Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20020602.htm

EXAMINING CONTESTED REFORMED THEOLOGY BELIEFS
Part III: Examining The Five Points Of Calvinism (And Arminianism) In Light Of Scripture
B. Examining Calvinism's Doctrine Of Unconditional Election In Light Of Scripture
  1. Introduction
    1. The theology of John Calvin, the main formulator of "Reformed Theology," rests on five "pillars" of belief: Total Inability, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace and Perseverance of the saints, doctrines that spell, T-U-L-I-P, Boettner, The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, p. 1, 59f.
    2. These beliefs and their spiritual effects on believers besides the opposing beliefs of Arminianism and its respective spiritual effects are critiqued by Christ in respective order in Revelation 3:17 as follows:
  2. Examining Calvinism's Doctrine Of Unconditional Election In Light Of Scripture, Rev. 3:17 et al.
    1. Calvinism teaches "Unconditional Election," that man's nature was so depraved from Adam's sin and his will so bound by that depraved nature that he could not author faith in the Gospel, and so God in eternity chose which people would receive God's gift of faith so they could believe to be saved, Ibid., p. 83-149.
    2. In reaction, Arminius held man's will and nature became both partially depraved so that, with the Spirit's conviction, man authors faith in the Gospel. Thus, God is said to have chosen in eternity who would be saved based on His foresight of who would author faith, Bettenson, Docs. of the Chr. Ch., 2nd ed., 377f.
    3. Yet, Jesus Christ prophetically criticized both views and their errant spiritual results in Revelation 3:17:
      1. Jesus said the Laodiceans were second of all "pitiful" (NIV); the Greek word it renders is eleeinos, and it exists elsewhere in the New Testament ONLY in 1 Corinthians 15:19, cf. Moulton, Geden & Moulton, Concordance to the Greek Testament, 4th ed., p. 324; UBS Greek N.T., p. 845, 613.
      2. In 1 Cor. 15:19, eleeinos is used to describe their "pitiful" state were believers to hope only in this life.
      3. This word used here critiques both Calvinist and Arminian views of election and ensuing spiritualities:
        1. Both Calvinism and Arminianism, in making election result in justification, leave faith or election logically unnecessary: (a) Calvinism asserts God saves man since He chose him to be saved, making God's gift of faith for him to believe unnecessary as God could save a man merely for electing him; (b) Arminianism then makes election inessential as God is said to chose who would be saved based on who freely believes, making God's election logically unnecessary in the face of man's free will.
        2. Yet, God's inerrant Bible must not leave faith or election logically unnecessary, for inerrant Scripture must present logical truths if it is to be true (cf. Pinnock, Biblical Infallibility, p. 16-17 [this work is recommended by the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy, cf. J. M. Boice, Does Inerrancy Matter?, p. 29]), and logical truths must show all of the parts of their declarations to be necessary, Webster's Third New Int. Dic. of the Eng. Lan., s. v. "logic." So also affirms Mtt. 5:18.
        3. Thus, as the Bible is inerrant, Calvinism & Arminianism err in making election end in justification!
        4. Rather, Scripture reveals election results ONLY in all that follows justification: (a) 1 Peter 1:1-2 teaches God elects believers unto "sprinkling" of Christ's blood; as Peter wrote to Jews who knew Ex. 24:6-8 (cf. Heb. 9:19-20) where sprinkling of a lamb's blood pictured a covenant of a lifestyle, Peter taught Christians were chosen by God's foresight of their faith to a holy walk. (b) 2 Thess. 2:13 teaches God chose believers "unto salvation," and this is not justification: in the context, Paul settled troubled believers who feared the antichrist's arrival, so "salvation" means the Pretribulation Rapture (cf. 1 Thess. 5:9). (c) Ephesians 1:4 shows God chose believers for His presence in heaven (meaning of "before," [katenopion]). (d) Thus only all that follows justification is election's goal. [In Acts 13:48, "ordained" is to be read in the middle voice to mean "marshaled themselves" for eternal life, so the verse does not teach a divine predestination to justification as says the KJV & NIV!] (My manuscript, Making Sense of God's Election explains all this and much more in depth.)
        5. As Calvinism [and Arminianism] made justification election's goal, Christ critiques they shifted the focus from eternity to this life, producing the worldliness so typical of its Evangelical heirs, 1 John 2:15-16 [for secular verification, cf. G. Carruth, ed., Vol. Lib., v. 22, p. 1997; E. Burns, West. Civ., 6th ed., p. 460-462 and J. H. Armstrong, ed., The Coming Evangelical Crisis, p. 17, 29-30].
Lesson: (1) Calvinism AND Arminianism ERR in making election result in justification when it ACTUALLY results ONLY in ALL that FOLLOWS justification! (2) These theologies have put a great focus on this life, producing worldliness. (3) Hence, both views and their emphases are to be corrected!