We have a lot of material addressing and refuting this oft repeated Calvinist claim on the site, so I thought it would be good to archive them into a single post for easy reference: An…
Prevenient Grace
Ben Henshaw, “An Arminian Response to C. Michael Patton’s ‘The Ultimate Balanced Guide to Arminianism (From a Calvinist)’: The Good, the Bad, and the [Very] Ugly”
You can find Patton’s original post here I was referred to this recent post by C. Michel Patton and thought I would respond to it. My comments can be found in-between sections of his post below:…
Rev. J.A. Paisley on How Prevenient Grace “Works” (1862)
[This post first appeared at GospelEncounter.wordpress.com] “His [the Holy Spirit’s] operations on souls are so various that it would be almost an endless task to describe how He at first arouses men to come and…
Ben Henshaw, “Does Arminianism Imply That we Can Boast in Our Salvation Over Those Who do Not Believe?”
Out of all the arguments for Calvinism, this is the one that I probably hear the most. It comes in a variety of forms but usually imagines two people under the influence of prevenient grace,…
Richard Watson, “No Person Can Repent or Truly Believe Except Under the Influence of the Spirit of God” (1836)
Richard Watson, Institutes, vol. 2 (1836), p 447: It is allowed, and all Scriptural advocates of the universal redemption of mankind will join with the Calvinists in maintaining the doctrine, that every disposition and inclination to…
Richard Watson, “On the Power of the Gospel” (1836)
Rev. Richard Watson, “SERMON I. — Ezekiel’s Vision of the Dry Bones” (Preached in Albion Street Chapel, Leeds, at the formation of the Methodist Missionary Society for the Leeds District, October 6, 1813), in SERMONS AND…
Richard Watson, “To the Operation of This Divine Spirit, This Precious Gift of Christ, We Owe All Our Ability to Think & Speak & Act According to the Will of God” (pub. 1854)
Richard Watson, Institutes, vol. 2 (1836), p 447: It is allowed, and all Scriptural advocates of the universal redemption of mankind will join with the Calvinists in maintaining the doctrine, that every disposition and inclination to…
VIDEO: How Prevenient Grace “Works”
This YouTube video was published February 26, 2023: https://youtu.be/fsSUpqG-mCo From the Description: I share my thoughts and then quotes from a few Arminian authors to see what Arminians think the Holy Spirit is doing when we…
VIDEO: “Where Do We Find Prevenient Grace in Scripture?”
This YouTube video was published March 9, 2023: https://youtu.be/dqF4nRNjVmY From the description: In this video I survey some of the passages that describe the pre-regenerating work of the Holy Spirit (prevenient grace).
Wilbur F. Tillett, “The Holy Spirit’s Preparation of Man for Salvation” (1902)
[This post first appeared at GospelEncounter.wordpress.com] “The Holy Spirit is the author of every movement of man’s soul toward salvation… The Spirit of grace, which is but another name for prevenient grace, “is the sole…
Richard Watson on Mark 4:26-28: “The Success of the Gospel in the Hearts of Men Is as Certainly Produced by Divine Influence”
26 And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27 He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows…
VIDEO: “Why Prevenient Grace Matters”, Parts 1 & 2
This YouTube video series was published March 18 & 24, 2023: Part 1 https://youtu.be/A_H06Mgy6ZA , Part 2 https://youtu.be/YKxrQ4cpgDI Part 1: Part 2: From the Descriptions: Part 1: In this video, we look at how the doctrine of…
Richard Watson on the Origin of Depravity: “The Withdrawing of That Spirit from Adam” (1832)
[This post first appeared at GospelEncounter.wordpress.com] “Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.” – King David, Psalm 51:11 KJV “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law…
VIDEO: “Walking Through Key Verses in John 5 & 6”
From the Description: In this video I take a look at the key verses in John 5 & 6: – John 5: 33-37, especially verses 34, 37, 39 and 44 – John 6: 37…
Daniel Steele, “Ordinarily the Spirit’s Power … Is Silent & Unseen, Giving a Penetrating Energy to the Speaker’s Words, Even When They Seem Powerless to Himself” (1897)
[This post first appeared at GospelEncounter.wordpress.com] Below is an excerpt from Daniel Steele’s 1897 book, The Gospel of the Comforter, which I first read a few months ago, but this part stuck with me. For myself, I…
VIDEO: “The Point of Decision: Thoughts on 2 Corinthians 3 & 4, and the Spiritual Warfare Motif”
In this video, I look at total depravity, prevenient grace, and spiritual warfare in light of 2 Corinthians 3 & 4. Youtube: https://youtu.be/cP03vH8AM6w?si=WE87e_6ckrr80dRg
More from Richard Watson on Prevenient Grace
[This post originally appeared at GospelEncounter.wordpress.com] “This struggle, this “striving with man,” this debating with him, this standing between him and death […] are to be acknowledged as magnifying that grace which regards the whole…
Video: “DFK Symposium Prevenient Grace”
YouTube: https://youtu.be/nRMNk9ZXynU?si=XiTycM3nHQVlf7JO Here is the description from The Francis Asbury Society’s Facebook post: The Dennis F. Kinlaw Symposium on Prevenient Grace: Dr. Brian Shelton will share about his book “Prevenient Grace God’s Provision for Fallen…
Eric Landstrom, “Christian Discipleship and Sin”
Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Pet 3:18). Consider your joy in salvation. Repeatedly well-meaning, well-intentioned disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ justify their poor, worldly,…
Andrew Hnatiuk, “Prevenient Grace in Romans 1-2: some thoughts with Arminius & Wesley”
[This post first appeared at GospelEncounter.wordress.com] “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.” – Romans 1:19 ESV “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness…
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