The so-called doctrines of grace continually and annoyingly cross our path, because Calvinists always teach Calvinism. They never teach the Bible unless they can cover some aspect of Calvinism.
"Total Depravity" is one of those doctrines. It is important to Calvinists because it interfaces with other parts of Calvinistic doctrine. Calvinists believe in predestination, that long ago God chose those who will be saved. His will is irresistible; therefore, if a person is predestined he will inexorably be saved and cannot lose his salvation.
Thus Total Depravity is required because God does everything. It's all previously lined out by God's will. You cannot assent to salvation or put your faith in Jesus. That's deemed a "work." Or, perhaps more accurately, your participation is irrelevant because you are chosen to be saved or you are chosen for hell. You are essentially a robot. Your destiny is already determined. Nothing you can do will change this.
Calvinists will go to the mat to defend their doctrines. It is difficult to understand why. Why is it important to know we as Christians are totally depraved? What difference does such knowledge make in our service, worship, or daily walk? How does it change our generosity, our evangelism, or any aspect of holiness?
Well, it doesn't. Calvinism makes absolutely no difference in any obligation or privilege we possess as Christians.
Total Inability
When Calvinists say that humankind is totally depraved, they actually mean totally unable. They will explain in great detail that mankind is in total darkness, possesses no merit, and cannot do anything good:
Romans 3:9-12 ...all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
But then they will concede that even unsaved people do good deeds, are often nice, generous, virtuous people. So Calvinists will modify Total Depravity and retreat to a more honest position, that mankind cannot save itself because of total inability.
This certainly a more tenable position, one that non-Calvinists would even agree with. No true Christian believes he can save himself. Every Christian recognizes that God effects salvation. But there is a point of contention: The definition and limits of free will.
Free Will
However, it seems to us that eliminating possible choices negates the concept of free will. If one can choose is evil only, then one does not have free will.
We would define free will as the ability to choose without coercion. This must mean that all choices are available to everyone.
But a Calvinist will approach free will with his doctrine in mind. Since he already believes that God predestined people he must add a caveat to free will: A totally depraved mind is only able to choose evil.
Therefore, we are not free to choose to believe because we are unable to. Our total depravity prevents us from responding to the Gospel message. We are cannot choose Jesus, so God sovereignly must act to save us.
Further, if God chooses every eventuality, one might rightly question if the choice to do evil is really a choice.
Biblically speaking, a person possesses the ability to resist:
Acts 7:51 You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit!
Or choose positively:
Jn. 7:17 If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.
It seems very odd to us that choice so repulses Calvinists. Choice is found all over the Bible, from the continual choice of Israel to go wayward, to the presentation of the Gospel, which itself demands choice.
If The sovereigntyof God means He commands every choice, real choice is an illusion, and we are simply actors in a play scripted by God, with God is pretending to allow us meaningful existence when He is actually creating an elaborate hoax.
Ordo Salutis
The Ordo Salutis is a systematization of salvation. It attempts to describe a step-by-step process by which we get saved. In the Reformed/Calvinistic camp, the ordo Salutis is
2) Atonement
3) gospel call
4) inward call
5) regeneration
Since according to Calvinism a person cannot choose to agree to the offer of salvation, it requires God's action to make a person spiritually alive first before salvation is possible. So that we clearly understand, a person must be born again BEFORE he can be saved. This is a very odd and unbiblical idea.
Biblically speaking, being born again is synonymous with salvation, not a prerequisite:
Ep. 4:22-24 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
2Co. 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
We can plainly see that being "in Christ" [i.e., saved] is the same as new creation.
In fact, salvation coincides (or inaugurates) new life:
Jn. 3:14-15 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
Is Choice a Work?
This is important: a person who possesses free choice does not possess power. The action of the sinful, dead man to make a decision is not based on intellectual reasoning process, or due to the possession of a power to change anything, but rather a response to revelation. Therefore, this is not a work. Choice is not a work.
A choice can only be a work by arbitrarily labeling it as such.
Light Has Come
Our view is, the total darkness ended once the savior had come. It seems this moment in time created a new situation:
Our view is, the total darkness ended once the savior had come. It seems this moment in time created a new situation:
Is. 9:2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.
Jn. 3:20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
So the condition of an unsaved man is no longer total darkness. Every man now has light, which is the ability to see God's holiness and respond to Him when He comes bringing conviction. That revelation does not guarantee salvation, it only presents itself.
How does Salvation Actually Work?
So, what does the Bible actually teach? The first principle is that God desires mankind to be saved and is patient with the lost, waiting for them to repent:
2Pe. 3:9 ...He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
He acts with purpose to bring us to him:
Jn. 12:32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.
He does this by giving a measure of illumination to all men:
Jn. 1:9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
Mt. 4:16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light...
And He has provided revelation of Himself:
Ac. 14:17 Yet he has not left himself without testimony...
Some will resist or ignore:
Ac. 7:51 You always resist the Holy Spirit!
He. 2:3 how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?
But others will respond with faith:
Ga. 3:22 But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
Conclusion
The doctrine of Total Depravity, founded in Scriptural truth, is distorted and twisted in Calvinistic theology until it does not resemble the biblical teaching at all.
No comments:
Post a Comment