John Pedersen: The Default Position of the Reformed "Establishment" Capitulates to Arminianism

The default position of many in the “Reformed establishment” is not the gospel of Scripture, but the pseudo-gospel of “Evangelical Arminianism”. That is the “gospel” most “Calvinists” essentially believe, for it is this gospel they defend and connect to their own accounting of their “Christian” experience. That is why when someone comes along who accounts for himself in terms of the biblical gospel, these same people treat him the same way that Ishmael treated Isaac. Arminianism is “salvation” by the power of the flesh. The gospel of Scripture speaks of salvation by the power of God, and is a revelation of God’s righteousness, not man’s."  --John Pedersen



John Pedersen also commented on his FaceBook status.

John wrote:

 "Essentially the point is this: Many, if not most professing “Calvinists” and proponents of the “Reformed Faith” believe what they call “Calvinism” is nothing more or less than a more sophisticated and biblically consistent version of what they believed when they thought they were saved by their “free will”. They are on the same “bus” and going to the same destination as their “Arminian brethren”, but they have moved up to the front of the bus and have the more comfortable seats due to their greater doctrinal sophistication. They see the difference between what they believe and what Arminians believe as the difference between filet mignon and generic hot dogs. If they were starving and had nothing else to eat they could eat hot dogs and it would keep them alive, but they prefer the steak.

The trouble is, Arminianism is not the “hot dog” version of Christianity. It is rat poison. Rat poison will not sustain life. It will kill you.

Whatever “gospel” you believed when you say you were “saved” is the gospel you believe saves. Everything else may be an improvement, may make things more “consistent” or “thoroughly biblical” or “better”, but it is still essentially one and the same with what you initially believed when you were “saved”.

The implications of what I am saying are essentially this: The default position of many in the “Reformed establishment” is not the gospel of Scripture, but the pseudo-gospel of “Evangelical Arminianism”. That is the “gospel” most “Calvinists” essentially believe, for it is this gospel they defend and connect to their own accounting of their “Christian” experience. That is why when someone comes along who accounts for himself in terms of the biblical gospel, these same people treat him the same way that Ishmael treated Isaac. Arminianism is “salvation” by the power of the flesh. The gospel of Scripture speaks of salvation by the power of God, and is a revelation of God’s righteousness, not man’s."

--

Reasonable Christian Blog Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost; Answer. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen. 1662 Book of Common Prayer