Prevenient Grace: An Arminian Fallacy

 “Prevenient Grace: An Arminian Fallacy”

In response to https://evangelicalarminians.org/prevenient-grace-an-introduction/

I write this in response to the article “Prevenient Grace: An Introduction” posted on November 2016 at evangelicalarminians.org and here on blogspot at beyondcalvinism.blogspot.com. My response is regarding your their views of Calvinism and construal of Scripture in support of Arminianism. I begin with a quote from Robert Hamilton in their article: 

“Arminians argue that not all who are drawn/enabled by the Father to exercise faith and repentance do in fact ultimately choose to do so (i.e., prevenient grace is resistible), though it is equally true that without such drawing/enabling no person would of himself have the desire or ability to come to Christ in faith. Arminians are able to adopt this position precisely because the drawing and enabling of the Father are presented in the Gospel of John as necessary, not sufficient, conditions for coming to faith in Christ.”

Hamilton is coming to the wrong conclusion concerning drawing, enabling, and the efficacy of the act. When we read John 6:44 we must see the context within the passage. Jesus addressed the unbelief of the people and explains why. 

1. I applaud your acknowledgment that the drawing, enabling, to salvation must originate with God. I further agree that regeneration is required prior to expression of faith in Christ. 

2. However, no where is it affirmed that everyone is universally and equally drawn to Christ for salvation. Drawing and enabling guarantees, according to those verses, one will come to Christ and be saved. Unless you are willing to admit universalism, then you cannot affirm, based on THIS passage of Scripture, that God enables everyone to come to Christ. 

3. That verse—verse 44—is not being read or explained within its immediate or broad context—the entirety of the passage. People are seeking out Christ, demanding miracles, but when confronted, deny who he says he is, “the bread of life (John 6:41-43).” They did not believe because the Father had not drawn them to Jesus. They came seeking miracles and bread and not the True bread. They were the equivalent of those saying Lord, Lord, and not being authentic believers. 

4. The drawing of the Father to the Son is one that is effective and sufficient means for salvation (John 6:25-59): a) the crowd did not believe in him because the Father has not drawn them, and b) those whom the Father draws WILL come to Christ and he WILL raise them up (6:43-44). These passages say that eternal life is only given to those drawn, who are guaranteed to come to Christ and have eternal life. 

5. Other passages of Scripture teach the same message concerning salvation. For example, Ephesians 2:1-10 clearly expresses our salvation is not dependent on us having to choose to go back being dead or to stay alive in Christ—a hypothetical scenario which Arminians inevitably suggest.  Nowhere in verses, concerning salvation, do we see God reviving a man from spiritual death to then choose to stay dead or live. 

6. That concept—being revived and then choosing to die again or live—at its core, teaches that man’s will is neutral and not marred, influenced, or bent toward sin. If given a choice, we would choose death every time given the fallen state of our fleshly nature. Those in the flesh cannot and will not please God (Rom 8:6-8). 

7. It denies original sin to affirm neutrality of man’s will, the inevitable conclusion of Arminianism.  We were dead in trespasses and sins, revived to life in Christ, by grace through faith. He chose us for salvation and good works he prepared beforehand (verse 10). 

8. Again, our fallen will is enslaved to sin, as we see in Romans 6:16 and Ephesians 4:18-19, and in Christ we are no longer in bondage to sin but free to serve Him (Gal 4:4-7). Therefore, I contend that we are free to choose what we are inclined to choose. 

To make sense of the freedom to choose and inclination of the heart, we have to understand what is foundational to pleasing God. The New Covenant promises are foundational in understanding salvations source and application. 

1. To love God with the entirety of who we are, from the heart, which leads to loving obedience, is the first and greatest command according to Jesus (Matt 22:37-39). How are we enabled to do any good work? How are we enabled to do what is necessary to not only come to Christ, but also do what is pleasing? 

2. Basically, how one is “born again” is inextricably linked to how one lovingly obeys God, it’s the work of the Holy Spirit on the heart of man. In reality, salvation is brought about, accomplished and applied to the elect, by all persons of the Godhead, it is Trinitarian in nature and is the Covenant of Redemption; Father sends, Son is sent, Holy Spirit proceeds from Father and Son. Romans 8:29-30 has a condensed version of the ordo salutis—Regeneration, faith, justification, sanctification, glorification (resurrection and new body) are identified separately, but as links in a chain which are pulled along as one unit in the ordo salutis. It is not a temporal, but logical sequence.

           A) John 3:1–15 (ESV): 

“Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”

           B)Jesus was referencing Ezekiel when he speaks of being born again. In Ezekiel the Lord speaks of the new covenant.  He is the one who sprinkles clean, removes the heart of stone, and places the Spirit within you, leading you to obey. 

“Ezekiel 36:25–27 (ESV): 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” 

 

The Conclusion is that God is the one who puts in you a new heart, His Spirit in you, and enables you to obey Him. Salvation and works are both enabled by God working within the believer. 

Now to address the use of several verses in your article to justify Arminian belief in a neutral free will:

From the article:

 “We also have Jesus’ statement after His interaction with the rich young ruler, ‘How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.’ (Luke 18:24-25, cf Matt 19, Mark 10).  Steve Lemke writes:

‘Of course, if Jesus were a Calvinist, He never would have suggested that it was harder for rich persons to be saved by God’s irresistible grace than poor persons. Their wills would be changed immediately and invincibly upon hearing God’s effectual call.  It would be no harder for a rich person to be saved by God’s monergistic and irresistible calling than it would be for any other sinner.  But the real Jesus was suggesting that their salvation was tied in some measure to their response and commitment to His calling. (Link, p 121).’”

The Rich Young Ruler (Luke 18:18-25).  

Nothing in the passage indicates the man was effectually called, drawn by the Father, and then chose death—not believe in Christ for salvation. Jesus was not tying the rulers salvation “to their response and commitment to His calling.” Where in the verse does it say Jesus was calling him to salvation or that he was effectively drawn by the Father? No where is that indicated or suggested in the passage about the rich ruler as noted by Lemke. 

1. The ruler asked what he must do to enter the kingdom and alleged that he obeys all the commands. Jesus said the ruler has wealth and to give it all to the poor. He walks away sorrowful because he had great wealth. Jesus said it is difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom. What is Jesus teaching at this point? 

2. The broad context of the chapter is Jesus' teaching about how one is justified before God, he gives the parable of the publican and Pharisee in verses 9-14. Jesus teaches that those who trust in their own righteousness and are unrepentant (such as the Pharisee) will not inherit the kingdom. The justified one is the repentant one, dependent on, God’s mercy. The repentant one walked away justified. 

3. The immediate context indicates something about the ruler that Jesus was drawing out a) he asked what HE could do to inherit eternal life (verse 18) and trusted in the good works he could do (like the Pharisee in the parable). b) he was not obeying all the commandments by possibly being covetous and greedy. Therefore, he was not obeying all the law— by disobeying in one point, he disobeyed the entire law (James 2:10). 

4. Blessed are the poor in spirit (Matt 5:3-4). Many look at the rich ruler and think that poverty is somehow a godly thing being expressed, that the wealthy must sell all they have to be saved. They make wealth a hindrance to salvation on a surface level. 

5. However, the ruler’s poverty was needed at the basic level, poverty of spirit, as well as superficially—because of his apparent sin with his wealth. His prideful request, trusting in what HE could do to be saved, absent coming to Christ impoverished and poor in spirit, was the whole point of the story and teaching. Next, was his sin with his wealth, hence Jesus request that he sell all and follow him.

  Hebrews warning against apostasy. 

“The book of Hebrews repeatedly warns people who have heard the gospel not to harden their hearts. “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:7, 15; 4:7). When a person who has been convicted by the Spirit of God hears the gospel, he may choose to resist (Acts 7:51). He thereby insults the Spirit of grace in rejecting Christ (Hebrews 10:29).”

Hebrews 3:7, 15; 4:7 are warnings against apostasy, hardening of hearts, and unbelief. These are not verses about hardening your heart to the gospel or resisting the gospel. These warnings, in their broader context, will spur the believer to repent and hold fast in the faith. The Perseverance of the faith is a reality, the one believing (ongoing action) in the Son will be saved (John 3:36; 20:30-31). There are those who falsely profess faith, are part of the visible church, but are not saved (in the invisible church). This concept is indicated in the following examples from Scripture:

1. Jesus teaching about those saying Lord, Lord, whom he never knew (Matt 7:21-23)

2. James 2:14-26 is about those professing faith (falsely) but produce no fruit (good works). THAT faith is not real but false. Faith naturally produces good works (as indicated earlier in my response). 

3. Those in Christ, the true vine, produce fruit (John 15). 

I will leave you with this for future study:

Romans 4, Hebrews 11, James 2

These three accounts of the Abrahamic faith explore similar elements from a different viewpoint. They share in many key aspects. 

1. Faith of Abraham and Sarah grounded in God’s character and promises. 

2. That despite all odds (barrenness, age) they had hope. 

3. Their hope being grounded in faith lead to obedience. 

4. They didn’t see the fullness of what was promised in their lifetime, a hope in the unseen future because of God. 

5. Justified by authentic faith.

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