The Jacobus Arminius Heresy

I certify, at the outset of this post, that the gospel that I teach on this blog is not from man. Because I neither received it from any man, neither was I taught it by any man; but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Arminianism, or, the "Arminian gospel,"as I say (in order to specify that I am referring to his gospel, and not to any of the other numerous doctrines he taught), is the gospel as first prominently promoted by Jacobus Arminius. This is the gospel, dear Christian reader, that you know and believe, unless you are a Calvinist. The Arminian gospel is the gospel taught by essentially every Christian denomination. Interestingly, it is also not substantively different from the gospel as taught by the Catholic Church. The central point of Arminianism is that human beings are not justified/saved/redeemed/born again until and unless they accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. This is not correct (as clearly demonstrated by Paul in Romans 2.14-16, and John 3.3-8), and I am exercising restraint in simply saying that it is not correct. So let me be more clear about the matter. The Arminian gospel is blasphemous heresy. The Arminian gospel claims that one cannot bear good fruit or shine a light in the world without accepting Christ. This is clearly not true, and not consistent with the everlasting gospel. Arminianism is not the everlasting gospel. Notice that, logically, Arminianism makes man into his own Savior. This is unavoidable no matter how hard you want to try, as the only difference between one man and another, within the Arminian viewpoint, has to do with choices and actions taken by the man. This means that man saves himself by agreeing with the good advice and taking action on it. He can then boast about himself as compared to those who have not heard, understood, and acted on the good advice. Arminianism is what the SDA church currently teaches, and it is what pretty much all of Christendom teaches. It is NOT the true and everlasting gospel. The Arminian gospel is not good news, it’s good advice. While if one takes a very gracious view of Arminianism, one can indeed say that it is very very good advice, nevertheless, it is not good news. The everlasting gospel is without question good news! The good news is that all of humanity has been redeemed! This is what Romans 5.18 is speaking of very clearly. This is given to all men, the light that lighted all men (John1.9). Redemption is not different for those who don’t know Christ as compared to those who eventually do come to know Christ. All human beings have the new birth/quickening/redemption as a birthright delivered to them, without their knowledge or consent, and before they even have use of reason.

I will close by pointing out that my emphasis in everything I have said previously in this post about the gospel, is on elucidating the everlasting gospel, and is not on elucidating the process of sanctification which involves ever-increasing compliance with the law of God. The startling liberality of the true everlasting gospel should not lead anyone to fears regarding increased sinning so that grace might abound, as such ideas are diametrically opposed to the very core of the gospel, which is that redemption is given for the purpose of eventual entire restoration (Eph 4.13). The everlasting gospel is a doctrine distinct from the doctrine of the law and sanctification. Of course these two dontrines inextricably and beautifully intertwined. But they should not be spoken of as if they were one and the same thing. The good news is the good news, not the good advice. Keeping the law is good advice. Indeed keeping the law is very good advice. But when we are attempting to clarify the one and only true everlasting gospel, which has never before been taught in modern times, we should be very careful to distinguish it from the fulfillment of the law in us. The fulfillment of the law in us is a beautiful and necessary thing, but it is not the gospel. In fact, without the understanding of the true everlasting gospel, the fulfillment of the law in us becomes a very questionable affair.