arminianism: a lesson in legalism
dear friend,
Recently, I read a wonderful book called “Becoming Free Indeed” by Jinger Duggar Vuolo. In this lovely little work of art, Jinger breaks down the legalistic system of lies she grew up believing, growing to fear God smiting her if she did any little thing that was not only against Him, but also against the man-made rules of cult leader —er, I mean, philosophical “teacher,” — Bill Gothard. This book led me to ponder my own existence and how similar my story was to hers, opening my eyes to changes that have occurred in the past three years of my own life.
How does one come to terms with the fact that they have been stuck in a lie their whole lives, and the second they step into the truth, the ones they most love treat them as if they’re insane, focusing too much on the details, or being someone they aren’t meant to be?
Hi, I’m Natalie. I’m 23 years old and 3 years in to a more Calvinistic point of view when it comes to what I see concerning salvation that emanates from the infallible Word of God Himself. Most of my life has been spent in what I’d now label as Arminianist groups, although they themselves would never have given such a blatant point-of-contention strike on their pages if they could.
More and more, as I read passages throughout Scripture, I am increasingly convinced of God’s sovereignty over humanity. And, as I walk down this path, I notice that there are fewer people there to hold my hand and more people trying to sway me in a different direction; a direction I’ve been down before, full of chaos, confusion, and incompetence.
When I was younger, I didn’t have a name for what I believed. In my brain, I pictured a sort of map that God looks down on that’s connected to each person. When any of us have a fork in the road that we come to, with one direction leading to sin and the other leading to righteousness, I imagined that God knew what we would do, but somehow on the map, the path was still sort of “undetermined” until we made a decision and chose a way to go. It was very muddled and confusing, and it honestly left me with more questions than answers that I put in the box of my brain labeled “Come Back Later.”
People answering my questions just begged more questions for me as well, as they’d beat around the bush with their responses, and give scripture references of which I had zero knowledge nor understanding at that point in my journey.
Then, one day, when I was 20 and sitting in the attic bedroom of the house where I was a live-in nanny, I did my makeup as usual while listening to a sermon. I can’t remember the exact title of it or what it was about, nor what was said exactly that flipped a switch in my mind; but I do remember who it was by — Paul Washer. Probably one of my favorite pastors of all time, he said something that stuck deep within me about God’s control, sovereignty, and power, making me fall to my knees in worship and bawl at the freeing thoughts that came with this new understanding. Suddenly, all of the desire I had in the past to understand something I had determined was never to be understood rushed out of my mind and was replaced with just a genuine love for God that couldn’t be taken away nor altered in my very spirit. From then on, I was resolute, consistent, and firm in my stance.
Back then, I didn’t realize how much of an impact this understanding would have on my life. Three years later, that precious moment is still something I hold dear, as it’s brought me a “…peace that surpasses all understanding…” (Philippians 4:7, English Standard Version).
Now, this post isn’t meant to be an “I hate Arminians with a burning passion and they deserve to die” kinda thing — I’d have issues with that thinking in ANY camp that claims to be Christlike! In fact, it’s quite the opposite, actually. I believe God has placed me in the locations I frequent and with the people I genuinely LOVE in order to be a light in this area for them. I, Natalie Michelle Pheifer, am a Calvinist, through-and-through. The Scriptures have captured my heart and have convinced me of both a love and truth that cannot sway, deter, or obliterate my faith in any way or circumstance. Let’s just say this is my “coming out” post, LOL (is this too soon considering the state of our country and world at large? Oh well).
Now, what exactly do I mean when I say that Arminianism is a performance-based belief system? Well, what I mean by this fact is that if we have free will, meaning God knows what we will do but does not have the ability to control or alter our actions, then we, in our fallible, broken state, can “fall away” so to speak.
Often, Arminians will say things like, “If we don’t have free will, then we are all just God’s robots!” Acting like it is the WORST THING EVER that God helps us make the right decisions that glorify Him. However, what I have to say to that is if I am the only one who has the ability to alter my mood, choice, and decisions, then, what if, no matter how much I read the Scripture, listen to sound teachers, and try to exemplify that I have Christ in my life, I fail? What if, like Scripture tells us, my “good works” aren’t good enough? Do you see where this line of thinking falls? If I, in and of my fallen, sinful self, am the ONLY one that has the ability to make good decisions, and yet they still don’t meet the standards God has set forth, who or what is there to save me? How can I hope in Christ if He has no say in the things I do in my life? How can I continue in understanding that I BELONG TO CHRIST if, at any moment, one misstep could take me off His list and send me straight to Hell?
There is so much uncertainty, tragedy, and heartbreak in such a message. It’s honestly understandable as to why I was so stuck in legalism and perfectionism while I was caught up in Arminianist thought, because that is the only hope I had to cling to.
This sort of thinking is not only unbiblical, but it also flies in the face of words that Jesus Himself has said, such as:
“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” ”
And this one (whew, get ready for some truth, y’all):
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing... You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”
Did you see it, friend? Did you see how we can ONLY abide in Jesus if He has first abode in us, through his perfect choosing?
Oh, right: don’t even get me STARTED on the books of Romans and Ephesians. So much to unpack there.
This is not a post meant to be used as a debate. Nor is this proof of my perfect, intelligent comprehension of the Scriptures, or how amazing I am at understanding them. This is me, in all my brokenness being used for His righteousness, to share these few simple passages that contain SO MUCH LIFE with the way they are written; no digging into the Hebrew or Greek or Aramaic, no word studies, and no cross-references. This is me, speaking the truth from Scripture itself in the way it has been revealed to my ever-changed heart because of Christ and for Christ. All-in-all, this post is simply meant to be a conversation starter, something hopefully all of us can learn from no matter what side of the aisle we land on. <3
So, dear friend, the one question I leave you with today is this:
Is God completely sovereign? If so, Calvinist thought will probably encourage you, and Arminianist thought will do the opposite. Think through these verses and pray for the Holy Spirit to enlighten you as to understanding them without all the fluff and outrage poured out by the internet and people around you!
Stay safe, dear friend; it’s a zoo out there.
much love and more,
