"Repent, and believe the Gospel"
"I am not ashamed of the Gospel"
"Woe unto me if I preach not the Gospel"
I have heard a lot of bantering on the Web these days about whether or not someone must be a Calvinist to be saved. I find the entire enterprise of discussing the matter laughable. The Bible tells us that it is by the hearing of faith (the hearing of the Gospel call to sinners) that the sinner is saved. The Spirit works His effectual and powerful work in the soul of the sinner to testify to the Gospel and to impart saving faith.
How can it be, if the above is true, that belief in another method of salvation is proper to the soul of a regenerate person? In other words, if I have been saved by grace through faith upon the hearing of the true Gospel, how is it that I could profess another? Those who profess another way of salvation, such as man's free-willed choice of God or some concatenated mess of the sinner's co-operation with God, are simply professing heresy and damnable untruth.
If I were to be hired by a major manufacturer of some product, and were to be paid handsomely for the purpose of using my skills to promote that product, would it not seem strange, after my training and considering the benefits which I derive from my employer, to go about disowning his product and instead extolling the virtues of another? I dare say that my job would be in jeopardy all because I put my company's product in an altogether bad light. There is simply no way that a person who has been presented with the Biblical gospel, of which 'Reformed' or 'Calvinist' are simply convenient man-made appellations, could be convinced that they were, or people must be, saved by the God of the Arminian or some other heretic. Enough already; the Word of God is true, and every man is indeed a liar.
Sola Fide
Sola Gratia
Solo Christo
Soli Deo Gloria
Sola Scriptura
"I am not ashamed of the Gospel"
"Woe unto me if I preach not the Gospel"
I have heard a lot of bantering on the Web these days about whether or not someone must be a Calvinist to be saved. I find the entire enterprise of discussing the matter laughable. The Bible tells us that it is by the hearing of faith (the hearing of the Gospel call to sinners) that the sinner is saved. The Spirit works His effectual and powerful work in the soul of the sinner to testify to the Gospel and to impart saving faith.
How can it be, if the above is true, that belief in another method of salvation is proper to the soul of a regenerate person? In other words, if I have been saved by grace through faith upon the hearing of the true Gospel, how is it that I could profess another? Those who profess another way of salvation, such as man's free-willed choice of God or some concatenated mess of the sinner's co-operation with God, are simply professing heresy and damnable untruth.
If I were to be hired by a major manufacturer of some product, and were to be paid handsomely for the purpose of using my skills to promote that product, would it not seem strange, after my training and considering the benefits which I derive from my employer, to go about disowning his product and instead extolling the virtues of another? I dare say that my job would be in jeopardy all because I put my company's product in an altogether bad light. There is simply no way that a person who has been presented with the Biblical gospel, of which 'Reformed' or 'Calvinist' are simply convenient man-made appellations, could be convinced that they were, or people must be, saved by the God of the Arminian or some other heretic. Enough already; the Word of God is true, and every man is indeed a liar.
Sola Fide
Sola Gratia
Solo Christo
Soli Deo Gloria
Sola Scriptura
posted by SFB at 11:26 AM
1 Comments:
That is almost, as you put it, laughable. But it does represent the vitriolic wing of the reformed perspective. You seem to be a thoughtful and Biblically literate believer, so how can you place anyone who has a different view of the mystery of God's sovereignty and the free will of man in hell? Many of us who have a sincerely different perspective are not of the salvation by works variety or even the watered down seeker/purpose driven false gospel. And though we do believe that God has not relinquished ANY of his sovereignty by granting man a free will while still under the canaopy of His Sovereignty, we reject the rampant easy believism that has flooded the "free will" thinking. Like Wesley, who I'm sure you would agree was a well saved man, we believe in the Lordship of Jesus Christ and salvation accompanied by followship. I will continue to be edified by your blog, at least you do take the Calvinistic brotherhood to task for their constant bickering while neglecting the immeasurable urgency for revival among us all!
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