Questions about Arminianism

[George Blaisdell]

Calvinism teaches that God's grace is both necessary and sufficient, because man's exercise of faith necessarily happens as a result of God's action.

Well, Salvation is BY Grace and THROUGH Faith...

So.....

If Grace is the sole cause of one's Faith, then what does THROUGH mean??

Arsenios

[siliconwafer]

Well, Salvation is BY Grace and THROUGH Faith...

So.....

If Grace is the sole cause of one's Faith, then what does THROUGH mean??

Arsenios

Faith is the means by which justification is received.

[The Remonstrant]

Prevenient Grace & Faith

No. Armianism teaches that the sinner contributes faith, as an act of his will. Arminians believe that God's prevenient grace is necessary but sufficient for man to exercise faith; there remains some thing for man to contribute.

Not all Arminian branches ascribe to a particular notion or doctrine of prevenient grace. Usually it is accepted by those who also hold to some form of "total depravity" (as with Arminius and Wesley). Those part of the Restoration Movement (or Stone-Campbell Movement) typically have not pleaded or strongly advocated the concept of prevenient grace. The adherence of this doctrine is not required for those of an Arminian soteriological persuasion; it's a parochial debate, if you will.

As far as faith being a "contribution", that is a most unfortunate way of framing the discussion. For Arminians, faith is forsaking all self-righteousness and clinging to Christ and his sacrifice for sin (with or apart from prevenient grace). There is nothing even hinting at a meritorious nature of faith in a proper understanding of Arminian theology. Faith is always contrasted with works and we don't define faith as a work or a merit that earns God's favor. Quite the opposite, in fact. God took the initiative in saving mankind and he calls all people everywhere to repent. Those who respond to the gospel call and persevere in repentant faith will inherit final salvation, and those who do not will be condemned. God is pleased to save those who believe in him.

[RBerman]

Prevenient Grace & Faith

Not all Arminian branches ascribe to a particular notion or doctrine of prevenient grace. Usually it is accepted by those who also hold to some form of "total depravity" (as with Arminius and Wesley). Those part of the Restoration Movement (or Stone-Campbell Movement) typically have not pleaded or strongly advocated the concept of prevenient grace. The adherence of this doctrine is not required for those of an Arminian soteriological persuasion; it's a parochial debate, if you will.

OK. Thank you for the clarification.

As far as faith being a "contribution", that is a most unfortunate way of framing the discussion. For Arminians, faith is forsaking all self-righteousness and clinging to Christ and his sacrifice for sin (with or apart from prevenient grace). There is nothing even hinting at a meritorious nature of faith in a proper understanding of Arminian theology. Faith is always contrasted with works and we don't define faith as a work or a merit that earns God's favor. Quite the opposite, in fact. God took the initiative in saving mankind and he calls all people everywhere to repent. Those who respond to the gospel call and persevere in repentant faith will inherit final salvation, and those who do not will be condemned. God is pleased to save those who believe in him.

Well, the meritorious part is seen not so much in the faith itself, but rather in the question, "Why did Person A have faith, and Person B not?" Arminians tend to consign that question to the dustbin of "the mystery of human agency," relieving themselves of any obligation to seriously grapple with it. But if the tree is known by its fruit, then people make good decisions (e.g. faith) because they have a good nature. And that leads to "Good people have faith, and bad people do not," which does smell like merit.

[siliconwafer]

OK. Thank you for the clarification.


Well, the meritorious part is seen not so much in the faith itself, but rather in the question, "Why did Person A have faith, and Person B not?" Arminians tend to consign that question to the dustbin of "the mystery of human agency," relieving themselves of any obligation to seriously grapple with it. But if the tree is known by its fruit, then people make good decisions (e.g. faith) because they have a good nature. And that leads to "Good people have faith, and bad people do not," which does smell like merit.

I'm not an Arminian, but wouldn't an Arminian say that the act of placing one's faith in Christ is neither a good work nor a bad work?

[RBerman]

I'm not an Arminian, but wouldn't an Arminian say that the act of placing one's faith in Christ is neither a good work nor a bad work?

Yes, that's what Remonstrant was pointing out as well. And I have sympathy for the view that the "act of faith" is not what Paul is criticizing when he says that we're saved by faith rather than works. My point is different than that; I understand that Arminians are not Pelagians.

[theblueprint_Ni]

Well, the meritorious part is seen not so much in the faith itself, but rather in the question, "Why did Person A have faith, and Person B not?" Arminians tend to consign that question to the dustbin of "the mystery of human agency," relieving themselves of any obligation to seriously grapple with it. But if the tree is known by its fruit, then people make good decisions (e.g. faith) because they have a good nature. And that leads to "Good people have faith, and bad people do not," which does smell like merit.

That's true except for the "relieving themselves of any obligation to seriously grapple with it" part. The same argument can be equally applied to the Calvinists. They consign the question to the dustbin of "the mystery of God's election". The guilt of not grappling with the difficult questions of either camp can probably be evenly distributed across the board.

I agree that the second part is also true but it sounds more like a tautology than an actual problem. Good people having faith is an undisputed fact that shouldn't require any real introspection. It's like saying the dog is wet because there is water on him. If being evil means making the wrong choice then it's precisely because they could have chosen the good one that we can rightfully hold them accountable for their actions. You can't throw someone out of an airplane and as they plunge toward the earth ask them, "Why are you falling?" If you say that making a choice is a work that earned our salvation then faith, regardless of your theological commitment, is still a work, even if we believed in him according to a Calvinistic framework (I know you're not saying that it is. It's just a response to the charge in general).

[George Blaisdell]

If you say that making a choice is a work that earned our salvation then faith, regardless of your theological commitment, is still a work,

The Faith of Christ which He gave to the Apostles once for all is indeed a work, and if you do this work, the salvation you will receive is a Gift of Grace...

Welcome to antinomial thinking! [It is essential for a Christian to have...]

Arsenios

[The Remonstrant]

Well, the meritorious part is seen not so much in the faith itself, but rather in the question, "Why did Person A have faith, and Person B not?" Arminians tend to consign that question to the dustbin of "the mystery of human agency," relieving themselves of any obligation to seriously grapple with it.

It's a good question, but one that I don't believe Scripture ever specifically poses and attempts to answer. This is more in the realm of metaphysics, actually.

But if the tree is known by its fruit, then people make good decisions (e.g. faith) because they have a good nature. And that leads to "Good people have faith, and bad people do not," which does smell like merit.

I don't take faith itself to be relegated so much as a "good decision" (this certainly is not the way the NT frames it). More properly faith is the individual's heeding (or positively responding) to the gospel call and not to a law command. So it would fall more precisely under the "gospel" rather than "law" category (assuming you believe the two to be distinct, if not entirely exclusive, categories). In other words, a passage such as Romans 8:8-9* would not apply here.


*"For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God" (ESV).

[RBerman]

It's a good question, but one that I don't believe Scripture ever specifically poses and attempts to answer. This is more in the realm of metaphysics, actually.

"A good tree bears good fruit" seems like a metaphysical stance to me.

[George Blaisdell]

Well, the meritorious part is seen not so much in the faith itself,
but rather in the question, "Why did Person A have faith, and Person B not?"
Arminians tend to consign that question to the dustbin of "the mystery of human agency,"
relieving themselves of any obligation to seriously grapple with it.

I cannot speak for the Arminians... But the question: "Why did Person A have faith and Person B did not?" is only robotically explained by saying that the activity of the human will is an EFFECT of either creation [worldly causes] or of Uncreation [God]... And the fact is that man is created in the Image [Ikon] of God, and thereby is utterly free in the activity of his or her will - There are certain very rare contradictions of human choices - Jonas comes to mind - But there, he needed to know the consequences of his decision to disobey God - He was free to so decide, but not free to carry it out...

In the human will, we are free to deny self, as Christ commands us, or to affirm self - And this means creation, and creation means fallen creation... So either we are going to be determined by the fallen world, by our fallen will, or by God, and in practical terms, we either put others first, or self, or God... God KNOWS but does not DETERMINE which we will put first, or when or how often, but He KNOWS beforehand down to the nanosecond [and beyond] ALL our free choices... And His Providence provides for all according to His fore-knowledge... Man is free, and God knows his every free action beforehand...

The result of this is that the evil ones normally receive MORE of God's Grace than the ones not evil... They live long lives often, being given every opportunity to do good and avoid evil, and like Pharoah, they insist on their evil ways to the very end, and die in them, all of which is foreseen by God... The righteous, on the other hand, are given just enough to sustain them in their quest of goodness against evil, and they are sorely persecuted and tried in all manner of temptations, as Paul writes of them in Hebrews - "Of whom the world is not worthy..." yet having attained a good report, received not the promise, until us...

The NATURE of man created in the Image of God is FREE... It is not determined by anything created, nor uncreated, yet is known by God in each person ALL his or her freely determined actions throughout his or her entire life... And is provided for accordingly by God, but not as we think... And we are not to judge who are the tares and who the wheat, for Christ acknowledged the tares, yet told His disciples to leave them be until the Last Judgement, because not all who appear to be tares are indeed so... And we do not wish to pull up the wheat with the tares...

So that to ask WHAT CAUSES human choices betrays a lack of grasp, regarding the nature of man created in the Image of God... God is not determined by anything outside God, nor is the will of those created in His Image determined by anything outside the person whose will was created in God's Image and is free...

Arsenios

[Phat8594]

Calvinism teaches that God's grace is both necessary and sufficient, because man's exercise of faith necessarily happens as a result of God's action

But in the end...man is still the one excercising faith....is he not? And it is that faith that is a necessary requisite to final salvation...is it not?

[RBerman]

But in the end...man is still the one excercising faith....is he not? And it is that faith that is a necessary requisite to final salvation...is it not?

Yes, but it's also a necessary consequent of God's grace and thus properly is not an object of merit.

[siliconwafer]

But in the end...man is still the one excercising faith....is he not? And it is that faith that is a necessary requisite to final salvation...is it not?

God causes a person to have faith in Christ. Faith in Christ is what receives justification, but we are not justified on the basis of our faith.

[RBerman]

God causes a person to have faith in Christ. Faith in Christ is what receives justification, but we are not justified on the basis of our faith.

Faith is not the ground of our justification; Christ is. But faith is the "instrumental cause" by which the believer is joined to Christ.

WCF 11:2

Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification: yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love.

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Larger Catechism

Question 70: What is justification?

Answer: Justification is an act of God's free grace unto sinners, in which he pardons all their sins, accepts and accounts their persons righteous in his sight; not for any thing wrought in them, or done by them, but only for the perfect obedience and full satisfaction of Christ, by God imputed to them, and received by faith alone.

Question 71: How is justification an act of God's free grace?

Answer: Although Christ, by his obedience and death, did make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God's justice in the behalf of them that are justified; yet inasmuch as God accepts the satisfaction from a surety, which he might have demanded of them, and did provide this surety, his own only Son, imputing his righteousness to them, and requiring nothing of them for their justification but faith, which also is his gift, their justification is to them of free grace.

Question 72: What is justifying faith?

Answer: Justifying faith is a saving grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and Word of God, whereby he, being convinced of his sin and misery, and of the disability in himself and all other creatures to recover him out of his lost condition, not only assents to the truth of the promise of the gospel, but receives and rests upon Christ and his righteousness, therein held forth, for pardon of sin, and for the accepting and accounting of his person righteous in the sight of God for salvation.

Question 73: How does faith justify a sinner in the sight of God?

Answer: Faith justifies a sinner in the sight of God, not because of those other graces which do always accompany it, or of good works that are the fruits of it, nor as if the grace of faith, or any act thereof, were imputed to him for his justification; but only as it is an instrument by which he receives and applies Christ and his righteousness.

© source where applicable