The following A.W. Pink quote only spawned further, in my opinion, the division that exists in the body of Christ in these last days. And his quotes are still used even though he is gone. He says:
“True it is that by no means all who intellectually receive “Calvinism” as a philosophy or theology, give evidence (in their daily lives) of regeneration; yet equally true is it that those who continue to cavil against and steadfastly refuse any part of the truth, are not entitled to be regarded as Christians.” – A.W. Pink
I’m not sure what he means by “refuse any part of the truth”? The truth of which he speaks is of course the TULIP of Calvinism. Apparently if we accept just one area of his understanding then we would qualify as Christian.
What I do understand is what he means by to “cavil against” it. But in my opinion it is not so much being against what he believes as it is searching for scripture’s truth. Certainly I can agree on this one point. No man can come to Christ apart from the working of the Holy Spirit. If one is a believer I would also think that that one would need to accept this fact. But God The Holy Spirit is everywhere. David said where can I go from your Spirit? He even says that God’s Spirit is in hell. But Pink’s point is that the Holy Spirit must be the drawing force behind a man’s awakening to Christ and the gospel. And on that point he is correct.
The Omnipresence teaching is of course foundational within the Church. Jesus instructed the taking of the gospel to all nations. And Paul stated how can they hear without a preacher? The Holy Spirit is present and at work wherever the word is preached, and quite frankly wherever it is not preached. It’s clear what God says: My word will not return to me void.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
2 Corinthians 3:17,4:3-4 NASB
Satan has blinded the minds of a certain people — the unbelieving. At one time we were those unbelieving, blinded by Satan. Did Satan cause all to be unbelieving by blinding all? Or, were they first unbelieving and he thus was able to blind them? I should think that it would be the former. Man apparently could not believe when the message was heard because of this sin causing blindness, thus enter the Holy Spirit. — Other scripture says that they love the world and their sin more than they love God. And such would be us had we not believed when the Holy Spirit gave us a glimpse at truth. But the rest who remain unbelievers are herein judged to have loved the world more than God. In order for that judgment to be made concerning these, they must have the opportunity to make the choice between the World and God.
Herein is the problem with the Calvinist view. With them there is this contradiction in thinking that we were all at one time blinded to the Gospel’s truth; but at the same time we were chosen and others were not chosen but with no identifiable reason for God’s choosing. To the TULIP Calvinist God created Satan to keep blind only these who never will see. To them it’s not that God’s love drove Him to His sacrifice for a lost world in order to save some; but it’s that He came and died only for those He chose to save for no other reason than this is what He chose to do. To them He knew that no man that He had created could ever on his own even when exposed to His truth chose to do right. He actually created this evil for His purpose in creation. But what is that purpose?
I ask this question because, Even in the Calvinist thinking evil is not needed in order to save us, because to them we are without a choice in the matter of salvation; we have no will in the matter.
When Paul believed Jesus on the road to Damascus He had no choice but to believe. But there was another Saul in Scripture who was a king, called and anointed by God’s prophet Samuel, and he too received a new heart as a free gift. He prophesied with the prophets of God, but certainly it is revealed over the time of his life that he did not place his gift of faith and trust in this God who called him. How could one who is given this gift of faith so misplace it? At his end he is seen finally placing it upon the witch of Endor? In Calvinist theology he really had no choice, because God wanted to use him as an example to others who really had no choice either. What is that all about?
Michael Jeshurun on his blog has brought Pink’s quotes forward for our consideration. He has this to say to Christians not accepting of his truth.
“Without doubt the doctrine of Limited Atonement or [Particular Redemption] is the most offensive, controversial and difficult of the doctrines of grace. A testing doctrine! Only a Christian who has decided to preach the offence of the Cross will accept it.”
Limited atonement for those who don’t know states that Jesus only died for the sins of the chosen, who have no choice in the matter of salvation.
As you read scriptures in the Old Testament such as Isaiah 56 & 57, where God shows forth His anger for disobedience and His blessing for “choosing” obedience one quickly becomes aware that man is called to choose and God is angered when he refuses. He stated in 57:16-17 that He well not always contend with man because of his backsliding.
I think that the divisiveness of these two men whom I have quoted here is obvious in their statements. Im not sure where Jeshurun gets his information on those who preach on the cross of Christ, but he is obviously way off base. Without Jesus cruel death on the cross there is no salvation. No matter how offensive to man that fact is, still it is truth. I find that most systems of theology that claim to know it all, are coming at us with pride not with the humility that is necessary to allow others to see Christ in us. I know from scripture that God has predestined certain things to be true, and those things He predestined before the foundation of the earth. I also know that Jesus dying for the sins of the world is true.
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
John 3:16-21 NASB
Verse 21 is an interesting verse, because no one can practice the truth without first being exposed to it, and then they must believe it. So the one who does this has his deeds manifest as being Godly.
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6 NASB
Only those who believe in Him can seek Him. It would seem that this faith which is a gift from God comes to the man who has heard and believed the preaching of the word.
However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “ Lord, who has believed our report?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have; “ Their voice has gone out into all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world .” But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says, “ I will make you jealous by that which is not a nation, By a nation without understanding will I anger you .” And Isaiah is very bold and says, “ I was found by those who did not seek Me, I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me .” But as for Israel He says, “ All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”
Romans 10:16-21 NASB
What is this saying? The Gentiles who were not seeking God heard and believed. God had chosen Israel, but they refused to hear. The hearing of the word and believing it is necessary for faith to llbe given by God. If Israel was chosen and did not hear does that not fly in the face of predestination as pure Calvinist’s understand it? Gentiles were called and grafted in because they heard a message without seeking, and because they heard — in other words believed, then they received the gift of faith and were grafted into Israel’s own Olive Tree, and thus Israel will one day be made jealous. How will this happen? When will this happen? It could not happen when there was no nation. It has not happened since there is a restored nation.
The church is the body of Christ. Translation: we are the body of Israel’s Messiah. We have inherited her promises and covenants with her ancestors who were the saints of God (Ephesians 2). One day we will because of God’s answer to Jesus’ John 17 prayer be united as a body and when that occurs Israel’s jealousy will turn her remnant to her Messiah and ours. And then the end will come.
Please don’t hesitate to post your questions, comments, and yes even your disagreements here, because this is how we learn.
Brother Jerry,
Please let me give some background here – maybe you know all of this. The five distinctive doctrines of “Calvinism” (also called the “doctrines of grace”) were formulated in response to the five articles of the Dutch “Remonstrants” who met at the “Synod of Dort”, which met concerning the doctrines of grace and chose in favor of the freedom of the will. The so-called TULIP acronym (an acronym from English-speaking believers) came after Dort is what I’m stressing. This may seem like nit-picking but I believe that understanding the history of all of this is vital and may help us to stop fighting Reformation battles again and again.
Oh, how I wish you won’t take Michael Jeshurun’s and A.W. Pink’s words as representative of Christians who hold to the “doctrines of grace” because these statements are ungracious and wouldn’t be made by most Reformed – any whom I know. I’m familiar with both Jeshurun and Pink because of being subscribed to Michael’s blog and having read some Pink (his article on Hebrews was really instructive). Statements like theirs above give me pain and make me angry. Perhaps their failure to speak graciously and kindly and respectfully comes from the importance of the understanding the depravity of the unregenerate. If you quote them I guarantee you that the argument will keep going, which I know you don’t want at all! Truly, sometimes I wish that Michael would stop posting on God’s sovereignty in election because you’re right that it isn’t divisive by nature but can be divisive when the doctrines aren’t presented respectfully.
A thought, practically speaking, isn’t it true that both interpretations of God’s Word limit the atonement? Here is how:
The Reformed view limits the Atonement to those whom God in His “good pleasure” chooses/chose to give life and faith.
The Arminian limits the Atonement to those who choose God by a living faith?
A thought: the difference comes partly from the Order of Salvation: Reformed – regeneration then faith; Arminian – faith then regeneration.
You reason so well, and truly I don’t want to convince you but just help you to see that you are not quoting from the best, imho. Do you make Church History a study? It’s amazing helpful in sorting things out and not calling names. For example, Christians aren’t “Calvinists” or “Arminians”. I’m confident that the Lord Jesus Christ will deal and is dealing with all of this.
God bless you!
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Thanks Maria, I appreciate you and your heart for God. I am not the student of Church History that you are. And I appreciate your thoughts on that part of my search to try and resolve this truth in my own mind. Because I have not studied these differences from their origin, the thoughts originate from scripture as my main source. There is a deep seated question that I have, which I have not heretofore brought up. It could be hurtful and it could also be considered divisive, but it touches on what you have stated here. I agree that both theologies in a sense must believe in limited atonement, I certainly am not a universalist. But here goes could it not be said that only one of these two theologies might be guilty of lying to the hearers of the true gospel message when presented to a group of people who are not saved? Think about this and let me know your thoughts.
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Jerry, if it’s true that Christians who believe the doctrines of grace and preach the Gospel are lying to those to whom they preach, then aren’t they liars who will be outside – won’t be able to enter – the New Jerusalem?
Revelation 22
14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.
Is to be outside the City the same as being cast into “outer darkness”, that is, lost?
If the doctrines of grace are true, that is, taught in the Bible, then those who reject and speak against them, sometimes even saying they could “never love a God like this” – aren’t they lying about God? What happens to them?
Aren’t there genuine Christians in both camps, and even some sitting on the fence between the camps?
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I believe you are correct. There will definitely be believers from both camps and those in the middle all in the kingdom. Jesus paid for all of our sin. The verse you quote here should make us all think. Thanks for your comments.
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Thanks so much for your gracious spirit!
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Hi Jerry,
I value your thoughts. It’s hard to understand how Christians can read the same Bible and arrive at such opposing views on salvation. When all is said and done is not about us, is all about Jesus Christ. He is our all in all. I read in the Word ““You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:13 . All who seek Him will find Him.
As far as AW Pink and M Jeshurun’s blog, some of the posts I read on God’s Sovereignty in salvation bring me to tears. I have two adult children and a husband who are not saved. So, am I supposed to accept that God in His Sovereignty has predestined that I should go to Heaven and my family to hell?, no! God is merciful and I will continue to seek His mercy for my family. God may not save them, but while I am in this body I have hope in God. ( am I making sense?) There is very little hope in the articles on salvation I read on MJ’s blog, I don’t disagree with everything . I do consider him. a brother is Christ. Many of his other posts are edifying and instructive and I have learned much from them.
I have attached a couple of links. I hope you don’t mind brother. I found the contents helpful. I hope you do to.
https://www.gty.org/library/articles/A341/why-i-am-a-calvinist-part-1
https://www.gty.org/library/articles/A342/why-i-am-a-calvinist-part-2
Blessings Jerry.
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Crissy, you make a lot of sense. Thanks for these articles. I will read them. You keep praying for your husband and your children. Although I cannot believe that God directs their every step, I do believe that when we pray and ask that God will do His part in drawing them. Jesus died for them. Ellen and I have had to on occasion ask God to do whatever it takes to bring a family member to seek Him. He has been faithful to answer those prayers. I will join you in prayer for your family. May God bless you and yours Sister.
Lord Jesus, you are our only intercessor with the Father. You know Crissy’s heart’s desire for her family is that the would come to a place in their life that they would know you and have communion with you. We pray the Father through You that He would send the Holy Spirit to woo them. To bring about things in their individual lives to draw their thoughts and their attention unto you. May they hear your voice when you speak to their hearts. My Crissy’s love for You be a revelation to them and not a stumbling block. May they become broken in their inner man when they finally see your great love for them. Thank you Father for sending your son and hearing Him as He intercedes on behalf of these precious souls. Amen.
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Thank you ! God bless you.
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Thank you Crissy, I read what you shared, and I like his style. I think we could get along as brothers. Thanks and God bless you and yours.
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Thank you brother . Many blessings to you and yours!
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Hi Jerry. I am not a theological scholar but I try to develop a close relationship with God. The God that I serve is one of mercy which is everlasting. I believe that God will meet every single person at their level to reveal Himself to them, whether in this world or the world to come. Thomas did not believe his fellow disciples that Christ was resurrected. Hence, Jesus met Thomas at his level and reveal Himself to him and even allow him to touch the nail prints in His hands. That is the kind of God we serve. I believe based on the Word of God that the judgment of God on the unrepentant is not to banish them to hell, but to promote repentance. We serve a merciful God. Your post is insightful and informative. Thank you.
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Beverley, thanks for commenting, I enjoy much of what you post. It is inspiring and speaks to me. The mercy that you reveal here is in your posts. I don’t believe that hell was created for man, but for the fallen angels. Sadly, I do believe that some have chosen to go there due to their lack of mercy for their fellow man and their lack of respect for our Great and merciful God. There are men unfortunately who reject the Holy Spirit’s wooing them to Messiah. Thanks for sharing with us. Appreciate you sister.
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