A student asked me recently what I thought of prevenient grace. This, of course, is the concept that the Wesleyan-Arminian tradition uses to defend the concept that although all humans are dead in their trespasses and unable to choose Christ in their own strength, God, in Christ’s atonement, makes possible enough grace to all humans that they now cantrust in Christ should they so choose. Then, the Spirit comes to actually indwell them and empower them for the process of sanctification as well.
My reply was that I had never found a passage in the Bible that clearly teaches the concept. God’s grace extends to all people for all manner of non-salvific things, but where is there a text that depicts prevenient grace as just defined? It seems more a corollary of other theological convictions about what God must do to be fair and gracious, and to explain the Scriptural tension between divine sovereignty and human responsibility.
http://www.denverseminary.edu/craig-blombergs-blog-new-testament-musings/irresistible-or-prevenient-grace/
"My reply was that I had never found a passage in the Bible that clearly teaches the concept. God’s grace extends to all people for all manner of non-salvific things, but where is there a text that depicts prevenient grace as just defined?"
ReplyDeleteIf there are Arminians reading this post, how would you answer Dr. Blomberg?
I have been studying this issue and there does not seem to be a lot of clarity in Amrinian writings. On the one hand it 'seems' that Classical Arminians typically believe that PG is supplied only to those that hear the gospel message. Whereas, it seems Wesleyans teach that PG is universal and supplied at birth. Does anyone know where this can be clarified?
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