My apologies to my subscribers for I have not entered a blog post since July of last year. I could give you all the usual excuses, but suffice it to say that I pray I can be more consistent.
I want to write a little about the difference between the only two camps of Christianity, Calvinism and Arminianism.
Folks who are somewhat aware of this difference oftentimes like to attack John Calvin as evil and actually in Hell. These naysayers will declare that John Calvin was "the pope of Geneva" and that he slaughtered people at will.
In reality, men use such ridiculous arguments in an attempt to
thwart Biblical doctrine. These arguments not only reveal ignorance of history but are logical fallacies. So, rather than beat up straw men, chase geese, and use this time to define terms and spell out history, I humbly ask you to walk with me for a few minutes along what a foundation of truth actually is as well as peer into the divide between the two camps of Christianity aforementioned.
When speaking about anything, let alone Biblical truth, it is extremely important that one have basic understanding of logic and absolute truth. This may seem silly at first glance because you automatically assume you have the common sense to do so, yet it has been my repeated experience that people in general do not understand the nature of truth, or if they say they do, when it gets applied to theri worldview they quickly must back peddle away from certain things they at first affirmed.
As humans, our statements can become very contradictory, very quickly if we are not thinking correctly about reality.
For instance, one might say.they believe there is one doctrine of Christ or a singular soteriology as we would say, yet continue to question why we would argue with another Christian over Biblical truth. Ask yourself and be honest,if there is only one truth then wouldn't anything contrary to that truth be wrong? In fact, wouldn't the slightest deviance at all be wrong? And if it is wrong, isn't it worth exposing? Isn't the truth worth defending? We wouldn't let someone get away with saying that 2+2 = 3.9. Yet everyday, folks insist that arguing Biblical truth with other professing Christians is more devisive than helpful. This flies in the face of Jude when he says:3Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
and again....But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18Theyf said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” 19It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.
Not only is contending for the faith a command, but we clearly see that it is those who bring false doctrine that are the devisive ones; NOT THOSE WHO ARE CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH!
One mark of a saved man is violent contending for the faith. When I say violent I use it in the way Christ did when He said the violent take Heaven by force. This is not some Islamic Jihad, but instead is a very real understanding that any force or effort is essentially an act of violence upon something, not to mention Jesus is speaking in a spiritual sense.
If I lift a stone from the ground, this is a violence being done toward the stone.
Efforts to exhort someone in the truth, affirming absolutes over against their faulty worldview, and casting down lofty arguments are violence toward things.
Would that more Christians were active in contending for the faith and exposing the works of darkness, rather than languishing in lethargic complacency. Oh how we would see the church rise to it's place as a city on the hill!
You see, It is very hard for folks to understand that there is a difference between someone's opinion and actual truth.
One must first realize that if truth is true, it defines YOU, it reads YOU, it discovers YOU!
Truth is universal and absolute, therefore we as men are completely unable to shape it. We may try so very hard to manipulate it, but we may never, ever shape it. It is what it is, despite our belief.
So, I don't "look for something to believe in", I look for something to know. Belief is a result of knowledge. The Kingdom of God is like a man "who finds a treasure in a field......". This finding of a treasure is an intellectual apprehension of a factual thing. Jesus says this apprehension comes first.
Do you see that the truth is something outside yourself?
Do you understand that we must doubt our own hearts and put confidence in the external truth?
Let me say this: Correct thinking often involves holding two truths in your mind that may be paradoxical,that is, a seeming contradiction. So in our current case we have this paradox.
IT IS TERRIBLY WRONG TO DECLARE SINGULAR AUTHORITY AS THE ONLY PERSON OR GROUP OF PEOPLE TO WHICH OTHERS MUST CONFORM AND IT IS JUST AS INTENSELY RIGHT TO SEE SPECIFIC LINES OF BIBLICAL TRUTH TO WHICH WE ARE COMMANDED TO CALL OTHERS TO CONFORM.
So, as far as statements about Calvinism and Arminianism go, you truly are either on one side or the other. There is absolutely no middle ground. If you want to state that the argument is silly and you are neither one, either do not understand the two systems or you are just being dishonest.
Those in Christ are called Christians. Many shy away from words like Calvinism thinking it blasphemous. The reality is we use labels every day. The word Calvinism simply denotes a system of theology, a Biblical one I might add. In the words of that Prince of Preachers, Charles Spurgeon, Calvinism is simply a nickname for authentic Christianity.
You see, no one is saying that understanding right theology and sound doctrine is necessarily an essential for salvation. We are however saying that understanding who God is and how He works in His creation, is not only a command from God, but is indeed an essential for a proper Biblical worldview and consequently for a more authentic, satisfying walk with Christ.
So, with that, here is the dilemma every Christian must face at some point in his or her life.
You either believe that an individual gives the deciding vote along with God's predestination of them because He saw that they would choose Him,
or ....
you believe with Scripture that God actually predestines people from before the foundation of the world based upon nothing in them and on everything in Christ.
You either believe that man is wholly infected by sin so that he is spiritually dead and cannot choose God over evil,
or....
you believe with mainstream evangelicalism that man is only sick or drowning and God is there with the only cure or with the only life preserver and man can either accept or reject the help.
You either believe that Christ has written a blank check on Calvary that must then be signed by anyone desiring salvation, that the Robes of Righteousness have simply been thrown to the mud for any passerby to pick up and don, that God is promiscuous with His love throwing it around for whomever it may land on,
or....
you believe with the Scriptures that Christ made an actual atoning work on Calvary whereby He finished everything once and all for His bride made of the chosen elect before the foundation of the world.
You either believe that God is wringing his hands wondering what people will do with His Son and that when He tries His hardest to reach someone that said someone has the ability to thwart His will and reject His grace,
or....
you believe along with the Bible that when God decides to save someone and accompanies the Gospel call by the power of the Holy Spirit, that person is entirely powerless to resist Him, for truly no one can thwart the will of God. Job 42:2
You either believe that when Christ regenerates unto eternal life all those whom the Father has given Him and makes them inheritors of all spiritual blessings, that they actually have eternal life which means it never ends and that no one , not even themselves, can remove them from the hand of almighty Christ,
or.....
you believe along with so many confused Christians that someone who has been saved by God can actually thwart His will, trump Christ's atoning work, and walk away from eternal life once given.
Now, there are only two camps my friend.
You are either synergistic (Arminian), believing your will and purpose is in function with those of God to effect your own salvation and essentially alter and direct the plan of God,
Or......
You are in the Biblical camp of Monergistic theology (Calvinism) which reveals a big God, a huge God, a God who is actually God. A God who is at perfect harmony and company with Himself and has never needed to create a single form of life but has done so in order to reveal His glory. This one true God of Scripture always accomplishes His will despite the will of man and in no way needs man's permission nor help to do so.
Friend, this black and white contrast between what is commonly said or not said about Christ, is the most powerful dilemma you will ever wrestle with. I challenge you to set aside some time, find a quiet place and seek God on the truth of this matter.
The issue of whether or not you are a Calvinist or an Arminian is not a play on words, but a very real thing.
Which one are you?
