Originally posted by Scott
Let's use an analogy. This is what Arminians are not like. Say a pair of people want to pool their resources to purchase a painting for $100. John contributes $5 and Joshua contributes $95. The analogy is the Arminian gives $5 (his decision) and Jesus gives $95 (his death). They don't see it that way.
Scott
Scott,
I agree that some Arminians would disagree (at least professedly) with this analogy. However, many would not. Billy Graham has gone on record saying that salvation is 99% God, and 1% man. This is heresy (I think you would agree here)!
However, when you examine what they say, it is contradictory, isn't it? This is my example of how an Arminian conversation would go:
Arminian: "I believe in salvation by grace through faith alone."
Believer: "So, ultimately salvation depends on your free-will?"
Arminian: "Yes, God comes to every man and gives him grace to believe, but ultimately, he must decide for himself, out of his ability. Man isn't dead, he still has the power to believe, he is just sick."
Believer: "So, your entrance into heaven ultimately depends on your efforts and willing?"
Arminian: "I don't like to phrase it that way, but in a way you could say that."
Believer: "So Christ's work was insufficient to save you?"
Arminian: "No! But Christ is a gentlemen, he will stand at the door and knock, but won't barge his way in."
Believer: "So you have to open the door?"
Arminian: "Exactly!"
I hope you can see that this ultimately puts salvation in the hands of man, not in God. For the Arminian, faith merits them salvation. Their choice earns them heaven. Salvation by grace teaches that salvation and faith are a gift given to us by God. If saving faith is believing that Christ alone saves you, that rules out all extra "opening the door" etc. Christ opens the door, he walks in and gives life to our dead souls.
By the way, I realize that many historic Calvinist regarded Arminians as regenerate (i.e. Whitefield, Spurgeon, etc.), but many regarded them as the worst heretics (i.e. Toplady, Owen and others).
"To suppose that whatever God requireth of us that we have power of ourselves to do, is to make the cross and grace of Jesus Christ of none effect." "“John Owen, III:433
Spurgeon contradicted himself on this subject, but his sermon "Free Will "“ A Slave" contains this quote:
"Philosophy and religion both discard at once the very thought of free will; and I will go as far as Martin Luther, in that strong assertion of his, where he says, 'If any man doth ascribe of salvation, even the very least, to the free will of man, he knoweth nothing of grace and he hath not learnt Jesus Christ aright.' It may seem a harsh sentiment; but he who in his sould believes that man does of his own free will turn to God, cannot have been taught of God, for that is one of the first principles taught us when God begins with us, that we have neither will nor power, but that he gives both; that he is the 'Alpha and Omega' in the salvation of men."
