tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965911108994118500.post7231750530570281126..comments2016-06-15T04:31:26.640-04:00Comments on Ready with a Reason: Response to Fairwinds Baptist Church and the Doctrine of Eternal Security, Part 2: Knowing, Certainty, and Eternal SecurityReadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13825613655695520319noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965911108994118500.post-11103442075773546222014-01-20T21:21:56.323-05:002014-01-20T21:21:56.323-05:00You don't have to be a five-pointer to be a Ca...You don't have to be a five-pointer to be a Calvinist. If you believe in "Once Saved, Always Saved" you are still a "Calvinistic Baptist". I believe that this false teaching is sending thousands if not millions of Baptists and evangelicals to hell due to a false sense of assurance.<br /><br />The Back-Slidden Baptist's Salvation Check List: <br /><br />Just as there are many orthodox Christians, including Lutherans, who, to their eternal damnation, rely on their infant Baptism as their "Get-into-heaven Free Card", I believe that there are many Baptists and evangelicals who rely on their one time "Decision for Christ" as their automatic ticket into heaven.<br /><br /> Just to be clear, I am sure that there are many, many Baptists and evangelicals who are much better Christians than I am. As Paul, I am the first among sinners. But I believe that the teaching of Decision Theology accompanied with the horrific teaching of "Once Saved, Always Saved", has damned just as many Baptists and evangelicals to hell as "Once Baptized, Always Saved" has damned many poorly catechized orthodox Christians.<br /><br /> I was taught growing up fundamentalist Baptist that a born-again Christian who stops going to church, reading the Bible, praying, etc. is a "back-slider". He has back-slidden into sin.<br /><br /> So let's review the "Back-Slidden" Baptist's and (Baptistic) Evangelical's Salvation Check-list:<br /><br /> 1. Have I attended church in the last twenty years: No.<br /> 2. Have I partaken of the Lord's Supper in the last twenty years: No.<br /> 3. Have I read my Bible in the last twenty years: No.<br /> 4. Have I prayed (other than, "Lord please help me win the Powerball!") in the last twenty years? No.<br /> 5. Have I shared the Gospel with a non-believer in the last twenty years. No.<br /> 6. Did I pray the Sinner's Prayer twenty-one years ago in a Baptist altar call. Yes.<br /><br /> Conclusion: SAVED!<br /><br /> Now, if you present this to a Baptist or evangelical of the Baptist persuasion, he or she will say that the person above was never saved. That is why we do not see any "fruit of the Spirit".<br /><br /> They have a much harder time, however, using that explanation when the "back-slider" is a prominent conservative Baptist or evangelical pastor or evangelist who has "won many souls to Christ" and has preached great moving sermons for years. "How could the person who led me to Christ have been a non-believer??" Situations such as these really rattle these "Once Saved, Always Saved" Christians. <br /><br />Gary<br />Luther, Baptists, and Evangelicals<br />an orthodox Lutheran blogGaryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02519721717265344702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965911108994118500.post-19509600118748264742009-08-27T13:29:16.912-04:002009-08-27T13:29:16.912-04:00I just have one question and one comment. How can...I just have one question and one comment. How can "eternal life" be temporary? To follow up, if it is not temporary, then isn't it forever? (That really counts as one question, right?) Now the comment: Most non-Catholics I know understand two aspects of salvation as well. Your "I.S." is viewed by Protestants as dying to sin and being raised with Christ. In other words an acceptance of Christ as Lord & Savior *as well as* the begining of a relationship with Christ. As it would be difficult to have a personal relationship with God and not know it, this is why your Baptist preacher emphasises knowledge. But non-Catholics do usually recognize that the "goal" of Christianity is not to get your ticket to Heaven, and forget about it. Rather we "being renewed to a true knowledge" according to the image of Christ. See Col. 3rewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965911108994118500.post-17270221119969625452009-08-23T22:32:30.953-04:002009-08-23T22:32:30.953-04:00It is always nice to see new bloggers. I host Sun...It is always nice to see new bloggers. I host Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival, which is a meme that allows Catholic bloggers to share their best post with others. http://rannthisthat.blogspot.com/2009/08/sunday-snippets-catholic-carnival_22.html Consider joining usRAnnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04102249990885174107noreply@blogger.com