Q & A on The Calvinist Claim That Salvation Conditioned on Faith Necessarily Implies Some Sort of Merited Contribution to Salvation

Here is the question as originally posed along with a break down interaction below:Full Question: "So, let me reason this way, If prevenient grace is given to everyone, and my neighbors resist it, so they are not brought to salvation (regeneration), and I don’t resist it, so I AM brought to salvation, then they merit … Continue reading Q & A on The Calvinist Claim That Salvation Conditioned on Faith Necessarily Implies Some Sort of Merited Contribution to Salvation

An Arminian Response to the Calvinist Claim That Acts 4:27-28 Proves Compatibilism

Another passage Piper makes use of to demonstrate that God decrees sin is Acts 4:27, 28.  He quotes Edwards to make his point. The death of Jesus offers another example of how God’s sovereign will ordains that a sinful act come to pass. Edwards says, ‘The crucifying of Christ was a great sin; and as … Continue reading An Arminian Response to the Calvinist Claim That Acts 4:27-28 Proves Compatibilism

An Arminian Response to the Calvinist use of Genesis 50:20 as a Prooftext for Compatibilism

[Excerpt from John Piper on God Ordaining All Sin And Evil Part 1: An Arminian Response to Piper’s First “Question”] "Piper quotes numerous passages of Scripture that he believes support his contention that God controls all evil (natural, animal and moral).  It seems to me that all of these passages could just as well fit … Continue reading An Arminian Response to the Calvinist use of Genesis 50:20 as a Prooftext for Compatibilism

Addressing the Calvinist Claim That Being Dead in Sin Necessarily Implies That Regeneration Precedes Faith

We have a lot of material addressing and refuting this oft repeated Calvinist claim on the site, so I thought it would be good to archive them into a single post for easy reference:An Arminian Response to John Hendryx on the Meaning and Implications of Spiritual Death Part 1: What Does it Mean to be … Continue reading Addressing the Calvinist Claim That Being Dead in Sin Necessarily Implies That Regeneration Precedes Faith

An Arminian Response to C. Michael Patton’s “The Ultimate Balanced Guide to Arminianism (From a Calvinist)”:The Good, The Bad, And The [Very] Ugly

You can find Patton's original post here I was referred to this recent post by C. Michel Patton and thought I would respond to it.  My comments can be found in-between sections of his post below: Definition of Arminianism Arminianism is a theological system developed by the Dutch theologian Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609). It is a … Continue reading An Arminian Response to C. Michael Patton’s “The Ultimate Balanced Guide to Arminianism (From a Calvinist)”:The Good, The Bad, And The [Very] Ugly

An Arminian Response to the Calvinist use of Isaiah 10:5-16 as a Proof Text for Compatibilism

[updated on 1/5/23] From an interaction with a Calvinist: Calvinist: Most Calvinists believe in a soft determinism called compatiblism [sic.]. This is clearly taught in Gen 50:20: “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save … Continue reading An Arminian Response to the Calvinist use of Isaiah 10:5-16 as a Proof Text for Compatibilism

Does Revelation 17:17 Teach That God Irresistibly Controls The Wills of Men to Evil?

Revelation 17:17: “For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled.” This is a passage that many Calvinists hold up as a proof text for determinism.  It is especially brought up … Continue reading Does Revelation 17:17 Teach That God Irresistibly Controls The Wills of Men to Evil?

Does Arminianism Imply That we Can Boast in Our Salvation Over Those Who do Not Believe?

Out of all the arguments for Calvinism, this is the one that I probably hear the most. It comes in a variety of forms but usually imagines two people under the influence of prevenient grace, suggesting that the one who responds positively should have some reason to boast over the one who did not. It … Continue reading Does Arminianism Imply That we Can Boast in Our Salvation Over Those Who do Not Believe?

An Arminian Response to John Hendryx on the Meaning and Implications of Spiritual Death Part 3: John Hendryx Concedes That it is a Plain “Fact” that Faith Precedes Regeneration

[You can find part one of this series here, and part two here] John Hendryx continues his response to the "synergist" visitor: Finally, your attempt to overturn the doctrine of total depravity relies entirely too much on the one biblical concept of "dead in sin" for the unbeliever. From my standpoint, if those texts which … Continue reading An Arminian Response to John Hendryx on the Meaning and Implications of Spiritual Death Part 3: John Hendryx Concedes That it is a Plain “Fact” that Faith Precedes Regeneration

An Arminian Response to John Hendryx on the Meaning and Implications of Spiritual Death Part 2: Dead Reckoning

Continuing from Part 1... Hendryx begins his response to the visitor:  (John) Dear Brother ...You say, "monergists take the 'dead in sin' phrase too far" but, I would turn that around to say that you have relied entirely too much on what you believe to be the force of this ONE argument.... Here's why: ... … Continue reading An Arminian Response to John Hendryx on the Meaning and Implications of Spiritual Death Part 2: Dead Reckoning

An Arminian Response to John Hendryx on the Meaning and Implications of Spiritual Death Part 1: What Does it Mean to be “Dead in Sin?”

Calvinist John Hendryx takes a “synergist” to task in an article entitled Can We Make an Exact Analogy Between Unbelievers' who are "Dead in Sin" and Believers who are "Dead to Sin"?(Excerpts From Debate in Which Synergist Attempts to Overthrow Doctrine of Total Depravity).  We will use this exchange as a basis for interacting with … Continue reading An Arminian Response to John Hendryx on the Meaning and Implications of Spiritual Death Part 1: What Does it Mean to be “Dead in Sin?”

The One

[The following is an expanded version of a devotional I wrote for a friend's ministry newsletter] "For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering." (Heb 2:10) In 1999, the blockbuster film, The Matrix … Continue reading The One