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YoungLearner

Puritan Board Freshman
Does anyone have some good resources for the rebuttal of common Arminian beliefs? Say, for instance, things about easy-believism, free will, and faith not being something that we have within ourselves especially.

My family is very Arminian and staunchly literal, and are all well versed in the afore mentioned categories. They were very angry after I 'denied the faith', but now they have softened up a bit and are beginning to ask questions. Not many questions, but some.

I don't like to talk to my family about spiritual things, as I am trying to forget the things that were pounded in my head for most of my life while at the same time learning the doctrines of grace, and I am afraid that I will say the wrong thing. I also want my actions to speak for me, and not be like Talkative in Pilgrim's Progress. I fall so dreadfully short each and every day and some days there seems to be no progress toward a life that is pleasing to God, but He uses days like that to humble me.

Anyway, I could really use some help.
 
Chosen by God by R.C. Sproul is a good intro to the Doctrines of Grace, which are contra-Arminianism. It looks like you can even listen to the course from Ligonier for free here.
 
I had heard the phrase the sovereignty of God early on, but it was not until I read The Sovereignty Of God by Arthur W. Pink that I came to understand the concept and the arguments for and against. After that, reading something like The Canons Of Dordt became easy to follow.

If you have the time to listen to a sermon series, I highly recommend the Doctrine Of Grace series by Jeff Pollard on SermonAudio.com.
 
I like your post because I like humility. The books and helps others have posted are very good. I would add to the list the Gospel of John, Paul's epistle to the Romans, Exodus, and the Psalms. In addition, I have found C.H. Spurgeon very good on the subject and recommend his sermon entitled, "Election" and in reading the entirety of the Downgrade Controversy.

Lastly, remember to thank Jesus for inconsistent Arminians. :)
 
Thanks everyone!

I do not think that I'll be able to get any of the books, because I would not be allowed to have them (I still live at home for the time being) as they are 'heretical'. I will be happy when I get out on my own, because then I will be able to get all of these great Reformed books for my personal library. But I will definitely check out the online resources.

The Gospel of John is very good, as is Romans and Ephesians. My problem though, is that they try to explain away all of the things that I show them, and appeal to other verses even though they are not speaking about the same thing. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard John 3:16, and a whole myriad of wonderful but horribly misused verses.

Also, God used both Spurgeon and Pink especially to bring me to Him, so I am well acquainted with both of their works. Their language and the way they phrase things have both been a blessing to me, as it is so like my own. The Puritans are a little hard to read for me, only because their phrases and things are archaic and obsolete. Their theology is very good though.

Thanks again!
 
The 2 links I gave are for electronic versions. So if you have an ebook reader or an mp3 player you can use those resources discreetly.

Arminians like to argue the word "world" in John 3:16 and the word "all" in 1 Tim. 2:4. Pink's The Sovereignty Of God covers the word "world" in the 3rd appendix. It is worth reading just that appendix. Pollard's sermon series covers the word "all" in sermons 23 and 24. He does a good job explaining the difference between people who say "all means all" and the different ideas the word "all" can mean. And he does so by explaining the Greek definition and then explores how the Bible uses the word.

Another resource is Pink's The Attributes Of God. Chapter 4 covers the foreknowledge of God. Arminians argue God foreknows who will choose Him. We argue God foreknows who He has chosen. Pink walks through how the word is used in the Bible, and in what context it is used. (Later, expanded versions of this book are called Gleanings In The Godhead, and The Nature Of God.)

Since the book of Romans was mentioned, Martin Luther provides an excellent summary of all the major topics in Preface to the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans.
 
I would recommend the book, Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor. You can download an electronic version of this book from this site: Suffering and the Sovereignty of God | Desiring God

Mark Talbot wrote chapter two of the book and he discusses the relationship between God's sovereignty and evil and freewill.

Here is a link to Michael Horton's article concerning the doctrine of election. He answers the objections to the doctrine of election.
Who Saves Whom? by Michael S. Horton
 
The best thing for you to do, is to thoroughly acquaint yourself with the Doctrines of Grace. I would recommend The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination by Loraine Boettner. At about 400 pages, it is a thorough treatment of the doctrine and its practical implications. He writes in an accessible style and does not use unnecessarily technical language. If you would work your way through this book in a careful and thoughtful manner, taking the time to ensure you understand what's being said, you will profit immensely.
 
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