Arminian Today

Most house churches don’t have a doctrinal statement.  Some do.  I know of a house church in Atlanta, Georgia that follows the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689 which is Calvinistic while holding to particulars of being Baptist.  Most house churches that I know do not have a clear doctrinal statement other than a common faith among those who attend.  Of course a biblical house church will stay true to the orthodox faith if they are truly led of the Holy Spirit and seeking to make sure their faith is based on Scripture alone.  Some house churches deviate from sound doctrine and wander into error as Paul the Apostle predicted in Acts 20:29.  Satan seeks to lead God’s people away from sound doctrine and into error (1 Timothy 4:1; 1 John 4:1-2).  After all, Scripture calls Satan the “father of lies” (John 8:44).

In a biblical house church, doctrine is important.  Paul reminded the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 1:10 that they were to be united in the same mind and judgement.  This can only happen if disciples of Jesus in the local house church are seeking Jesus above all (Colossians 3:1-3) and are seeking to build their lives firmly upon His teachings as found in His Word (Matthew 7:24-27; John 8:31-32).  When the 3,000 were saved on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 we read in Acts 2:42 that the disciples devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teachings.  Later this would become Scripture as Jesus had promised (John 16:14-15).

In the midst then of seeking unity around doctrine, how are we to handle the ongoing Arminian/Calvinist debate in our unique setting.  No house churches fall under the authority of a denomination or a pastor.  We seek to follow the leading of our head, the Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:15-20).  Our passion is to be disciples of Jesus and not flesh.  Yet within the house churches are Arminians and Calvinists alike.  So let me offer a few pointers regarding this issue for house churches.

1.  Focus on the Essentials and Have Fun Debating the Non-Essentials

House churches are known for living out our discipleship with one another.  When you come to a house church you are not coming to hear a lecture on doctrine.  You are not coming to give money for the overpriced church building.  You are coming to partake in the Lord’s Supper (Acts 2:42; 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:20) to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus our Lord (1 Corinthians 11:26) through our fellowship with the saints of God.  In this setting, I pray that house churches would focus on the essentials of the gospel and not arguing and split over non-essentials.  We can debate end times, spiritual gifts, does God still speak, etc. but let us not divide over non-essentials.  Both Arminians and Calvinists believe the gospel.  We believe in the power of God to save sinners through the shed blood of Jesus (Matthew 26:28).  We might argue about how someone came to be in Christ but we will not argue that all people need to come to Christ to be saved by grace.

2.  Love One Another

Jesus said that all men would know that we are His disciples not by our doctrinal convictions but by our love for one another.  A family is the most common term we find to describe the Body of Christ.  By faith in Jesus we are now children of God (Romans 8:14-16).  We are placed by the Spirit into the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13) and we become one with other believers (Ephesians 2:19-22; 4:4).  We are commanded by Jesus to love one another.  Love is the greatest gift given to the saint of God (1 Corinthians 13).  Paul told the Galatians in Galatians 5:13-14 that we are to serve one another out of love and that love fulfills the law of the Lord.  Love is the first fruit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23 for disciples.

3.  Lay Down Your Pride

Pride would seek to convince us that we are right and all others are wrong.  If a person doesn’t believe what I believe about A then they are wrong.  We need more love for the saints and we need to lay down our pride.  Hold firmly to sound doctrine but allow the Holy Spirit to teach you.  This doesn’t mean that we don’t hold to doctrinal convictions but we must not be so prideful as to think that we are always right about all issues.  We are but flesh and blood.  Remember that God opposes the proud but He gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5).  Pride comes before a fall (Proverbs 16:18).  Avoid the trap of Satan.

4.  Wash One Another’s Feet (John 13:14-15)

Jesus was the ultimate servant.  He said that He came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).  Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 52:13 that the Messiah would be the servant of Yahweh.  Jesus told His disciples in John 13 after washing their feet to wash one another’s feet.  He was meaning more than just washing feet but He was pointing to His example of a servant’s heart.  It’s very hard to argue with our brothers and sisters if we are seeking to serve them ahead of ourselves.  This is the example of our Lord (Philippians 2:1-11).  It should be ours as well.  Service goes a long ways beyond debating.

5.  Never Make Arminianism or Calvinism the Gospel

The gospel of Jesus is not Arminianism.  The gospel of Jesus is not Calvinism.  The gospel of Jesus is the gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).  It is not the teachings of Arminius or Wesley or Luther or Calvin.  It is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus our Lord and God.  When we make our doctrinal convictions the gospel, we will soon lose sight of Jesus and His glorious work on the cross and His powerful resurrection.  Remember that only Jesus saves sinners for His glory (1 Corinthians 3:6-9).  He alone receives the worship for salvation (Revelation 5:9-10).

6.  Seek God in Prayer

Prayer has a way of tearing down our theological arguments unlike any other discipline I know.  When brothers and sisters come together to seek God in prayer, the Holy Spirit begins to move among us and He opens our hearts to our pride, our sins, and He causes us to love each other deeply through intercession.  Prayer is to be the heart of the house church (Colossians 4:2).  Prayer should drive our discipleship (Luke 18:1).  We should pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  We should be a praying church as the early disciples were (Acts 2:42).  When we come together to pray, Arminianism and Calvinism seem so pointless in comparison.  At the time of prayer, the only thing that matters is the gospel of Jesus Christ that unites our hearts to fear His name.

Conclusion

House churches offer the unique opportunity of fellowship that traditional churches do not.  When you enter a house church you are not coming to stare at the back of another person’s head but you are coming to be with fellow disciples of Jesus and some of them may not agree fully with your theology.  We must agree to the fundamentals of the faith but we can show charity toward one another when it comes to non-essentials.  God is bigger than our debates.  God does not need you and I to protect Himself from heresy.  His Word is powerful enough to do that (Hebrews 4:12-13).  Our duty before God is to love the saints and to cherish our time together on this planet (Hebrews 10:23-25).