Calvinistic vs. Arminian Gospel

by Robert Fraire

A couple of weeks ago at Lakeside Chapel we had a Q & A with the elders. One of the questions that was asked and answered was: "Is there (or should there be) a marked difference in the way a Calvinist evangelizes the lost as opposed to an Arminian?"

First I will give the briefest of descriptions of some important issues that bear on this question. Both groups understand that all men have sinned and are guilty before God. They also believe that Jesus paid the price for sin and that a person's true faith in the payment of Christ is sufficient for salvation.

Where the differences come to bear in the area of evangelism is first and formost a difference in understanding of the spiritual state of man. The Arminian believes that all men have something within themselves that is able to hear, understand, and respond positively to the gospel message. The Calvinist believes that when Ephesians 2 says that men are dead in their sins, it means that men DO NOT posses the ability to understand and respond positively to the gospel.

This doctrinal difference has many practical ramifications. For the Arminian, the goal of Evangelism is to convince a person of the truth of the gospel. To present the gospel in a way that appeals to a man and causes him to exercise his ability to place his faith in Christ. This has lead to the honing of particular methods to persuade people of their need for Jesus Christ. On the other hand, the Calvinist believes that the main purpose of Evangelism is to speak the truth of the gospel as clearly as possible. The Calvinist believes that no man is able to believe the gospel on his own. Instead, the Holy Spirit must do the work of regeneration in the heart of a man in order for that man to believe. And everyone whom the Spirit regenerates WILL believe the gospel message.

A couple of specific areas where we see this difference in belief in action is in the area of altar calls and the grounds of assurance of salvation.

The altar call is a common practice of many/most Arminian churches. I grew up believing that this was "The Way" evangelism was done. After a gospel message was preached, the evangelist would call, and goad, and exhort and persuade as many people as possible to come forward in a service. They would repeat after the evangelist then were told that they had become Christians. At Lakeside we do not do altar calls. The reason is because our understanding that the Spirit will regenerate those whom He has called and they will believe. We are called to plead with men to come but not to attempt to manipulate emotions to gain a "decision".

The second area I will address is the ground of assurance of salvation. Arminian teaching is that when someone prays a prayer of salvation he must write down the date is his Bible, so that whenever he doubted he could look at that date and be sure. I remember a pastor preaching that when he had a rough stretch he would go out to his garden where he had a rock engraved with the date he prayed to receive Christ. At Lakeside we call people to examine their lives to see if the Spirit of God is changing them. Do they love God, love believers and strive to obey Him? These are the tests of 1 John that is the ground for the assurance of salvation.

Finally let me say that another practical ramification of our doctrinal beliefs is in the responsibility of the Christian in evangelism. I read a book from an Arminian author that argued that churches must do everything with professional quality. Why? Because if the unbeliever got a bad impression of Jesus from the church, he may be forever turned off from the gospel. By extension, each believer could be the reason someone spends eternity in hell or heaven. But we believe that since the Spirit regenerates who He wills, our responsibility is to faithfully proclaim the gospel, but understand that salvation is exclusively the work of God.

This is a brief note and much more can be said about this topic. Please let me know if you would like me to continue on this topic.

Rejoice

by Robert Fraire

Philippians 3:1

In this letter the Apostle Paul is writing to the church at Philippi that is undergoing real suffering for their faith. In addition they have to deal with the bad news that Paul has been arrested and may be executed. Also they have the knowledge that their beloved friend Epaphroditus had been sick to the point of death.

On top of these things there are false teachers in the church that are causing arguments and apparently trying to gain prominence at the expense of Paul. And finally two godly women in the church (Euodia and Syntyche) were at odds with each other.

So what is Paul's message to this church beset by persecution from outside and turmoil from within? He commands them to rejoice in the Lord! Is Paul advocating the power of positive thinking? NO! Was he telling them that if they had enough faith God would bring them prosperity and a life of ease? NO!

Then on what basis could Paul approach these people with a message of joy and rejoicing? And how can we face the trials and tribulations of life while continuing to rejoice? Paul's answer is both simple and profound. It is lofty and it is completely practical: Philippians 1:29 tells us,

For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for His sake.

To make this perfectly clear: Paul's message of rejoicing in the Lord in times of trial (as well as time of ease) is based on the fact that we are exactly at the place where the only wise God granted for us to be. He caused it. God is the one that orchestrated your circumstances.

Is this a foreign concept to you? It is not to the Bible. Remember that Job was a godly man whom God used to demonstrate His power and glory. And how did God bring that about? By letting Satan wreak havoc on the life and family of Job. Killing his children and destroying his property in order to demonstrate the glory of God.

Remember Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his brothers, falsely accused by his master's wife, forgotten by the cup bearer then finally raised to an exalted position in Egypt. Why did this happen to him? Random chance? NO! Did God just try to make the best of a bad situation? NO! Genesis 50:20 tells us:

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about the present result, to preserve many people alive.

God meant it for good... God had a purpose for Joseph and He brought about the pain and mistreatment that Joseph faced in order to preserve many people alive.

Jesus was born as a man for a purpose. He lived a life of obedience to the father with complete sinless perfection for a purpose, He gave his life on the cross and rose from the dead for a purpose! But what about Herod, and the Jews and Pilate, they were essential parts of this history. Was it their desire to assist Jesus in fulfilling his purpose? NO! But Acts 4:27-28 tells us they gathered against Jesus, but acted EXACTLY how God had predestined them to act.

Now maybe you are thinking that God did these things only to those select people but that your life is different. You are the victim of random acts and your purposeful actions. If you thought that you are wrong. God declares the end from the beginning and all things pass through him and his purpose is always accomplished. So what can you make of the pain in your life?

James 1:2-4 tells us that as believers we can know that every trial that comes into our lives is from God for the purpose of our spiritual growth. Therefore it only makes sense to face it with JOY! This is an opportunity for spiritual growth, designed by God himself for you. Rejoice!

Going back to the opening passage Philippians 3:1, Paul describes his call for the Philippians to rejoice as being a safeguard for them. When we face trials with the truth that they are from the hand of God it safeguards us from the sin of anger towards God or the sin of doubting God's goodness. When we think correctly about God we can walk in faith in Him. Really, would you want to walk any differently?

Therefore I say to you, Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all the Lord is near.

Evangelism

by Robert Fraire

When a believer thinks about his responsibilities as a Christian, one that comes to the top of the priority list should be the need to evangelize the lost.

In this post I am going to look at what the Bible tells us is occurring as someone hears the gospel and responds. I am going to do this from two perspectives. First I will talk about how it looks to the people involved, then I'm going to look at what the Bible tells us is happening theologically during this event.

First we see that the Christian loves his friend and wants him to know the Lord Jesus Christ. His heart is heavy with concern over the prospect of his friend living his whole life and then dying where he will face judgement.

In Biblical terms the Christian's concern is well founded as scripture tells us that all men have sinned and therefore will face the wrath of God if they die in that condition. The Christian knows that this is true because he believes that the Bible is the written Word of God and he wants to please his Lord and savior by being obedient to him. But it isn't a forced obedience, because as a Christian he is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. And God constantly is transforming him to think and have the passions that Jesus did. This is the process of sanctification, the beautiful Lord Jesus is irresistible to him and he must tell his friend of this treasure. This passion also demonstrates that this man is truly redeemed.

So the Christian begins to tell the man how God changed his life. That the Bible states clearly that everyone including his friend is a sinner. And that God is just and righteous and so He must punish sinners.

What is the spiritual state of the unbeliever? Ephesians 2:1 tells us that men before salvation are spiritually dead in their sins. "Dead" means that men apart from God are NOT ABLE to please God in a spiritual realm. In fact men would be without any hope of pleasing God if not for a substitutionary work of Jesus Christ. It is essential that the person to whom we are proclaiming the gospel, be told this truth. As the Bible says, only the sick need a doctor: only the hopeless understand their need for a savior.

Now the friend begins to ask the Christian about these strange things he is saying and the Christian responds with the truth of scripture.

Romans 1:16 tells us that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. That God's will is that people will be saved through the hearing of the gospel. Another important point to consider is: how does this spiritually dead man understand the spiritual truth of the gospel? The Bible tells us that this occurs through God's action of regeneration. (John 3:5) And without God's action the friend will despise the gospel message and reject it.

The Christian tells his friend of the work of Christ on the cross and His resurrection. He then tells him that he must repent of his sin, desire to turn away from his sin and toward obedience to God. To trust that God is able and is willing to save him.

Luke 9:23-24: Jesus says that we must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him. This is what the Bible means by calling on the name of the Lord, or as John 3:16 says: "Believe in him" Salvation is of God, and God decreed that he would bring His chosen people to himself through faith in Jesus Christ. If this friend is chosen of God and it is the time God has chosen to draw him, then God will regenerate the man, and the man will understand the gospel and love the gospel message and the mercy of God.

The friend hears the truth and believes that it is true. He asks his friend: "how can I be saved?" And the Christan sets his focus on Christ and His finished work.

Saving faith is required by God. There are types of faith that do not save. The emotion based faith with die out, the fear based faith will cool. But when God draws the man, he will possess true faith.

The man prays asking God to save him. He then asks his friend how can he know that he is saved? The Christian opens the Bible to show him 1 John and tells him that those who love God will obey him, love fellow Christians, and repent of their sins.

Scripture never points men to rely on a "remembering the day you prayed to receive Christ"
The man who possesses true faith will live out that faith in obedience to Christ. James 2:17 tells us that true faith will have good works. It is a life characterized by walking in obedience to God that gives us assurance of salvation.


The evangelist operates in the human realm. We cannot see whether God has chosen the man to which we are preaching. But it doesn't matter because God knows who are His. We cannot see with our eyes whether the Holy Spirit has given the hearer new life to understand the gospel, but it doesn't matter because we are commanded to proclaim the truth, God will bring His people to himself.

Sometimes we want to have a fool proof way of knowing who is called. And we want a fool proof way of knowing if a person's profession of faith is real, but God, in His wisdom has said that we will not be able to know, therefore we trust God and worship Him as the sovereign Lord of Salvation.