Last week, we concluded that:

Man’s will is a "Will Not" in regards to spiritual things.  We have the inability to come to Christ without grace acting FIRST.  Anyone disagree?  Any questions?

Topics for today include: The Five "Solas" of the Reformation, The history of the Calvinism / Arminianism debate, Monergism and Synergism, the Five Points of Calvinism, and the Five Articles of Arminian Remonstrance.

First, the FIVE SOLAS of the Reformation (see: Five Solas)

These five doctrines are Protestant "musts" when it comes to salvation:

1. Sola Scriptura
   • Scripture alone is our authority, our only source of divine revelation when it comes to salvation (creation is general revelation / scripture is specific).
2. Sola Gratia
   • The Basis of our salvation is GRACE ALONE.
     * This is the issue at hand for our class!
   • We are rescued from God’s wrath by His grace alone.
3. Sola Fide
   • The Means of our salvation is FAITH ALONE.
   • Justification is through faith alone (imputed righteousness through the channel of faith).
4. Solus Christus
   • The Merit of our salvation is CHRIST ALONE.
   • Christ alone, by His mediatorial work, accomplishes our salvation.
5. Soli Deo Gloria
   • Salvation is of God alone and accomplished by God alone; it is for His glory alone!

Second, the History of Calvinism & Arminianism

         The Study of Salvation (Soteriology)

• Augustine / Pelagius
  1. Sproul, Grace Unknown, pg 121:  Augustine prayed to God:
     "Grant what thou commandest, and command what thou desirest."  Pelagius did not think the first part of this prayer was necessary.  He assumed humanity could obey what God commanded without God's special grace.
  2. Augustine (obedience requires grace) vs. Pelagius (obedience does not require grace)
  3. Augustine (moral inability) vs. Pelagius (moral ability)
  4. Conclusion: We still have freedom of the will, but we have lost moral liberty.  Webster’s Dictionary defines liberty and freedom identically: "the quality or state of being free (from coercion)."
  5. Original sin did not destroy our natural ability to make choices, only our moral ability to choose the things of God (spiritual things).

     "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14).

     "The sinful mind is hostile to God.  It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.  Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God" (Romans 8:7-8).

• Luther / Erasmus  (For more information, read Willing to Believe by R.C. Sproul)

• Calvin / Arminius
  1. John Calvin (1509-1564 - Born in France / Lived in Geneva, Switzerland):  We are in voluntary bondage to sin prior to regeneration by effective grace.
  2. James Arminius (1560-1609 - Lived in Holland):  We are in voluntary bondage to sin, but we do not need regeneration to change our minds; we just need wooing, persuasive grace.
  3. 1610 - The Five Articles of Arminian Remonstrance were proposed in Holland against the Belgic Confession of Faith and the Heidelberg Catechism.
  4. 1619 - The Synod of Dordt rejected the Arminian proposal and responded with the affirmed Five Points of Calvinism.
  5. Calvinism maintained its single point:  GOD SAVES SINNERS.
     1. God the Father elects a people
     2. God the Son redeems the elect
     3. God the Holy Spirit regenerates the elect and calls them efficaciously to faith in Christ
     4. These actions actually save the elect; they do not just make salvation possible

• Whitefield / Wesley

• Edwards / Finney (The Great Awakening)
  1. Jonathan Edwards said that humanity is inclined to sin; free will is self-determined by human nature.
  2. Charles Finney said that there is no sin nature.  He also suggested that Christ's atonement was not substitutionary.  Though extremely Pelagian, he led 500,000 people to Christ!

• Modern Day ... There is a general misunderstanding, even misrepresentation, on both sides of this debate.
  One popular view of theology today is Dispensationalism (Darby, Moody, Scofield, Chafer, Geisler, Ryrie)
  1. orthodox Christian view (considered inconsistent in regards to Soteriology; so-called Calvinists and Arminians in this camp)
  2. Three or seven Dispensations of God’s dealing with man.  (Innocence, Conscience, Human Government, Promise, Law, Grace, and Kingdom)
  3. Camouflaged, hidden Arminianism:
     Some consider Dispensationalism a middle view.

Third, the issue between Calvinists and Arminians:

Monergism / Synergism regarding rebirth
(See: Two Views of Regeneration by John Hendryx)
1. Does regeneration precede faith (Calvinist) or does faith precede regeneration (Arminian)?
2. Is grace effectual (Calvinist) or is grace merely persuasive (Arminian)?
• On Monergism, Sproul, Essential Truths, pg 172, says:

  Regeneration occurs by God’s divine initiative and is an act that is sovereign, immediate, and instantaneous.  An awareness of our conversion may be gradual.  Yet rebirth is instantaneous.  Regeneration is not the fruit or the result of faith.  Rather, regeneration precedes faith as the necessary condition for faith.  We also do not in any way dispose ourselves toward regeneration or cooperate as coworkers with the Holy Spirit to bring it to pass.  We do not decide or choose to be regenerated.  God chooses to regenerate us before we will ever choose to embrace Him.  To be sure, after we have been regenerated by the sovereign grace of God, we do choose, act, cooperate, and believe in Christ.  God does not have faith for us.  It is our own faith by which we are justified.  What God does is quicken us to spiritual life, rescuing us from darkness, bondage, and spiritual death.  God makes faith possible and actual for us.  He quickens faith within us.

• Synergism says that man must co-operate with the grace of God in obtaining re-birth.
• Both sides agree:  You must be born again.  There is no such person as a non-born again Christian.