Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Reprobation: The Arminian Versus Jesus

It doesn't happen often, but should never happen at all, that I get this argument from Arminians: The doctrine of reprobation is bad because it means that some people , no matter how much they beg, cannot be saved, because they aren't elect. We are expected to have a mental image of people saying, "Oh, Jesus, I want to be a Christian, but you have barred my way!" And it is true, if that were the situation, that we would have grounds for horror.

But it is a claim of something that cannot happen.

The problem with the argument is that the Arminian underestimates the effect of sin on the will. The Bible speaks of the natural man when it tells us, "No one seeks for God" (Romans 3:11). And Jesus Himself told us, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him" (John 6:44). Notice that He says "no one can," while the Arminian says that everyone can. Thus, the condition of the unregenerate man is the opposite of the man described by the Arminian.

Again, the Arminian is describing an impossible case. As the Presbyterian Theologian James Henley Thornwell wrote, "There never was a case, and there never will be a case, in all the history of the universe, of a penitent sinner's being damned" ("The Necessity and Nature of Christianity").

This is my challenge to Arminians: If your doctrine results in a situation that even Jesus says is impossible, doesn't that demonstrate that it is your doctrine that is false?


4 comments:

youngreformed said...

Amen.. Arminians ALWAYS underestimate the effects of the fall

scott phillips said...

We know Calvinism is a Doctrine of Devils. It disputes the Word of God.

Calvinism states Jesus only died for the chosen.
The Bible States, Jesus died for the sins of the world. Whosoever will let them come.

Calvinism states that no one can resist God's will. And yet the Word of God demonstrates over and over and over and over that God's will is not done and humanity resists the will of God.

Calvinism states that God chooses who will go to heaven and go to hell before they are even born. The scripture does not teach that, but rather "Whosoever will."

Calvinism is wickedness of an unspeakable darkness.

Calvinism teaches Eternal Security, Once saved always saved. When Jesus Christ himself entreats the Church in Revelation 2 & 3 to repent or he will spew them out, remove their candlestick, blot out their names in the book of life and become their enemy.

This whole false dichotomy of Calvinism / Arminian is a straw dog.

Let's just state, the Bible teaches one must daily repent, believe, be faithful and diligent.

Calvinism is just as dark and twisted and Catholicism. One error in response to another.

scott phillips said...
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Chris Cole said...

You're equivocating, Scott. You say that Jesus died for the sins of the world. And, indeed, the Bible says that. But you quote is to support your assertion that it MEANS every individual in the world, which it does NOT say. Nor is that said ANYWHERE in Scripture. "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world" (I John 2:2). "Ours" who? Jewish Christians, the audience for all of John's writings. What did the Jews believe? That the Messiah was for them alone. No, John says, but for every nation in the world, Jew or Gentile.