Wednesday with Wesley: Perseverance of the Saints & Arminianism

Can a true disciple of Christ later commit apostasy? Will those who commit apostasy perish? Can someone who was at one time placed in Christ be removed? How one answers these questions depends on how they view eternal security (outline of views).

holdFirm2While most proponents of Arminianism hold to a view that a true believer can commit apostasy and thus forfeit salvation, the Arminian camp allows proponents to hold different views on eternal security. Despite holding these different views, it must be understood, Classical Arminianism does affirm that a true believer will possess enduring faith. There is no such thing, Ashby will write, in his essay in “Four Views on Eternal Security”, as a “saved unbeliever”.

Based on early writings, Classical Arminians held that one of two things must be true: Continue reading

Blogging through Grace for All: Universal Grace

The second article in Grace For All is written by Vernon C. Grounds, the former president of Denver Seminary (cf. Olson’s tribute). In his essay, Grounds explores God’s universal grace that offers salvation to all.

415xXkjORGLThe universal offer of salvation is rooted in our Creator being a God of love who “desires the salvation of everyone” and “redemptively acts” to make that possible.

For in that corpus of writings we call the Holy Scriptures and which we hold to be God’s medium of self-revelation, [God-the ultimate reality] … defines himself as love. … [and is] the embodiment of unending beatitude.

We believe, moreover, that because he is love, God freely chooses to expand the orbit of beatitude by creating persons who are centers of consciousness and choice whom he wills to share his own eternal fellowship of love through the convicting, drawing, and salvation of God’s grace.

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Blogging through Grace for All: The God at the Center

The first article in Grace For All is written by Roger Olson (blog), one of the most vocal theologians representing an Arminian view of God’s sovereignty and soteriology. Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities (amazon) and Against Calvinism (amazon) are two of the many books he has authored.

415xXkjORGLIn this essay, Roger Olson directly confronts the charge that Arminianism is a “man-centered” theology. He starts by quoting several Calvinist writers (including Michael Horton, James Boice, Al Mohler, and indirectly B.B. Warfield and Charles Spurgeon) that assert that Arminianism is focused on “human freedom” over “God’s absolute sovereignty”.

Then he asks the question:

What do these and other critics mean when they accuse Arminianism of being “man-centered”?

Olson presents three things that critics mean when they use the term “man-centered”:

  • Arminianism doesn’t take “human depravity” seriously
  • Arminianism doesn’t take God’s sovereignty seriously
  • Arminianism teaches that God’s “chief end is to make people happy”

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