What is Wesleyan Arminianism
Notes
Transcript
Preliminary & Review
Preliminary & Review
We have recently been discussing the importance of DOCTRINE
Paul talks about the importance of doctrine when he says to his understudy Timothy
16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
You see, what you believe will determine how you behave.
And according to this scripture as I understand it - can even have eternal ramifications.
On Sunday evenings I went we recently went through a series using the term “doctrine” as an acronym to share what I see to be the eight most important doctrines.
D= Deity of Christ
0 = Original Sin
C = Canon (Authenticity of the Scriptures)
T = Trinity
R= Resurrection
I = Incarnation
N= New Creation
E = Eschatology
Tonight I want to look at a whole interpretation of doctrine and scripture.
We so often go by the term “holiness” people that we don’t ever really stop to consider what that means.
There are many churches that call themselves holiness people.
No we as the Bible Holiness Church belong to what is known as The Conservative Holiness Church
The Conservative Holiness church’s main distinctive with “the Holiness Church” at large is our belief in an outward expression of an inward holiness.
These vary by areas and groups but
Limiting places of entertainment
An emphasis on modest dress and gender distinction
But beyond that The Bible Holiness Church along with the Conservative Holiness Movement (namely but not limited to the IHC) we are Wesleyan - Arminian.
Now when I say we are Wesleyan I refer to the distinctive doctrine of “entire sanctification”
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
and
23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
That word “wholly” means “entirely” that is were we get the Biblical term “Entire Sanctification” from.
Now I want to make clear that “sanctification” and “entire sanctification” are two different things.
When I learned this the Bible just opened up for me
As Wesleyan we believe
we are sanctified the moment we are justified
By that “sanctification” we are referring to “regeneration”
“old things passing away all things become new”
Its like a dollar bill - you can’t get one side without the other
Sanctification is the gracious working of God in us through the Holy Spirit to transform us into Christlikeness. We are sanctified (made holy) the moment we are born again. Note that Paul refers to the Corinthians believers as “sanctified in Christ Jesus” (1 Cor. 1:2; see also 1 Cor. 6:11).
Entire sanctification on the other hand is entered into by faith. We must unreservedly surrender ourselves to God’s complete control and ask Him to cleanse our born-again heart of the self-centeredness (inherited depravity) that remains in us is the
I only mentioned two scriptures that bear out the truth of entire sanctification but there are many.
Now that is a very brief and very simplistic look at Wesleyan as understood in Wesleyan -Arminian.
Lets now turn our attention to Arminianism.
Perspectives on Election: Five Views Chapter 3: The Classical Arminian View of Election
Arminianism as such, in its broadest sense, is simply non-Augustinianism or non-Calvinism. It has many variations, “from the evangelical views of Arminius himself to left-wing liberalism.”1 What holds them all together is the rejection of the Augustinian concept of true total depravity (bondage of the will), and a belief in significant free will, at least in relation to the ability to accept or reject the gospel offer of salvation.
It is actually a misnomer to call this view “Arminianism” since it existed long before James Arminius (A.D. 1560–1609). It was the consensus belief in Christendom prior to Augustine (A.D. 354–430),2 and was affirmed by even Augustine, especially but not exclusively in his earlier years.3 For example, Augustine declared in A.D. 412 that the Creator gave human beings free will as “an intermediate power, which is able either to incline towards faith, or to turn towards unbelief.… God no doubt wishes all men to be saved, but yet not so as to take away from them their liberty of will.”4 Catholic thinking in the Middle Ages was mixed but from the time of the Reformation,5 official Roman Catholic teaching has been in line with Arminianism.6 In the sixteenth century the Anabaptists and most of the Radical Reformation taught a doctrine of (restored) free will, contrary to the main Reformers.7
Dr. Bird gave this acronym to counter the Calvinist’s TULIP
Had a conversation 01/10/21 with Joe David & Harrell after church and this came up- I was embarrassed I couldn’t remember what the acronym nor the points were - I want to memorize this and the corresponding scriptures.
Five point Wesleyan/ Arminian = PEACE
P- Prevenient Grace overcomes Total Depravity Titus 2:11
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
E-Election is conditional – John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
A- Atonement is universal 1 John 2:2
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
C- Choosing grace is necessary Heb. 3:14
14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
E- Elect Persevere freely by faith. 1 Peter 1:5
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Had a conversation 01/10/21 with Joe David & Harrell after church and this came up- I was embarrassed I couldn’t remember what the acronym nor the points were - I want to memorize this and the corresponding scriptures.
Check notes there is more information and also notation of where videos from class are.
TULIP
"Total depravity", also called "total inability", asserts that as a consequence of the fall of man into sin, every person is enslaved to sin. People are not by nature inclined to love God, but rather to serve their own interests and to reject the rule of God. Thus, all people by their own faculties are morally unable to choose to trust God for their salvation and be saved (the term "total" in this context refers to sin affecting every part of a person, not that every person is as evil as they could be).[77] This doctrine is derived from Calvin's interpretation of Augustine's explanation about Original Sin.[78] While the phrases "totally depraved" and "utterly perverse" were used by Calvin, what was meant was the inability to save oneself from sin rather than being absent of goodness. Phrases like "total depravity" cannot be found in the Canons of Dort, and the Canons as well as later Reformed orthodox theologians arguably offer a more moderate view of the nature of fallen humanity than Calvin.[79]"
Unconditional election" asserts that God has chosen from eternity those whom he will bring to himself not based on foreseen virtue, merit, or faith in those people; rather, his choice is unconditionally grounded in his mercy alone. God has chosen from eternity to extend mercy to those he has chosen and to withhold mercy from those not chosen. Those chosen receive salvation through Christ alone. Those not chosen receive the just wrath that is warranted for their sins against God.[80]
"Limited atonement", also called "particular redemption" or "definite atonement", asserts that Jesus's substitutionary atonement was definite and certain in its purpose and in what it accomplished. This implies that only the sins of the elect were atoned for by Jesus's death. Calvinists do not believe, however, that the atonement is limited in its value or power, but rather that the atonement is limited in the sense that it is intended for some and not all. Some Calvinists have summarized this as "The atonement is sufficient for all and efficient for the elect."[81]"
Irresistible grace", also called "efficacious grace", asserts that the saving grace of God is effectually applied to those whom he has determined to save (that is, the elect) and overcomes their resistance to obeying the call of the gospel, bringing them to a saving faith. This means that when God sovereignly purposes to save someone, that individual certainly will be saved. The doctrine holds that this purposeful influence of God's Holy Spirit cannot be resisted, but that the Holy Spirit, "graciously causes the elect sinner to cooperate, to believe, to repent, to come freely and willingly to Christ." This is not to deny the fact that the Spirit's outward call (through the proclamation of the Gospel) can be, and often is, rejected by sinners; rather, it is that inward call which cannot be rejected."
Perseverance of the saints" (also known as "perseverance of God with the saints" and "preservation of the believing") (the word "saints" is used to refer to all who are set apart by God, and not of those who are exceptionally holy, canonized, or in heaven) asserts that since God is sovereign and his will cannot be frustrated by humans or anything else, those whom God has called into communion with himself will continue in faith until the end. Those who apparently fall away either never had true faith to begin with (1 John 2:19), or, if they are saved but not presently walking in the Spirit, they will be divinely chastened (Hebrews 12:5–11) and will repent (1 John 3:6–9).[82]
Limited atonement is also called “Definite atonement”
Calvinist don’t believe in “previenient grace” they have “efficacious grace” and “get other term from grace they use”
The four points of Methodistic Emphasis differs from Calvinism.
God wants to save all men
All men can be saved
All men can know they’re saved
All men can know they’re saved now. (This is also in the Distinctive Emphases of Methodist Belief Note)
Also check out the note The Wesleyan Perspective in notebook for this sermon and DOCTRINE notebook.
Five Points of Arminianism|Dictionary of Theology|Definition
Sunday, February 14, 2016
3:45 PM
The five points of Arminianism (from Jacobus Arminius 1559-1609) are in contrast to the five points of Calvinism. The Arminian five points are:
Human Free Will--This states that though man is fallen, he is not incapacitated by the sinful nature and can freely choose God. His will is not restricted and enslaved by his sinful nature.Conditional Election--God chose people for salvation based on His foreknowledge where God looks into the future to see who would respond to the gospel message.Universal Atonement--The position that Jesus bore the sin of everyone who ever lived.Resistable Grace--The teaching that the grace of God can be resisted and finally beaten so as to reject salvation in Christ.Fall from Grace--The teaching that a person can fall from grace and lose his salvation.
Clipped from: https://carm.org/dictionary-five-points-arminianism