Why I am Not an Arminian
Without weighing in too heavily on the Calvinist/Arminian debate, I do note that I am often surprised as I read Scripture at the number of times the Lord asserts his comprehensive sovereignty over all things.
Today I was reading in Isaiah and found the following passage from chapter 10. God is describing the discipline he is going to bring upon the remainder of Israel (the southern kingdom of Judah) through the king of Assyria and his armies.
When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, he will punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes. For he says:
“By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding; I remove the boundaries of peoples, and plunder their treasures; like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones. My hand has found like a nest the wealth of the peoples; and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken, so I have gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved a wing or opened the mouth or chirped.”
Shall the axe boast over him who hews with it, or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it? As if a rod should wield him who lifts it, or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood! Therefore the Lord God of hosts will send wasting sickness among his stout warriors, and under his glory a burning will be kindled, like the burning of fire. The light of Israel will become a fire, and his Holy One a flame, and it will burn and devour his thorns and briers in one day.
The king of Assyria believes that he is really bringing the heat and the Lord says, “How dare that axe handle believe that he raised himself!”
I do not deny that we humans have choices that yeild real results. But any theory or theology that does not appropriately deal with the commonplace assertions like the one above is found wanting for completeness and satisfaction.
