The Journey of Faith from Darkness to Light
"Come now, and let us reason together, Says the LORD, though your sins are as scarlet, they shall become as white as snow;" (Isaiah 1:18). Reason always demands a well-thought-out debate, an argument and more than a statement backed up by an out of place Bible verse.
Taught by Retired Missionaries
In 1977, we attended Bible School, and the president was a retired missionary with Sudan Interior Missions, previously working with lepers. The Dean, likewise, did the same. His life was like a city on a hill; it revealed that he lived for Christ. They both experienced the loss of those martyrs for Jesus.
I lived without fellowship for six years after receiving Christ, finally falling into sin and seeing myself as having struck the Rock twice and broken from pride in large measure. I was subsequently filled with the Holy Spirit and assurance of salvation. As a result, my conscience bore witness to the theology I should believe; it became crystal clear that such a sinner as I could contribute absolutely nothing to my salvation.
Nevertheless, the respect and honor that such men received from me they were able to persuade me to believe for a time in "Free Will." Many today on both sides of the debate believe it is not crucial for salvation. At the crossroad of salvation, I introduce reason.
Reasoning as it Should Be
On the Arminian side of the debate, the argument is man is more than a machine. Some believe that standing on the fence is the humble way to go. However, the Calvinist, if he has a clear understanding, asks why some choose Christ and others do not. The wrong answer makes this debate a salvation issue.
My answer is that men are machines. There is one being and one being only that is eternal from whom all things come, and ultimate freedom of choice is intrinsic to Him alone. Man is a like a computer, information in and information out. If the information is from Satan, he becomes a slave to sin. If the info is from God, he becomes a slave of righteousness.
"Do you not know that the one to whom you present yourselves as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of that same one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death or of obedience resulting in righteousness?" (Romans 6:16). The previous verse is not out of place but a well-thought-out argument from non-other than the Apostle Paul.
On the final day, when all judgment has occurred by God, the righteous will have fully received the undeniable reality that righteous men have been and will always be a channel through whom God works His righteousness. If the previous statement is false, God will have to retract His statement from Romans 11:36, "For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen." The three pronouns "from," "through," and "to" include so-called "free will." Think He should retract His statement?
Humility and not Reasoning is the Vital Characteristic
Some look at Reformed theology as the end of all Christian teaching. However, intellectualism without humility is the Dead Sea. Take a close look at the Reformed Churches today, and what you will find is all their eggs in professional scholarship, more high-brow denominationalism, and highly esteemed authoritarian leadership. The Church would spend its time far better by properly discipling its way to many humble and passionate Home Churches.
The Main Point
The main point of this post is not the free-will debate, as important as that is, but the importance of healthy reasoning ability by anyone who calls themself a Christian. The Reformers rescued the Gospel from the Roman Catholic Church in God's time. Since then, there have been battles and growing controversy about these men God chose to use. Read Martin Luther's life about a man and monk tortured by the conviction of sin. Read about John Calvin, and you will find a man so in love with God he refused to take His sovereignty and give it to sinners. Are the means of wisdom scholarly men like the Apostles (sarcasm) or men of deep repentance and faith like Martin Luther and John Calvin, who believed the Gospel message that the Apostles taught? Since God clearly raised Luther and Calvin to rescue the Gospel, shouldn't we first look closely at the reasoning of those who criticize them?
Reason well, my brothers and sisters, and walk in a humble light.
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