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If Christ died for all…
are all saved?

France: Huguenots

Henri 1592, Last Successor – Leader of Huguenot Army

“Paris is worth a good Mass”

1572: Suffered persecution in the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre

1598: Edit of Nantes: Tolerance of Protestants

Germany: Heidelberg Confession (southern Germany)

Hungary: Disliked German Lutheranism.

2,000,000 Calvinists. But the Counter Reformation under the Jesuits eradicated them.

Scotland: John Knox

Lowlands: Spanish Netherlands, Dutch Republic, Holland, 7 northern provinces – but not Belgium (French)

Political strife between Spanish & Dutch. Spanish Armada was the greatest naval force of the day.

Dutch used little boats, hidden in English harbors against the large Spanish Galleons.

They’d capture the low and slow ships and split the spoil with the English

Dutch would lure the Spanish armies into the low lying region and break their dykes. They’d destroy their fields for 7 years.

We’ll discuss the development in Holland next week.

“It is not right for man to investigate from eternity that sublimest wisdom, which God would have us revere but not understand in order that through this also He should fill us with wonder. He has set forth by his Word the secrets of his will that he has decided to reveal to us. These he decided to reveal in so far as he foresaw that they would concern us and benefit us.”

On the other hand, Calvin warned us against those who “all but require that every mention of predestination be buried: indeed, they teach us to avoid any question of it, as we would a reef.”

The sovereignty of the Pope had been shaken during the Reformation. Calvin wrote that the Pope was “such a father as the poets describe [the Roman god] Saturn to have been, one who devours his children.” It was now necessary to show that there was another, though invisible “sovereign,” namely God himself.

Calvin was training men in Geneva in the preaching of the Gospel and sending them out into Catholic France to preach and quite possibly to give their life in the process. When you do this you don’t send them out saying, “Well, with a little luck and some hard work, you just might possibly make it.” No, Calvin said, “God is sovereign, and you go out there and do what God has commanded you to do and God’s purpose will be done.” So these men weren’t afraid to die.

Calvin did not originate the idea of predestination, but he was called upon to defend it more than anyone since Augustine. It was not the center of his teaching, and did not warrant special discussion in his 1536 edition of Institutes. But each succeeding edition he did. “Even a dog barks when his master is attacked: how could I be silent when the honor of my Lord is assailed?”

“But before I enter on the subject, I have some remarks to address to two classes of men. The subject of predestination, which in itself is attended with considerable difficulty is rendered very perplexed and hence perilous by human curiosity, which cannot be restrained from wandering into forbidden paths and climbing to the clouds determined if it can that none of the secret things of God shall remain unexplored. When we see many, some of them in other respects not bad men, every where rushing into this audacity and wickedness, it is necessary to remind them of the course of duty in this matter. First, then, when they inquire into predestination, let then remember that they are penetrating into the recesses of the divine wisdom, where he who rushes forward securely and confidently, instead of satisfying his curiosity will enter in inextricable labyrinth. For it is not right that man should with impunity pry into things which the Lord has been pleased to conceal within himself, and scan that sublime eternal wisdom which it is his pleasure that we should not apprehend but adore, that therein also his perfections may appear. Those secrets of his will, which he has seen it meet to manifest, are revealed in his word—revealed in so far as he knew to be conducive to our interest and welfare.”

“In regard to the elect, we regard calling as the evidence of election, and justification as another symbol of its manifestation, until it is fully accomplished by the attainment of glory. But as the Lord seals his elect by calling and justification, so by excluding the reprobate either from the knowledge of his name or the sanctification of his Spirit, he by these marks in a manner discloses the judgment which awaits them.”

Arminius’ interest was in upholding the goodness and mercy of God. He was concerned that Calvinist doctrines made God the author of sin and wanted to stress the importance of faith and holiness in the Christian life. But Arminius was accused of being Pelagian, and the matter escalated.

Augustine was the first to clarify and systemize the meaning of the New Testament. He did it more brilliantly than anyone else had done. The Protestant Reformation is essentially a regurgitation of Augustine. Martin Luther read his writings.

The issues are: Does man have any innate ability to effect in any measure his standing before God? Is there any goodness in man that would cause God to look upon him with favor? Is man totally depraved? Can man do anything to save himself? Can I do anything to save myself? Can you?

He had a godly mother, Saint Monica, and a pagan father. He lived a rather lustful life. He came right out of the pits. He had an illegitimate son at the age of 19. He sought peace in literature, he became a follower of Manicheis. He was a desperate man. Desperate men do desperate things. Then he became a Neo-Platonist, he went to Rome from his home in Africa to teach rhetoric. He almost died of illness before he went to Milan where he was converted and baptized by St. Ambrose. He returned to Africa to write his Confessions.

An interesting story is told about Augustine. When he made it back to Africa he was met at the ship by one of his more favorite paramours. She was thinking, "Oh boy, Augustine is back, happy days are here again." She ran up to him and said, "Augustine", and he turned his face from her. She thought that was strange so she ran up to him again and said, "Augustine", and he turned away from her again. So finally, she ran after him and grabbed him and said, "Augustine, Augustine, it is I" And he turned to her and said, "It is not I, but Christ". So he emerged with a very deep sense of sin and when Pelagius came teaching his heresies, they clashed.

Pelagius was an errant teacher who traveled the empire until he was finally excommunicated. He taught that man could save himself by his own native ability without so much as the work of Christ. He was a tall, brilliant, muscular, handsome man, just exactly what you don't want a false teacher to be. It was said of him, "his morality was not so much the rich deep life of faith so much as it was the external legalism, the ascetic self-discipline and self righteousness of monkery." And that's what he was. In those days if you had an error to teach, all roads made their way to Rome. That's where you went to ply your trade… like Hyde Park in London, or Sproul Plaza in Berkeley. He finally came to clash with Augustine.

It is suggested that he adopted the “Latin" name of Pelagius and that his real name was Morgan and that he was of a British tribe from what we now call Wales.

Pelagius taught that what occurred in Genesis 3 was a myth, it never happened so the effects of that myth are also mythical. He denied the fall of man and the idea of original sin. Man can save himself and has no need for God's grace. Man sins by choice and he can choose to not sin. And it is when he chose not to he saved himself

Augustine taught that man cannot repent unless the grace of God draws him and wins him as I won my wife. How? Somewhat against her will. But I appeared so loving to her that I caused her to change her mind. And when she changed her mind, I accepted her invitation. That is something like what God does. He appears so loving and so kind and so benevolent that we are caused to be willing. And when we are willing, he saves us.

Augustine then taught that men fell from innocence in Adam, man is born in sin because he was born in Adam. Man is totally depraved, unable in any way to effect or influence his position before God. Salvation therefore can only be God's gift apart from any human contribution or lack of it. These are big statements.

In the church however, you had these two positions, Augustinianism and Pelagianism. In the medieval period at the Council of Orange in 529, the church decided on a middle-of-the-road position. That is called "cooperationism" sometimes referred to as semi-Pelagianism, which is the foundation stone of the "Ex opere operato" faith of the Roman Church. What is the "Ex opere operato" faith of the Roman Church? It is the idea that grace comes to you by the performing of certain sacraments. As you perform the sacraments you accrue merit, and when you have accrued enough merit you may get yourself out of Purgatory, that interim waiting state, into Heaven itself. So Heaven is both earned and given. It is not free grace, it is merited. So by the Roman system you merit the merit of Christ by your meritorious good works. This seems to me to be a bit strained and strange from what I read in the Bible. But that is where the church camped for 1000 years of darkness before the Reformation.

The difference between Pelagius and the Synod of Orange is one of degrees. Pelagius was blatant. He said man can do it alone. Orange said that man and the church and God cooperate. Augustine said that man can do nothing on his own. Augustine taught grace, Orange taught cooperative grace, Pelagius taught no grace at all. Augustine said that Jesus delivered salvation to us freely, Orange said that Jesus delivered salvation to us cooperatively.

The difference between the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Church is one word. What is that word? The Roman Church believes in justification by faith. The Protestant Church believes in justification by faith "alone". All the blood shed during the Reformation was for that one word. Not justification by faith plus works, but naked faith. The Protestant Church has much in agreement with the Catholic Church. There are other areas of disagreement, of course - apostolic succession, the veneration of the saints, the role of tradition, etc., but at the very foundation we differ over that little word.

After Arminius's death, forty-three of his ministerial followers drafted and presented their heretical views to the States General of the Netherlands on five of these points in the Remonstrance of 1610. In this document and even more explicitly in later writings, the Arminians, who came to be called "Remonstrants," taught:

1.Election based on foreseen faith

2.the universal merits of Christ

3.the free will of man due to only partial depravity

4.the resistibility of grace, and

5.the possibility of a lapse from grace.

The orthodox Calvinists responded with a 7-point statement called the counter-remonstrance. The government tried to settle the controversy with a series of ecclesiastical conferences.

The Arminian-Calvinism conflict became so severe that it led the Netherlands to the brink of civil war.

Finally in 1617 the States General voted four to three to call a national Synod to address Arminianism. Sixty-two Dutch delegates, but also of twenty-seven foreign delegates representing eight countries. The Synod held 154 formal sessions over a period of seven months (November 1618 to May 1619). The Synod then developed the Canons which thoroughly rejected the Remonstrance of 1610 and scripturally set forth the Reformed doctrine on these debated points, now popularly called "the five points of Calvinism” However, these are not a full exposition of Calvin’s theology. To be sure, these doctrines do reflect Calvin’s viewpoint in the area of soteriology (salvation.) But the Synod does not address Calvin’s devout commitment to Scripture, nor does it say anything about the Trinity or Christ. The Doctrines of Dordt are more properly viewed in their historical context as a theological response to the challenges of 17th Century Arminianism.

Indeed, the so-called Five Points were not chosen by the Calvinists as a summary of their teaching. They emerged as a response to the Arminians who chose these five points to oppose.

First Head of Doctrine

Unconditional election and faith are sovereign gifts of God.

Second Head of Doctrine

While the death of Christ is abundantly sufficient to expiate the sins of the whole world, its saving efficacy is limited to the elect.

Third and Fourth Heads of Doctrine

All are so totally depraved and corrupted by sin that they cannot effect any part of their salvation; in sovereign grace God irresistibly calls and regenerates the elect to newness of life.

Fifth Head of Doctrine

Those thus saved God graciously preserves so they persevere until the end, even though they may be troubled by many infirmities as they seek to make their calling and election sure.

Although in form the Canons have only four sections, we speak properly of five points or heads of doctrine because the Canons were structured to correspond to the five articles of the 1610 Remonstrance. The third and fourth sections were purposely combined into one since the Dortian divines considered them inseparable, and hence are designated as "Head of Doctrine 3/4."

Is free will – “the ability to make choices without any prior prejudice, inclination, or disposition” ? Neutral Free Will – Alice in Wonderland, Neutral-willed Mule… choice requires desire

Rather, Free Will is – “the ability to make choices according to our desires”

Natural Ability, Moral Ability, Spiritual Ability. “I don’t have the ability to fly”

What is Original Sin?

It was not eating the fruit in the Garden, it was the EFFECT of the sin of Adam and Eve. That act was an act of autonomy from God, independence. “You will become like gods.” It is the CONDITION of sin. Original sin refers to a sin nature out of which particular sinful acts flow. We commit sins because it is out nature to sin. It was not man’s original nature to sin, but after the Fall, his moral nature changed. Now, because of original sin, we have a fallen and corrupt nature. Man was not initially sinful, but innocent. Since the Fall, man is by nature sinful.

T utter depravity: mind, will, emotion, heart, body

I effectual. regeneration creates in us a desire for God. He draws us as He did Lazarus.

P once saved, always saved.

What did we do to gain salvation: Nothing

What can we do to lose salvation: Nothing

Some are “3 Point” Calvinists, having trouble with Limited Atonement and Irresistible Grace. Others are 4 Pointers or 4.5 Point Calvinists, having trouble with the idea of “Double Limited Atonement” or “Double Predestination”... that some are saved and others are damned.

John Piper:

We experience first our depravity and need of salvation.

Then we experience the irresistible grace of God leading us toward faith.

Then we trust the sufficiency of the atoning death of Christ for our sins.

Then we discover that behind the work of God to atone for our sins and bring us to faith was the unconditional election of God. And finally we rest in his electing grace to give us the strength and will to persevere to the end in faith.

Followers of Arminius:

John Wesley,

Charles Finney,

Some 19th & 20th century para-church organizations,

some modern evangelists

Calvinism was the worldview in America up until the mid 1700’s. Following the American Revolution, and during the Second Great Awakening, Arminianism was the worldview.