The name “Arminian” means many things to many people. To the world, the term “Arminian” means absolutely nothing. In fact, I have an Arminian shirt that I wear that reads, “Arminian by Choice” on the front and time and time again people come up to me and ask me if I am an Armenian. Armenians are an ethnic group from the nation of Armenia. To make matters worse, I have a book on revival by Winkie Pratney where he discusses Arminians in the book but he calls us “Armenians.”
To many in the evangelical Church, Arminianism means very little these days. There was a time in the evangelical Church when the terms Arminianism and Calvinism meant much, but sadly these days people simply don’t get caught up in these terms nor the debate within the Church that has been raging for nearly 500 years over the doctrine of salvation.
Yet the term “Arminian” means much to me. To Calvinist it can be a title of heresy (not from all Calvinists I might add). To Calvinist theologians, Arminianism means “man-centered theology” and “works righteousness” or “the path to Rome.” The infamous Synod of Dort made sure that the name Arminius and the theology so named after him would forever be a term of rapprochement to many Calvinists.
During my days in college, I enjoyed being an Arminian. It was a term of reproach. Many felt that I was not even saved and at best heretical. In theology classes I would often be the lone student who would line up against the professor and the students. I tried to be godly during my disagreements, but I was known for my passion for prayer (which I appreciate) and for my Arminianism. In total, I believe I knew of only one other Arminian on a campus of about 1500 students. A few other Arminians embraced Calvinism and soon became my main attackers.
Yet I love being an Arminian, and let me give you a few reasons why.
- The Arminian Approach to Scripture
I love being able to read my Bible and simply go from Genesis to Revelation without having to read my theology into the Bible. For instance, I can read passages on God’s sovereignty from Ephesians 1:3-14 and rejoice that God is sovereign and that He reigns. I don’t have to wince at such passages. I don’t have to avoid them. As an Arminian, I accept that God is sovereign yet I balance His sovereignty by knowing from Scripture that God allows a limited freedom and He doesn’t force His way apart from His own purposes. I love being able to read passages that speak of God’s universal love for humanity such as John 3:16 or 2 Peter 3:9 and know that I can take them at face value without having to twist and turn trying to find ways to avoid the clear meaning of the texts.
- The Arminian Approach to Evangelism
I love being able to tell people that God loves them and has demonstrated this in the cross of His Son (John 3:16-17; Romans 5:8-9). I love being able to turn to passages such as 1 Timothy 2:1-6 and show sinners that God has sent us His Son who is our Mediator and who is able to save us from our sins by His own blood that He shed on the cross (Matthew 1:21; 26:28; Hebrews 9:22, 27-28; 1 John 1:7-2:2). I love being able to truthfully tell others that Jesus died for them on the cross and that if they will repent, He will save them by His grace (Acts 2:37-39, 41; 3:19; 17:30-31; Romans 2:4; Hebrews 2:9; 2 Peter 3:9). I don’t have to cross my fingers as I share the gospel of Jesus with the lost and hope that they are elected by God before time began in order for them to know God’s love. I can simply point to the cross where Jesus died as evidence of God’s love (1 John 4:10).
- The Arminian Approach to Prayer
I pray because Jesus told us to pray (Matthew 6:5-11; 7:7-11; Luke 18:1). I pray because the Bible tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and to devote ourselves to prayer (Colossians 4:2 NIV). I pray because Jesus left us an example of a great prayer life (Luke 11:1). And I truly believe that prayer changes things. I know that Calvinism claims that within Calvinism prayer is truly awesome since they hold to divine determinism, but logically, prayer within Calvinism essentially means that God works through prayer that He predetermined for people to pray. Now I can’t begin to explain how prayer works or how the God of heaven hears our cries and answers our prayers, but I know that He does. We are told to pray according to His will (1 John 5:14) and to pray in faith that God can move mountains (Mark 11:22-24). Prayer, within Arminianism, believes in the sovereignty of God and yet we likewise believe that God is “open” to the prayers of His saints (Isaiah 55:6). He longs for us to come and seek Him (Jeremiah 29:13). Jesus said that greater things we would do because He is going to the Father (John 14:12-14). This is not to imply that we will do greater in the sense of miracles but that God would answer our prayers that Jesus’ disciples would pray all over the earth.
Conclusion
I love being the underdog. God favors underdogs you know. He favored the children of Israel not because they were the best or the most educated but by His own sovereign purposes (Deuteronomy 9:1-12). God often used the underdogs such as David against Goliath (1 Samuel 17) or even the Apostles themselves (Acts 4:13; 1 Corinthians 4:10). And I pray that God uses the underdogs of the Arminians today. I am well aware that Arminianism is not the gospel, so don’t misunderstand me here and think that I am deceived in following Arminius. But I do believe that much (though not all) of what Arminius taught is biblically correct and therefore should go forth in power.
[Link to original post and comments on Roy Ingle’s website]
