The real differences between Calvinism and Arminianism will not be seen if the five points are the focus of the discussion unless one looks at the heart of the issue. In our day the issues have become more academic rather than practical. One way of noticing the real differences is to look at a similarity like evangelism. The Arminian way of evangelism ends in telling the sinner to make a decision. The theology behind that is that the sinner by his or her free-will and choice applies Christ to him or herself. That would be denied in words yet it is the logical conclusion of that practice. But modern Reformed people do the same thing. The theory is said to be different in that the Calvinist says that God works in the sinner who then chooses. However, other than the statement that God works in the sinner there is no real difference in the way evangelism is done. Both camps, then, practice evangelism in essentially the same way. If the theology and practice of evangelism points to what a person really believes, one is led to suspect that the doctrine of depravity between the Arminians and the Calvinists of our day is not much different despite what the creeds say. This makes it much easier to have peace at this level.
Surely we can see something is wrong when one person claims to be a five-point Calvinist and another claims to be an Arminian and both practice essentially the same type of evangelism. Let us start with the “T” (total depravity) of Tulip and see if this can be in truth. It may be that a professing Arminian really agrees with the “T” or it may be that the professing Calvinist does not really agree with the “T.” But the case is quite clear that people who disagree on this issue cannot practice evangelism in the same way. If the historical way of approaching this is true, then the inability of man is an important teaching that would greatly influence the way evangelism is done. Christ did not die and leave the rest up to man, but what we see in Scripture is that if the Holy Spirit does not apply salvation to man the death of Christ would be to no avail. The Reformed person that is consistent with historical theology and Scripture does not leave salvation up to the prayer or choice of man to apply salvation to him or herself. It took God in human flesh to purchase salvation and that takes God the Spirit to apply it.
Notice at this point what has happened. If the evangelist is man-centered (regardless of whether s/he is a Calvinist or an Arminian) the evangelist will look at sin from a man-centered way (you have done wrong), present the work of Christ with a man-centered focus and then give the person something to do from a man-centered focus. A God-centered focus will focus on sin as a crime against God’s law and against God Himself. A person’s problem with sin is not that he has done something to make himself unhappy, but that he has sinned against God. The real issue with the cross and work of Christ is that it is focused on God and not man. The cross is all about the glory of God and only when it is taught as all about the glory of God is there any hope for man. Then the application of salvation must be by the Holy Spirit and not the person himself. A professing Calvinist that is man-centered will never teach the truths of depravity beyond a surface level and therefore the God-centered nature of repentance and grace will not be seen. A person can profess the five-points of Calvinism and stand for them against and still be man-centered. Man-centeredness cuts out the heart of Reformed and biblical doctrine and virtually destroys it.
If we want to be like Christ in truth, then we must get back to a God-centered theology and practice in all things. Christ taught the depravity of human beings without shame and without equivocation. He did that because He was God-centered in all that He believed and did. The heart of being like Christ is to be God-centered in theology and practice. The heart of being Reformed is a breathing forth after God and panting after the display of His glory in the world. Without it Reformed theology becomes Arminian in practice and Arminian theology becomes Pelagian in practice. What the world needs now is churches full of the living God and not those who are man-centered in theology and practice whether they are professing Calvinists or Arminians. We must repent of man-centeredness in our theology and practice. After all, God is still God-centered in His theology and practice.
God Loves... Himself 
June 12, 2009 at 2:17 pm |
I am looking for the quote by Spurgeon about all are arminians before conversion and calvinists after. Do you have this?
June 13, 2009 at 11:00 pm |
I have performed several searches (differeing words) on a CD I have of Spurgeon’s works and have not found it. If only our minds were unfallen so we could remember these things.