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I am a born-again Christian, who is Reformed, but also charismatic, spiritually speaking. (I do not speak in tongues, but I believe glossalalia is a bona fide gift not given to all, and not as great as prophecy, for example.) I have several years of college education but only completed a two-year degree. I was raised Lutheran and confirmed, but I didn't "find Christ" until I was in the Army and responded to a Billy Graham crusade in 1973. I was mentored or discipled by the Navigators in the army and upon discharge joined several evangelical, Bible-teaching churches. I was baptized as an infant, but believe in believer baptism, of which I was a partaker after my conversion experience. I believe in the "5 Onlys" of the reformation: sola fide (faith alone); sola Scriptura (Scripture alone); soli Christo (Christ alone), sola gratia (grace alone), and soli Deo gloria (to God alone be the glory). I affirm TULIP as defended in the Reformation.. I affirm most of The Westminster Confession of Faith, especially pertaining to Providence.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Arminianism Basics

The Arminian believes that results speak for themselves and that in evangelizing what is important is to get decisions regardless of the quality (but Jesus was never interested in quantity over quality). God ordains the means as well as the ends. We should feel privileged to have the opportunity to work for God and pray and witness. God is omniscient because He knows all that could possibly be and could not be sovereign if He didn't. ("For who can resist His will?") God is omnipotent in that He can do anything He wills to do according to His plan. God is just in that He is no respecter of persons and everyone has the opportunity to respond to the light that they have.

God is loving in that He shows common grace to all and is good to all. Jesus had compassion on the crowd. But love is God's essence and everything He does is in love. He doesn't send people to hell; they send themselves. (The Arminian believes that some people desire to get saved while others have no such desire for God. This is hogwash because without grace no one would desire God--there's no place for merit.)

We were all enemies of God and God overcame our reluctance by irresistible grace and an effectual call. We are not any more virtuous by believing or it would be meritorious. (Rome has tried to make faith a meritorious work.)   Believing is the work of God. We don't conjure up our faith either, it comes by the hearing of the Word of Christ. We believe through grace and it was granted to us to believe.  Acts 18:27; Phil. 1:29) We can get with the program if we want to because God certainly can get His will done without us, but He has ordained that we are used for His glory. God is so omnipotent that He can melt any heart. The formula is: Melt me, Mold me, Fill me, Use me!

God can do anything that makes sense, anything He wants to and is concordant with His nature. The faux dilemma that asks if God can create a rock so big He can't move it is ridiculous. God loses either way. Logic says that both cannot simultaneously exist. God cannot stop being God; that would be going against His nature of sovereignty. Everything God does must work together with His other attributes. He is not a private party like we are that can be biased. This is the simplicity (He is never torn in two directions) of God and He never is in a dilemma! God is self-sufficient and doesn't need anyone, but He has decided to make His glory known and show his love.

John 7:17 says, "If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know..." (and that is the key of sincerity). That doesn't guarantee salvation but, nevertheless, must be present to find God. He doesn't want to be found by triflers. ("God's chief quarrel with man is that he doesn't or cannot seek Him.")  But the wonder of His grace is that He found us and He was found by those who weren't even looking (cf. Is. 65:1).

No one is going to be able to say that they were on the wrong list. Because God gives everyone the opportunity and time to repent. The goodness of God leads to repentance. (Rom. 2:4) We wonder at the prosperity of the wicked, well, God doesn't want them to have any excuse! The Bible teaches both the efficacy of prayer and the sovereignty of God and so we have to affirm both. We are part of the plan! No one has an excuse with God. God has never left the world or the person without a witness (Acts 14:17).   Soli Deo Gloria!

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