Myth #7: Arminianism is not a theology of grace. Olson contends that the \u201cmaterial principle\u201d of Arminianism is prevenient grace and that all of salvation is \u201cwholly and entirely of God\u2019s grace.\u201d So there.
\nHere is Olson\u2019s analogy. Humans have fallen into a pit and are unconscious. God calls to them and God\u2019s call awakens them. God pours water into the pit (prevenient grace) and encourages the humans to relax so they can float in God\u2019s grace and as the water rises they escape from the pit of sin and death.
\nOlson finds biblical support in John 6: the prevenient calling grace. That calling involves calling, convicting, illuminating, and enabling. All humans can do is \u201ccooperate by not resisting\u201d (160). The quickening ray is God\u2019s drawing grace.
\nAgain, he trots out the evidence from Arminius into modern Arminians, including the Remonstrants, Wesley and moderns like Wiley.
\nArminius: \u201cI ascribe to grace the commencement, the continuance, and the consummation of all good\u201d (162). Grace, acc to Arminius, is however resistible. He denies irresistible grace.
\nOlson contends that this grace is preeminent for Arminius. \u201cToo many Calvinists,\u201d he says on p. 163, \u201cdo not mention this and undermine their credibility, which raises questions about their integrity.\u201d
\nArminius taught an evangelical synergism: all the efficacy is in God\u2019s grace but God grants humans the \u201cGod-granted ability to resist or not resist it\u201d (165). The decisive factor is God\u2019s grace, not the humand decision to resist or not resist. This is the view also of Wesley and Tom Oden.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Myth #7: Arminianism is not a theology of grace. Olson contends that the \u201cmaterial principle\u201d of Arminianism is prevenient grace and that all of salvation is \u201cwholly and entirely of God\u2019s grace.\u201d So there.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":197,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1820","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n