A WELL-CONSIDERED REFORMED RESPONSE TO MY PLEA OF 5 MAY 2017 FOR HEALING BETWEEN ARMINIANS AND CALVINISTS.

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

(Galatians 5:22-23)

I received this response to my article of 5 May 2017 from my very dear brother Andrew who is of a Reformed/Calvinist persuasion, and whilst submitted via the comments section on that article I felt it relevant to publish it instead as an article in its own right, giving a more rounded airing to this most contentious of topics. He has graciously agreed for me to do this.

Original article:

http://watchman4wales.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/grace-is-much-greater-than-resistible.html

Hi Rob

Thank you for bringing this issue to the table, and I have no doubt that the cause for you to do so is firmly grounded in love. Like yourself, I wish to state from the outset that I have very dear Christian brothers and sisters in both camps. Confronted with the conviction to ‘come out of her my people’ in regard to leaving their Arminian or (NEW) Calvinist church alike, saints today due to the apostasy are faced with the dilemma of…what to do next.

As you know Rob I come from/hold to a Reformed perspective on the doctrines of salvation and sanctification. I say this for the benefit for those reading this who don’t know me. I was brought up Arminian and like a good ol Pastors son I played the piano/drums in the Pentecostal church. The comments I make are made from conclusions only, and in no way are intended to cultivate debate over the issue, as I believe there is a God given time and opportunity for such. I would like to point out at this early stage that I agree with your premise that we as the family of God can unite as house/underground groups at this point in church eschatologyFirst, I wish to state that, now that the church faces unprecedented times, it is possible that the debate now shifts away from Calvinism V Arminianism to those of the narrow way v those of the broad way. The former still stands, but it is perhaps now a case of priority. Just like the political landscape has changed from Labour v Conservative to Nationalism v socialism ‘ ‘Third Way’ (or better put Globalism).

So in agreement with you, I believe the source of these doctrinal rifts in churches are simply down to mans pride and self-will. Pride in needing to prove that he/she is right, and self-will providing the fuel to the pride. I have seen both Calvinist and Arminian guilty of this evil, and this ugly behaviour in my eyes immediately removes the strength of their argument, forgetting that ‘The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.’ Proverbs 11:30. With my own eyes I have several times witnessed sincere, though sincerely wrong Calvinists bring schism within an Arminian church, and likewise witnessed (though arguably seen more) Arminians spew venomous words against the leader of a Reformed church. Right now I know of a church located in England which is theologically Arminian, and has a Calvinist attendee pridefully showing off his knowledge of doctrine, while also forming a schism. Likewise, my dad (Reformed) has experienced the butt end of the same venomous spirit from an Arminian fox sent into the church to cause strife. He displayed the same prideful and aggressive character traits as the Calvinist in the first example.

Now, in agreement with you, I believe that applying the relevant scriptures, we as both Calvinists and Arminians can (and perhaps will have to) unite together in worship and prayer in the house/underground group context mentioned. I believe that the persecution coming with be so great that our pride and self-will won’t get the chance to become a priority for discussion. After all we must differentiate between errors in doctrine v heresy. There won’t be enough time to call it ‘The Arminian/Calvinist Underground Church…sorry I left out the ‘Community’ in that title.

However, while I agree with you that we can unit in the house/underground context, I don’t believe we can establish a church outside of the said context. While I agree that both Calvinist and Arminian are all saved, I don’t agree that they share the same fundamentals. It is for this reason that church tenets are established in a church. Perhaps we could learn from Wesley and Whitfield who had to agree to disagree. Wesley went on to establish Arminian Methodist churches while Whitfield established Calvinistic churches. However, at Whitfield’s funeral he would have nobody else to preach at his service except John Wesley. 

To quote you self, after mentioning the total depravity of man you state ‘Then in the essentials we are indeed perfectly joined together in the same mind.’ I am not convinced of this, but I feel that I need to bring the acronym of TULIP into the text. For those who don’t know TULIP was developed in the Reformed/Calvinistic tradition to cement they’re doctrine in the fight against the Counter Reformation. The acronym TULIP stands for (I know your fully aware of this Rob)

T = Total depravity of man’s spiritual condition before God.

U = Unconditional Election of certain individuals to salvation, while passing over others.

L = Limited Atonement i.e. Christ died for the elect only.

I = Irresistible grace (as afore mentioned by Rob in the original article) i.e. that the gift of faith in Christ to the elect the power of God unto salvation as irresistible.

P = Perseverance of the saints i.e. the elect must persevere.

While both Calvinists and most Arminians will agree on T and P, the points in between would be denounced by most Arminians. Points U, L, and I are both serious and precious truths to the saints walk in the Christian life, and could therefore not possibly be expected not to preach/teach these special truths to other struggling saints. Id have to disagree with you Rob with the assertion that ‘in the essentials we are indeed perfectly joined together in the same mind.’ For example it would not be possible for a Calvinist to tell someone on the street who needed evangelism that Christ had died for them. We can tell them that Christ died for sinners, but that wouldn’t necessarily be for them.

In summery the point I’m making Rob is that I am with you all the way that both Calvinist and Arminian can and should unite in home/underground groups in these last days of apostasy, and I’m looking forward to worshipping together with you. As you said in the article there will needs be humility for the different views and convictions of other saints. However, the idea of setting up a church beforehand drawing on the idea that we can’t infringe on these issues discussed is not only impossible, but I don’t think the Lord expects us to do away with the denomination system which has proved successful for the last 500 years since the reformation. The way I see it, there are much brighter and godlier men than myself in history who settled for the denomination system. However, there is a day coming, and is oh so near, that those who follow the narrow way (both Calvinist and Arminian) will I believe be glad to merely enjoy the company and fellowship of praise and prayer with those of the other camp of doctrine. Some of the Godliest men I know are Arminian. On that day of persecution, I shall be proud to share that bitter cup of persecution experience with my Arminian bother/sister.

Every blessing bro

Andrew

I am grateful for Andrew's honest appraisal, and his integrity in pointing out the areas where we would agree and would differ in our respective convictions. My hope and prayer is that in not shrinking from but confronting this divisive issue head-on on this blog - but at the same time being vitally mindful of exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit - then at least one small but positive step will have been taken towards replacing soulish stand-off and sniping with graceful accord in Christ.

I'll close with my words to Andrew, when asking if it would be OK with him to have his response appear in a new article:

I think it could shine a ray of hope into this dark divide, that there is indeed potential for a way forward together - a way forward that is ever more pressing with every passing day, as the writing is on the wall for anyone with understanding enough to read it! (And the willingness!) When the persecution comes, as it inevitably will, the question on the persecutor's lips will not be, "Are you a Calvinist or are you an Arminian?" The question will only be, "Are you one who says that Jesus Christ is Lord?" And our answer to that question will not be, "Yes, I say that Jesus Christ is Lord because I'm an Arminian!" or "Yes, I say that Jesus Christ is Lord because I'm a Calvinist!" Our answer will only be, "Yes, I say that Jesus Christ is Lord because I'm a Christian!"

GRACE IS MUCH GREATER THAN RESISTIBLE OR IRRESISTIBLE! - A PLEA FOR HEALING BETWEEN ARMINIANS AND CALVINISTS.

"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye 
all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that 
ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."

(1 Corinthians 1:10)

OK. I'm going to grasp the nettle, and if it stings, so be it. Writing this, I feel a certain empathy with Jude, who when intending to write about one thing found himself having to change horses in mid-stream so to speak, and to write instead on a quite different topic. I am prompted to make a plea, based on what I firmly believe to be the vital premise that grace is much greater than "resistible" or "irresistible" - and so much so that the hand of true friendship and fellowship can yet be extended across the great historical divide of Arminianism and Calvinism. My pressing plea is for those on either side, in a spirit of Godly reconciliation, to unconditionally extend their hands across that unnecessary divide.

Unnecessary? Yes, absolutely! Call me naive if you will in insisting that this division is unnecessary, but I will resolutely maintain that the grace of God is infinitely greater than putting it into "resistible" or "irresistible" boxes will even remotely begin to allow for its complete human understanding. Let us all humbly remember that in this life we only ever see through a glass darkly; we can only ever attain partial knowledge. (1 Corinthians 13:12). Complete comprehension is firmly future tense. Right now the image in our lens is blurred, and it is only "when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality" (1 Corinthians 15:54) that everything will at last come firmly into focus.

Me? For what it's worth, if you really want to know, I lean towards the Arminian position... but so what? Is my lens any less fuzzy than anyone else's? Is yours? At the risk of being dismissed as taking a far too simplistic approach to a very complex subject, I'm going to boil this centuries-old controversy down to one basic way of looking at it all. I'm going to concentrate on the central issue of how we perceive what I might term the "spiritual mechanics" of salvation.

The Calvinist will aver that salvation is by grace alone. And the Arminian will nod vigorously in total agreement. But whereas the Calvinist will say that his or her salvation has come about due to irresistible grace, the Arminian will declare that their salvation has come about via resistible grace. But both are saved, and saved by grace alone; ergo grace is greater than our inevitably limited perceptions of the underlying "spiritual mechanics!" The understanding may be different, but the reality is the same! And surely the reality is of infinitely greater importance than our attempted rationalization and categorization of it?

DIGGING OURSELVES INTO DEEP TRENCHES, WITH A BARBED-WIRED AND BOOBY-TRAPPED NO-MAN'S-LAND BETWEEN THE RANKS OF SHARP-BLADED BAYONETS, IS SIMPLY NOT AT ALL HOW IT SHOULD BE! HONESTLY HELD OPINIONS THAT DO NOT CONTRADICT OR CONTRAVENE THE ESSENTIALS OF THE FAITH SHOULD BE TREATED WITH RESPECT, NOT CONTEMPT. SUCH THINGS ARE FOR CONSTRUCTIVE DEBATE, NOT DESTRUCTIVE DIVISION. PERIOD.

Why have I personally adopted an Arminian view? Sorry, but I'm not telling you! Why so tight-lipped? Yes, of course I have my reasons for my own line of thinking, just as a Calvinist has his own reasons for seeing things as he does, but this article is emphatically NOT about standing on a soapbox with a loudhailer to out-shout the other side. As far as I'm concerned, it's NOT another side. We are one in Christ; we just happen to have a different angle on how we got to where we are. And we are where we all absolutely undeservedly are because of the awesome mystery of God's grace.

I will, however, make one proviso here, if you'll forgive what might seem a contradiction to the foregoing. I believe the HYPER-Calvinist position on the preaching of the Gospel to be completely wrong, and unacceptable. A hyper-Calvinist holds that "evidence of election" is to be the precursor to giving the Gospel to that individual. Other than for this distinctive extreme grouping, those of a Calvinistic persuasion will completely agree with an Arminian that the Gospel must be proclaimed to all men indiscriminately. 

AS (NON HYPER-) CALVINISTS AND ARMINIANS ARE EQUALLY AGREED THAT THE GOSPEL IS TO BE PREACHED UNIVERSALLY AND NOT SELECTIVELY, AND THAT THE GOSPEL MUST BE ACCEPTED WITH THE ADMISSION OF AND THE SINCERE REPENTANCE OF SIN FOR A PERSON TO BE BORN AGAIN (WITH BOTH CAMPS TEACHING THE DOCTRINE OF TOTAL DEPRAVITY), THEN IN THE ESSENTIALS WE ARE INDEED "PERFECTLY JOINED TOGETHER IN THE SAME MIND AND IN THE SAME JUDGMENT" AS WE ARE URGED TO BE IN THE SCRIPTURE WHICH HEADS THIS ARTICLE!

And so, my friends, I rest my concise case. Too simplistic? Maybe. But is there not a most regrettable soulish tendency for us to complicate, even corrupt "the simplicity that is in Christ?" (2 Corinthians 11:3). I count it my immense privilege to have friends who are Arminian, and friends who are Calvinist. They are my siblings in the Lord, and I can't say how much I cherish them and how indebted I am to them for all the support and encouragement they have so freely given me. Recognizing that the hour is late, and the Falling Away is biting ever deeper into both schools of thought alike, we cleave together in a common cause. And surely this is how it should be?

"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

(John 13:35)

Up-date: For a well-considered Reformed response to this article, please see:

http://watchman4wales.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/a-well-considered-reformed-response-to.html