Provisionism Examined

A simple response to "PROVIDE" and the essence of the Provisionist soteriology of brother Leighton Flowers.

It's important for each of us to recognize the variety of views within the Reformed Church. It feels Flowers attacks High or even Hyper Calvinism more often than sound, historic Calvinism. Common Grace and the Well-Meant Offer are included in that. The view that God has a goodwill, love and desire of salvation for all mankind was also held by Calvin who wrote "The Heavenly Father Loves the Human Race, and Wishes that they should not Perish . . . He Invites All men Without Exception to the Faith of Christ." (Commentary on John 3:16). Modern Calvinists like Sproul, MacArthur, Piper, Carson and others also believe(d) in the well-meant offer of God in the gospel and the general desire for salvation towards all (see Rev 22:17, Eze 18:32, 33:11, Lam 3:33).

Unconditional predestination (or sovereign grace) is the only hope of sinners since lost mankind according to Scripture is entirely corrupt (Genesis 6:5), blind (John 9:39-41), deaf (Isa 35:5), enslaved (John 8:34), dead (Eph 2:1), unable to come to Christ (John 6:44, 65), unable to please God (Rom 8:8), unable to accept or understand the things of the Spirit of God (1Cor 2:14). Nothing good can proceed out of this sinful nature that would convince God to grant salvation even a "freewill faith" or saving "moral choice". The flesh only produces flesh (John 3:6). The Spirit gives life (John 6:63). But it feels Flowers believes that this spiritual condition of man is nevertheless capable to make a good moral choice for Christ from the external preaching of the gospel. I believe he underestimates the corruption of man and overestimates the morality of man and this has guided his view of soteriology. The fact is, if God left the ultimate choice up to us, not a soul would be saved and not a soul would stay in the faith (1 Peter 1:3-5, John 6:37-40).

Link to poll about your soteriology:

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Apologetics is my passion for the glory of Christ. And I would love to co-labor with you in the gospel and the truth, as we contend earnestly for the faith (Jude 1:3, Heb. 6:9-10, Gal. 6:6, 1Tim. 5:17-18, 3 John 1:8).

"But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister." (Hebrews 6:9-10, KJV)

[timothyrauscher]

The Bible can be read and understood without the teachings of Calvin or Arminius. I’m thankful Provisionism is growing in popularity.

[TheProvisionistPerspective]

6:30 a good way to do this would be to play us in our own words…

[ETHANGELIST]

"The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies." -- 58:3, KJV

[Sleepyguy]

Good video as someone who is an Arminian I always had problems with Leighton's theology you nailed the head of the problems with it especially when it comes to sin.

[TheProvisionistPerspective]

4:17 just because you don’t like the implications, doesn’t mean Provisionism is false. That’s the moralistic fallacy.

[JesusProtects]

Is not about making a moral choice and choosing God's side, is about believing the gospel and finish the race, meaning, keep the faith to the end. Sounds simple, but is not so when one takes into account all the different ways that the devil uses to make believers lose their faith.

[arthur]

I agree with you about our Lord being the Common Grace Savior of ALL men and the Special Grace Savior of the elect. In order for the last elect person to be conceived, born, and converted in due time, ALL of his or her parents, elect or reprobate, must themselves be conceived, born, and reproduce in their due season. God has so arranged things with regard to mankind that He MUST extend (common) grace to everyone, "just and unjust", in order to save His elect. This is not true of angels, who were apparently all created at the same time.

Well done, here, TA. Tyler Vela (The Freed Thinker Podcast) and Collin (Consistent Calvinism Podcast) came to much the same conclusion when reviewing Provisionism/Soteriology 101's Statement of Faith. Doc Flowers' conception of the seriousness, severity, and ubiquity of mankind's sin problem definitely doesn't measure up to the Lord's conception of the same in Scripture.

If you haven't heard of him, may I suggest the Consistent Calvinism Podcast on YouTube? He makes some very important points regarding "Free Willies" being essentially semi-deists and semi-dualists (heresies, both) in order to hold to their FreeWillism. He's also very good on the difference between our Natural Ability (i.e., everyone has the Natural Ability to repent and trust Christ) and our Moral Ability (which may prevent us from using our Natural Ability to do the same). Likewise, with the difference between the transcendent Authorial-line and temporal Story-line of His-Story. He responds almost exclusively to Dr. Flowers and his guests when not addressing a particular subject. His podcasts are long (Leighton Flowers length), but are suitable for, and available on, audio only platforms, so you can play them on commutes or while doing chores. Check him out, TA. He drew me up short more than once.

Thanks for this review. God Bless.

TL/DR <><

[SyedMuhammadMoaz]

@Trinity Apologetics  Yes I know You are from Philippines(not Philippians :-)) Yea I was referring to your video "Do we worship Holy Spirit" there at comment section you wrote that there are evidences in OT but what are those?

And I even believe Jesus's miracles aren't proof of divinity but Yea proof of validity of his claims and God is on his side.
He performed miracles by power of Holy Spirit but I am also careful when something greater than miracle is described.

Sorry for always questioning but you know I am truth seeker and converted to Christianity hallelujah!
I was 15 at that age when I was fully convinced although researching when I was 12. Here in my country So-called Trinitarians believe Only Father is Jehovah (they don't even call Father Yahweh) and Son and Holy Spirit are One with Him but aren't Jehovah. So I am educating and writing books for them and I have succeeded in doing so.

Oh by way most importantly last question
Muslims argue "How can God be begotten? Or Spirated? How can He submit to Father's will" by the way I don't believe in subordination within trinity.

[Etheralking]

Open Theism is not a soteriological view, unlike the other positions laid out in that poll. In short, it's a view of time and how the Bible appears to describe God in relation to creation and time.
It's actually conceivably possible to be an Open Theist determinist. So long as you don't believe that every event was caused ex nihilo as a stream of events from A to B, you're an Open Theist, technically.

If you then believe that God causes all things to be that which they are in a non-actualized reality, that is not a set A to B stream, from before the foundation, you're an Open Theist determinist, because God would be free from the foreknowledge of Himself, intrinsic to Himself, to do other than which His foreknowledge or determinations dictated for Him to do.

However, humans would not be free in that scenario, so it would be determinism from our perspective.

[stevie]

"Provisionism" is not Biblical.