Leighton Flowers has posted a video about how he understands Ephesians 2:8 and he definitely does not look at it the way I do.
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— Ephesians 2:8
It really comes down to question about what does the scripture says is the gift? Is it saying that grace to be saved or is it the faith? Leighton Flowers is arguing that the gift of God is the grace to be saved not the faith because he believes that every individual has enough faith to believe.
I'm interested in Flower's argument because he tried to use Greek grammar to make his argument. However, I have heard people who see this passage as teaching that the faith is a gift also use Greek grammar to prove their point. I think the confusion comes from where one start. If you think that every person has enough faith to believe then you would think that it is the grace (God's unmerited favor) that is the gift of God. I read this as both the grace and the faith by which the grace is applied both come from God because there is no way we can argue that everyone has that kind of faith apart from God giving ti to them.
Jesus said
44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. - John 6:44
Leighton Flowers's video is about how he defines "sovereignty" as opposed to how Calvinists define it. He argues that he believes in God's sovereignty but he does not believe that the Bible defines what that means the way Calvinists like Pastor John Piper teach it.
Professor Flowers defines "Sovereignty" through making a distinction between the scope of God's
power versus what God has decided to do with Creation. He argued that God is indeed control of everything but has chosen not to be in meticulous control of everything such as human free will allowing us to make decisions. He quotes A.W. Tozer when Tozer taught that God in his infinite power chose give us the ability to choose between good and evil.
Flowers further tells us that Calvinists misunderstand Sovereignty because Calvinists like John Piper teach that God determines and decides all human decisions and actions because God is Sovereign. Flowers counters by saying "Sovereignty" does not mean that. Flowers and several Arminians think that Calvinists are arguing that evil thoughts and motivations originate in God himself. And despite the way he played the re-contextualization of John Piper's statements I do not think that Calvinists like John Piper, John MacArthur, and James White are arguing that at all. I have heard Flowers agree that most Calvinists would not affirm that God is the author of evil, but he thinks that it's inescapable that their theology demands that conclusion. I do not think that is a fair assessment.
Here is why. Years ago James White, who is Calvinist, debated George Bryson, a Arminian, on this issue on the Bible Answer Man radio program. Bryson asked White if God predestines the rape of children? I think James White gave the good answer: God has a purpose for any evil God allows to happen. White did not say that God caused the evil. For example, God does not hold a gun to your head forcing you to do evil. And yet God knew what was going to happen and for his own purposes history and lives play out the way it does.
We have to remember that when people sin it is not God's fault because it is the fault of the sinner.
12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. - James 1:12-14
Instead God, can turn acts that had evil intention by the people committing into something good for his people. Recall that when Joseph was betrayed by his own brothers and sold him into slavery and about 30 years later, God raised Joseph into being second only to the Pharaoh in Egypt allowing him to save so many people from death by salvation. Please recall how Joseph understood what happened to him and the part his brothers played in his life.
19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. -Genesis 50:19-21
There are many scriptures that shows us exactly that. God predestines what occurs, but we cannot always know the reasons why God does what He does. When Calvinists teach that God predestines everything they are not saying that God is the author of evil - no evil comes about because of us.
Professor Leighton Flowers has posted another video trying to critique Calvinism doctrine. He argues that Calvinists confuse believers being regenerated through faith by choosing to humble one's self with the choice by God to choosing to save people who believe.
I think that every Christian would agree that one becomes saved by humbling ourselves before our Holy God and agree that we are sinners and submit ourselves to God.The argument here is about how believers reach that level of humility. Professor Flowers does play Professor Sproul explaining how we are regenerated by God but Flowers does not explain how we go from rejecting God to loving God. Scripture is clear in explaining how we are unable to do things that please God apart from His grace. The thing that I think that Professor Flowers is ignoring is that Sproul is not arguing as if God snaps his fingers and then we are free to humble ourselves. We can humble ourselves when we have
been regenerated, No Believer is waiting for God to humble them so that they can be saved because we humble ourselves because God has done that miraculous work in us.
I think that it's really problematic to try to nail down which comes first: The faith and the humility to be saved or the empowerment to live and serve. I think it's akin to questioning your own desires. For example: what if you decided to have corn flakes for breakfast this morning. Is that because you autonomously wanted that or was it because God decreed from the foundation of creation that you would get corn flakes that day? I don't know. You don't either. And think of all the things God put into motion outside of your control leading up to the point that you could make that decision. It's not a simple answer. However given that we all hated God and was at war with him before we were converted, I fail to see how anyone could choose to accept Christ as Lord and head of their lives without God's help.
