Decision Theology and the Pelagian Heresy
Chris Roseburgh is not a Calvinist, but he is against the Pelagian heresy same as we are. Chris runs two excellent blogs, A Little Leaven and Extreme Theology. Extreme Theology has had two posts (here and here) that offer a great commentary on what is wrong with churches today. The first talks about “decision theology” and the second talks directly about free will and its connection to sin.
Again, Chris isn’t a Calvinist so he doesn’t speak of predestination to glory or shame when he speaks of decision theology, which is what the Calvinist would speak of. However, his post highlights some excellent Bible verses that show that we don’t have the free will to accept or deny Christ; in fact, it is the Holy Spirit moving within us that makes that decision possible. The Calvinist would call this “Irresistible Grace”–the “I” in TULIP. By denying the total depravity of man, even to accepting eternal life, churches today are preaching sermons that are not used by God to draw his elect to himself. And that is a tragedy.
We are to preach the gospel and repentance, but the sermons found in modern, seeker-driven churches are little better than self-help pop-psychology.
While the Calvinist believes that God’s elect will be found by him eventually, it is perhaps tragic that God won’t draw them sooner because modern preachers have the message all wrong.
In the second post, Chris makes the point that those set in the flesh cannot please God. Since the seeker-driven churches aren’t preaching biblical messages that will be used by God to draw his elect to himself, the people in those churches are very likely unregenerate. That isn’t to say that they aren’t trying to love God with all their heart, minds, and souls. But that isn’t what the Gospel is; that’s what the Law is. Since they are trying to follow God through works of Law, they are, in effect, displeasing to God.
Trying to make it to God on your own merit is the old Pelagian heresy coming back to haunt the church.
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Posted on April 23, 2009, in Theology and tagged Evangelism. Bookmark the permalink. 8 Comments.
Josiah Concept Ministries 
“We are to preach the gospel and repentance, but the sermons found in modern, seeker-driven churches are little better than self-help pop-psychology.”
Pelagianism has more repentance in it than Calvinism, genius. Calvinism says you can’t repent no matter what unless God makes you with micormanagerial control. Pelagianism says God already gave everybody the ability to repent way back when, so when you preach “Repent!” people can actually do it! Imagine that!
“While the Calvinist believes that God’s elect will be found by him eventually, it is perhaps tragic that God won’t draw them sooner because modern preachers have the message all wrong.”
Yet, in Calvinism, wouldn’t the fault for the preachers having their message wrong lie wholly with God and his micromanagerial control? The fact (so Calvinists would call it) that God is controlling everyone’s actions?
I see you are lapsing back into the Satanism called Calvinism. I guess having been an Arminian for all of two minutes was causing you grief down at your Masonic lodge or Skull and Bones society, so you had to jump back to Lucifer’s side.
So good to have you back, Rey. I missed you!
“Trying to make it to God on your own merit is the old Pelagian heresy coming back to haunt the church.”
On your own is an exageration. But the reason Pelagianism is coming back is because Calvinism has no room for repentance. Nothing is real in Calvinism. Its just an excuse by purtid sinners to blame their sins on God and refuse to repent. Jesus Himself taught Pelagianism as anyone who can read can see. He never told anyone they couldn’t repent unless they won a lottery way back when. Pelagianism is real. Calvinism is synthetic Satanism. Any idiot can see it. That’s why only the EVIL choose Calvinism. The truth is so plain that no possible intellectual mistake can be made. It is wholly a moral choice: Good people choose Pelagianism, and putric freaks choose Calvinism to blame their sins on God and say “Waaaaaa! I can’t do better because God won’t let me!”
Obviously, someone hasn’t done his homework on compatibilism.
Compatibilism is Satanism. “God forces you to do xyz and yet we still say you chose it because that’s the only way to make it fit the Scripures–to lie through our teeth.” All compatibilists with burn in hell because it is the only place with which they are compatible.
It’s always good to argue with someone who’s mind is open to new possibilities.
I love how Calvinists are so totally oblivious to how their own beliefs cannot even be consistently maintained in their everyday speech. “It’s always good to argue with someone who’s mind is open to new possibilities.” If my mind is closed against new possibilities, as you are implying, then (according to your system of belief) it is only because your god has inclined it that way with his micromanagerial over-arching “I’ve got to control every molecule at all times, every action and reaction” type of megalomania. In short, if your system of belief is true, then its all God’s fault that we disagree because he decreed it to happen. But you are totally oblivious to this, because you are not smart enough to even comprehend your own silly belief system.
Cory,
I just found this discussion you were having with Rey. Since you were listening to Chis last spring I assume you are now listening to his internet radio broadcast http://www.fightingforthefaith.com/
I wonder if you were able to show Rey that there is another choice besides Calvinism and Arminianism/ Pelagianism. It’s too bad he has to start calling people Satanic or their Theology Satanic. Attacking someones like that never get’s a person anywhere. Faith is a mystery, that’s for sure. I have found Confessional Lutheranism making allot more sense then anything else. But then God doesn’t think like man does and so it hard to understand everything. Man always wants to have some signs of evidence for Faith. But we just can’t see inside a persons heart and know for sure if they have true faith. Only God can. All we can do is look at their fruit. The trouble is, none Christians can have all the fruit too. I guess it’s better for us pea brain people to not judge others at all. He knows who are His and will sort it all out in the end. Our job is just to preach the Law and Gospel properly. Even though I’m not even sure how to do that with the Lost. Man does need to see that he is a sinner and needs to repent, but even God is the one that does that. I guess that’s why I believe that folks need to hear mainly the Gospel. I think most people deep down inside know their are sinners. If not God has a way of humbling us in order to get us to see we need him. Maybe that’s the best time to share the Gospel with people.
You might enjoy this website:http://wittenbergtrail.ning.com/ There are some good people on this site that you might enjoy discussing Theology with.