Featured Harambe the Gorilla: A Serious Theological Lesson

Some readers may ask: ‘What’s the big deal? Why all the fuss about doctrine?’

Christ felt it important: If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself (John 7:17).

And what is the will of God?

And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:40).

There are two root issues which concern the ongoing controversies between our camp and the camp of our detractors.

The first concerns the nature of man in his sinful state.

Our opponents posit sinful man with the power of free will by which he is able to accept or reject the free gift of Christ.

Within that camp are diverse opinions as to how, exactly, sinful man has the power of free will.

The Pelagian group believes Adam’s fall did not adversely affect man’s freedom to obey God and choose holiness. True, he has sin issues in his life, but his will to choose or reject has not been utterly destroyed.

The Arminian group believes God does everything in His power to bring men to saving knowledge of the truth. He sends preachers. He sends the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. He may even give ‘sufficient grace’ which enables all men to choose Christ, if they so will. Through these ‘helps’ of God, man then has the will free to choose wisely or unwisely.

Ultimately, both groups posit sinful men with the freedom of their wills to obey the command of God to ‘repent and believe the Gospel’, if they so will.

We reject this teaching as anti-biblical for several reasons.

1. Christ and the Apostles teach man’s condition as irretrievable lost, dead and blind to the truths of God. He is darkness itself. His hatred of God and holiness is so intense, no matter the proofs of divinity displayed before his very eyes; he would rather see Christ dead than bow down to embrace Him.

2. By positing man with the power of spiritual insight to discern the truth of Christ, and thereby receive Him with open arms, our adversaries glorify man as a co-laborer and co-redeemer with the Savior. By doing his part, it is man who finishes the work necessary to insure his salvation.

We reject this premise because it is Christ who finished the work of salvation on the cross (John 19:30). All men who were given Christ by the Father will be saved, according to His perfect timing when they are effectually called to faith by His Spirit.

The sins of the Elect were paid for in full by Christ, including the sin of unbelief.

He was raised for our justification (Romans 4:25). Therefore, by virtue of His perfect work in life and death, Christ’s resurrection is the guarantee that all whom the Father gave Him will be justified, their sins having been propitiated by Christ.

Make no mistake; justification is the gift of God, as is the very faith which justifies.

3. By positing man with the free will to either accept or reject Christ, our opponents make man the arbiter of his eternal destiny, thereby making man the Lord of his life, whether for good or evil.

We reject this premise because it is God who holds all mankind in His absolute control and none can hinder His eternal will of purpose; whether it be His eternal purpose to save or His eternal purpose to destroy (Daniel 4:35; Proverbs 21:1).

The second concerns the role of God in the salvation of sinful man.

1. Our opponents would preach a God who ‘goes only so far’ in securing the salvation of men.

In their view, it is of utmost importance that man’s free will not be violated by God. For, that being the case, man’s right to self-determination would be destroyed, thereby making man nothing less than a puppet in the hands of a divine Puppet Master.

Furthermore, in their view, true love can only be given when the heart and will is free and not compelled.

We reject this premise because Scripture is clear that we love God because He loved us first (1 John 4:19).

The cause of our love is God, not our free will.

2. Our opponents demean the wisdom of God when they preach a God who ‘goes only so far’ in securing the salvation of men. Paul argues that if the Father gave the gift of His most precious Son, the greatest example of love and selflessness ever known, would it not be irresponsible and foolish not to give His Elect all other spiritual blessings/gifts necessary to secure salvation? In other words, if the Father gave the greater, why would He not give the lesser? (Romans 8:32).

3. And finally, where is the evidence of God’s infinite wisdom and power in sending His Son with the eternal purpose and mission to redeem and save the every inhabitant of the world when He fails to do so?

Our detractors preach a Jesus who earnestly desires to save all mankind, yet is horribly unsuccessful in His mission.

We reject this God-dishonoring premise, for Scriptures teach with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:46).

It is my hope and prayer our readers will meditate and pray about what I have written.