DENYING FREE
WILL
Believing in free will is a symptom
of man's sin nature
That
free will is found
in the Bible as the Papists and Arminians propound: we deny.
Firstly, the words free will are not found in the Bible, though
they are preached and shouted amongst the people today as if
it were Gospel truth. "No matter," say the pundits,
"neither is the word Trinity
found in the Bible." While that statement may be true,
it proves nothing because the doctrine of the Trinity is found in the Bible. All true Christians
attest this truth. They agree that God is revealed in three
persons. He is the Triune God. In other words, there is abundant
scriptural evidence that God is three distinct persons in one
divine essence. But where in the Scriptures does God teach the
doctrine that our unregenerate wills are truly free to love
and serve Him? Does not Scripture teach that man's freedom to
choose ended in the Garden? Is not man now 'free' to sin?
Secondly,
unregenerate man has no small difficulty approaching God on
His terms. Man refuses to see his own depraved
condition or his disdain for holiness as taught in Scripture.
This is the root of the Arminian heresy.
"God would never make us puppets or automatons,"
they say. This analogy they deduce from their own imaginations.
God never states we are His puppets. Instead, He declares His
sovereignty. He is the Potter, not the Puppeteer. We are the
clay, not His puppets. Puppets are not made into the likeness
and image of God, as are human beings. Puppets have an excuse
for their unbelief. They have neither a heart, a will, a mind,
an intellect, or a sinful disposition. Neither will they be
judged on the Day of the Lord. Human beings, however, are
without excuse for their unbelief. They will
be judged as fully responsible for their words, thoughts and
actions on that Great Day.
Thirdly,
Arminians twist Scripture to suit their theology, inserting
their own ideas as they attempt to exegete the Word. They erect
the idol of free will in their sacred sanctuary apart from the
commandment of God. The 'Puppet Theory' is one such example.
To further insure the credibility of their twisted theology,
some Arminians go so far as to misquote Scripture to prove their
errant doctrines. On May 28th 1999, Chuck Smith was
fielding questions on ‘The To Every Man an Answer’
radio show. Chuck taught, among other lies, that ‘God’s
irresistible grace was an extreme position that eliminates choice
and free will.’ He then misquoted John 3:16 by inserting
the word will:
‘For
God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son,
that whosoever will believe on Him should not perish but
have everlasting life.’
Please
check any Bible, as well as the original Greek, to confirm this
error which is publicly and proudly taught by one of today's
leading pastor/teachers. How, exactly, an unbeliever comes to believe
on Christ is not discussed in John 3:16. Fourthly, the false
doctrine of free will
denies the regenerating work of the Spirit beforehand. Arminians
credit themselves with cooperating
with the Spirit of grace. They refuse to believe the testimony
of Scripture to the contrary.
Protestant
Reformation Publications believes it is inherent in man’s
fallen nature to believe in and defend vigorously his so-called
free will. We do not restrict this treatise to Roman Catholics, as
well as professing Arminian Evangelicals of all denominations,
but include the cults, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons,
7th Day Adventists, etc., etc., who all preach and
teach this heresy. Additionally, it is a common doctrine of
pagans to believe their wills are free, proving beyond a shadow
of a doubt that this errant teaching is universal, and indeed,
proof of every man’s fallen nature. We ask, Is there a
false doctrine that more appropriately fits Proverbs 14:12,
"There is a way which seemeth right unto man, but the end
thereof are the ways of death"?
The
Free Willers will not worship God unless they pass through the
sanctuary in which they have erected their idol of free will.
Satisfied that it stands, then, and only then, will they worship
Him. But dare to tear down that false idol…. they will
not have it! They will not have the sovereign God who made them.
In debating many Arminians over this question, the authors of
this paper have discovered their uniform response to the biblical
doctrine of God's sovereignty in salvation: they could not and
would not believe in a God who does not give man the free will
to either choose Him or reject Him. Nor could they worship One
who predestines His people to Heaven, while passing by those
others whose just end is Hell. The scriptural authorities substantiating
our assertions fall on their deaf ears. They insist on worshipping
a god of their own creation, not the God depicted in the Bible.
They do not discern that their god is no God.