My Kim, who is 'my kin' in the wife category, and I were talking about this very thing tonight at the supper table. If believers agree on the main essentials of the Christian faith, then yes, they are brothers and sisters in Christ. Thanks for the reminder, Eddie.
Liberalism is everywhere. Those who "root for the wrong team" are by definition heretics. Papists, Mormons, Buddhists, Arminians, Charismatics and Pentecostals are enemies of the doctrines of grace and the Gospel of Jesus Christ...
My kin are only those who know the truth and have been sanctified by the truth. (John 17:17).
Charlie, Charlie, Charlie, read Sproul's statement again. Anyone who is bought by the blood of Christ is your brother or sister...even if, they are a little off on their theology. I was an Arminian and it took me a while, as I wrestled with Scripture to give in to the Truth of God's Word. Jacob was twisted in his thinking and he was one of the elect! I agree with your assessment of other religions and cults but, believers can have misunderstanding on certain doctrines and still be among the elect. Even YOU, dare I say it, may have some wrong thinking in some areas.
I met a Calvinist once who said no one could enter Heaven unless he or she believed in the 5-Points of Calvinism. Well, that just barred the door for small children, the mentally disabled and the thief on the cross!
In Heaven, we will all know the Truth of God's sovereign grace but here, in this sinful world, some can be confused or accept some preachers ideas without examining them with the Word.
The Corinthians were way out of line in many areas - and yet, Paul called them saints.
...and even snooty, pompous, superior-minded Calvinists can be brothers in Christ.
...and I'm not saying ALL Arminians are Christians...of course not, but neither do I believe for a second that EVERYONE who claims to be a Calvinist is a Christian either!
Oddly, my wife and I were also talking about this a couple weeks ago after church after. In the sermon we had just heard, the pastor called the Doctrines of Grace heresy.
If the Doctrines of Grace are heresy, I concluded by reasonable deduction, then those who teach it, believe it and praise God for it, are heretics -
Spurgeon once said, "There is no soul living who holds more firmly to the Doctrines of Grace than I do, and if any man asks me whether I am ashamed to be called a Calvinist, I answer-I wish to be called nothing but a Christian; but if you ask me, do I hold the doctrinal views which were held by John Calvin, I reply, I do in the main hold them, and rejoice to avow it."
Most all my Christian friends down here in the south are Arminian; and I love them dearly as my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Even though the pastor may call those who believe in Calvinism/Reformed View/Doctrines of Grace (or what ever) heretics, I could never call them heretics as they stand on the "main essentials" (as brother Paul points out) as I do in the Christian faith.
Eddie said, " I was an Arminian and it took me a while, as I wrestled with Scripture to give in to the Truth of God's Word."
This is also a picture of me three years ago. When my eyes were first opened to the truth of God's Word concerning the Doctrines of Grace, I fought hard against it. It went against everything I had been taught over the previous 15 years I had been a Christian.
I praise God that I can now rest very comfortably in His sovereignty!
I'm thinking that Arminian theology characterizes most Christians when they "come to Christ" until they discover that it was God who dragged them, unwilling, kicking, screaming, and resisting.
What he said.
ReplyDeleteMy Kim, who is 'my kin' in the wife category, and I were talking about this very thing tonight at the supper table. If believers agree on the main essentials of the Christian faith, then yes, they are brothers and sisters in Christ. Thanks for the reminder, Eddie.
ReplyDeleteAmen. The Body of Christ.
ReplyDeleteLiberalism is everywhere. Those who "root for the wrong team" are by definition heretics. Papists, Mormons, Buddhists, Arminians, Charismatics and Pentecostals are enemies of the doctrines of grace and the Gospel of Jesus Christ...
ReplyDeleteMy kin are only those who know the truth and have been sanctified by the truth. (John 17:17).
Charlie, Charlie, Charlie, read Sproul's statement again. Anyone who is bought by the blood of Christ is your brother or sister...even if, they are a little off on their theology. I was an Arminian and it took me a while, as I wrestled with Scripture to give in to the Truth of God's Word.
ReplyDeleteJacob was twisted in his thinking and he was one of the elect!
I agree with your assessment of other religions and cults but, believers can have misunderstanding on certain doctrines and still be among the elect.
Even YOU, dare I say it, may have some wrong thinking in some areas.
I met a Calvinist once who said no one could enter Heaven unless he or she believed in the 5-Points of Calvinism. Well, that just barred the door for small children, the mentally disabled and the thief on the cross!
In Heaven, we will all know the Truth of God's sovereign grace but here, in this sinful world, some can be confused or accept some preachers ideas without examining them with the Word.
The Corinthians were way out of line in many areas - and yet, Paul called them saints.
...and even snooty, pompous, superior-minded Calvinists can be brothers in Christ.
...and I'm not saying ALL Arminians are Christians...of course not, but neither do I believe for a second that EVERYONE who claims to be a Calvinist is a Christian either!
ReplyDeleteOddly, my wife and I were also talking about this a couple weeks ago after church after. In the sermon we had just heard, the pastor called the Doctrines of Grace heresy.
ReplyDeleteIf the Doctrines of Grace are heresy, I concluded by reasonable deduction, then those who teach it, believe it and praise God for it, are heretics -
Spurgeon once said, "There is no soul living who holds more firmly to the Doctrines of Grace than I do, and if any man asks me whether I am ashamed to be called a Calvinist, I answer-I wish to be called nothing but a Christian; but if you ask me, do I hold the doctrinal views which were held by John Calvin, I reply, I do in the main hold them, and rejoice to avow it."
Most all my Christian friends down here in the south are Arminian; and I love them dearly as my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Even though the pastor may call those who believe in Calvinism/Reformed View/Doctrines of Grace (or what ever) heretics, I could never call them heretics as they stand on the "main essentials" (as brother Paul points out) as I do in the Christian faith.
Dawg
Eddie said, " I was an Arminian and it took me a while, as I wrestled with Scripture to give in to the Truth of God's Word."
ReplyDeleteThis is also a picture of me three years ago. When my eyes were first opened to the truth of God's Word concerning the Doctrines of Grace, I fought hard against it. It went against everything I had been taught over the previous 15 years I had been a Christian.
I praise God that I can now rest very comfortably in His sovereignty!
I'm thinking that Arminian theology characterizes most Christians when they "come to Christ" until they discover that it was God who dragged them, unwilling, kicking, screaming, and resisting.
ReplyDeleteI found this old quote that was attributed to C. H. Spurgeon but I am not certain about that.
ReplyDelete"We are all born Arminians; we are Calvinists by grace."
Thanks Eddie, This reminds me of the conversation between Charles Simeon and John Wesley.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/a-250-yr-old-model-how-calvinist-simeon-related-to-wesley
Les, I remember reading that years ago. Thanks for the link - I hope everyone reads it!
ReplyDeleteIt was 15 years before God showed me "Calvinism". But I didn't wrestle, not when my salvation suddenly made sense.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link, Les, that's good stuff.
ReplyDeleteThe hymn And Can It Be was written by Charles Wesley too. Interesting since it seems so predestinationist.
ReplyDelete