Reformed Folks only, please!

[Assistant Junior Deputy Janitor Analogman]

Do you reformed folks believe Arminians are your brothers and sisters in Christ? By Arminian, I mean the people who subscribe to the five articles of the Remonstrants. I'm certainly not trying to start a debate with this thread, I'm only doing this to better understand what some Twebbers believe.

[7thangel]

Do you reformed folks believe Arminians are your brothers and sisters in Christ? By Arminian, I mean the people who subscribe to the five articles of the Remonstrants. I'm certainly not trying to start a debate with this thread, I'm only doing this to better understand what some Twebbers believe.

Every erroneous doctrine is heresy. But I believe they will not go to hell....the bible said that they will perish.

[Nang]

Do you reformed folks believe Arminians are your brothers and sisters in Christ? By Arminian, I mean the people who subscribe to the five articles of the Remonstrants. I'm certainly not trying to start a debate with this thread, I'm only doing this to better understand what some Twebbers believe.

I cannot participate in your poll, for it is does not give me a choice to express the following:

I do not believe unrepentant or unchanged "Arminians" will be my brothers and sisters in the Kingdom of Heaven, for they deny the Sovereignty of God . . .but I hold out hope that some of these will study the Word of God and come to recognize the doctrines of grace that can truly save their souls.

One cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven, depending upon their own works or personal decisions. Only the Lord God can impute saving righteousness and faith, and it is my prayer that many Arminians will be gifted with this realization and be truly saved.

Nang
(A Reformed Christian)

[Colossians]

Do you reformed folks believe Arminians are your brothers and sisters in Christ? By Arminian, I mean the people who subscribe to the five articles of the Remonstrants. I'm certainly not trying to start a debate with this thread, I'm only doing this to better understand what some Twebbers believe.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ naturally start out proclaiming free will. This is the natural position.

As a young believer I used to tell people "God will never override your free will... God is a gentleman".
At times I will still tell them this now, only now doing so knowing the utility in it: to present the gentleness of God (for the non-believer thinks he has free will, so I often have to relate to him on this level).


Most people who are going to heaven are Arminians. They are those who love Jesus Christ, and are born again, and many also filled with the Spirit (the Baptism in the Spirit). They are equal in Christ with their reformed brothers and sisters, but not according to knowledge in this particular area.

So then, their beliefs in free-will and God's limitations, will simply be purged away at judgement as per 1 Cor 3:11-16, with they themselves being saved nonetheless.

Similarly, there are many works of the flesh/intellect in the life of Calvinists also, and these also will be purged away at judgement, with the Calvinist left uncondemned also.
One work of the flesh a Calvinist will often have is, ironically, Calvinism: the intellectual ascent to such doctrine via the teaching of man, and not that which has been received of the Spirit.
So then his doctrine in such case will be just as fleshly as the Arminian's, despite the fact that it is correct. And this is why you often see Calvinist churches which are as dead as door nails.


The Arminian doctrine is definitely a work of the flesh, and often a blatant lack of submission to the Lord. This, however, makes no difference to his salvation, for he is under grace, as is the Calvinist who has other works of the flesh in his life.

God only loves the elect. Most of the elect are Arminians, whom God loves just as much as the Calvinists.





Pentecostal A-millenial 5-pointer Calvinist.

[Zipperhead]

See if you can guess which one I picked.

[Mark_S]

God knows what is in our hearts. Who are we to judge the salvation of another when we know nothing. We are to test and judge doctrine but the judgement of a man's salvation is left to the Lord. Its a fine line we all walk here expecially since, for the most part, all we know of the man is his doctrine.

[GoBahnsen]

Wow! Some good posts. I was touched by Colossians. I'm not a Pentecostal, but I liked his honesty in confessing the works of the flesh in the Calvinist.


I think some Reformed Churches are dead, not so much because they are correct doctrinally, but not taught of God (that's odd), rather they are dead because they have yielded to liberalism. They have denied sound doctrine and have apostatized in many cases. There is only an outward shell remaining. The pastor isn't a real Christian and the people are much like dead Roman Catholics, thinking that they have done their duty by going through the required motions.

I too did not participate in the poll, because I think the one option was too understated. I believe the difference between the freewillers and those who understand God's sovereignty in salvation is huge. As my Reformed friends often point out to me, they believe many Arminians will be saved, but they have concern for the consistent ones.

That is, those who go so far as to make faith a work of man. You see, most evangelical Arminians pray like Calvinists. They ask God to open hearts and eyes. To draw men to Himself. To reveal Himself to the blind sinner. That's Reformed.

They don't pray "Oh God let men use their freewills aright and avail themselves of thy grace." They probably wouldn't object to that prayer either, but listen to them pray...they say "thy will be done". And that's Reformed friends. Because in true Arminian theology God's will has done all it will do and salvation is up to the will of man now. That's just wrong.

[Assistant Junior Deputy Janitor Analogman]

No trying to initiate a debate, GB. :smile:

Zippy, you have to help me out a bit more. The pasta one?