Featured Intellectual Faith

If salvation is not easy believism then salvation is a work. Salvation is easy because it is not a work. ". . . Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." -- Jesus, Matthew 11:28-30.

 

This pattern you've seen was noted (and rebuked) here:

On ideologues championing Calvinistic dogmas

"there is an attractiveness about them to some people, in large matter, because of their intellectual rigor. They are powerfully coherent doctrines, and certain kinds of minds are drawn to that. And those kinds of minds tend to be argumentative."

"the intellectual appeal of the system of Calvinism draws a certain kind of intellectual person....hostile...intellectualistic. I'll just confess that. It's a sad and terrible thing that that's the case....You can embrace a system of theology and not even be born again."

 

Easy believism is a term that refers to an ascent to some facts as the basis of salvation but no committment to God.

In other words wanting the gift but not the giver.

 

The 'Scotch Baptists' were known for this:

[pdf] Book review, The Works of Andrew Fuller: Volume 9. Apologetic Works 5. Strictures on Sandemanianism. Edited by Nathan A. Finn. General Editor, Michael A.G. Haykin.

p. 244-245

"Fuller wrote...[of a] dispute between himself and Scotch Baptist Archibald McLean (1733–1812)....the Scotch Baptists had developed out of the Sandemanian movement"

"Fuller perceived a drift in McLean’s theology that would lead to hyper-Calvinism if remaining unaddressed....Whereas 'McLean argued for justification by intellectual assent to the facts of the gospel...Fuller argued for justification by ‘believing with the heart’'."

[This was not all the Baptists in Scotland, but a sect denominated 'Scotch Baptists'. Its adherents in Wales were the first to take the name Reformed Baptists.]

Charles Spurgeon in his sermon "Work for Jesus" recalls how Fuller dealt with these argumentative folks:

"I remember that when Andrew Fuller had a very severe lecture from some Scotch Baptist brethren about the discipline of the church, [the Scotch Baptists were a splinter group: "A plurality of elders or pastors in every church, is a distinguishing feature in their order....they consider a church incomplete without a plurality."] he made the reply, 'You say that your discipline is so much better than ours. Very well, but discipline is meant to make good soldiers. Now, my soldiers fight better than yours, and I think therefore that you ought not to say much about my discipline.' So the real thing is not to be for ever calculating about modes of church government, and methods of management and plans to be adopted and rules to be laid down, which it shall be accounted a serious breach to violate. All well in their place, for order is good in its way. But come, now, let us go to work. Let us have something done."

 

I know Liberal Christians and their theologians such as those in "Moderate Evangelical Christianity" say that if you just think one way, confess it publicly, with no change in behavior they consider you Christian and going to heaven.

 

Can you quote them?

 

Not if their faith is dead. Deeds in no way are the cause of our salvation, but the bible makes clear having faith leads to a change in how you do things. Right deeds and words and thoughts follow faith. That only makes sense if you are lost in sin and worldliness and embrace Jesus Christ, His Father, are given the Holy Spirit, and truly believe in the Judgment and the Resurrection and the scriptures. Your world was shattered, how can your behavior not be?

Those that say mere intellectual assent go to heaven with no change in our interaction with God must heed James 2:19,
You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

Its not like Satan didn't even go to the point of misquoting scripture to Jesus in the wilderness.

 

I am sorry. To deny easy believism is to in fact deny salvation to be a free gift. 2 Corinthians 5:17. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4. 1 John 5:1. Romans 6:23. Those who think they got saved or stay saved by doing are lost, Matthew 7:21-23.

 

What do you mean by easy believism? Do you disagree with my post #29?

 

Zane Hodges surely did have some ‘out there’ ideas.

Rob

 

Intellectual faith is not repentant faith. Repentance is necessary for salvation. Therefore, intellectual faith is not the faith by which we are saved and justified.

 

Saving faith is the gift of God given to His elect. Men in their unregenerate state can come to certain kinds of faith, but not to saving faith in Jesus Christ. Saving faith is wrought in the heart of the elect sinner in regeneration by the Holy Spirit.

Because of the corruption of men’s hearts by nature they cannot come truly love God. The disposition of the heart of the unregenerate is such as he does not love God, but he hates God. He is at enmity with God.

“because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be: and they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:7-8 ASV)

If we read on to the next verse it becomes evident that the mind of the flesh is a description of the unsaved person: “But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” (Romans 8:9 ASV)

“Now the natural man receiveth not the things of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, and he himself is judged of no man.” (1 Corinthians 2:14-15 ASV)

“No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him: and I will raise him up in the last day.” (John 6:44 ASV)

“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my ordinances, and do them.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27 ASV)

“And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh; and will give them a heart of flesh; that they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” (Ezekiel 11:19-20 ASV)

“and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: and I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from following [after] them, to do them good; and I will put my fear in their hearts, that they may not depart from me.” (Jeremiah 32:39-40 ASV)

 

But if one looks to some decision or choose they made in the past, their choose to follow Christ they are looking to something they did. It is no grounds of assurance of salvation that one made a decision sometime in the past. Not only am I against easy believism because of how it tends to unholiness, but I am also against it because it tends to self-righteousness. We should look to Christ alone not to any decision we made in the past.

 

Billy Graham's friend and former colleague Charles Templeton similarly lost his faith just like the friend of Zane Hodges. Unlike Hodges though, Graham never said Templeton was still supposedly saved, though he did pray he would repent and believe once more. Templeton never did.

 

When people have only an intellectual faith in the historical facts of the gospel it shows itself in all manner of errors.
They deny bible truth can be known, they relegate everything to a theory.
Sometimes they want to only see their own ideas, as they believe everyone else is wrong.
There is a craving for novelties.
The set aside historic beliefs for obscure ideas offered by obscure persons.
They do not readily accept biblical correction but instead boast of their own self righteousness.