The Calvinism Debate - Way of Life Literature

salvation, in such a sense that he cannot make any choice inregard to salvation. Ever since the fall, man’s will has been inbondage so that he cannot even respond to God’s offer ofgrace.In the words of the Westminster Confession TotalDepravity is defined as follows: “Man, by his fall into a state ofsin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual goodaccompanying salvation; so as a natural man being altogetheraverse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able, by his ownstrength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto.”As we have said, the Calvinistic doctrine of Total Depravitydoes not end simply with man in a totally unrighteouscondition, with a fallen and corrupt nature and heart andunable to save himself by his works. is doctrine alsoinvolves something that is called the “bondage of the will.”Dr. Jeffrey Khoo, a Presbyterian who heads up the FarEastern Bible College in Singapore (a staunch defender of thefaith and a man for whom I have a high regard in spite of ourdifferences), writes: “Man’s freedom of choice has beenforfeited since the Fall. ... e Bible teaches human inabilityand total depravity” (Arminianism Examined, p. 4).When Dr. Khoo speaks of “human inability,” he means notonly that the sinner is unable to save himself by his deeds butalso that the sinner is unable to respond in faith to God’s offerof salvation.I have challenged Calvinists to give me even one Scripturethat teaches this, and I have examined books by Calvinists forsuch a proof text, but in vain. As we will see, the followingScriptures that they put forth as proof texts do not teach theirdoctrine in regard to man’s will and inability to exercise faith.We agree fully that the Bible teaches that man is totallydepraved in the sense that the sinner is corrupt andunrighteous and that there is no good in him that isacceptable before God and that it is impossible for him toearn salvation through his own works. BUT CALVINISM86