Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Arminianism vs. Sovereign, Irresistible Grace





Act 11:18 And when they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then to the Gentiles also hath God granted repentance unto life.

Act 13:48 And as the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Joh 6:61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
Joh 6:62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Joh 6:64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
Joh 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

Joh 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Rom 9:9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.
Rom 9:10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
Rom 9:11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
Rom 9:12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
Rom 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
Rom 9:14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
Rom 9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Rom 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.
Rom 9:17 For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
Rom 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
Rom 9:19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
Rom 9:20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
Rom 9:21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?
Rom 9:22 What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
Rom 9:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory

Also see My Posts on Election

5 comments:

Dr. Russell Norman Murray said...

With second clip:

I am glad he mentioned that within irresistible grace God does not use compulsion for one to believe, as otherwise we would have hard and not soft determinism taking place within the salvation process.

It is vital than those explaining this Reformed doctrine differentiate between hard and soft determinism.

Jeff said...

Thanks, Russ, for that clarification. Hey, if you ever want to leave links to any of your posts that may be related to something I post, feel free to do so in comments. Your deeply theological posts would be one way for any interested readers to do additional research on any of the topics that I introduce, if they are interested in learning more.

Dr. Russell Norman Murray said...

Thanks, Jeff.

There are quite a few related posts, and one can do a search for words such as soft determinism and compatibilism.

Dr. Russell Norman Murray said...

As God regenerates he simultaneously wills that a person can and will freely believe in him and the gospel. God alone does the choosing of a person and the regenerating, and God alone in Christ does the atoning and resurrection work.

Accepting the gospel through irresistible grace is completely a gift from God, and no human merit and work is involved.

Also:

God calls for repentance in Scripture.

This applies to unbelievers at times.

God uses human means (Bible, preaching) in the regenerating process. There is a moulding of the human will and the human will is convinced to believe.

This is not a human work, and as well the person is not forced or coerced to believe. It is not hard determinism.

Jeff said...

There are quite a few related posts, and one can do a search for words such as soft determinism and compatibilism.

Good enough.

As God regenerates he simultaneously wills that a person can and will freely believe in him and the gospel. God alone does the choosing of a person and the regenerating, and God alone in Christ does the atoning and resurrection work.

Accepting the gospel through irresistible grace is completely a gift from God, and no human merit and work is involved.

Also:

God calls for repentance in Scripture.

This applies to unbelievers at times.

God uses human means (Bible, preaching) in the regenerating process. There is a moulding of the human will and the human will is convinced to believe.

This is not a human work, and as well the person is not forced or coerced to believe. It is not hard determinism.


Nice summary of a tough subject.