The Salvation Army
Church of the Nazarene
Nuanced

Arminian: God foreknew who would believe; human free will is genuine

The Assemblies of God holds an Arminian position on predestination and election. God's foreknowledge encompasses who will freely respond to the gospel in faith, and election is grounded in this foreknowledge rather than in an unconditional divine decree. The AG does not teach double predestination or unconditional election as understood in Reformed theology.

The AG affirms genuine human free will as essential to a meaningful salvation and a just God. Humans are genuinely free to accept or reject God's grace, and God's offer of salvation is universal — he desires all people to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9). This Arminian orientation is consistent with the AG's extensive evangelistic and missionary emphasis: if salvation were limited only to the unconditionally elect, the urgency of worldwide witness would be undercut.

The AG does not extensively systematize its Arminian theology, and the SFT does not address predestination in technical detail. The denomination's practical focus on evangelism, prayer, and Spirit-empowered ministry shapes its theological instincts more than formal debate about election. The AG's Arminian orientation is broadly shared across classical Pentecostalism.

Key Distinctions

Election model:
conditional election — God elects those he foreknows will believe (Arminian)
Double predestination:
denied — God does not predestine any to damnation
Free will teaching:
libertarian free will — prevenient grace enables genuine choice

Scripture References

Sources

  • Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths, §5: The Salvation of Man