The False Christ of Arminianism (Part II)

Learn to Answer the Right Question

Yesterday I began this post with the late "breaking news" that I may have stumbled on what must have been a well kept secret. Learning to answer the right question may be a great way to reduce the amount of vitriolic rhetoric and superfluous gasbaggery that can abound.

First, let me say that I have come to loathe labels. I do think at times labels have the tendency to be divisive. I have come to realize that many times labels can be destructive rather than "helpful." Labels can also distort valuable viewpoints and the truth.

Let me say secondly, that I think it is also fairy-tailed naivety to think that we can totally eliminate labels from our discussions. I do not think that we can completely avoid using some "labels" for accurate description of certain doctrines or teachings.

Having said that, let me say that I am in the process of preparing a new study on Paul's letter to the Roman congregations. One of the themes in Romans is that of justification. I have commenced an in-depth research and reading regiment on justification.

In doing so I was somewhat startled to see some teachings that are not only germane to the subject of justification, but how they also "nullify" justification. This realization caused me to wallow through this "discussion" and let to the following conclusions.

It took nearly five years of intense and dedicated study to finally come to the position that the "Arminian" position of salvation was not biblical. I also came to the conviction that the "doctrines of grace" contains the true New Testament Gospel. Truly, the discussion centers on two diametrically opposed positions known as monergism and synergism.

Some of you may need to forgive me because this is not the time to go into a complete description of these  positions. This was not my purpose nor promise when I began yesterday. Suffice it to say that monergism describes the doctrine that God through the Holy Spirit based on the completed work of Christ on the cross works alone to effectively bring salvation to sinners through spiritual regeneration without the help or aid of sinners. Synergism is the teaching that salvation involves cooperation of both God and the sinner, a combination of divine grace and human participation.

These teachings are in deed opposite and cannot be brought together. One is right and one is wrong. I am convicted by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit that monergism is right and synergism is wrong. Not only wrong, but damming to the soul. There is no salvation in synergism.

I was also plagued by a tremendous struggle. That struggle can be reduced to the following dilemma: since  synergism is so wrong why are there individuals who saved who hold to this position?

I think synergism and Arminianism is a very damming doctrine. There are some who call is a very cruel hoax. John Owen dismissed Arminianism with this observation:

"...faith [the required Arminian condition of salvation] as an impossibility: it is 'as if a man should promise a blind man a thousand pounds upon condition that he will see.'" (John Owen) 

Owen called the Arminian Christ "but a half-mediator" because He procures the end of salvation but not the means to it.

Charles Spurgeon spoke of Arminianism in this manner. Spurgeon compared Arminianism and what he called Calvinism, which is really the doctrines of grace, to two bridges over a river. The Arminian bridge is wide and easy but does not bring its traveler safely to the other shore. It stops short in sight of the shore because something is left for the depraved will of the natural man to accomplish - i. e. to exercise faith in Christ by his own strength. Spurgeon went on to say that the Calvinist bridge is narrow but spans the whole river for Christ Jesus is the Alpha and Omega of salvation and justification.

It is not my desire at this time to demonstrate why Arminianism has a false Christ and is a damming doctrine nor demonstrate why the doctrines of grace reflect the very teaching of Christ and the Bible. My point is to demonstrate how I finally resolved the struggle that I dealt with these past twenty five years.

My struggle was as I said, how could Arminianism or synergism be so wrong and yet there are people saved in that "camp?" Well, I discovered I was answering the wrong question.

What is the wrong question in regards to this struggle? The wrong question is: Can Arminians be saved? Most people would say yes, even though their system and Christ is false. How can these people be truly saved? Some of course have flat out rejected their "salvation." Others have come up with terms such as "muddle-headed Arminians" meaning they are muddled in their thinking. They became believers with faulty doctrine. I ran across a term recently called "folk Arminians." This term was defined as people who have been reared under faulty theology and have never been exposed to the biblical doctrines of grace.

I struggled however with the fact that synergism is unbiblical and damming. Damming in the sense that is causes justification to rely upon the faith of a dead sinner. So how could a person be really saved by that system?

Well, here is the right question:  Are Arminians saved? No, I am not trying to be funny. First, to answer the question can Arminians be saved? No! They cannot be. Their doctrine is unbiblical, possess a false Christ and denies the depravity and deadness of a sinner relying on a sinner to cooperate with divine grace. An Arminian cannot be saved by the teachings of synergism.

Are Arminians saved? Yes! At least some. God promised to save His elect. They will not be lost. All whom God gave to Christ will be saved. The cross and the work of Christ was efficacious. All of the elect are born dead in trespasses and sin, all are under condemnation, and all need salvation. God will save His elect regardless of what system you might have been brought up in or exposed to. Somehow, God can work through faulty theology whether it be Catholic, Mormon, Pagan, Mystic, Baptist, or Arminian and save His elect.

When I came to think through this my struggle instantly ceased. Synergism and monergism are diametrically opposed. Only one can be right. The other is wrong. I no longer have to struggle with the question of how one can be truly saved and yet be Arminian in thinking. God saves sinners in spite of themselves.

I am no longer asking the question of can an Arminian be saved by a false system, to are some Arminians truly saved? 

Now the quest begins on how to educate them to biblical doctrine? Those who are God's elect and have been redeemed by the efficacious work of the cross need to be taught properly. 

So, in conclusion, at least for me, learning to answer the right question solved years of frustrating struggle.

How about you? What questions do you need to re-think through?