'Clarifying Sonny Hernandez’s Theology: An Updated Perspective'

In my previous video, I stated that Sonny claimed to represent Reformed theology. He has clarified that this is not the case. Sonny identifies with what he terms "sovereign grace theology" rather than Reformed theology. While there is overlap between these two positions, they are not synonymous, and Sonny has outlined key differences that he holds. For example, he rejects the title “Reformed” because he does not adhere to the classic Reformed Confessions, such as the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Three Forms of Unity, or the Second London Baptist Confession.

Key Distinctions in Sonny’s Theology
Supralapsarianism
Sonny firmly embraces supralapsarianism—the belief that God's decree of election and reprobation logically precedes the decree to create the world or permit the fall. He holds to a symmetrical view of election and reprobation, contrasting with the infralapsarian and asymmetrical views often associated with Reformed Confessions.

The Rejection of the Well-Meant Offer
Another significant difference lies in his rejection of the well-meant offer (WMO) of the Gospel. Sonny argues that Scripture commands us to preach the Word, not to "offer" it. While he affirms preaching Christ to all people “promiscuously and without distinction,” as he stated in his church’s statement of faith, he does not believe in the universal "offer" of grace as articulated in some Reformed circles.

Preaching and Evangelism
Sonny’s emphasis on evangelism is clear from his active ministry, including open-air preaching and outreach to various groups. He is far from what some would label a hyper-Calvinist. His preaching ministry demonstrates a strong commitment to proclaiming Christ to all people, irrespective of their perceived elect status.

High Calvinism vs. Hyper-Calvinism
Sonny has distanced himself from hyper-Calvinism, affirming that he believes in preaching to all people. However, his theology aligns more closely with what he calls High Calvinism, emphasizing God’s sovereignty in salvation without compromising on the universal proclamation of the Gospel.

The Importance of Clarity in Critique
I must admit that my earlier representation of Sonny’s theology lacked precision, and I appreciate the opportunity to address this. It’s essential to handle theological discussions with fairness, especially when addressing brothers in Christ who hold different views.

That said, there are still areas where Sonny’s theology invites critique. For example, his rejection of the well-meant offer raises significant questions about the character of God’s grace and its relationship to Gospel proclamation. These are important discussions to have, not in a spirit of division, but to sharpen our understanding of Scripture.

Why Accuracy Matters
Theological disagreements are not a license for misrepresentation. When we critique someone’s theology, especially publicly, we must do so with integrity. Sonny’s willingness to reach out and clarify his position is commendable, and it serves as a reminder that we all need to strive for clarity and truth in our dialogues.

[RedeemerPiketon]

Sovereign Grace theology shares much with Reformed theology, especially regarding the TULIP. We do, however, reject the so-called "well meant offer" of the Gospel as well as "common" grace. We preach the truth of the Gospel to everyone, trusting God alone to "add to the church daily such as should be saved." Most of the churches with which we fellowship will shy away from using the term "Calvinist" or "Calvinism" to describe our doctrine as well.

[servantofchristSDG]

According to Curt Daniel, there are four different points that are hyper-calvinist: denial of free offer of gospel, denial of duty faith, denial of God's desire for salvation of all, or denial of common grace. Hernandez would fall into three of these. We could quibble over what or what can't constitute "High Calvinism;" he holds to some points, sure, but passes further in others. I'm glad to hear that he doesn't say he's trying to be Reformed, since he's at odds with the traditional in several areas.

[Mark-uonf]

its refreshing to see such grace and humility brought to the table. once again Steve, great video. i was thinking maybe you could do a video on walking the Christian walk/living the Christian life from a reformed perspective. i feel that all too often any discussion on calvinism is only about soteriology. I'd like to see a video on " so now you're saved.... now what? "

[oracleoftroy]

I've been concerned that he was hyper-Calvinistic for awhile, since his debate with Leighton several years ago. At least as it showed up in the debate, it seemed as if Sonny included the Westminster Confession as part of the materials he sent to Leighton, and when Leighton questioned him on free will as defined by Westminster, he completely distanced himself from any sort of free will at all. That's one of the marks of hyper-Calvinism in my mind.

His embracing of equal ultimacy ("a symmetrical view of election and reprobation"), which I would distinguish from Supralapsarianism, and his Rejection of the Well-Meant Offer are two other marks of hyper-Calvinism in my mind. I don't want to judge him prematurely, but he does seem to skirt up pretty close to the edge.

I am not familiar with his ministry, and your report that he is very active in outreach and proclaiming the gospel is a big relief in my mind. Perhaps he does indeed agree with the doctrine behind the well-meant offer and just doesn't like the term. Equal ultimacy is still a huge red flag for me.

I was in the middle of watching the other video when you privated it... Didn't even get to the core of the video.