A Heavenly Pilgrim's Sanctification: Is Arminianism a serious error only? Or is it outright False Gospel and Heresy? Is it even Biblical Christianity?

One of the questions that surround the Reformed Faith and people outside the faith is the matter of if those whom are Anti the Doctrines of Grace are outside of Christianity as a whole or not. The question becomes, "is Arminianism SubBiblical or completely Unbiblical and thus total Heretic False Teaching? Another Gospel that cannot save?"

The truth is harder to ascertain than one might think it is because there are many different types of Arminian folks and in fact have been more than one Arminianisms as J.I. Packer points out. You have Wesleyan Arminianism which acknowledges that at least Preveneint Grace; a move of God is needed to get you Spiritually and morally able to respond in repentance/Faith towards God. As well as stating they deny that Works save you despite their history of Christian Perfectionism.

On the other hand you have pretty much the rest of Arminianism which is really a mixed up muddle. It ranges from the Pentacostle movement with its many hyper Charismatic additions all the way to a very odd mix in the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist movement. All of these movements have a very worrying hatred towards anything even the most moderately Reformed. Even more of a hatred against their own characterized false version of Calvinism.

I want to come right out and state that if by Arminianism you mean the views espoused by The Romonstrants during the Synod of Dort it is indeed a heretical viewpoint that is completely Unbiblical. However, the mixing of different viewpoints comingling with each other thankfully stops most Arminianists from even knowing about let alone agreeing with the points set forth at Dort against the Biblical Christian views.

I also want to say that having said the above this does not mean most Arminianists are falsely converted heathens headed for hell. God can and Does save people whom do not intellectually understand how he saves. YOU CAN BE SAVED and have it happen well within even the worst Pseudo Christian Cult let alone while being taught improper Theology via Arminianists. This is because God Saves his Elect and we are merely the Means of God's Decree working out within time that he ordained from Eternity Passed.

The fact that most Arminianists are not consistently Arminianist ALA the Canons of Dort is also the reason that one can be an Arminianist and be a member of the Body of Christ. Most Arminianists lack of consistency is why I disagree with Sonny Hernandez that no Arminianists are Our Brothers and Sisters in Christ. It is similar to Romanism; in that I do believe people are saved despite being in an Arminian church or movement. There are plenty of truly Regenerated Arminian Brothers and Sisters.

However, I do have serious concerns for my Arminianism(s) Bretheran. That in accepting such an Unbiblical seteriology for the foundation of their movement they are opening themselves to other False Teachings. That they might take Arminianism to its logical and consistent conclusion taking them right out of The Gospel altogether into a Truly False Gospel that cannot save. Luckily the majority of the time this is not the case.

I will quote Reformed Baptist Brother Dr. James White on the matter below;

consistent, full-on Arminianism I do believe leads, inevitably and consistently (please note those terms), to a non-saving, man-centered system of religion. No question about it. But there is all the difference in the world to confess that and, at the same time, to recognize what I have often called the “blessed inconsistencies” of our Arminian, or more accurately, synergistic, brothers and sisters in Christ. I have met very few consistent Arminians—I have met many who have firmly extolled truths that have no place in a consistent Arminianism, and yet they are unaware of how their system is self-contradictory. I was one of those—every Calvinist that came to the Reformed position through prayer and study of the Word knows what I mean. But I was not saved the day I asked John Calvin into my heart. I was saved when I trusted in Jesus, and He faithfully led me, by His grace, to an understanding of His truth. In His time. In His fashion.”

(some) “tell God He has no right to draw a straight line with a crooked stick. It is straightforward: until you embrace all of Calvinism (I wonder just how much of that they really believe, or just how perfect their own understanding actually is?), you are lost. Unsaved. Enemy of God. Only Calvinists are saved. Pretty blunt, but there it is. Hyper-Calvinism in all its theological snobbery and perfectionism, never realizing that God works with sinners over time, in His own way, to cause them to GROW in grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. I was an heir of grace before I ever heard of John Calvin, ever heard of particular redemption, ever heard of many elements of Reformed theology. Once you start making the definition of the gospel more strict than the Spirit did in the Word, you have walked out of grace and into the realm of error yourself. Mark these men, keep an eye out for them! Few things can kill a Reformed church faster than graceless hyperism.”

I also wish to present the opinions of Dr. John Gerstner

from Handout Church History, at Ligonier:

"The 20th century and the modern missionary movement. You remember I called your attention to the fact that though the missionary movement really began with Calvinistic missionaries, the present day scene and really during the 19th century the transition from a predominantly Reformed missionary endeavor to a predominantly Arminian one took place. We’ve analyzed Arminianism a little bit more at an earlier period but now we are addressing the question with respect to evangelism and missionary work and winning people to Jesus Christ, and the question I’d asked was whether, indeed, an Arminian can do this.

My answer I said, was yes…and no.

Now the answer is yes in this sense: Because evangelical Arminians profess faith in the divine Christ, His atoning blood, His inspired word, and many, many other elements of Christian truth. People giving these essential truths, unlike people hearing the liberal denial of them, may be saved. We must never forget that point, that Arminianism is evangelical. It does proclaim the Gospel. It tells of a divine Christ who died vicariously for the sins of the people. That, we must never forget and for that we must always be profoundly grateful.

But along with it are other doctrines that we’ll come to in a moment, but right now we’ll say, when an Arminian speaks his version of Christianity, a person who hears him hears essential, core Christianity. The Gospel is there. There’s no denying that. And if the people really do believe in the Jesus Christ preached by an Arminian, they’ll believe in the Christ of the Gospel. He is the second Person of the Trinity, He is absolutely divine, He has a true and sinless human nature, He died vicariously on the cross. He rose bodily from the grave, He is going to come again in the clouds of heaven. Those basic verities will be carried to the ends of the earth by people who are truly Arminian and truly evangelical. In that sense, yes, because the core of the Gospel is there.

The answer is also no. … Arminian evangelism rests on profound error: that fallen man is not dead spiritually but only dying. He is therefore supposed to be able to bring about his own new birth by his self-generated faith. This can never happen. No one can ever be saved by himself even with the help of the Holy Spirit. Usually when I point this out to Arminians, they say, ‘don’t forget, we’re relying on the help of the Holy Spirit!’ Well, help from the Holy Spirit is not going to do any good for a corpse! You need more than help! And all you’re offering IS help! You admitting the person is sick and dying but you don’t admit what the Bible says, namely, he is dead. … I hope and believe that multitudes of Arminians really believe the truth they do hold in spite of the otherwise fatal errors they proclaim to the world.

So in a sentence, can an Arminian be a missionary, can person actually be saved by persons propagating such errors, yes, because they are propagating such truths. Such glorious truths that cause us to embrace them as fellow Christians and ask them to accept us as the same.

But at the same time, as an integral part of their theology, is an element which if it’s taken seriously, understood and acted upon by hearers of the Arminian gospel they’ll never be saved, they never can be saved. … These people are evangelical, they believe in the bible, they worship Jesus Christ, so you tend to trust them. If you trust their errors, it’s fatal. If you rely on their way of converting, you’ll never be converted.

Let’s try to hold onto both of these ideas."

Finally I present the views of the great RC Sproul;

Arminianists are getting into the Kingdom of God due to a blessed inconsistency. It is that same blessed inconsistency and Gods Soveriegn election that points to why I can claim inconsistent Armenians as Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

In Summary;

Consistently Arminian viewpoints as espoused at the Synod of Dort are a False Gospel and Heretical Unbiblical Unchristian views. However, the difference between Arminianisms then and now means one can be Non-Calvinist and still be sticking to enough of the Gospel for one to consider them fellow Christians in the Body of Christ. However, one is a saved Arminiast despite holding to said views. Very similar to Romanism vs Biblical Christianity.

Although IF Arminianism did equal unsaved God would not be unjust in saving only Calvinists either. I just do not think it is wise nor correct to say the Elect require correct hermeneutics to be saved.

If, however, the Arminian is preaching Open Theism, Provisionism or actual Pelagianism they are truly espousing a different Graceless False Unchristian Gospel. One espousing views such as the denial of Original Sin are to be treated as lost and outside the Kingdom. I recommend considering anyone spreading such views outside of The Church. If someone has been truly saved despite such Teachings they need to be decipled and taught the True Gospel. Having done so they would hopefully switch to a truly Solid Church. I would say a good Orthodox Reformed Church, but, any truly Orthodox and Biblically Solid church would suffice. If they refuse to listen to what is Biblical they may have never truly been saved.

https://crta.org/the-synod-of-dordt-condemned-arminianism/

https://effectualgrace.com/2017/11/23/is-arminianism-damnable-heresy/

https://www.apuritansmind.com/historical-theology/heresy-in-the-church/past-heresies-by-dr-c-matthew-mcmahon/

https://www.puritanboard.com/threads/do-calvinists-and-arminians-proclaim-the-same-gospel.47185/

https://www.semperreformanda.com/heresy/heresy-index/the-orthodox-presbyterian-church-on-the-heresy-of-arminianism/

https://www.all-of-grace.org/pub/pribble/damnable.html

https://www.puritanboard.com/threads/five-different-strains-of-arminianism-today.27834

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/dear-arminians/

https://www.monergism.com/topics/foreknowledge-god/open-theism

https://www.monergism.com/search?keywords=Arminianism+&format=All

https://growrag.wordpress.com/2021/03/24/pelagianism-and-provisionism-in-historical-duet/

https://biblethumpingwingnut.com/2019/01/27/the-frightening-thing-about-leighton-flowers/