Dave Block
My name's Dave, and I'm a former Arminian. The Lord opened my eyes and heart to
believe in him when I was only eight years old. One Wednesday night, during a youth
meeting at my church, the teachers fully explained the Gospel message and offered
an invitation to go to the other side of the room if you wanted to talk more about
what they had just presented. I remember feeling very afraid of the prospect of
spending eternity in hell and amazed that God would send his Son to die for sinners
like me, but I wasn't sure about everything, so I denied the opportunity to pray
at that time. But that same night, as I laid in my bed thinking about what I had
heard, God quickened my heart and I begged God for His forgiveness. Over the next
ten years I was discipled from the Arminian point of view. After I graduated from
high school I attended the same college that Nate did and for the first year of my
education my Arminian beliefs went unchallenged. In my sophomore year, I began to
date my long-time friend, Caryn (now my wife), who was a monergist. Through some
long conversations and debates, I realized that my theological dogmas were based
on sentiment and not on the Word alone. I began to contemplate God's infinity and
eternality and realized that my view of God was really small. God then enlightened
my mind and I came to embrace the theology of monergism. Since then, my faith and
obedience has grown by leaps and bounds. My hope is that God will illuminate the
Scriptures for you that you may see Him for who he really is.
et cognoscetis veritatem et veritas liberabit vos,
"and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free"
Dave Block
To contact Dave write to: dave@apostatearminian.com
Nate Harlan
My name’s Nate, and I’m a former Arminian. I won’t bother with a bunch of biographical
info - you didn’t log on to hear about my 3 year old’s struggles with potty training
or my neurotic, co-dependent dog. You’re here to discuss theology, so that’s what
I’ll briefly discuss in reference to myself. I’ve been justified in Christ for about
13 years, and spent 10 of those years as a staunch Arminian. I was ’saved,’ baptized,
and discipled in a decidedly Wesleyan-Arminian denomination. I attended the college
affiliated with the same denomination, and received a thoroughly Arminian theological
education. I fervently defended the free-will of man in regard to salvation and railed
against doctrines such as predestination, limited atonement, preservation of the
saints, etc. In my mind, Calvinism was a deterministic and flawed theology that failed
to support the mercy of God and the responsibility of man. I even vehemently stated
among friends that if God truly was the God Calvin (and Augustine, Spurgeon, Owen,
Edwards, etc) claimed Him to be, then “I wanted nothing to do with Him.” What a foolish,
ignorant thing to say. Then several years ago, while working under a Reformed-minded
pastor, I was exposed to the writings of the venerable John Owen. In short, I realized
that Arminianism was not based upon the testimony of Scripture, but on the fallen
sentimentality of man. After months of debate and internal strife, I ’apostatized’
from the theology of Arminius and embraced monergism or ‘5-point Calvinism‘ to many.
The bottom line, I have learned, is this: “It [salvation, God’s election] does not,
therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy” Romans 9:16 (emphasis
mine). Salvation is the result of God’s sovereign grace, not the choice of man. Many
consider this to be splitting theological hairs. It is my hope that our site will
help you to see that there is much more at stake here than mere theological hair-splitting:
it is the very essence of the Gospel. Therefore, what we believe in regard to the
Calvinist/Arminian debate has profound implications for every Christian, not only
the ivory tower dwelling theologians. May God, who gives freely without finding fault,
grant you the wisdom to discern these things.
Sola Gratia,
Nate Harlan
To contact Nate write to: nate@apostatearminian.com
