Thursday, April 30, 2009

Pelagianism is still around


From Christianity Today's This Week in History:

April 30, 418: Roman Emperor Honorius (395-423) issues a decree against Pelagianism, a heresy teaching that man can take the initial and fundamental steps towards salvation by his own efforts, apart from divine grace.

And yet it is still taught and preached most egregiously by those supposedly in the reformation tradition - nowadays known as "Decision Theology" - first you make a "decision for Christ" THEN God will forgive and save you... or "First you have to repent and THEN God will forgive you". Or worse, the "Four Spiritual Laws" that if you follow, God will have no choice but to forgive you and be your best bud.

All of this is heresy...."I believe that I cannot by my own strength believe in or come to him" - Explanation to the Third Article of the Creed in Martin Luther's Small Catechism
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4 comments:

  1. Mrs Redboots (Annabel Smyth)April 30, 2009 at 5:27 AM

    Thanks, Joelle. My reaction, I have to admit, was, "Bloody hell!", because although I know in my head that it is all God's idea.... does it come across when I preach????

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  2. Mrs Redboots (Annabel Smyth)April 30, 2009 at 5:28 AM

    P.S. Please may I quote this in a forum I belong to?

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  3. Pastor JoelleApril 30, 2009 at 7:42 AM

    Sure you can quote me.

    I think it's really hard not to put some of it back on us. The bad news is - we are not in control. The good news is - We are not in control!

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  4. Mrs Redboots (Annabel Smyth)April 30, 2009 at 8:01 AM

    Thanks! And then, of course, from thinking we are not in control comes the theory of Limited Atonement, which is, of course, abomination to us Arminians!

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