An Open Letter To Dave Hunt (8-17-01)

(Note:  I wrote the below letter sometime back, and then decided not to send it.  But after receiving Dave’s August 2001 “Berean Call” Newsletter today, which infuriated me after reading the Q & A section and his continued assaults on the “Doctrines of Grace,” and Martin Luther & John Calvin as teaching heresies, and bashing Augustine too…, I felt lead to send it to Dave after all, as well as to my e-mail list as an open letter, with a few additions.  And I’m sure this piece won’t be a crowd pleaser.  But I must sound the alarm and “contend for the faith once for all delivered unto the saints”.)

Dear Dave Hunt:

As a subscriber to your “Berean Call” Newsletter, I do find it to be useful at times, and commend you for some of your work on various subjects over the years.  However, you continue to attack the very “Gospel of Grace,” the Biblical Gospel.  Quite frankly, it falls under deviant theology as far as I’m concerned.  Nevertheless, I would like to continue to receive your newsletter for the good it contains, but also for the same reason I subscribe to other groups who distort or malign the truth, such as conspiracy theorists, KJV-only cultists, Bible Codes, End Times speculators, date suggesters, and date setters such as “Southwest Radio Church,” “Harold Camping,” and other aberrant groups and teachers.  If you don’t thoroughly and honestly know the topics you are addressing, you only become disingenuous with your statements and harm the cause of Christ, this Includes confusing your followers.

When will you “free willers” (no ad hominem intended) surrender and give God “all” the glory?  Rather then have to claim some credit for your salvation (whether realized or not).  Similar to you, there are other radio broadcaster’s who will claim God is sovereign, but yet believe man has a free will, and convey that only the Holy Spirit can change the heart.  This is clearly a contradiction.  What about Paul’s “free will” on the road to Damascus?  I suppose you believe that he exercised his “free will” and “accepted Christ.”  Hardly!  May this be a wake up call to all, and the “Berean Call.”  “Salvation is of the Lord” (Jonah 2:9); “Children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (John 1:13 NIV).

Also, I find it rather hypocritical and irresponsible of you to quote (in a positive light) John Bunyan and like reformers—who believed the very Gospel you condemn—that being “Calvinism.”  This just doesn’t wash.  Including your continued assaults on Martin Luther and John Calvin.  To quote Charles H. Spurgeon (a Calvinistic Baptist) the renowned Prince of Preachers in his sermon titled Free Will A Slave (you can read this sermon in it’s entirety on my website sites.silaspartners.com/csm4jesus):

“… It has already been proved beyond all controversy that free-will is nonsense … Philosophy and religion both discard at once the very thought of free-will; and I will go as far as Martin Luther, in that strong assertion of his, where he says, "If any man doth ascribe aught of salvation, even the very least, to the free-will of man, he knoweth nothing of grace, and he hath not learnt Jesus Christ aright." It may seem a harsh sentiment; but he who in his soul believes that man does of his own free-will turn to God, cannot have been taught of God, for that is one of the first principles taught us when God begins with us, that we have neither will nor power, but that he gives both; that he is "Alpha and Omega" in the salvation of men.

…You have heard a great many Arminian sermons, I dare say; but you never heard an Arminian prayer—for the saints in prayer appear as one in word, and deed and mind. An Arminian on his knees would pray desperately like a Calvinist. He cannot pray about free-will: there is no room for it. Fancy him praying, "Lord, I thank thee I am not like those poor presumptuous Calvinists. Lord, I was born with a glorious free-will; I was born with power by which I can turn to thee of myself; I have improved my grace. If everybody had done the same with their grace that I have, they might all have been saved … Thou givest grace to everybody; some do not improve it, but I do. There are many that will go to hell as much bought with the blood of Christ as I was; they had as much of the Holy Ghost given to them; they had as good a chance, and were as much blessed as I am.  It was not thy grace that made us to differ; I know it did a great deal, still I turned the point; I made use of what was given me, and others did not—that is the difference between me and them.” 

Brother Spurgeon in another sermon titled A Defense of Calvinism (this sermon also available at sites.silaspartners.com/csm4jesus):

“… It was He who turned my heart, and brought me down on my knees before Him. I can in very deed, say with Doddridge and Toplady—

 "Grace taught my soul to pray,

And made my eyes o'er flow;"

  and coming to this moment, I can add—

"Tis grace has kept me to this day,

          And will not let me go."

The late lamented Mr. Denham has put, at the foot of his portrait, a most admirable text, "Salvation is of the Lord." That is just an epitome of Calvinism; it is the sum and substance of it. If anyone should ask me what I mean by a Calvinist, I should reply, " He is one who says, Salvation is of the Lord." I cannot find in Scripture any other doctrine than this. It is the essence of the Bible. "He only is my rock and my salvation." Tell me anything contrary to this truth, and it will be a heresy; tell me a heresy, and I shall find its essence here, that it has departed from this great, this fundamental, this rock- truth, "God is my rock and my salvation." What is the heresy of Rome, but the addition of something to the perfect merits of Jesus Christ—the bringing in of the works of the flesh, to assist in our justification? And what is the heresy of Arminianism but the addition of something to the work of the Redeemer? Every heresy, if brought to the touchstone, will discover itself here. I have my own private opinion that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and Him crucified, unless we preach what nowadays is called Calvinism. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else. I do not believe we can preach the gospel, if we do not preach justification by faith, without works; nor unless we preach the sovereignty of God in His dispensation of grace; nor unless we exalt the electing, unchangeable, eternal, immutable, conquering love of Jehovah; nor do I think we can preach the gospel, unless we base it upon the special and particular redemption of His elect and chosen people which Christ wrought out upon the cross; nor can I comprehend a gospel which lets saints fall away after they are called, and suffers the children of God to be burned in the fires of damnation after having once believed in Jesus. Such a gospel I abhor….”

Also by Spurgeon, SOVEREIGN GRACE HATED By The MODERN RELIGIONIST:

If anything is hated bitterly, it is the out‑and‑out gospel of the grace of God, especially if that hateful word "sovereignty" is mentioned with it. Dare to say, "He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and he will have compassion on whom he will have compassion" (Rom 9:15), and furious critics will revile you without stint. The modem religionist not only hates the doctrine of sovereign grace, but he raves and rages at the mention of it. He would sooner hear you blaspheme than preach election by the Father, atonement by the Son, or regeneration by the Spirit. If you want to see a man worked up till the Satanic is clearly uppermost, let some of the new divines hear you preach a free‑grace sermon. A gospel which is after men will be welcomed by men; but it needs a divine operation upon the heart and mind to make a man willing to receive into his inmost soul this distasteful gospel of the grace of God.

My dear brethren, do not try to make it tasteful to carnal minds. Hide not the offence of the cross, lest you make it of none effect. The angles and corners of the gospel are its strength: to pare them off is to deprive it of power. Toning down is not the increase of strength, but the death of it. Why, even among the sects, you must have noticed that their distinguishing points are the horns of their power; and when these are practically omitted, the sect is effete. Learn, then, that if you take Christ out of Christianity, Christianity is dead. If you remove grace out of the gospel, the gospel is gone. If the people do not like the doctrine of grace, give them all the more of it. Whenever its enemies rail at a certain kind of gun, a wise military power will provide more of such artillery. A great general, going in before his king, stumbled over his own sword. "I see," said the king, "your sword is in the way." The warrior answered, Your majesty's enemies have often felt the same." That our gospel offends the King's enemies is no regret to us (M.T.P. 1891, p 49).

I preach the doctrines of grace because I believe them to be true, because I see them in the Scriptures; because my experience endears them to me, and because I see the holy result of them in believers. I confess they are nonetheless dear to me because the advanced school despises them: I should never think it a recommendation of a doctrine that it was new. Those truths which have enlightened so many ages appear to me to be ordained to remain throughout eternity. The doctrine which I preach to you is that of the Puritans: it is the doctrine of Calvin, the doctrine of Augustine, the doctrine of Paul, the doctrine of the Holy Ghost. The Author and Finisher of our faith Himself taught this most blessed truth which well agrees with our text (Eph 2.8). The doctrine of grace is the substance of the testimony of Jesus.” (The Sword & Trowel, Jan 1887)

“We are all born Arminians, but when we get to heaven we will be Calvinists.”

 FACTS:

“Free Willers” (Arminians):  “If it wasn’t for the grace of God, and “My” decision, there go I.” (Synergism)

 “Doctrines of Gracers” (Calvinists):  “If it wasn’t for the grace of God there go I.” (Monergism)

And to quote Dr. James R. White:

“Synergism is the hallmark of man’s religion:  monergism the mark of the biblical gospel” (The Potter’s Freedom, p. 92)

The logical conclusion of “free will” is “I.”  The logical conclusion of the “doctrine of grace” is “God.”  I agree with what Dr. Michael S. Horton said when he was on The Bible Answer Man broadcast sometime back when Hank asked him if he agreed that Arminianism is acceptable with in the pail of orthodoxy, Dr. Horton replied (as I recall from memory):  “No.  Arminianism is not acceptable with Christianity … but there are Arminians with in the Church Universal.”

“Can’t we all [give God ‘all’ the glory and] just get along?”

Though I’ll admit there are antinomies, such as God being totally sovereign, yet man is responsible.  But that is vastly different from the statement “God is sovereign, but man has free will.”  The first quote gives God all the glory, where the ladder gives man the last word, or glory.  This is the bottom line:

“If you don’t give God all the glory, you give Him no glory”—TDO

One more thing, I’ll be looking forward to the lengthy debate with Dr. James R. White; that is if you’ll accept the challenge addressed to you on his weekly “The Dividing Line” Live Internet Webcast on Saturday 6-23-01 et al.  The one or two hours that you spent last year on live radio playing Scripture ping-pong will not suffice.  You must accept his challenge of a 9-hour debate to cover the issue adequately.

As much as I have great respect for you Dave Hunt, and Norman Geilser too, and have both of your books in my library; I must say, you both need to step up to the plate of the debate challenges of Dr. White so the body of Christ can hear both sides in a professional debate format.

Relevant to the subject, and worthy to note:  I find it interesting that James R. White’s book “The Potter’s Freedom” has 28 endorsements even by non-Calvinists, where Norman Geisler’s book “Chosen But Free” has zero endorsements.

If you want to listen to the archives of James’ response to your attacks on Calvinism, if you haven’t already, and for those interested go to www.aomin.org and click on “Real Audio” and scale down to 6-23-01 and following.  In addition, listen to the Live Webcast Saturday afternoon from 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Arizona time.  May God bless and guide us all, by His grace, into all truth.

Spurgeon sermons for further edification:

Pilgrim Publications: www.pilgrimpub.org

Chapel Library: www.mountzion.org

Brother Emmett O’Donnell edits Spurgeon’s sermons in modern English found below:

Spurgeon Gems: www.spurgeongems.org

Eternal Life Ministries: www.eternallifeministries.org

Bondservant of Jesus,

Timothy D. Oliver, Director

CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS MINISTRIES

tdosoldier@yahoo.com

sites.silaspartners.com/csm4jesus

"But examine everything carefully, hold fast to that which is good [true]" (I Thess. 5:21 NASB).

"I [Jesus] am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life" (John 8:12 NKJV).

• What An Edit Job Is This? Part IV 12-8-04 by James R. White