Pelagianism

AW Tozer got into trouble with a few for accusing him to be a Pelagian.

This is helpful for us today to learn a lesson.

What is a Pelagian?

It is a 5th-century Christian heresy taught by Pelagius (q.v.) and his followers that stressed the essential goodness of human nature and the freedom of the human will. Pelagius was concerned about the slack moral standards among Christians, and he hoped to improve their conduct by his teachings.

Rejecting the arguments of those who claimed that they sinned because of human weakness, he insisted that God made human beings free to choose between good and evil and that sin is a voluntary act committed by a person against God’s law.

Basically in 2019, these are those people who insist that they are “good people”. Unless one murders or sets fire to houses, they have an excuse to do what they justify to be OK. According to Larry Stevens Furtick, AKA Steven Furtick of Elevation Church, SC, it is OK to break the freeway speed limit and endanger all the other road users if you are rushing your child to the ER. Steven Furtick is that Pelagian.

For this writing underneath, AW was accused of being a Pelagian. Is it fair?

“The Bible everywhere takes for granted Israel’s ability to obey the law. Condemnation fell because Israel, having that ability, refused to obey.” 

(Paths to power – A. W. Tozer – Chapter 5 – Doctrinal Hindrances)