Martin Luther on FREE WILL - by R.C. Sproul

Martin Luther struggled greatly with the relationship of God’s sovereignty to human free will and sin. In fact, one of the greatest books ever written on the subject, The Bondage of the Will, is from Luther’s pen. When Luther grappled with this issue, he especially struggled with the Old Testament passages where we read that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Ex. 4:21; 7:3–4, 13–14, 22–23; 8:15, 19, 30–32; 9:27–10:2; 10:16–20, 24–28).

When we read these passages, we tend to think, “Doesn’t this suggest that God not only works through the desires and actions of humans, but that He actually forces evil upon people?” After all, the Bible does say that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.

When Luther discussed this, he observed that when the Bible says that God hardened the heart of Pharaoh, God did not create fresh evil in the heart of an innocent man. Luther said that God didn’t harden people by putting evil in their hearts. All that God must do to harden anyone’s heart is to withhold His own grace; that is, He gives a person over to himself.

Slaves For Christ

Answering the Key Questions About the Doctrine of Election

John MacArthur addresses the Doctrine of Election in a Q&A session on his radio program. This program, on election, has been one of the most requested topics that John MacArthur has been asked to address this difficult concept. Here is a brief excerpt from the radio transcripts:

MP3: Answering the Key Questions About the Doctrine of Election.mp3, by John MacArthur 

• Radio Program Transcripts (.pdf)

Grace to You Radio Program - 30 min. programs
MP3: The Doctrine of Election.mp3 (part 1a)
MP3: The Doctrine of Election.mp3 (part 1b)
MP3: The Doctrine of Election.mp3 (part 2a)
MP3: The Doctrine of Election.mp3 (part 2b) 
MP3: The Doctrine of Election.mp3 (part 3a)
MP3: The Doctrine of Election.mp3 (part 3b)

"Well my own struggle with that doctrine comes from my emotion. It comes from the influences of my fallen heart. It comes from my expectation that everybody ought to have a right to make a choice. And it also comes from the early years of my Christian experience when I didn't understand what it meant to be depraved. As a young Christian, I didn't understand how really dead the sinner is. That is the bottom line issue here. Salvation has to be all of God if you understand the doctrine of human depravity. If you understand what it means to be utterly unable to do right, unable to know God, dead in trespasses and sin in the most profound kind of unalterable death about which you can do nothing, and if you understand there is no human merit, there is no human effort, there is nothing we can do to alter that situation or to please God. Out of the doctrine of what I call utter human inability comes the doctrine of election. It was when I understood the sinfulness of man and the total inability of the sinner to do anything about his condition that I was left with nothing but the doctrine of election to solve that problem. That doesn't, of course, as we said today, solve all of the tensions...we'll have to wait for heaven to come to a full understanding of that." - John MacArthur

Called According to His Purpose

Called According to His Purpose
by John Piper
What then is the foundation of Romans 8:28? Where do those who love God find certainty that tribulation and distress will in fact work together for their good? The answer is that those who love God are also those who have been called by God, and that this call is based not on something as wavering and uncertain as my commitment to God but only on his eternal purpose of election by which he set his favor on me without any respect to my action at all.
Our confidence is based not merely on the fact that there is a promise in the Bible that he works out our good, but also on the fact that from all eternity God in his great mercy has chosen us to enjoy his banquet and has given us evidence of our election by calling into being a heart that loves Him.

All Things For Good - (Part 1)
All Things For Good - (Part 2)
All Things For Good - (Part 3) (most important)

The Absolute Sovereignty of God: What Is Romans 9 About?

The Absolute Sovereignty of God: What Is Romans 9 About?
by John Piper

Pastor John Piper address the questions, will the predestined be called and the called be justified and the justified be glorified? Will nothing separate us from the love of God in Christ? Is there really now no condemnation, and will there be none tomorrow? Romans 9 comes after Romans 8 for this utterly crucial reason: It shows that the word of God’s covenant with Israel has not failed, because it is grounded in God’s sovereign, electing mercy. Therefore the promises to the true Israel and the promises of Romans 8 will stand! That is the gospel of Romans 9. The promises purchased by the blood of Christ will be performed by the sovereign power of God.

The Absolute Sovereignty of God: What Is Romans 9 About?

The Sinner Neither Able Nor Willing

The Sinner Neither Able Nor Willing - The Doctrine of Inability
by John MacArthur.

Most mainstream evangelicals, in this post-modern world, believe that a sinner can choose God based on his own will and determination. John MacArthur does a fantastic job of explaining that a sinner cannot come to God until God himself brings life to the sinner. Scripture definitively states that God's gift of grace precedes man's response of believing. Unbelievers are unable to come to God on their own. Salvation is a monergistic work; Jesus said that no one can come to me unless the Father draws him.

The Sinner Neither Able Nor Willing - The Doctrine of Inability.(mp3)

The Seeker Friendly Church Misconception

“In Romans 3, Paul makes abundantly clear that unconverted people do not seek after God. Thomas Aquinas understood this and maintained that to the naked eye it may seem that unbelievers are searching for God or seeking for the kingdom of God, while they are in fact fleeing from God with all of their might. What Aquinas observed was that people who are unconverted seek the “benefits” that only God can give them, such as ultimate meaning and purpose in their lives, relief from guilt, the presence of joy and happiness, and things of this nature…….church leaders think that because people are searching for benefits only God can give them, they must therefore be searching after God. No, they want the benefits without the Giver of the benefits. And so structuring worship to accommodate unbelievers is misguided because these unbelievers are not seeking after God. Seeking after God begins at conversion, and if we are to structure our worship with a view to seekers, then we must structure it for believers, since only believers are seekers.“ -R.C. Sproul

Matthew 11:27
"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

What About "Free Will"???

John Piper Audio Message: "The Free Will of the Wind".mp3

Do Calvinist believe that man has a "freewill"? It is clear that the natural man does indeed have a "freewill" to act according to his nature, that is, to choose according to his greatest natural desires, but he is morally incapable and unwilling to choose God on his own because he is "dead in sin", "loves the darkness" and "cannot understand" the things of God because "they are spiritually appraised." (1 Cor 2:14, Rom 8:7, John 3:19). Our greatest affections, therefore, determine what we choose to follow. And although mankind can do many "good things" he is spiritually impotent and unable to do any redemptive good since his "freewill" is bound, which really amounts to no freedom at all. Man will always choose what he desires most, and without the regenerative grace working in us by the Holy Spirit there is no desire for God. So, while we were yet in active rebellion against God (so it would have been completely just of God to pour His wrath on all of us), yet He was still willing to show His great love and affection toward us by bearing the punishment and wrath we deserved and then apply the benefits of the atonement on His elect; those He had given His Son from eternity (John 17:9).

J.I. Packer said,

"It is staggering that God should love sinners, yet it is true. God loves creatures that have become unlovely and (one would have thought) unlovable. There was nothing whatever in the objects of his love to call it forth; nothing in us could attract or prompt it. Love among persons is awakened by something in the beloved, but the love of God is free, spontaneous, unevoked, uncaused. God loves people because he has chosen to love them... and no reason for his love can be given except his own sovereign good pleasure. - (from Knowing God p.124)

So, here we clearly see that faith is not the cause of God's choosing us, but the result of it. Justification, of course, is the result of faith, but faith is the inevitable result of God's efficacious and regenerative grace.

" Faith is the evidence of new birth, not the cause of it."

John Piper Audio Message: "The Free Will of the Wind".mp3

Monergism Vs. Synergism

MP3 Messages: Dr. Arturo Azurdia III
Monergistic Regeneration (part 1).mp3
Monergistic Regeneration (part 2).mp3

Synergism Vs. Monerism Chart (graphic organizer)

Monergism and synergism describe two very distinct views of God's saving grace - the process wherein God changes a person from "dead in sin" to "alive in Christ."

To introduce you to this Scriptural doctrine let me begin by asking some questions that should help us begin to think about this issue:

1. What is man's part and God's part in the work of the new birth?
2. Why is it that one unregenerate person believes the gospel and not another? Does one make better use of God's grace?
3. Apart from the grace of God, is there any fallen person who is naturally willing to submit in faith to the humbling terms of the gospel of Christ?
4. In light of God's word, is our new birth in Christ an unconditional work of God's mercy alone or does man cooperate in some way with God in the work of regeneration (making it conditional)?

Your answer to these questions will reveal where you stand on this issue.

Synergism: A Belief That Faith Arises Out of An Inherent Capacity of the Natural Man. In other words, synergists believe that faith itself, a principle standing independent and autonomous of God's action of grace, is something the natural man must add or contribute toward the price of his salvation. Unregenerate man, in this scheme, is left to his freewill and natural ability to believe or reject God. Synergists teach that God's grace takes man part of the way to salvation but that the [fallen, rebellious] human will must determine the final outcome.

Augustine and the Reformers, would reject synergism and honor the more biblical position of monergism. This position teaches that salvation is entirely a work of God; That man can contribute nothing toward the price of his salvation and that one is saved wholly and unconditionally by grace through faith. That faith itself is a gift of God (Eph 2:8, John 1:13, 2 Tim 2:25, Phil 1:29, Hebrews 12:2, 1 John 5:1, Rom 3:24, Ezekiel 11:19-20; Ezekiel 36:26-27) which is not the cause, but the witness of God's regenerative grace having worked faith in the inner man. This gracious act of God was based on nothing meritorious in the individual, but rather, entirely on God's sovereign good pleasure (Eph 1:5). It was not because God knew which persons would believe of their own free will, for there are no persons which fit that description. This is because apart from grace their is no delight or inclination to seek God (in man's unregenerate nature). And since those dead in sin will not seek God (Rom 3:11), regenerative grace precedes justifying faith. God must, in effect, raise them from the dead- (see Eph 2:5, Col 2:13).

John Piper, in his exegesis of 1 John 5:1 says this:

"In the New Testament God is clearly active, creating a people for himself by calling them out of darkness and enabling them to believe the gospel and walk in the light. John teaches most clearly that regeneration precedes and enables faith. "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God" ...The verb tense make's john's intention unmistakable: Every one who goes on believing [present, continuous action] that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God [perfect, completed action with abiding effects]. " Faith is the evidence of new birth, not the cause of it."

The following verses written by the Apostle Paul further drives home the point that we are saved because of God's internal purpose, not because of anything He has seen in us:

"...who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time..." 2 Timothy 1:9
"It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy." Romans 9:16 1:13)

By listening to the sermons listed below on Monergism, by Arturo Azurdia, I hope to share the deep importance of a profound biblical truth as taught throughout the Gospels. For various reasons, a majority of modern evangelicals have abandoned the biblical position and thus thrown out the most important Scriptural truth that was recovered in the Reformation of the sixteenth century, grace is given by God to those whom are called so that those whom God calls will believe.

Synergism Vs. Monerism Chart (graphic organizer)

MP3 Messages: Dr. Arturo Azurdia III
Monergistic Regeneration (part 1).mp3
Monergistic Regeneration (part 2).mp3

Doctrines of Grace - TULIP

MP3 Messages: Dr. Arturo Azurdia III
T - Total Depravity.mp3
U - Unconditional Election.mp3
L - Limited Atonement.mp3
I - Irresistible Grace.mp3
P - Perseverance and Preservation of the Saints.mp3

Q&A on the Doctrines of Grace (Part 1).mp3
Q&A on the Doctrines of Grace (Part 2.mp3
Q&A on the Doctrines of Grace (Part 3).mp3

First, let me explain a danger I see when some people study theology. God created man in His image; we must not create God in our image! Calvinism is controversial. Even though I might be uncomfortable with unconditional election, I must be careful not to interpret God's Word as I see fit. My feelings have nothing to do with "God's perspective of reality", defined as TRUTH! Like most modern-day Americans, I was brought up in Arminanist theology. Second, let me state, that I am a follower of Jesus Christ and Him alone and not John Calvin. Personally, I have never read any personal works of John Calvin. Besides the Bible, I have lately been reading the works Andrew Murray: Abide in Christ, The Power of the Blood, and Absolute Surrender.Through Andrew Murray’s books, I have been getting a deeper perspective of God’s sanctifying work in the life of the believer. Learning how to abide moment by moment and surrendering everything in my life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ has brought about an inward renewal and intimacy with God that I have not seen in my life for nearly 20 years. In just the past few months, I have been confronted with the Doctrines of Grace (Calvinism) through my brother and teachers like Arturo Azurdia. Historically, the ranks of well-known Calvinists include Augustine, the Reformers of the 16th century, the Puritans of the 17th century, George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards and Charles Spurgeon. More recent Calvinists include Charles Hodge, A.A. Hodge, Gresham Machen, John Piper, Martin Lloyd Jones, J.I. Packer, Francis Shaeffer, R.C. Sproul and John MacArthur.

When studying Ephesians 1, 2, Romans 5, 8, 9, 10, John 6:25-70, and most importantly John 10 and John 17. I now have come to realize more intently that we are saved solely of God’s efficacious grace. Many opponents of Calvinism argue that man has free-will, and I would agree. However, I can only exercise my “free-will” decision to believe in Christ after He liberates "my will" through giving me an irresistible grace. Grace of God is not given on the merits of my faith; rather, my faith is a result of God giving me His grace. Mankind is totally depraved; not one area of a person's body, mind, or spirit has been untouched by the effects of sin. We are spiritually dead!!! Therefore, no one seeks after God nor can anyone know Him unless God Himself gives us His saving grace. To illustrate, think of Jesus’ raising of Lazarus in John 11. The physically dead Lazarus could do nothing for himself. He was unresponsive to all stimuli, oblivious to all life around him, beyond all help or hope—except for the help of Christ who is “the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25). At Christ’s call, Lazarus was filled with life, and he responded accordingly. In the same way, we were spiritually dead, unable to save ourselves, powerless to perceive the life of God—until Jesus called us to Himself. He “quickened” us; “not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy” (Titus 3:5). Calvinist believe that the will of all humans is bound by their sinful nature and will remain bound until God performs His regenerative work.

John 10 and John 17 speak so clearly of God's predestination. Furthermore, Romans 8:28-30 states, "28And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified." The Word of God does not show that God looked into the future to see what choice we would make, as what Arminians believe. Arminianism only has a handful of scriptures to lean on, and most of them can be seen as supporting Calvinism if interpreted correctly and within the context of the chapter. So when I speak of Calvinism, I want you to know up front that I am not defending a system devised by a man in the 16th century. I am merely accepting the common nickname for that body of truth about the sovereignty of God’s grace that was taught by Isaiah in the Old Testament, the Apostle Paul, and by Jesus himself. The truths that we call Calvinism were the very truths that were an anchor for Job through his trials. My general overall disputes with Arminianism is that it greatly diminishes God’s sovereignty and over-emphasizes man’s ability to save himself. Dr. Arturo Azurdia III does a fantastic job in teaching the truths of the TULIP acrostic. Once I understood the TULIP as described in Scripture rather than the teachings of Arminianism from my upbringing, I now find it so simple to believe. My faith in God and my walk in the Spirit have never been so strong. I encourage you to listen to these wonderful teachings and search the Scriptures concerning these essential theologies.

Christians often speak about being saved by grace. But what does this mean? Does God save us apart from our willing cooperation? Does God’s grace invalidate the demand for our obedience? Why do some people embrace the Gospel while others adamantly refuse it? Is our experience of salvation, from God’s perspective, a predetermined purpose or heartfelt hope?

Dr. Arturo Azurdia III is Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology and Director of Pastoral Mentoring at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. He is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area, having attended the California State University at Hayward where he received a B. A. in Music Performance. His M. Div. was earned from The American Baptist Seminary of the West in Berkeley, California, and his D. Min. from Westminster Seminary in Escondido, California. He was the founding minister of Christ Community Church in Fairfield, California, where he subsequently pastored for 19 years.

MP3 Messages: Dr. Arturo Azurdia III
T - Total Depravity.mp3
U - Unconditional Election.mp3
L - Limited Atonement.mp3
I - Irresistible Grace.mp3
P - Perseverance and Preservation of the Saints.mp3

Q&A on the Doctrines of Grace (Part 1).mp3
Q&A on the Doctrines of Grace (Part 2.mp3
Q&A on the Doctrines of Grace (Part 3).mp3

Calvinism by Mark Driscoll

Religion Saves
Part 3: Predestination
Romans 9

Pastor Mark Driscoll | January 20, 2008

Pastor Mark Driscoll tackles the issue of predestination by answering question #7 of Religion Saves, and 9 Other Misconceptions by answering “Why does an all loving, all knowing, and all sovereign God will into creation people He foreknows will suffer eternal condemnation? Why does Romans 9:20 feel like a cop-out answer?”