Answering an Arminian on the Will and Ability of Sinners to Come to Christ

A while back, a reader in Georgia asked me to address and answer an Arminian, Dr. Curtis Hutson, on the “Five Points of Calvinism,” of which Hutson disagrees with all five. Today, we will address point one: total depravity. (http://www.victorybaptistmg.org/Why%20I%20Disagree%20With%20All%205%20Points%20of%20Calvinism.pdf)

As a preface, Hutson makes a common error, when he writes, “I want us to look at all five points of Calvinism, as taught by John Calvin…” First, John Calvin never taught the five points of Calvinism so named. Few Christians know the origin of the five points, which were brought by the Remonstrants against the church in Holland in the 17th century (John Calvin lived in the 16th century Geneva, Switzerland).

The Remonstrants were the followers and successors to Jacobus Arminius, who was a rogue preacher and professor at the Academy of Leiden, the Netherlands. When they brought their five points against the teachings of the church, the Synod of Dordt (1618–1619) was called to defend the church’s teaching and debunk the Arminian heresy. This, they did.

Curtis Hutson claims to believe in total depravity, while redirecting his reader’s attention to total inability. He agrees that the human heart is desperately wicked (Jer 17:9), yet he promotes man’s will and ability to make the incredibly wise decision to accept Jesus Christ! It is important to correct him at this point because total inability is a subcategory of total depravity. In other words, he has opted to attack a secondary and supporting point, rather than the true and larger category of total depravity.

Total depravity includes the teaching that the human heart and mind is only inclined toward evil all the time (Gen 6:5; Jer 17:9; Eph 4:17). It is true that the natural man is unable to comprehend the light that has come into the world because he is blinded by the devil (Jn 1:5; 1 Cor 2:11, 14; 2 Cor 4:4).

Hutson proof texts John 5:40; Matthew 23:37; and Revelation 22:17 to make his argument, “The only thing that stands between the sinner and salvation is the sinner’s will.” He continues, “God made every man a free moral agent. And God never burglarises the human will.”

In John 5:40, Jesus says, “You will not come to Me that you might have life.” While disagreeing with Hutson, we do agree with the Scripture. Men are not willing to receive Jesus because it is only by the will of God that one does come to Jesus (Jn 1:13; Rom 9:15–16). In fact, John 6:44 tells us that no one can come to Jesus, unless the Father draws him. Lorraine Boettner rightly notes that elkuse in the Greek is the stronger “drags” (see John 21:8).

In Matthew 23:37, Jesus mourned Jerusalem before the city crucified Him. Hutson points out that Jesus emphasized that they “would” not come, not, that they “could” not come. Again, in an attempt to elevate the “free will” of man to heights above the free will of God, Hutson merely plays games with particular words.

Do all men have a will afforded to them by their Creator? Yes, all men have a will by which they make choices all day, every day. In addition to their desperately wicked hearts, the Apostle Paul tells us of the undiscerning mind of the natural man, “…the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the Law of God, for it is not even able to do so (Rom 8:7).” Does that sound like inability?

Hutson argues that men are free moral agents, but clearly, if they are unable to keep the Moral Law, they must be slaves to sin (Rom 6:6).

Hutson also attempts to make his case from John 12:32 that if Christ is lifted up on the cross he will draw “all men” to Himself. Not only does He pit the Father (Jn 6:44) against the Son (Jn 12:32), he forgets the context of Jesus’ teaching from Numbers 21:6–9. When the serpent was raised up upon Moses’ standard, did it draw the Moabites, the Edomites, and the Ammonites to come to be healed?

Bible interpretation requires that we be consistent. Let us consider another analogy employed by Hutson as he attempts to prove his case for universal calling and free will decisionalism. Using John 1:9, Hutson argues that true Light ligheth “every man.”

According to Hutson, the light of creation calls every man to Christ (Rom 1:19–20) and then the light of conscience does, too (Rom 2:11–16), “even when they have not heard the Word of God.” He seems to miss that faith in Christ comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ (Rom 10:17). Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6), and faith is granted by God (Gal 3:22; Phil 1:29), only to those ordained to eternal life (Acts 13:48).

Finally, Hutson closes his argument for the free will of free moral agents by intimating Revelation 22:17 as an invitation to all people, “And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come…” It is true that the Gospel call is for all men to hear (versus the hyper-Calvinists). We ask, “Who has ears to hear that call of God, to come and drink freely of the water of life? Jesus gives hearing ears to the deaf and sight to the blind, according to His gracious choice (Jn 9; Rom 11:5).

We reject Curtis Hutson’s case of gathering Scriptures that have the word “will” and “come” in them. Scripture is clear that all men are commanded to repent of their innumerable sins against the holy God (Acts 17:30). In his having mercy (Rom 9:15–16) upon vessels of mercy prepared for glory (Rom 9:23), God has willed for some to receive Christ (Jn 1:12–13), giving them the grace to do what is required.

This remnant according to God’s gracious choice (Rom 11:5) were given to Jesus Christ (Jn 6:37) before the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8; 17:8; 21:27). These chosen ones were predestined to adoption as sons, according to the kind intention of God’s will, not their own will (Eph 1:4–5). The remnant church, the Israel of God (Gal 6:16) was whom Christ purchased with His precious blood (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet 1:19).

It is the Holy Spirit who effectually calls the church through the preaching of the Word of truth (Ps 119:160; Rom 1:16–17; 10:14–17; 1 Cor 2:2). Christ’s sheep hear His voice (Jn 10:27) because they have been made to hear, to see, and to walk after Him, by their being made alive from being dead in their trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1–5).

We must conclude from Scripture that salvation of totally depraved sinners is all of God and not of themselves. God’s people are made willing on the day of his power (Ps 110:3), and the day of salvation for some, not all, was planned and executed by His will and choice, so that no man may boast in himself (1 Cor 1:29–31).

David Norczyk

Spokane Valley, Washington

November 16, 2022