I think that this was one of the world’s most significant
event which turned the history upside down because Reformation is the reason
for the spread of the gospel all over the world and it is only because of
reformation, true Christians were able to read the Bible in their own language.
Most of the world renowned educational institutions, orphanages, missionary
activities and medical philanthropic missions can be directly linked to the
fruits of Reformation.
In spite of all these legacies, many of the 21st
century Protestants hardly would have heard of Luther’s name. Among those who
know about Luther hardly know about the debate which he had with a Catholic
called Erasmus refuting the doctrine of Free will through his book, “The
bondage of the Will”.
Now most of the evangelicals believe in Free Will and a theological
system called Arminianism or Semi-Pelagianism. There are various arguments to disprove
Arminianism from Scripture. Yet here in this article, I would address few of
it, which convinced me that Arminianism is not Biblical.
Those who want to know what Arminianism is, click here
1) Arminianism undermines the death of Jesus
Christ on the Cross:
According to Arminians, Jesus Christ has died for the all
the sins of the whole world. If that is the case, everyone should be in heaven.
Hell should contain only Satan and his evil angels. But Bible clearly says that
there will be some men who will be going to hell (Mat 7:23). If men are going
to hell inspite of what Christ death on the cross, by logic that implies that
the blood of Christ was not sufficient enough for those in hell to be saved.
Armininans would say that those men are thrown to hell
because they did not choose Christ out of their free will. So by implication,
Christians are saved only by the ‘choice’ which they took in believing Christ because
of their ‘free will’. This creates an even greater problem and I would tell you
why. If the act of ‘choosing Christ by Free Will’ is what is going to make a
difference between heaven and hell, then the death of Christ on the cross is of no primary importance. A person can go to hell due to his choice inspite of what
Christ did for him on the cross.
On the contrary, Bible says that the death of Christ on the
cross is enough to save the person from the punishment of Hell.
He (Christ) entered once
for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves
but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. (Heb
9:12)
Samson, David, etc at times took bad choices and sinned yet
they were not sent to hell because they were elect and Christ had died for all
of their sins including their bad choices and thus became champions of faith
(Hebrew 11). So the blood of Christ is powerful than the evil choices of the
elect.
My sheep hear my
voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life,
and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. (Joh
10:27-28)
Christ had died specifically for His elect. Thus His death
is sufficient and specific to save them from all the sins including their evil
choices.
2) Armininanism undermines the power of God in
prayer:
Bible says we should pray for unbelievers that they will be
saved (2The 3:1). If man has ‘Free will’ to not to choose God, then why pray
for unbelievers to be saved? By implication of Arminianism, no matter how much
we pray, no matter how much grace God gives, a person can frustrate God’s grace
by using his ‘free will’ not to choose Christ? This would discourage me from
praying for a person because only his choice can save him from his sins
ultimately.
But we pray because, Bible says that God hears the righteous
prayers (James 5:16) and changes the hearts of unbelievers to be saved. Because
only God can change a person’s heart. No man can change his heart by his own.
I will sprinkle
clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and
from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new
heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove
the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (Eze
36:25-26)
Here we can see it is God who gives a new heart and removes
the heart of flesh. Only then a person will have a desire to love Christ. If
you think you can change a person’s heart by your own power, then you will only
be disappointed by your failure because only God can create a new heart and no
one else can. The only thing which we can do is to pray for that person to
change and to preach the gospel continuously and commanding him to repent.
3) Arminianism undermines the sinfulness of
man:
If a sinful man is sent to hell because of sin of not choosing
Christ, by implication, those who are going to heaven are better and morally
good than those going to hell since they have chosen Christ. So that means that
there is some inherent goodness in those who are going to heaven, which made
them choose Christ. This view not only can give us pride and a sense of
superiority over unbelievers but also undermines the glory of God.
Rather Bible says all men have equally sinned in the eyes of
God and all men are totally depraved. There is no inherent goodness of man.
"None is
righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. (Rom 3:10-11)
Thus there is nothing inherent in man to choose God. Only
God can supernaturally enable a man to choose Christ.
You did not choose
me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit
and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my
name, he may give it to you. (Joh 15:16)
Free will theology is wrong, unbiblical and can dishonour God
if practically applied. Thus I am not an Armininan.
If you have liked reading this, you can also read O Faithless Generation! and also Two Dangerous Sins which A Reformed Christian can face
