I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; - Deuteronomy 30:19-20a
Good morning. Last week we began the process of evaluating each of the underlying points of Calvinism and Arminiansim. We started with “Total Depravity”, which is the 1st point of Calvinism. The doctrine of total depravity states that man is completely corrupted by sin and wholly incapable of knowing God apart from His gracious and divine intervention. Thus, a person cannot utilize their free will, if in fact such a thing even exists, to choose salvation. This limitation is referred to as “Human Inability”.
Today’s message will concentrate on the 1st point of Arminianism, which serves as a counterpoint to total depravity. It is referred to as “Partial Depravity”. We will define and explain partial depravity, consider its implications, and look at its Biblical support.
I. WHAT IS PARTIAL DEPRAVITY?
Partial Depravity is a term used to describe the dismal spiritual condition of fallen mankind. Unfortunately, the name “Partial Depravity” is a bit misleading and has resulted in some confusion - even among Arminians - about the proper interpretation of this doctrine. The original Remonstrants, students of Jacob Arminius, actually agreed with Calvin that mankind is totally depraved. However, they argued that God confers prevenient grace upon all people, which enables them to understand and respond to the gospel despite their depravity. In other words, a person is by nature totally depraved, but by the power of God’s grace they are enabled to exercise their free will unto salvation. This, in practical effect, renders a “partial depravity”.
Some Arminians have misunderstood and/or perverted the original stance held by Jacob Arminius and his followers relating to man’s spiritual condition and have replaced it with a semblance of the heretical teachings of Pelagius, a 5th century British monk. His was a much more extreme view, which was and continues to be widely hailed and promoted by our worldly culture. It states that man isn’t totally depraved. Though tainted by sin, people are still basically good, moral beings that retain the ability to see, understand, know, and fear the LORD. Their ability to accept or reject God is a function of their own nature, not an act of His grace. Sin is certainly an obstacle in their lives, but it is something that can be overcome. Thus, someones’ depravity is partial to the extent that they choose it to be. Again, this is not the original Arminian position, yet some have unwittingly accepted it as though it were.
The notion that mankind is not spiritually depraved and is therefore able to accept salvation apart from God’s grace has little, if any scriptural support. After creating man on the 6th day of creation, God saw that everything was “very good” (Genesis 1:31). But man’s goodness, which admittedly allowed Adam and Eve to walk in harmony with the LORD for a time, was lost as a result of the fall and led to their expulsion from the garden (Genesis 3:24). Since then, people have been totally corrupted and ruined by sin. God doesn’t love humanity because of their alleged moral goodness. On the contrary, He loves sinners in spite of their wicked depravity because of His goodness (Romans 5:8).
II. HUMAN ABILITY OR FREE WILL
The proper and original position of Arminianism declares that all people, though wholly corrupted by sin, have been created by God with a free will that, when enabled by His grace, becomes capable of knowing and accepting Jesus Christ unto salvation. This is often referred to as “Human Ability”. It is made possible solely by God’s prevenient, or assisting, grace.
The Bible teaches the free will of mankind throughout. God, either directly or through His agent, repeatedly calls on people to obey, choose, and/or believe in Him (John 15:10; Joshua 24:15; John 3:18). Why would God call people to do something they couldn’t do? He constantly tests people, allowing them to undergo various trials and temptations, strongly implying their ability to either pass or fail based on their choices (Genesis 22:1; James 1:12; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Corinthians 10:13). Why would God test people if the outcome was already determined?
God urgently pleads with sinners to repent - to voluntarily turn from their own sinful ways (Ezekiel 18:23-32; 33:11). Why would He make such a plea if repentance wasn’t up to them? The LORD also judges people, bestowing either rewards or punishments upon them as a consequence of their decisions (1 Corinthians 3:10-15; Revelation 20:11-15). How could God justly do this if people weren’t free to make their own choices?
Even if free will doesn’t exist or plays no meaningful role in salvation, as some argue, the Bible frequently and emphatically instructs us to live, act, and function as if it does. If freewill is merely an illusion, it is clearly one we are meant to believe. Why then would anyone adopt a theology that denies it?
III. HOLY SPIRIT CONVICTION
Many Arminians believe that, because of God’s grace, a person can come to the LORD for salvation on their own volition at the time of their choosing. While I agree wholeheartedly that all people have free will, I recognize that it is limited in some respects by our own sinful nature. I strongly reject the notion that God’s prevenient grace perpetually rests upon a person. This approach inflates and overemphasizes the aspect of human ability while overlooking the critical importance and necessity of Holy Spirit conviction.
The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit of God convicts people of their sin (John 16:8). True conviction can only occur when people see the beauty, purity, and holiness of God and are sincerely appalled by their own sinful depravity (Isaiah 6:5). Conviction is not the result of a guilty conscience, fear of judgment, or intellectual assent. It is an act of God’s grace that enables an individual to catch a glimpse of His glory and recognize the depth of their own depravity. But a glimpse is not a gaze, and a person’s conviction is not continuous. In other words, a person will not stay under conviction in perpetuity and there is no guarantee if, or when, they might come under conviction again. God sends moments of conviction (ie, brief windows of prevenient grace) intermittently in accordance with His divine will. For this reason, a person should seize the opportunity when it comes, because there may never be another (2 Corinthians 6:2; Psalm 95:7–8).
The Bible states that no one can come to Christ unless they are drawn by the Father (John 6:44). This verse, and many others like it, seamlessly and simultaneously teach both total depravity and free will. On the one hand, a person must be drawn by God. On the other, they are drawn so that they can come to Him (if they choose to). From my perspective, the best way to reconcile these 2 truths is through Holy Spirit conviction. A person is unable to be truly saved unless they are under Holy Spirit conviction when they make a profession of faith. All other professions are counterfeit and ineffectual (Matthew 7:21-23).
CONCLUSION
The 1st foundational points of Arminianism and Calvinism both pertain to man’s spiritual condition - either partial depravity or total depravity. As stated previously, I accept the Calvinistic view that all people are totally corrupted by sin and, therefore, unable to approach God in any meaningful way unto salvation apart from His gracious intervention. The lingering question, central to this debate, is how exactly does God administer His grace in order to overcome man’s depravity? We will revisit this question again and again throughout this series.
On my scorecard, that is 1 for Calvinism and 0 for Arminianism. Still, it appears clear to me that doctrine of free will has considerable Biblical support and does play a role in the salvation process. Hmm… I guess we should keep exploring.
Good morning. Last week we began the process of evaluating each of the underlying points of Calvinism and Arminiansim. We started with “Total Depravity”, which is the 1st point of Calvinism. The doctrine of total depravity states that man is completely corrupted by sin and wholly incapable of knowing God apart from His gracious and divine intervention. Thus, a person cannot utilize their free will, if in fact such a thing even exists, to choose salvation. This limitation is referred to as “Human Inability”.
Today’s message will concentrate on the 1st point of Arminianism, which serves as a counterpoint to total depravity. It is referred to as “Partial Depravity”. We will define and explain partial depravity, consider its implications, and look at its Biblical support.
I. WHAT IS PARTIAL DEPRAVITY?
Partial Depravity is a term used to describe the dismal spiritual condition of fallen mankind. Unfortunately, the name “Partial Depravity” is a bit misleading and has resulted in some confusion - even among Arminians - about the proper interpretation of this doctrine. The original Remonstrants, students of Jacob Arminius, actually agreed with Calvin that mankind is totally depraved. However, they argued that God confers prevenient grace upon all people, which enables them to understand and respond to the gospel despite their depravity. In other words, a person is by nature totally depraved, but by the power of God’s grace they are enabled to exercise their free will unto salvation. This, in practical effect, renders a “partial depravity”.
Some Arminians have misunderstood and/or perverted the original stance held by Jacob Arminius and his followers relating to man’s spiritual condition and have replaced it with a semblance of the heretical teachings of Pelagius, a 5th century British monk. His was a much more extreme view, which was and continues to be widely hailed and promoted by our worldly culture. It states that man isn’t totally depraved. Though tainted by sin, people are still basically good, moral beings that retain the ability to see, understand, know, and fear the LORD. Their ability to accept or reject God is a function of their own nature, not an act of His grace. Sin is certainly an obstacle in their lives, but it is something that can be overcome. Thus, someones’ depravity is partial to the extent that they choose it to be. Again, this is not the original Arminian position, yet some have unwittingly accepted it as though it were.
The notion that mankind is not spiritually depraved and is therefore able to accept salvation apart from God’s grace has little, if any scriptural support. After creating man on the 6th day of creation, God saw that everything was “very good” (Genesis 1:31). But man’s goodness, which admittedly allowed Adam and Eve to walk in harmony with the LORD for a time, was lost as a result of the fall and led to their expulsion from the garden (Genesis 3:24). Since then, people have been totally corrupted and ruined by sin. God doesn’t love humanity because of their alleged moral goodness. On the contrary, He loves sinners in spite of their wicked depravity because of His goodness (Romans 5:8).
II. HUMAN ABILITY OR FREE WILL
The proper and original position of Arminianism declares that all people, though wholly corrupted by sin, have been created by God with a free will that, when enabled by His grace, becomes capable of knowing and accepting Jesus Christ unto salvation. This is often referred to as “Human Ability”. It is made possible solely by God’s prevenient, or assisting, grace.
The Bible teaches the free will of mankind throughout. God, either directly or through His agent, repeatedly calls on people to obey, choose, and/or believe in Him (John 15:10; Joshua 24:15; John 3:18). Why would God call people to do something they couldn’t do? He constantly tests people, allowing them to undergo various trials and temptations, strongly implying their ability to either pass or fail based on their choices (Genesis 22:1; James 1:12; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Corinthians 10:13). Why would God test people if the outcome was already determined?
God urgently pleads with sinners to repent - to voluntarily turn from their own sinful ways (Ezekiel 18:23-32; 33:11). Why would He make such a plea if repentance wasn’t up to them? The LORD also judges people, bestowing either rewards or punishments upon them as a consequence of their decisions (1 Corinthians 3:10-15; Revelation 20:11-15). How could God justly do this if people weren’t free to make their own choices?
Even if free will doesn’t exist or plays no meaningful role in salvation, as some argue, the Bible frequently and emphatically instructs us to live, act, and function as if it does. If freewill is merely an illusion, it is clearly one we are meant to believe. Why then would anyone adopt a theology that denies it?
III. HOLY SPIRIT CONVICTION
Many Arminians believe that, because of God’s grace, a person can come to the LORD for salvation on their own volition at the time of their choosing. While I agree wholeheartedly that all people have free will, I recognize that it is limited in some respects by our own sinful nature. I strongly reject the notion that God’s prevenient grace perpetually rests upon a person. This approach inflates and overemphasizes the aspect of human ability while overlooking the critical importance and necessity of Holy Spirit conviction.
The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit of God convicts people of their sin (John 16:8). True conviction can only occur when people see the beauty, purity, and holiness of God and are sincerely appalled by their own sinful depravity (Isaiah 6:5). Conviction is not the result of a guilty conscience, fear of judgment, or intellectual assent. It is an act of God’s grace that enables an individual to catch a glimpse of His glory and recognize the depth of their own depravity. But a glimpse is not a gaze, and a person’s conviction is not continuous. In other words, a person will not stay under conviction in perpetuity and there is no guarantee if, or when, they might come under conviction again. God sends moments of conviction (ie, brief windows of prevenient grace) intermittently in accordance with His divine will. For this reason, a person should seize the opportunity when it comes, because there may never be another (2 Corinthians 6:2; Psalm 95:7–8).
The Bible states that no one can come to Christ unless they are drawn by the Father (John 6:44). This verse, and many others like it, seamlessly and simultaneously teach both total depravity and free will. On the one hand, a person must be drawn by God. On the other, they are drawn so that they can come to Him (if they choose to). From my perspective, the best way to reconcile these 2 truths is through Holy Spirit conviction. A person is unable to be truly saved unless they are under Holy Spirit conviction when they make a profession of faith. All other professions are counterfeit and ineffectual (Matthew 7:21-23).
CONCLUSION
The 1st foundational points of Arminianism and Calvinism both pertain to man’s spiritual condition - either partial depravity or total depravity. As stated previously, I accept the Calvinistic view that all people are totally corrupted by sin and, therefore, unable to approach God in any meaningful way unto salvation apart from His gracious intervention. The lingering question, central to this debate, is how exactly does God administer His grace in order to overcome man’s depravity? We will revisit this question again and again throughout this series.
On my scorecard, that is 1 for Calvinism and 0 for Arminianism. Still, it appears clear to me that doctrine of free will has considerable Biblical support and does play a role in the salvation process. Hmm… I guess we should keep exploring.