Reformed Arminianism is a theological framework that seeks to combine elements of Calvinist (Reformed) and Arminian thought. It affirms God’s sovereignty in salvation while also upholding human free will and responsibility. Here is an overview of Reformed Arminianism’s key beliefs:
Total Depravity
Like Calvinism, Reformed Arminianism affirms the doctrine of total depravity – that sin has affected every part of human nature and left us unable to save ourselves. As Ephesians 2:1 says, we were “dead in trespasses and sins.” But Reformed Arminians believe God’s prevenient grace restores enough freedom of will that a person can choose to accept or reject God’s offer of salvation.
Conditional Election
Reformed Arminians believe election is based on God’s foreknowledge of who will respond in faith to the gospel. God desires the salvation of all and has elected those whom He foreknew would freely place their faith in Christ (1 Peter 1:1-2). This election is conditional on faith, not unconditional as in Calvinism. But God graciously empowers the faith response through prevenient grace.
Unlimited Atonement
Jesus Christ died sacrificially to make salvation available for all people without exception, not just the elect as Calvinists believe. His death paid for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). Reformed Arminians uphold an unlimited atonement in which Christ’s sacrifice is offered to all equally.
Resistible Grace
God’s saving grace can be resisted by sinners. Reformed Arminians believe prevenient grace frees the will so that a person is able to accept or reject God’s call to salvation. The Holy Spirit calls all to repentance and faith, but He does not irresistibly or effectually draw some while passing over others. The gospel invites all to come to Christ in faith (Matthew 11:28-30).
Conditional Security
Believers are secure in their salvation as long as they continue in faith and Christ-like obedience by God’s power. Reformed Arminians believe true believers can lose their salvation if they turn away from Christ. God preserves those who remain in Him, but He will not keep those who ultimately reject His salvation after truly receiving it (Hebrews 6:4-6). We are kept by faith, not unconditionally.
Penal Substitutionary Atonement
Reformed Arminians uphold Christ’s death on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice that appeased God’s wrath against sin on our behalf. Jesus bore the penalty for our sins so we could be forgiven. This penal substitutionary view is affirmed by both Calvinists and Reformed Arminians. The atonement is not just an example, but actually pays for the sins of the world.
Justification by Faith Alone
We are justified and forgiven only on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ, not by our merits or works. Reformed Arminians uphold the Protestant doctrine of sola fide – justification comes by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone. Good works flow from salvation but have no part in earning it. We are saved by trusting Jesus’ finished work.
Total Depravity of Man
Reformed Arminianism affirms that human beings are affected by total depravity and enslaved to sin apart from God’s prevenient grace. Every part of man’s nature was corrupted by the fall so that mind, will, and emotions all are tainted by sin. Total depravity does not mean people are as bad as possible but that sin impacts every area of life.
Original Sin
All human beings are born with original sin inherited from Adam. We inherit a corrupt nature from birth inclined toward sin. Reformed Arminians reject Pelagianism and affirm original sin while noting that God’s prevenient grace restores our ability to respond freely to the gospel. We are not guilty of Adam’s sin but bear its consequences.
Grace is Prevenient
God’s prevenient grace goes before and prepares the heart to have faith in Christ. The Holy Spirit convicts of sin and enlightens the mind to understand the gospel prior to repentance and faith. Reformed Arminians see prevenient grace as restoring free will so that the gospel call can be freely accepted or rejected.
God Desires All to Be Saved
Reformed Arminians believe that God sincerely and truly desires the salvation of all people. He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23) but desires for all people to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Although God desires all to be saved, He has given humans free will that enables them to resist His will.
Christ Died for All Sinners
Jesus died for all sinners without exception according to God’s unconditional love, not just for the elect. His atoning death made salvation available for every single human being, though it is effective only for those who believe. The availability of salvation is universal, though its application is conditional on faith in Christ.
Believers Can Forfeit Salvation
Those who are born again can lose their salvation by turning away from Christ. Reformed Arminians believe salvation in Christ can be forfeited by those who later reject Him. While God preserves those who remain in Him, He will not keep those who ultimately forsake the faith after truly believing it (Hebrews 6:4-6). Apostasy is possible.
Corporate Election
The election of the church is corporate and unconditional. Reformed Arminians view election as primarily of the church as a people and a community, not just of isolated individuals. This corporate election of the church is grounded in God’s unconditional choice but individuals must meet the condition of faith to share in that election.
Emphasis on God’s Love
God’s unconditional and prevenient love for fallen humanity is a primary emphasis in Reformed Arminian theology. They see God’s gracious love as restoring free will so that all might freely accept or reject Christ. This unlimited love offers salvation to a fallen world unable to save itself.
Cooperation of Divine & Human Will
Reformed Arminians see a cooperation between God’s sovereignty and human free will in salvation. The human will is freed by prevenient grace to either cooperate with or resist God’s Spirit. God initiates salvation and draws all to Christ, but He does not determine their response which is up to them.
Opposes Determinism
Reformed Arminianism opposes theological determinism and upholds self-determination in human choice and action. God’s sovereignty does not preclude free will, but rather enables it. Reformed Arminians see sovereignty-free will as a both/and rather than either/or issue.
Affirms Divine Foreknowledge
God foreknows everything that will happen, including human decisions, with certainty. But His foreknowledge does not determine human actions. Reformed Arminians affirm both exhaustive divine foreknowledge and libertarian free will, holding them in tension.
Preaching the Gospel to All
Since Christ died for all and salvation is available to every person, the gospel should be preached to all. Evangelism and missions occupy an important place in Reformed Arminianism given God’s universal love and the possibility of being saved by grace through faith.
Security in Christ
Believers have assurance of salvation based on their reliance on Christ’s finished work. As long as we continue in faith and obedience by God’s power, we can have confidence we will persevere by His grace. Our security rests in Christ, not in ourselves.
The Means of Grace
Reformed Arminians recognize the means of grace – prayer, Bible study, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, etc. – as ways God strengthens faith and empowers obedience. These spiritual disciplines are not meritorious works but are means God uses to enable our cooperation with Him.
Eternal Security Conditionally
Eternal security or perseverance of the saints is affirmed only conditionally in Reformed Arminianism. Believers can have full assurance of salvation and rest in Christ’s keeping power. But the possibility of apostasy remains if one finally rejects Christ through unbelief after being saved.
Empowered But Not Determined by Grace
God’s grace empowers but does not determine the human will. Reformed Arminians see prevenient grace as freeing our enslaved wills to respond freely to the gospel. Grace restores the ability to choose but does not coerce the choice one makes.
God’s Universal Call
God calls all sinners universally through the gospel invitation to come to Christ in faith for salvation. The Holy Spirit draws all people, not just the elect. But only those who freely respond in faith to this well-meant offer are saved. The call is universal but the response is conditional.
Possibility of Apostasy
Those who have experienced spiritual rebirth can reject Christ through unbelief and forfeit their salvation. Reformed Arminianism holds that apostasy is possible though not inevitable. Those who reject the grace in which they stand can fall away even after being saved.
Predestination is Corporate
The predestination of the elect refers primarily to the church as a corporate body, not just particular individuals. While God predestines the church as a whole, individuals must meet the condition of faith to fully participate in that elect body of believers.
Sovereignty and Free Will
God is absolutely sovereign but this does not eliminate meaningful human free will and responsibility. Reformed Arminians see no contradiction between God being fully in charge and humans making decisions that have real effects.
Depends on God for Salvation
While good works have their proper place, salvation is by God’s grace alone through faith alone. Reformed Arminians confess absolute dependence on God’s grace to be saved. We do not earn or merit salvation but receive it as an undeserved gift of God.
Perseverance Possible, But Not Unconditional
Believers can persevere in faith to the end, but only by God’s power. Reformed Arminians believe in conditional perseverance – we will endure to the end if we continue in faith. Perseverance relies on God’s grace and is not an unconditional guarantee.
Preserves Moral Accountability
Human beings are morally accountable creatures since God gifts us with libertarian free will. This accountability remains intact in Reformed Arminianism. We are responsible for our choices precisely because we are free to choose between good and evil.
Upholds Human Dignity
Reformed Arminianism emphasizes human dignity and worth since all are created in God’s image with the ability to make free choices. Human dignity is upheld by avoiding the determinism of theological systems that diminish free will.
Balance of Divine and Human Action
In salvation, there is both divine action and human response. Reformed Arminians see a cooperation between God’s grace and human faith in which God initiates salvation, empowers free response through prevenient grace, and elects based on His foreknowledge of who will believe.
In summary, Reformed Arminianism affirms the core elements of Arminian theology while also emphasizing Reformed concepts like total depravity, penal substitutionary atonement, and justification by faith alone. This balance distinguishes it from full-fledged Arminian or Calvinist systems.