Humanists puffed up on their academic attainments have concluded that their postulates are axiomatic, and that their wisdom is so absolute it allows for no "ifs" or "perhaps". Their dogmatism is that of a fool, for they have said in their hearts, "There is no God" (Ps. 14:1), and they know nothing yet as they ought to know it (1 Cor. 8:2). The born again person does not deny the contention of the Humanists that an education in the arts and sciences taught by the elite institutions of men enhances success. The Lord’s churches have a high regard and respect for success, but what they know and proclaim is: any success that does not own God as its Author is of the flesh and the flesh profiteth nothing. Simply, aside from God there is NO genuine success.
Arminianism says: "Man has the intellectual power to choose eternal life or death, and that every man is given ample space to make up his mind in this vital matter". But Christ says, speaking of the natural man: "Ye will not come to Me that ye might have life" (John 5:40). Speaking of the utter impotence of man’s natural will, Christ says: "No man can come to me . . ." (John 6:44). Paul, in his accentuation of this truth, says: "The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God" (Rom. 8:7,8). The natural man is "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Tim. 3:7).
Arminianism’s declaration of the absolute independence of man’s will is tantamount to saying, the fruit of a tree has a nature of its own, which is altogether free of the root of the tree. The fruit of a tree is invariably determined by the character of its root. Genealogically, Adam is the root of mankind, and when Adam committed spiritual suicide (Gen. 3:6), his progeny died in him. "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Rom. 5:12).
"A corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit" (Matt. 7:18). All the moral fruit which the natural man brings forth, be they ever so laudatory or praiseworthy by the standards of men, are, when weighed in the scales of omniscience, seen to be worm infested. Thus it is, the rationalist is left without a valid recourse, for the law of reaping and sowing applies not only to agrarian science, but to all earthly organisms. Christ said: "The tree is known by his fruit" (Matthew 12:33). Note: in this text, Christ personified the "tree," and in so doing, leaves NO room for the hypocrite. The flesh, be it ever so religious, profiteth nothing (John 6:63). Job, speaking of human reproduction, asks: "Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?" And Job, with awesome finality, answers his own question, saying: "Not one" (Job 14:4).