What! You're Reformed?

Well my dear readers I have been on vacation for Easter in the sunny state of New York, hence no Beer Review Monday this past week and no updates to the Pint. However my sister and I had a wonderful little conversation this past week about theology. She is from a more Wesleyan /Arminian tradition and I am as many of you know more reformed in my theology. She made a number of accusations against me which unfortunately are not true of reformed theology. Actually these comments are about something the reformed tradition considers heresy, that is hyper-Calvinism. Hyper-Calvinism is not John Piper sitting at Starbucks after four espressos. However since there is much confusion about this subject let me list a definition of Hyper-Calvinism from the New Dictionary of Theology published by the IVP:

1. [Hyper-Calvinism] is a system of theology framed to exalt the honour and glory of God and does so by acutely minimizing the moral and spiritual responsibility of sinners . . . It emphasizes irresistible grace to such an extent that there appears to be no real need to evangelize; furthermore, Christ may be offered only to the elect.

2. It is that school of supralapsarian 'five-point' Calvinism [n.b.—a school of supralapsarianism, not supralapsarianism in general] which so stresses the sovereignty of God by over-emphasizing the secret over the revealed will of God and eternity over time, that it minimizes the responsibility of sinners, notably with respect to the denial of the use of the word "offer" in relation to the preaching of the gospel; thus it undermines the universal duty of sinners to believe savingly in the Lord Jesus with the assurance that Christ actually died for them; and it encourages introspection in the search to know whether or not one is elect. [Peter Toon, "Hyper-Calvinism," New Dictionary of Theology (Leicester: IVP, 1988), 324.]

This is not what I believe, this is not what the reformed tradition believes, this is actually a rejection of Historical, Augustinian Theology, and Calvinism. Thus when a Wesleyan rejects reformed theology on the grounds that we reformed do not see a need to evangelize they are actually rejecting hyper-Calvinism, something the reformed do as well. It is in ignorance that many of the Arminian tradition reject the reformed tradition. Therefore allow me to bring up a couple of her objections to which I will respond.

She said, "So you believe that you don't have to evangelize?"
This is not the reformed position at all, how else are men to come to Christ but through the foolishness of preaching the Gospel. (1 Corinthians 1:21) I do not know who the elect are so I must preach to all men (Matthew 28:19-20) that the Lord God might grant some repentance leading to the knowledge of the Truth. (2 Timothy 2:24-26)

She said, "You believe that there is some reason you are better than others who are unsaved?"
Again this is not the reformed position, this is actually the Arminian position stating that they chose to follow Christ of their own accord, thus have something intrinsically better than those who reject Christ. The reformed position is that there is nothing intrinsically better in the believer than the unbeliever (Romans 3:9ff) and that the only reason the elect go to heaven and others go to hell is because of a five letter word called GRACE. (Titus 3:3-8)

She said, "You believe that God hates people?"
The only way I can respond to this is with scripture.

And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, "The older will serve the younger." As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." - Romans 9:10-13

Yes God hates unrepentant, unregenerate sinners and prior to conversion we are enemies with God and He with us. (Romans 5:6ff; Isaiah 63:10)

She said, "You believe that some believers will fall away from the faith."
This is actually the fifth and final point of Arminianism, the reformed position is the Preservation of All Saints. This means that if you are truly a saint and have truly accepted the gift of God, by grace through faith, then you will preserver.

Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about Me, but you do not believe because you are not part of My flock. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one." - John 10:25-30

She said, "So you don't believe that Christ died for the whole world?"
Well that depends entirely upon what you mean, do I believe that Christ's death has benefited the whole world then yes, it has stayed the wrath of God against mankind so that Adam did not die the moment he partook of the fruit of the tree in the center of the garden, and all sinners since then. However if you do not believe in some sort of universalism, which would go against scripture, as scripture clearly states that some will be raised to the second death, (Revelation 21:8) then one must believe that God only died for those who will be saved or there is unjustice in God as both Christ and the sinner bear the eternal penalty for the same sin. The reformed position stems from Hebrews 10:14 "For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified" which is often called limited atonement or particular redemption. This does not mean that Heaven will be close to empty as scripture clearly speaks against that as well. (Revelation 7:9) The question is did Christ through this offering fail to perfect some, or did He do the will of the One who sent Him as He clearly states:

"All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to Me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given Me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day...No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day." - John 6:37-40;44

That is really what it all comes down to isn't it, did Christ actually accomplish all that He set out to do, or did He fail at all the points where sinners do not repent and come to Him? I believe that many today who claim to hold to an Arminian/Wesleyan Soteriology actually do not understand their own depravity or are actually reformed yet see hyper-Calvinism as the reformed position and as such side with the Arminian position in their ignorance of what both positions truly teach.

Grace and Peace.