There is no biblical basis for the doctrine of universal prevenient grace that enables all mankind to choose salvation. Arminian theologian Ben Witherington admits, “Wesley’s concept of prevenient grace is frankly weakly grounded if we are talking about proof texts from the Bible.… Prevenient grace certainly comports with the character of a gracious God and his desire that none should perish, but one should not hang one’s entire theology about what sinners can do by free choice on such an exegetically weakly supported notion.”
Joel R. Beeke and Paul M. Smalley, Reformed Systematic Theology: Spirit and Salvation, vol. 3, Reformed Systematic Theology (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021), 386–387.
