What ado there is to work up the heart to any liking of God? The reason is, we begin it of ourselves, and think to do it in our own strength; whereas it can only be done in faith, and the Spirit’s power. (Thomas Adam, Private Thoughts on Religion)
“The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).
If Thomas Adam is correct that the human soul wants to do things in its own strength which can only be done in faith and the power of the Spirit, then this points to a terrible pitfall in the path of Arminianism and the modern view of Calvinism. The Gospel bids us to come to Christ without any ability of self at all and to look to Christ for all things (grace alone). Biblical sanctification does not teach us to look to self and the power and strength of self to live in a way that pleases God, but instead to look to the Spirit to work in and through us the power to do what pleases God. No human being has the power and ability to do a spiritual act apart from the Holy Spirit.
3rd. Augustinian.—Which was adopted by all the original Protestant Churches, Lutheran and Reformed. (a.) Man is by nature so entirely depraved in his moral nature as to be totally unable to do any thing spiritually good, or in any degree to begin or dispose himself thereto. (b.) That even under the exciting and suasory influences of divine grace the will of man is totally unable to act aright in co-operation with grace, until after the will itself is by the energy of grace radically and permanently renewed. (c.) Even after the renewal of the will it ever continues dependent upon divine grace to prompt, direct, and enable it in the performance of every good work. A.A. Hodge
Just above is a statement of A.A. Hodge on the distinguishing characteristics of true Calvinism or Augustinianism What this statement gives us is the nature of depravity and therefore the nature of grace and what that nature cannot do and what grace must do if anything truly good or spiritual is going to be done. This statement would be considered to be hyper-Calvinism by many Calvinists today, but it is really nothing but historical and biblical Calvinism. Now if we consider the statement by Thomas Adam that people begin of themselves and in our own strength to please God and consider it with the statement of Hodge, we see something of what is going on in our modern day. If the renewed will is always and must always be “dependent upon divine grace to prompt, direct, and enable it in the performance of every good work,” then true Christianity and true Calvinism teach that we cannot begin of ourselves and our own strength.
In the previous post (The Sinful Heart 72) I made a statement about “responsibility.” I said this: “While biblical Calvinism teaches us that apart from Christ we can do nothing good or spiritual, the unbiblical Calvinist will use the word or concept of “responsibility” to make room for efforts of the flesh to be counted as good.” If we consider that statement in light of what Hodge says just above, perhaps it will make more sense now. The renewed human will is completely dependent on divine grace from beginning to end in order to perform any good work. Hodge says “in the performance of every good work.” When he uses the word “every” in that sentence, it demands us to interpret it as saying that for a work to be good it must be that the Spirit has enabled it as opposed to the human flesh and strength enabling it. In other words, for an act to be good it must be spiritual and that requires the Spirit.
While the word “responsibility” can be a good term if defined with care so people can know how we are using it, this is also a word that Arminians and Pelagians use to the destruction of human souls and the glory of God. The theology of historic Calvinism demands that we use that word carefully and in ways that an Arminian and Pelagian could not use it. I have heard professing Reformed people say that God commands us because we are responsible and the word “responsible” means that we have the ability to respond. That is nothing but Arminianism and/or Pelgianism. The Bible teaches us that we cannot do one good thing apart from Christ which is to say that it must come from Him. Hodge, in line with the words of Jesus, tells us that we cannot perform one good thing unless it is the Spirit who works it in us. Even the renewed human soul has no power to respond with ability toward a command of God, so the biblical and historic Calvinist stands firm on the fact that we are completely and utterly dependent upon grace to do any work or anything that pleases God. Yes, that sounds radical to the modern ear, but unless it comes from God through Christ and then back to Him, it will not and cannot please Him. Nothing good can possibly start with the flesh. Such is the result of being born with evil hearts and utterly dependent on the grace of God at all points of life.
God Loves... Himself 
Leave a comment