We must at all times show Christian character even with those with whom
we vehemently oppose
No name calling or backhanded insulting
No ad hominem attacks
No theological cuss-words
Our Purpose
Unashamed of Grace is a friendly place to boldly proclaim, carefully study
and openly engage our respective views: Dispensationalism; Free Grace
Theology; and Old-School Non-Calvinism.
What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to
the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast
about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham
believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness." Now to the one
who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the
one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is
counted as righteousness ...
(Romans 4:1-5)
1) His insistence on repentance and the contradiction of calling salvation a free gift 2) He says that positive acts toward God does not bring anyone closer to eternal life. I disagree. One's heart may be drawn closer to God by repentance and good works as in the case of Cornelius. 3) He believes that people "pray to receive Christ". This one really gets my ire, as it is used perpetually by Lordship advocates as a straw man against FG. "All you have to do is pray the prayer..."
1) if man "is saved by faith in Jesus Christ alone" as you are quoted, then repentance would not be necessary. You have yourself stated that repentance is not a flip side of the coin of faith but something altogether different. Therefore you falsify one or the other of your stated beliefs.
2) You state that "meritorious" works are not a condition of eternal life. You make the point clear that "meritorious" works have nothing to do with it. But you open the LS door of "non-meritorious" works such as espoused by MacArthur and Gerstner. What would repentance in your view as a condition of eternal life be but a "non-meritorious" work in your estimation? Paul doesn't speak of meritorious vs non-meritorious. Works of any kind are precluded as conditions. Repentance is indeed a work, and if you require it of an unsaved man, and he understands that repentance is indeed necessary for eternal life, than he is not looking fully to Christ, but must by necessity place some of his hope for eternal life upon his own volitional work of repentance. If salvation is indeed a "free gift" as you are quoted in this post as believing, then repentance could not be a contractual stipulation for the reception of eternal life, but belief ONLY, which is but a passive instrument of reception.
3) You say that positive acts toward God does not bring anyone closer to eternal life. I disagree. One's heart may be drawn closer to God by repentance and good works as in the case of Cornelius in Act 10.
4) Your belief that people "pray to receive Christ" is disturbing. This really gets my ire, as it is used perpetually by Lordship advocates as a straw man against FG. "All you have to do is pray the prayer..."
Hodges says: ---------- Notice please! I have not asked him to pray, or to make a decision for Christ, or to do any of the many other things people often ask the unsaved to do.
All I have done is to ask if he has understood the truth we have discussed, and I have asked if he believes it. I absolutely insist that this is all the personal worker needs to do. I am encouraging the unsaved person to believe, but I can’t make him do that.
If he does believe, a prayer is unnecessary. If he doesn’t, a prayer will be confusing since I may direct him to say things he can’t yet understand or believe, because God has not yet opened his heart.
I should know about this problem. You see, when I was a little boy, I went forward in a meeting and said a prayer before I really understood what I was doing. Actually I was saved years later. But that prayer confused me, because I spent years wondering if I got saved when I prayed it. The pastor even thought I had because he came to visit my mother and told her so. But I wasn’t sure at all.
I now realize that no one is saved by praying a prayer. They are saved when they understand God’s offer of eternal life through Jesus and believe it. That’s when people are saved. And that’s the only time when people are saved. All of the excess baggage that we bring into our encounter with unsaved sinners is just that, excess baggage! ----------
![[We are] not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. (Romans 1:16)](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3161/1646/1600/blog-header-3.0.jpg)
4 Comments:
I personally have issues with his post.
1) His insistence on repentance and the contradiction of calling salvation a free gift
2) He says that positive acts toward God does not bring anyone closer to eternal life. I disagree. One's heart may be drawn closer to God by repentance and good works as in the case of Cornelius.
3) He believes that people "pray to receive Christ". This one really gets my ire, as it is used perpetually by Lordship advocates as a straw man against FG. "All you have to do is pray the prayer..."
Antonio
By
Antonio, at Friday, November 03, 2006 9:16:00 AM
I wrote this on his blog:
Lou,
1) if man "is saved by faith in Jesus Christ alone" as you are quoted, then repentance would not be necessary. You have yourself stated that repentance is not a flip side of the coin of faith but something altogether different. Therefore you falsify one or the other of your stated beliefs.
2) You state that "meritorious" works are not a condition of eternal life. You make the point clear that "meritorious" works have nothing to do with it. But you open the LS door of "non-meritorious" works such as espoused by MacArthur and Gerstner. What would repentance in your view as a condition of eternal life be but a "non-meritorious" work in your estimation? Paul doesn't speak of meritorious vs non-meritorious. Works of any kind are precluded as conditions. Repentance is indeed a work, and if you require it of an unsaved man, and he understands that repentance is indeed necessary for eternal life, than he is not looking fully to Christ, but must by necessity place some of his hope for eternal life upon his own volitional work of repentance. If salvation is indeed a "free gift" as you are quoted in this post as believing, then repentance could not be a contractual stipulation for the reception of eternal life, but belief ONLY, which is but a passive instrument of reception.
3) You say that positive acts toward God does not bring anyone closer to eternal life. I disagree. One's heart may be drawn closer to God by repentance and good works as in the case of Cornelius in Act 10.
4) Your belief that people "pray to receive Christ" is disturbing. This really gets my ire, as it is used perpetually by Lordship advocates as a straw man against FG. "All you have to do is pray the prayer..."
Hodges says:
----------
Notice please! I have not asked him to pray, or to make a decision for Christ, or to do any of the many other things people often ask the unsaved to do.
All I have done is to ask if he has understood the truth we have discussed, and I have asked if he believes it. I absolutely insist that this is all the personal worker needs to do. I am encouraging the unsaved person to believe, but I can’t make him do that.
If he does believe, a prayer is unnecessary. If he doesn’t, a prayer will be confusing since I may direct him to say things he can’t yet understand or believe, because God has not yet opened his heart.
I should know about this problem. You see, when I was a little boy, I went forward in a meeting and said a prayer before I really understood what I was doing. Actually I was saved years later. But that prayer confused me, because I spent years wondering if I got saved when I prayed it. The pastor even thought I had because he came to visit my mother and told her so. But I wasn’t sure at all.
I now realize that no one is saved by praying a prayer. They are saved when they understand God’s offer of eternal life through Jesus and believe it. That’s when people are saved. And that’s the only time when people are saved. All of the excess baggage that we bring into our encounter with unsaved sinners is just that, excess baggage!
----------
Antonio
By
Antonio, at Friday, November 03, 2006 9:32:00 AM
>I personally have issues with his post.<
Come on Antonio we know its the haircut you have issues with:-)
Oh ho ho ho ho. I can't believe he posted on haircuts...ah ha ha ha.
I love you brother.
By
Bhedr, at Friday, November 03, 2006 10:57:00 AM
Antonio, I agree with your critique.
But I am glad that Lou is working hard refuting MacArthur's position.
By
Matthew Celestine, at Sunday, November 05, 2006 1:37:00 AM
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