Assurance
Arminian Minute: Is Unconditional Election Good News for the Despairing Soul?
Submitted by postpre on Tue, 07/13/2010 - 7:30amDoes 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 a response sufficient enough to engender hope in the heart of the broken? No, it is not. Nothing short of full assurance (no "could be's") that one can turn to God for relief from guilt will do.
The following YouTube video interacts with a 2003 sermon of John Piper's and seriously questions whether the belief in unconditional election is good news for the despairing soul.
Arminius vs. Calvin on Assurance of Salvation and Perseverance
Submitted by WilliamBirch on Fri, 07/09/2010 - 10:03amSome 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 is that Arminianism actually holds to a more firm case for the believer's perseverance than does Calvinism.
Eternal Security: A Biblical and Theological Appraisal
A paper on the topic of eternal Security.
Eternal Security: A Biblical and Theological Appraisal, Dr. Gregory Robertson, Church of God
Anderson, Indiana
(Click on the attachment).
The Fifth Article of the Remonstrants - Womak
The following is the fifth article that the Remonstrants wrote against unconditional perseverance and which they presented to the Calvinists at the Synod of Dort (1618-1619). Laurence Womack provides numbers of Scriptures to support each tenet held by the Remonstrants.
Click attachment to read more.
James White and Turretinfan on 1 John 5:1
Submitted by Godismyjudge on Mon, 03/29/2010 - 7:04amJames White and company have used 1 John 5:1 to argue that regeneration comes before faith. (link) I actually called in to the Dividing Line (James White's webcast) to explain to him my take on the passage and why I do not think it teaches faith precedes regeneration. It's at the end of the hour long program. (link) James White objected to my approach on the air and Turretinfan has objected to it on his blog as well (link). I would like to briefly summarize the issue, explain the text and then respond to Turretinfan.
1 John 5:1 states: Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.
Ben Witherington - “Christian Apostasy and Hebrews 6”
On Wed, February 13, 2008, Dr. Ben Witherington posted “Christian Apostasy and Hebrews 6” on his blog. It is an excerpt from a book he would later publish entitled The Indelible Image. Witherington is Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary.
(Click on PDF to view article, PDF compiled by Steve Witzki)
Some Good Comments from Robert Shank on Rom 8:28-29
Submitted by SEA on Thu, 01/07/2010 - 9:55amRobert Shank wrote:
“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).
Some Great Comments on Corporate Election, Apostasy/Perseverance, and Rom 8:28-39
Submitted by SEA on Tue, 01/05/2010 - 2:19pmHere are some great comments from B.J. Oropeza, who holds to corporate election, tying in corporate election with the doctrine of perseverance and Rom 8:28-39:
Resources by Dr. Jack Cottrell Added
Submitted by SEA on Mon, 01/04/2010 - 10:37pmWe have recently added some resources by Dr. Jack Cottrell, a well known theologian from the Church of Christ fellowship. Check out our recent articles box on the right side of this page for a few articles by him responding to advocates of Calvinistic election (2 articles) and universalistic election (1 article). We have also added a link on our Links and Books page to an offsite Jack Cottrell resource page, which contains audio resources as well as a few articles. Check out his audio entitled "Once in Grace". It is a really good refutation of Eternal Security.
Scholarly Resources Added - Steve Witzki
Submitted by Kevin Jackson on Sun, 01/03/2010 - 10:00amWe have added several new scholarly resources on the topics of faith and perseverance. These have been written and / or compiled by Arminian Steve Witzki. Be sure to check them out!
Arminianism--The Conditional Preservation of the Saints or Conditional Security (Wikipedia Article)
James Arminius: The Security of the Believer and the Possibility of Apostasy
The Opinions of the Remonstrants (1618)
John Wesley: "Serious Thoughts Upon the Perseverance of the Saints" (1751)
