Originally Posted by
WestminsterChristian
Regarding your video on James White and Calvinism
I just finished watching and listening to your videos regarding James White and Calvinism on YouTube. I rarely respond Anti-James White/Anti-Calvinism attacks because they are far too common lack substance. As a courtesy to you, I will address what I believe to be wrongful accusations you have aired against James White and Calvinism (misrepresenting Total Depravity, Repentance, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ). I hope that you will reciprocate, by hearing me out, and therefore extend the same courtesy of time to me as I have to you by watching your videos. I promise to not criticize your unscholarly rhetoric, assumptions, and polemic accusations and mishandling of the Word of God (that is, not beyond this open rebuke).
Neither James White nor Calvinism teaches salvation apart from repentance. A cursory overview of both should have already made that clear to you. Both recognize that repentance and gladly believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ are fundamental to the historic and scriptural Christian faith. What White and Calvinism clearly affirm is that we, APART FROM THE REDEMPTIVE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD FIRST IN OUR LIVES, are totally depraved and therefore do not come to God for Salvation. Man does not seek God. It is the Son of God that came to seek and save the lost (not the other way around). Natural men do not receive the things of God and they can know them (1 Corinthians 2:14) therefore they never repent and believe in and of their own sinful accord . . . never. The bible clearly teaches this (See . . . Romans 3:11, John 1:13, John 5:40, John 6:44 amongst so many other passages).
James White and Calvinists DO believe that repentance is integral in salvation and without repentance, there is no salvation. Now, to repent means to think differently about your sin, to turn and turn again, turning from your sin and turning to God. We (Calvinists, if that is what you want to call us) repent. All real Christians do. Moreover, WE NEVER SAID WE DIDNT. WHAT WE DONT DO is credit ourselves as having repented without the intervention of our Holy God. WE DO NOT change repentance into a man-made work that results in salvation but we, instead, recognize that even our repentance is a gift through Gods grace and mercy (never making repentance a work of man, Phil 2:8-9).
Here is what we have been saying from day one. Our very willingness to repent is not in and of our own spiritually dead selves. Even our Repentance was granted to us by God. Our willingness and ability to repent, is based on God granting us repentance. 2 Timothy 2:25-26 states if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth Again, who grants repentance? It is God who grants repentance!
God grants grace, repentance, faith and salvation through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is the new life. We, Calvinists, just like all Christians (real Christians) repent, confessing with our mouths and believe in our hearts that Jesus Christ is Lord. The difference is that we credit our Sovereign God for first moving by removing our heart of (cold dead) stone and giving us a (living) heart of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19 and Ezekiel 36:26). Thus, Jesus Christ is truly the Author and Finisher of our faith.
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