries, his approach to reconciling differences and his commitment to scripture) and then dives into the 5 points of Calvinism. On Total Depravity, Cameron notes Arminius’ focus on grace, not freewill. On Election, Arminius teaches a Christocentric, evangelical, eternal, decree whereby God chooses to save believers. Cameron questions the “from eternity” and “based on foreknowledge” aspect of Arminius’ explanation of election. On the Atonement, Arminius avoids universalism, but advocates God’s universal love and the availability of forgiveness for all.
Enjoying The Good News Of Christ’s Birth From An Arminian Perspective
Submitted by Patron on Wed, 12/24/2008 - 11:56amThe content of this post was authored by Ben Henshaw and is posted on his behalf.
Calvinists often argue that God’s love has failed if Christ’s atonement was made for all and yet not all are saved. I find it strange that Calvinists, who are so quick to criticize Arminians for holding to a man centered religion, argue that unless man responds to God’s love in saving faith, then His love for them has somehow failed. How is it that they feel comfortable equating the success or failure of God’s love with man’s response to that love? Is the nature or validity of God’s love dependant on man’s response? Doesn’t that seem a little man centered?
Matt 1:21: How Calvinists Blind Side a Text
Submitted by arminianbaptist on Tue, 12/23/2008 - 11:57pmHe Will Save His People from Their Sins:
How Calvinists Don’t Bother Looking from the Other Side
One of the more inane prooftexts for Calvinism is Matt 1:21, “…for he will save his people from their sins.” Calvinists argue that this is a statement of definiteness, that it does not say that Jesus will merely provide the opportunity of salvation for “his people,” but instead, that Jesus will definitely save his people. They claim that this flies in the face of Arminian assertions that through Jesus, God provides a way for everyone to be saved.
The quick Arminian retort is simple: “What!? Do you Calvinists think that Arminians deny that Jesus will definitely save his people??? Of course, we Arminians affirm that Jesus will definitely save his people, just as the text says.”
The claim that this is a Calvinist proof text for definite atonement registers 9.8 on the silly scale.
Laurence Womack, An Examination and Defense of the Five Articles of Arminianism
Please click on the attachment to view Laurence Womack, "An Examination and Defense of the Five Articles of Arminianism".
Laurence Womack (1612-1685 AD) was a seventeenth century Arminian Puritan Bishop. This examination and defense of the five articles of the Remonstrants is excerpted from a larger work published in 1638, which can be found here, wherefrom this excerpt was taken.
I John 5:12-13; A Devotional
Submitted by Martin Glynn on Sat, 12/20/2008 - 4:46pmThe one who has the Son has life; the one who does not have the Son of God has no life. These things I have written to you so that you will know that you have everlasting life; you who believe in the name of the Son of God -MGV
'These things', I am convinced, refers to the entire letter of 1 John. Thus, this statement gives us John's intent in writing this letter, and is central to understanding this book as a whole.
So let us consider the pastoral impetus of John's letter: that we may be assured that we are indeed saved. For the most part, I have attempted to focus on application in these devotionals rather than on theology, but this week, I must say a few words about the concept of assurance.