Why James White (a Leading Proponent of Calvinism) is Going to Hell
A careful reading of Debating Calvinism (2004 paperback edition) between Dave Hunt (OSAS Arminian) & James White (Calvinist).
If James White is born-again and not going to Hell, then you don't want to be saved! For that would be gnosticism since the creator is quite evil if he is Calvinistic. See the 6 questions on the forums posed to White he responded to by video, but to my knowledge has not responded to my response (see the forums). This is typical of White to shut his mind down at the most inopportune time, not to allow a conversation to come to its logical and sincere conclusion, as White is too caught up in his worldly Christendom-carrying on in his way in the world. Time is money for White.
He refuses, selfishly, to repent and believe in Christ to be regenerated; but, he could be saved one day (born-again) if he were to come to God with an honest heart. As of 2009 let the record show White is an unregenerate. He would have to repent of Calvinism, come to the cross as a helpless sinner and believe in Jesus Christ to receive Him by faith to be regenerated (born-again/new birth/initial salvation). And the false fruit must go of exalting himself over what he deems the reprobate that he thinks his god doesn't provide sufficient grace to even have the choice even though Jesus said in Matt. 11.28, "Come to me..." since God affords you the choice. Would God say that if you were Totally depraved? Of course not. White is an ignorant man without empathy (read below). His spirit is dead to God. Like people arguing on a train, they arrive at the station and when they get off they are still arguing. They go to their respective towns, but over time they expand outwards and leave those towns, heading off into the horizon. Eventually they build their own shack and keep repeating the phrase, "I told you so." That's what Hell is like for Mr. White. Hell is getting what you want even an eternal separation from God under a pretentious and false salvation. Is everyone a Christian just because they say they are? Not so "silly" after all is it?
An Assumption of Total Depravity
On page 56, James White said Dave Hunt misrepresents the Calvinist position. White said, "He misrepresents the Reformed position stating that those who will justly experience the wrath of God in eternity do so 'without any choice'." Dave did not misrepresent White. What Dave is saying is that this can't be a real choice because it is irresistibly imposed on some while others are denied sufficient grace. White, not having empathy to appreciate this, said, "...every one of them would march right back to punishment" to indicate his own belief in Total depravity. But, of course, if you can help someone in need, you can receive God's sufficient grace to accept what Jesus did on the cross and not have to be regenerated first and others denied this irresistibly imposed regeneration. If such behavior is evil for man, why not for the god of Calvinism? When later on White tries to rationalize verses as teaching his extreme view of depravity, just realize that if you can read them as being propensity to sin, then one ought not to take a leap of faith, go beyond and assume more than that for that would not be humble in the Spirit of Truth.
Compatibilism
On page 56, White accuses Hunt of being unfamiliar with Compatibilism even though White is the one who is confused. How does he bear false witness against Dave? White said, "How can God be glorified...if it were not part of His plan, a part of His decree? Hunt does not tell us." Hunt did tell us on page 52: "God foreknew their hearts and restrained and channeled their wicked desire to accomplish His will. This is all the text implies. White is guilty of reading into a Calvinist meaning that isn't there." God's decreed will takes into account everyone's responses, and He will work good for evil, but never does God decree evil, for that would make God of the Bible the author of sin. White has an improper view of Compatibilism, for there is no compatibility and synergy in salvation without God's purpose to save the most and damn the least-even though the savings ratio is under 1%!
Saving the most and damning the least requires God provide sufficient grace to all to have the choice such that no man is Totally depraved. Everyone may obtain the gift of faith and be saved by grace whosoever is willing! God offers us salvation when He says "come unto me" (Matt. 11.28) because we have free-will: "whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Rev. 22.17). The minute you must irresistibly give salvation to some and deny others sufficient grace to have the choice (to be willing) you are no longer saving the most and damning the least, but you would be either damning those who should be saved or saving those who should be damned. Irresistibly imposing or withholding is Specieism. James White must resort to doubletalk by claiming Compatibilism though he can't explain how his god is being compatible when he doesn't provide sufficient grace to all in his assumption of Total depravity? One can't help but think he is somewhat jealous of Christians for accepting God's infinite foreknowledge and determinism (Molinism) are compatible with free will and do not need to invoke irresistible Specieism on souls.
Open Theism
White argues against God's infinite foreknowledge on page 57 when he said, "Where does foreknew appear in the text?" Since foreknowledge should not be an issue for Calvinism, why argue against his god foreknowing in the text? Therefore, James White is arguing Open Theism for a god who does not have infinite foreknowledge. White would be an Open Theists Calvinist!? Because James wants to be God, he must know how God does something, otherwise He can't accept God of the Bible. We see this when he says on page 57 accusing Dave, "he constantly speaks of God's foreknowledge but does not give us a ground upon which to understand how God has such knowledge." White can't accept there are some things you will never know about God (since you are not God) what God has revealed in His word: His infinite foreknowledge is compatible with free-will (our sovereign free-choice, sovereign being made in God's image).
White starts ranting more, contradicting himself, admitting that Hunt believes "God created the universe, knowing what would happen, as Hunt seems to believe." But then he gets ignorant and says, "how is He not responsible for creation and events that take place in time?" Whoever said He wasn't? God has decreed with purpose, but not in the way White wants unrighteously. God provides sufficient grace for all to have the choice, thus would not need to be like the god of Calvinism having to irresistibly impose it on some and deny others enabling grace to have the right to be saved by grace through faith whosoever is willing.
Author of Sin
"The Lord has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil" (Prov. 16.4). White used this verse to say God is the author of sin on page 58. That's not what this verse says. It's saying that which became evil of its own volition, God will use for its own purpose. God is using James White for the day of evil. The potter and the clay do not suggest that God doesn't provide sufficient grace for all. Rather, it simply means God's sovereign control over other things is completely in His hands. It does not do "Soli Deo Gloria" to worship a god that is either unwilling or unable to provide sufficient grace for all to have the choice.
Differentiated Love
White thinks he found a loophole when he says on page 58, "The recognition that God has the ability to differential in the kinds of love He shows, just as man can, fully refutes this objection...Mr. Hunt says 'Calvinism libels the God of Scripture by denying His love for all'." Where is Hunt saying God does not differentiate, for obviously God and the Lamb are spending an eternity in the New City with those who are saved and not with those His wrath comes upon and put into the Lake of Fire for all eternity. What White is really arguing for here is a God who is unloving and unwilling or unable to provide sufficient grace for all. This is the evil god of Calvinism that James White worships and why he is going to Hell, for it is not likely he will ever repent of his sin of unbelief and selfish salvation where he claims he didn't have to repent and believe in Christ to be regenerated.
Immorality of Insufficient Grace
White contends on page 57 with Luke's words, "to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur" (Acts 4.28). Predestined doesn't mean to cause to occur without the Compatibilism of man's free-will and sufficient grace for all. Otherwise, God no longer predestinates by foreknowing our free choice, but would have to force us around like chess pieces on a chess board or as a Puppeteer with his puppets.
Man's Sovereignty
James White flatly rejects man's autonomy when he accuses Hunt with the "tradition of human autonomy" (page 57). Man, therefore, is not a sovereign being made in God's image with free will but is a marionette according to White. How does that give glory to God? Wouldn't God have the utmost glory without the evil that marks the god of Calvinism if He could have a relationship with more than just robots or individuals forced into the Calvinist salvation? We are free willed beings by His grace made in His image. Certainly the latter represents a God who trumps the god of Calvinism any day.
Endless Misrepresentation
White loves to misrepresent Dave Hunt. On page 61, he asks if Hunt is saying, "That God cannot restrain evil?" No. Hunt said on page 59, "White writes 'God could...restrain all evil'. Why doesn't He? Any kind person would if he could." Then White asks, "Or that He will not? We are not told." We are told as Hunt said on page 61, "Any kind person would" and page 59, "God offers salvation to all" whosoever is willing which is in accordance with God's decree as God is the author of and provider of free-choice. White misunderstands, "in Mr. Hunt's traditions, man's will controls God's desires, even to the point of controlling the greatest work of God, that of creating a special people in Christ Jesus." Why does man control God's desires when God gives man the choice as God ordained? That's God's desire to give man the choice. God created man and gives us our options so that God saves the most and damns the least. How is man controlling God's work of creating a special people then? God can't violate His nature and save people who don't want to be saved or be lacking by not providing people sufficient grace to all to have the opportunity. Otherwise God would be evil.
Who Is the Worldling?
White then quotes Spurgeon on page 61 & 62, "There is no doctrine more comforting to His children than the doctrine of Divine Sovereignty...there is no doctrine more hated by worldlings.... Men will allow God to be everywhere except upon His throne." The question is, who is the worldling circumventing God's Divine Sovereignty? What these Calvinists are doing is giving license to their heresy by altering God's Divine Sovereignty so that God is not providing mankind sufficient grace which would be evil by God's standards to not save the most and damn the least. Instead, the unsaved Calvinist is insisting (with brimming pride) his god irresistibly makes him save, and there was nothing he could do about it, for he assumes he was allegedly regenerated without having previously repented and believed in Jesus Christ. How is that any different than other religions which also do not repent and believe in Christ to be saved (regenerated)?
Conclusion
That's how the whole conversation goes through the rest of the book. It really doesn't deviate. White resorts to doublespeak. The Bible says be "not doubletongued" (1 Tim. 3.8). As Dave Hunt says, "White attempts to avoid embarrassment of God causing sin by introducing what he calls 'compatibilism'." But there is nothing compatible with love about White's god at all. James White prides himself on being irresistibly regenerated without himself ever first having to repent and believe in Christ to be saved. And he exalts himself over others he assumes are unregenerate reprobates without his god ever giving them any opportunity to be saved. What love is this? This is not love but delusion. No wonder why Atheists are turned off from Christianity by Calvinists misrepresenting God of the Bible. This, therefore, is a false, selfish salvation taught by Calvin, Spurgeon, White, Luther, and Augustine. They worship a "false Christ." He most likely will never repent as they never did the record shows, so he is on his way to Hell and simply getting what he wants, to be eternally separated from the One True God. Very sad.
Thank you Lord Jesus for this discernment. Amen.
Apostle Troy
Go on to Chapter 2 Man's Inability.