A Critique: Dave Hunt's "What Love Is This?"

A Critique of What Love Is This?,
a book by Dave Hunt
(2002, Loyal Publ., Inc., Sisters, OR)

Dave Hunt's book has a subtitle which reads, "Calvinism's Misrepresentation of God," however, after reading up through the 7th chapter of Hunt's book, it seems evident that the subtitle should actually read: "Dave Hunt's Misrepresentation of Calvinism."

Mr. Hunt starts out his 7th chapter --entitled "Total Depravity"-- by correctly explaining that the Calvinist acronym "T.U.L.I.P." stands for the 5 phrases: "Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace and Perseverance of the Saints."

Mr. Hunt then goes on to make a good assessment of Calvinism's first point when he writes: "More than the spelling of the word TULIP gives the doctrine of Total Depravity its first place. Calvinism offers a special definition of human depravity: that depravity equals inability --and this special definition necessitates both Unconditional Election and Irresistible Grace. As the Canons of Dort declare, 'Therefore all men... without the regenerating grace of the Holy Spirit... are neither able nor willing to return to God... nor to dispose themselves to reformation' " (my emphasis).

So, thus far, Hunt is quite correct in describing this first point of Calvinism ---and correct to indicate that "Total Inability" is foundational and primary to the other points of Calvinism. Thus, Hunt's 7th chapter is the most crucial one to deal with in the whole book.

But then (in response to the Canons of Dort statement) Mr. Hunt adds: "That statement is an expression of human opinion without biblical support."

--In light of this sweeping and bold assertion, it is very ironic that Hunt completes his 7th chapter attacking the teaching of mankind's "Inability," while not even addressing half of the scriptures often used by Calvinists to support it!

In contrast to Hunt's declaration, there is actually a good deal of clear and explicit biblical support for the Calvinist teaching of unsaved man's "Total Inability" to will, to desire or cooperate with his conversion, or even to prepare himself for it.

Biblical Teaching of Unsaved Man's Inability

Calvinism recognizes the scriptural teaching that unregenerate man is totally unable to cooperate or contribute anything to produce regeneration and the beginning of saving faith in the individual. I will now list and comment on several of the key scriptures on man's "Total Inability":

John 6:64-65 states:

" 'Yet there are some of you who do not believe.' For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, 'This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him" (my emphasis).

This statement is quite clear: No man is able to come in faith to Christ unless God the Father enables him to do so. This is very specifically points out man's "Total Inability" to come to Christ (without God's prior enablement) for salvation!

In his book Grace Unknown, ('97), R.C. Sproul uses the above verses to discuss Total Inability, and Hunt strongly attacks Sproul on the teaching, --but it is amazing that Mr. Hunt writes a whole chapter disparaging this idea without even a mention of any of the critically relevant verses from John chapters 6 and 8!

John 6:44 states: "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him..." (my emphasis).

Again, a direct statement of any man's inability to come to Christ for salvation, "unless" God draws him first. This really can't be disputed. We find a total inability on man's part, and a total dependency on God to initiate the process. --But again, amazingly, Hunt's chapter on inability does not deal with anything from John chapter 6.

John 6:37 reads: "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away" (my emphasis).

This verse is important to include because it shows the absolutely fail-safe effectiveness of the Father's activity in giving people to Christ for salvation. Despite a man's total inability to come on his own to Christ for salvation, when the Father has given that man to Christ (and obviously the Father also "draws" that man, per Jn.6:44) then every such man comes to Christ without fail. This means that every person who comes to Christ is a person who had previously been "given" to Christ by the Father. God is the originator and initiator of this process, and not the man who comes.

In John 8:43,44,47 we read: "Why don't you understand what I'm saying? It is because you are unable to hear my word. You belong to your father, the devil ...He who belongs to God hears what God says."

This is a straight-forward instance of "inability" to understand the word which Christ speaks to unsaved men. This doesn't indicate that Jesus does not speak clearly enough, but their lack of understanding is because of their inability to grasp it. As long as such men remain in that condition of "belonging" to the devil, there is nothing they can do to change their inability to hear or understand the voice of God. According to earlier verses, God must first "choose" and "draw" these people to himself --then they will be able to hear.

Again, also these critically important verses are not considered in Hunt's chapter on total inability.

Matthew 11:27 states: "no one knows the Father except the Son, and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

Again, this describes an exclusive group which will know God: it is only those "to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." No one else can know God, nor "see" and understand who God really is --they are unable to know God on their own, without Christ's choice to reveal the Father to them. --Obviously, all who die without knowing God, were never chosen by Christ to know him.

Mr. Hunt also does not deal with Matthew 11:27 in his 7th chapter on inability... and yet he can declare that statement from the Canons of Dort "is an expression of human opinion without biblical support"!

1Corinthians 2:14 states: "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God ...and he cannot understand them."

This directly asserts the inability of unspiritual / unregenerate man to accept or even to understand anything from the Spirit of God (such as the gospel message) --and these "spiritual" things must certainly include all significant issues relating to faith, repentance and salvation.

Romans 8:7-8 affirms: "the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God." (My emphasis).

Here we not only find a lack of affection toward God, but the unregenerate person is actually hostile toward God. This is hatred (rejection) of God. Then Paul directly declares that such a man not only will not submit to God, but he is unable to submit his life to God and his commands. Anything such a man does which is apparently good, is because he finds it to be advantageous to his own interests, but not because he surrenders to God in any way. Such an unregenerate person is unable to please God in any way --such as faith or obedience.

Romans 3:10-11 states: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God." (My emphasis).

We sometimes speak of acquaintances who seem to be warming up to the message of Christ, and we say that they are not quite there yet, but they are "seeking" him. --But no, they are not. This verse specifically states that among all of unsaved mankind (both Jews and Gentiles) there is not a single individual who truly seeks God. Rather, they are enemies of God who do not desire him personally (thought they might desire his blessing and benefits), and they do not at all seek him.

In 2Corinthians 4:4 we read: "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel." (My emphaisis).

This strongly asserts that Satan has affected the spiritual capacity and "eyes" of unbelievers in such a way that they are not able to see or comprehend the light and truth of the gospel in any significant way. One can explain the gospel to an unbeliever all day, but (unless God regenrates them) they will remain unable to grasp or accept it.

In Ephesians 2:1 we read: "you were dead in your transgressions and sins..." (My emphasis).

Not only is the unregenerate non-believer spiritually blind, deaf and unable to understand, or to obey, or please God in any way, but he is spiritually dead toward God. Thus, it is fully scriptural to emphasize the inability of unregenerate man to desire or even to cooperate with God's work to save. --So, regeneration may be likened to the raising of Lazarus from the dead, and it is as if Christ is walking through a grave-yard of unbelieving souls who do not desire his salvation and are not able to cooperate or to agree with the initiation of it.

And yet, in his great love and gracious mercy, God enables and draws some out of their spiritual graves of death, and they are born again and begin to breathe spiritual breaths of faith and love toward Christ and God.

Jeremiah 13:23 asserts: "Can the ...leopard change its spots? --Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil." (My emphasis).

It is abundantly clear from scriptures given above --as well as many others-- that non-believers are those who are so accustomed (and this includes all Christians, in their old natures). --So, we again have a direct and unequivocal statement of the inability of man to change anything about his sinful condition.

The reader may cross-reference the above scriptures to find further corroboration of these points.

So, in the end, Dave Hunt's book is full of alot of sound and fury against the Calvinist teaching of the "Total Inability" of unregenerate man to will and work toward salvation --but in his 7th chapter on the topic, Hunt doesn't even really land a glove on the Calvinist position in a significant way --mainly because he doesn't deal with the relevant Scriptures.

It has long been said that Jonathan Edwards --a Calvinist-- is the greatest and most intelligent Christian theologian to ever come from the Americas, and it is not hard to see why an Arminian has virtually no chance of approaching the level of Edwards (or several other great theologians) --because the Arminian system is not as scripturally based in a balanced and full-orbed fashion --mainly because a clear acceptance of many key scriptures is repugnant to the old human nature. In my opinion, this ignorance is motivated by a deep-seated desire to elevate "the will of the flesh" above the place where Scripture allows, and the Arminian's theology suffers greatly as a result ...and it is more a man-pleasing philosophy than a scriptural teaching.

It is interesting that Dave Hunt's 2005 newsletters, "The Berean Call," is advertising the sale of Spurgeon's book "Grace - God's Unmerited Favor," as well as Johnathan Edward's "The Surprising Work of God," --when these two men are famously staunch Calvinists to the core.
-- To gain a clearer understanding of "God's Unmerited Favor" as Spurgeon saw it, please read Spurgeon's article: "A Defense of Calvinism".

These few things are presented here, to emphasize clearly that the greatest expression of the love of God toward man, is that which was done toward us fully from grace and not from any favor which might be merited by man ...even our faith, which God knew about before the creation of anything (Romans 5:8).

All glory to God alone.

Sovereign Grace/Predestination Directory
Sovereign Grace/Predestination Home Page

An On-line Book: The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination - by Loraine Boettner
Christ's Resurrection ...Fact or Fiction?
How You Can Be Saved
What We Believe

Link to our "Sister-Sites" on the topics of:
The Second Coming of Christ and the Rapture
Creaton vs. Evolution: Worldviews in Contrast