Faith

Correspondence With A Pelagian

by Brother Carlton 
08/25/16
Free to Share
Author requests article critique

  Message Writer
  Hire Writer

Tweet

The following are some posts from a lady who believes she has no sin and can not commit sin ever.  She believes she has free will and that sinners are not born with a sinful nature but become sinful only by choice.  This idea or belief was condemned by the early church. It was named after a man named Pelagius and St Augustine refuted these false teachings during his lifetime.

Recently I found a woman posting several comments and trying to instruct some Christians into her false teachings.  The following are some correspondence.  Notice she quotes many Bible texts in support of her belief but they are out of context and many are misunderstood.  Others tried to correct this woman but she continues in her error. Pray for the Lord to correct her errors and convert her if she is not saved.  She worships a false view of God, a false view of man, a false view of sin and a false view of salvation.  What makes this woman and those who believe just like her is that Satan creeps into the churches and religious assemblies with this kind of teaching to beguile and deceive the unlearned and over throw the faith of some.

Charlene-I agree many do worship a god of their own imagination that comes from false teachers such as Mr. Slick. We all agree that salvation is of the Lord, however, you must come to him for it. God created man in such a way that they should SEEK Him and FIND Him. That was the idea and it shows how merciful our Lord is to all of us. We all have a chance to be saved and God is not far away from any of us. When we Choose to come to him we must have the right approach. We must BELIEVE that he is, and that he will listen and reward those who diligently seek Him. If we renew our minds and change our hearts, then we will learn what the perfect will of God is Acts 17:26-27 says… ‘And has made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation. THAT THEY SHOULD SEEK THE LORD, if perhaps they might feel after him, and find him, though he be NOT far from every one of us’ Hebrews 11:6 But without Faith it is impossible to please him: for he that COMES to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that Diligently SEEK him. Isaiah 55:6 SEEK you the LORD while he may be found, CALL you upon him while he is near: Let the wicked FORSAKE his way, and the unrighteous man his THOUGHTS. Jeremiah 4:14 WASH your Heart from wickedness, that you may be saved (YOUR PART). Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of YOUR MIND, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. God does not go against his own will to do as he pleases. That is a calvinist stance from hell. God declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done is not going against his own will. His counsel shall stand, and will accomplish all his purposes, BUT nowhere does that say in an EVIL STATE or go against his own HOLY will to be done. Btw, I'm not an Arminianism. The tulip is not biblical & using God's word to twist it around to say it does not make it true.

Carlton- Charlene you said "Salvation is of the Lord, however, you must come to him for it." Jesus said that no man can come to me unless the Father which sent me draw him." John 6:44. Man by nature is spiritually DEAD. "You hath he quicked who were DEAD IN TRESPASSES AND SINS...." Eph 2:1 Man is a corpse who can't see his way to Jesus unless God opens his eyes. This is why Jesus healed the physically blind to show them they needed a far greater miracle to happen and that is to have their spiritual eyes opened. The command to seek and call upon the Lord is just that a command but it doesn't imply a sinner has the ability to do so in themselves without the power of the Holy Spirit working in them and there's nothing in the sinner that can force God to work in them otherwise grace is no more grace but works. If you think you can do something to merit salvation by something you do then you don't understand the nature of sin and salvation. You quote verses like Jeremiah 4:14 "Wash your heart from wickedness" but again you can't do this because only the Holy Spirit can wash a sinners heart clean and make it PURE. The heart is MADE PURE by the faith of Jesus Christ and you can't produce this faith of yourself. By grace are you saved through faith AND THAT NOT OF YOURSELF. It is a gift of God NOT OF WORKS lest any man should boast." Eph 2:8,9

Show less

Reply  

 

 

 

Charlene 

You sound like a calvie js. I have come to the Lord for salvation. Man by his nature chooses to be spiritually dead. He is not born dead. To be dead in trespasses and sins is to willfully be a servant to it. Ephesians does not say man is a corpses who can't see their way. That is a calvinist stance and is of the devil. Eph.2:2 says 'Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience' In order to walk in the course of the world is to yield to it. You are not born this way. Babies don't walk in the womb. God calls man to come out of his sinful ways of the world. Jesus taught man why he was sinful and he never said he was born this way.

 

You said: . The command to seek and call upon the Lord is just that a command but it doesn't imply a sinner has the ability to do so in themselves without the power of the Holy Spirit working in them and there's nothing in the sinner that can force God to work in them otherwise grace is no more grace but works.

 

My reply: Yup you sound like a calvie. God calls the lost to return unto him and the lost hear the call, but must decide to answer it. That's what Judgment day is about refusing to come and obey. I know of no sinner who would ask God to work in him. Only a repentant sinner will ask for God's grace and mercy. Grace reigns in righteousness not lawlessness - Rom.5:21

 

You said: If you think you can do something to merit salvation by something you do then you don't understand the nature of sin and salvation. You quote verses like Jeremiah 4:14 "Wash your heart from wickedness" but again you can't do this because only the Holy Spirit can wash a sinners heart clean and make it PURE. The heart is MADE PURE by the faith of Jesus Christ and you can't produce this faith of yourself. By grace are you saved through faith AND THAT NOT OF YOURSELF. It is a gift of God NOT OF WORKS lest any man should boast." Eph 2:8,9

 

My reply: If you think you can live like the devil and claim to be a child of God you are deceived. Scriptures tells us to cleanse ourselves and you say it can't be done well your fight is with God's word not me. Salvation is a partnership it has never been one sided. A covenant takes TWO or more. If love is not volunteer then it is not true love. Not at any time have I said that faith is of myself. Faith is something you place your trust in. My faith & trust is in the Lord Christ Jesus. Christ' work cleansed my sins and my work is manifested in Christ whom I follow after to guide me on the righteous path.

Show less

Reply  

 

 

 

Carlton 

Did I ever mention Calvinism? Not once. I follow only Jesus Christ and the Bible. I said: "The command to seek and call upon the Lord is just that a command but it doesn't imply a sinner has the ability to do so in themselves without the power of the Holy Spirit working in them and there's nothing in the sinner that can force God to work in them otherwise grace is no more grace but works.

 

You responded: " Yup you sound like a calvie. God calls the lost to return unto him and the lost hear the call, but must decide to answer it." Again you refuse to acknowledge salvation is a work of God not of man. Your will can not determine your destiny.

Please understand this truth. Your will can not determine your destiny. Scripture by the apostle Paul said" "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling but many forget the rest of the verse "for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." It is God that worketh in you.

Do you believe?

If you truly do believe then hear what scripture saith by the mouth of of God. Jesus answered and said unto them, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."

Notice it is the work of God and not the work of man. Psalm 110:3 says: "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power."

Do you not understand the gospel's power? Give God the glory and not yourself. That is just pride kicking up the merits of the sinful flesh. Romans 1:16 The gospel is the "power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes." Charlene the gospel is the POWER of GOD and NOT the power of man. You are making it the power of man by adding your free will doctrine and acting as though you can accept or reject. You have nothing that God desires or wants by nature because you are a loathsome being full of sin and rebellion whose heart hates God and would murder Him if you could. That's exactly what the wicked Jews did during Jesus's time and you and I are no different unless the grace of God works in us to change our hearts and purify them and this only happens when faith is given to us. Faith cleanses and purifies the heart and works love in us for the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The lost can not by nature "hear the call" and why is that? Because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Unless the Word penetrates the sinners heart and makes it alive from the dead (theological term for regeneration) there is no salvation or eternal life. You also said: "I know of no sinner who would ask God to work in him. Only a repentant sinner will ask for God's grace and mercy. Grace reigns in righteousness not lawlessness - Rom.5:21 Do you not know that repentance is a gift just as much as faith? How is one person able to repent and believe but not another? Who makes you to differ from another and what do you have that was not given to you? And if it was given to you then why do you boast as if it were not given to you? Sovereign grace alone makes one person to differ from another and this grace is given only to God's elect. As one dear brother put it who was no Calvinist but he believed in sovereign election and grace. "The grace of God is sovereign. By that we mean that God has an absolute right to give that grace where He chooses and to withhold it when He pleases. He is not bound to give it to any man, much less to all men; if He chooses to give it to one man and not to another, His answer is, ‘Is thine eye evil because mine eye is good? Can I not do as I will with mine own? I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.’

 

 

 

 

  Carlton Pruitt ministers the gospel to the Los Angeles area. Formerly a Hollywood actor (SAG member) and junk removal expert he now spends most of his time studying the scriptures, writing articles, hymns and poems and doing street preaching. See all his videos on https://www.YouTube.com/user/LAStreetPreacher CONTACT at [email protected]