This is a fairly short and informal paper that was written in response to Calvinists’ claims that I Jn. 2:18-19 proves eternal security. To read the paper please click on the pdf below. I John…
Assurance
David Pawson, “Once Saved, Always Saved?”
A message by David Pawson on the topic, “Once Saved, Always Saved?”: https://youtu.be/Vy3tSIg7Gi0 It is also available from Pawson’s website, including an audio download: http://davidpawson.org/resources/resource/1160?return_url=http%3A%2F%2Fdavidpawson.org%2Fresources%2Fcategory%2Fbelief%2Ftheology%2F
Augustine on Falling from Grace
The fifth point of Calvinism is Perseverance of the Saints. The Westminster Confession defines Perseverance of the Saints as: They, whom God hath accepted in his Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by his Spirit, can…
Calvinists Interpreting Church History
In a previous post I suggested that when it comes to interpreting non-Calvinistic Church history or representing Arminian or non-Calvinistic theology, many Calvinists cannot be trusted. We find very few academic exceptions (and this can…
Calvinism and Evangelistic Method
In my Evangelism class at The College at Southeastern, composed of both seminary and college students, the professor had the class form groups of four in order for each group to construct a gospel tract, each group having its own leader (chosen by date of birth). The leader of our group was taking advice from the other members and was very open to suggestions. When he declared that we were nearly finished, except for a few statements which needed to be nuanced, I responded, “Wait, but we have yet to inform the person what to do with this information.” He responded, “Well, I’m against anything like ‘pray this prayer after me.'” I agreed and said, “Is that our only option? We must tell the person to trust in Christ.” He was not fond of that idea.
Dr. Brian Abasciano Introduces His New Book on Romans 9:10-18
Dr. Brian Abasciano has done a guest post in the blog of his publisher, T&T Clark/Continuum, introducing his new book on Romans 9:10-18. We have reproduced the post below, which was taken from http://tandtclark.typepad.com/ttc/2011/04/a-guest-post-from-brian-j-abasciano.html :
<a href="http://www.continuumbooks.com/books/detail.aspx?BookId=125352&SearchType=Basic
J. Matthew Pinson, “Atonement, Justification, and Apostasy in the Thought of John Wesley”
Click on the file that contains Pinson’s article originally published by INTEGRITY (vol. 4, 2008, 73-92). The article is posted here by the author’s permission. Pinson, writing for a Free Will Baptist audience, explains how…
Robert Hamilton: Can You Do Anything to Gain God’s Acceptance?
Hamilton addresses works salvation, faith, and repentance. Click on pdf to view article. Can You Do Anything to Gain God’s Acceptance
Robert Hamilton: Assurance – How Can I Know that I Am Saved?
Robert Hamilton addresses the topic of assurance. What is assurance? How can we gain assurance? What are obstacles to assurance? Click on the attachment to view the article. Assurance-How Can I know that I am…
Robert Hamilton: How Good Must You Be?
Robert Hamilton addresses, how good must you be to be acceptable to God? Click on the attachment to view the PDF file: How Good Must You Be
Robert Hamilton: Can Arminians Be Assured of Their Salvation?
An essay on the topic of Arminianism and assurance. Hamilton compares “Biblically-defensible Arminian theology”, that salvation is conditioned solely on faith in Christ, and the distortion of Arminian theology where salvation is based on the…
Robert Hamilton: Deliberate Sin Erodes Faith
In this essay Robert Hamilton argues that deliberate sin erodes faith by gradually hardening one’s heart. Click on the attachment: Deliberate Sin Erodes Faith
Robert Hamilton: Grace to Be Holy
An essay by Robert Hamilton on grace, assurance and sanctification. “How can a Christian have any reasonable assurance that he will in fact persevere in the faith, not to mention experience consistent victory over deliberate…
Messianic Jewish Scholar Michael Brown Affirms Conditonal Security
Please click on PDF link to view article:
Arminian Answers to Logical Arguments for Perseverance of the Saints
Click on attachment to view PDF:
How Revelation 3:20 Creates a Dilemma for Calvinism
In Revelation 1, 2, and 3 John prophesies to the seven churches in Asia. The last group he addresses is the church in Laodicea. After addressing the Ladocians, he concludes with the following prophesy:
- (Jesus speaking) Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. –Revelation 3:20-22
This passage can be interpreted in two ways, both of which present problems for Calvinism.
Arminians are Christians, Barely
In the introduction to his book, Willing to Believe: The Controversy over Free Will, R. C. Sproul, Sr., when asked if he thinks Arminians are Christians, answers, “‘Yes, barely.’ They are Christians by what we call a felicitous inconsistency.”1 He agrees with J. I. Packer and O. R. Johnston, who insist that Arminians, because they reject the (unproven and eminently philosophical) theory that regeneration must precede faith, they “thereby deny man’s utter helplessness in sin, and affirm that a form of semi-Pelagianism is true after all.”2 This is the reason, so the authors are convinced, that “Reformed theology condemned Arminianism as being in principal a return to Rome (because in effect it turned faith into a meritorious work) and a betrayal of the Reformation (because it denied the sovereignty of God in saving sinners . . .).3
Arminian Confession of 1621 and Apostasy
Arminian Confession of 1621 and Apostasy – an article about the Remonstrants’ position on the possibility of apostasy. Click on the pdf to view Arminian Confession of 1621 and Apostasy
Arminian Minute: Is Unconditional Election Good News for the Despairing Soul?
Does Calvinism (with its upholding of unconditional election) really have good news for the despairing sinner? At most, a Calvinist can tell a disturbed soul that they could be among God’s elect. But, is such…
Arminius vs. Calvin on Assurance of Salvation and Perseverance
Some have argued that Arminianism offers little assurance that one will finally be saved due to the notion, which many Arminians hold, that a believer can lose his or her salvation. What may astound you…
Recent Posts
Roy Ingle, “Calvinism and the Atonement”
Why Does God Deny the Opportunity of Choice for or Against Him to Young Children Who Die and the Mentally Impaired?
Mark K. Olson, “Wesley’s ‘Warmed Heart’ at Aldersgate – What Really Happened?”
Adam Roe, “The Crucial Thread of Prevenient Grace: A Wesleyan Perspective on Divine Drawing”
