Arminianism is the belief that Jesus died and did all He could for everyone, so that the only people who would be saved by His atonement are those who would be “better than others” and cause the atonement to be effective by doing their part. But this fails to acknowledge the extent of our fallen nature and the fact that faith and repentance must now be granted by God based on Jesus’ merits (e.g. Acts15:9, 18:27, Eph.1:19, 2Tim.2:25, 1Pet.1:21, 2Pet.1:1). As a result of what God accomplished in times past, it is worked out thru people’s actions in the process of time. So although it’s not always easy for God’s people to distinguish the working out of God’s will in their coming to Christ, God was the first cause of their coming for “the preparations of the heart, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord” (Prov.16:1).
The Holy Spirit must first apply God’s enabling gifts to His peoples account before they can respond to the gospel. Repentance and faith are actually provisions of the gospel that enable God’s people to fulfill His commands. Regeneration and quickening by the Holy Spirit occurs before anyone even has the desire to respond to the gospel call (Ps.110:3, 1Cor.2:14, 4:7). Or else there’d be no need for a Savior and Jesus would have died in vain!
The spiritual gifts necessary for responding to the gospel (faith and repentance) were obtained for God’s people by Christ Jesus (Eph1:3, 4:8). In other words, God has provided what He commands, or else no one would be saved. Yet, false teachers convolute the whole gospel by teaching that we must first conjure up our own faith and repentance (in a degenerate, fallen state) and then Jesus’ atonement would atone. How ridiculous!
How could anyone wholeheartedly put their trust in Christ if His atonement didn’t actually atone— unless our works are added to it —-to make Jesus die for us? How ludicrous! How can anyone be called to trust in an inefficient atonement that would allow some that He died for to slip thru the cracks? How could anyone trust in an atonement that couldn’t even save His people from themselves, let alone from hell!!?? Yet, this is the kind of blasphemy that’s being preached today!
The true gospel and the true nature of the atonement is that it actually atoned and was actually purposed by God the Father to fulfill what it was intended to accomplish. God the Son actually purchased those it was intended for. God the Holy Spirit actually applies the merits of it to the “purchased possessions” in the process of time (Eph.1:14). Any divergence from the true nature of the atonement and eternal security would fall apart. It is unconditional or else we could earn or lose our salvation.
Thank God for the truth, so that those who are truly concerned for the salvation of their souls thru Jesus Christ can have the blessed assurance that Jesus’ blood atonement actually secures, because it’s an unconditional atonement, based solely on God’s “election of grace,” not our works (Rom.11:5-8).
So those who end up in hell can’t blame it on an insufficient atonement and they can’t blame it on God’s election of grace. God isn’t unfair or unjust by sending people to hell due to their total corruption and rejection of Jesus Christ. They will be in hell because they are the seeds of the serpent by their own fallen “free” will to serve sin and satan, rather than the seeds of promise by grace thru faith in Jesus Christ.
God’s judgment is righteous and He divides the darkness as He sees fit and He does it sinlessly and righteously. No one will be in hell due to any unfairness on God’s part, because we all deserved hell, but He’s chosen to have mercy on some. And He’s set it up this way so that no one will have an excuse for their sin (which deserves hell) and so that the elect cannot boast that they are any “better than others”—- (like Arminianism does).
God’s eternal redemption is based solely on His grace and mercy for He has the right to “have mercy on whom He wills and to harden whom He wills (Rom9:18). Because He’s God, we should fear before Him and plead for His mercy. So, instead of the belief of just “doing our part”—-hoping Jesus “makes up the difference”—–
Scripture holds true
—-Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb.12:2).
Christ Rescued Me! 