ReformedBaptist said:
My reply was not meant to be sarcastic at all. I made my statement to prove my point. And I consider it an act of cowardice when a man will not make a statement of his faith, either by ascribing himself to one or writing his own.
You calumny of me depending on a creed for my theology and then your exhortation to depend on the Holy Spirit is reprehensible. What height of folly I find it to be when men boast so much of what they say the Holy Spirit teaches them and think so little of what He has taught others. Is that what your doing?
I did not ask you about reliance on a creed. I asked for this "group" of so-called non-lordship advocates, which you claim to be one, to formalize what it is they are standing for and/or against. So far nothing in this regard exists. Let this group stand up and be a man and state in print what it is they believe concerning this lordship issue, or sit down.
I am adding a note here, that I have expressed my views in this post. Please, webbdog, do not miscontrue my language to be a personal attack. It seems that it could be considered as such, and I just want to make clarification. I do consider it cowardice when a man will not formally state what it is he believes. But I am not by this calling you a coward, just stating my opinion here.
Also, I am not calling you reprehensible. But I do think your calumny of me is reprehensible.
I don't want to get into any personal differences here, but why should there be some sort of "standard position" set forth for
'this "group" of so-called non-lordship advocates' (a misnomer in itself, as I have already attempted to point out, for both
webdog and
EdSutton, among others, have stated that they in fact do fully believe and preach the Lordship of Jesus Christ)
http://www.baptistboard.com/showpost.php?p=1267501&postcount=40
any more than there should be a "standard position" for any and/or all other group(s), anywhere? There are multiple doctrinal and position statements that would cover about every group around, as far as I know. Certainly the FGA, and GES have them, to name two "groups" whose names have recently appeared on these pages and in the threads that touch on this subject, just as do Quentin Road Bible Baptist Church (which just hosted the 'Grace Conference'), Dallas Seminary, Master's Seminary, and IFCA to name some others that have appeared, by name. It is not exactly a secret as to what most of these believe and teach.
Nor, FTR, is it that hard to find out what
webdog (12K plus posts and counting) or
EdSutton (6500+ posts) believe on this or about any other subject, with a little searching of the topics of the BB archives.
I do not attempt to discern what ReformedBaptist believes by searching another's posts - only yours. Nor can any other speak with any authority for me, whether as an individual or in a "group" (although they could 'cite' someting I have written, and be accurate, I suppose). Why should what webdog believes be any different?
Let me add a couple final notes, to this post. I opposed the teachings of what is known as Lordship Salvation long before I ever even heard of an individual named John MacArthur.
And well over 35 years ago, I realized that "Lordship Salvation" as taught by 'Calvinists' was in the final analysis no different from "Lordship Salvation" taught by 'Arminians'. Both denied salvation by grace, in that they 'added' something to this. It made absolutely no difference as to whether this was any "up-front" commitment" or was a "back-door" commitment.
"Lordship salvation" was still 'demanding' a "commitment" for salvation, (regardless of how loudly or how often it was claimed not to be)
and as such, 'demanded' some sort of 'works' from an individual in addition to "faith/believe/belief/repent/repentance/trust", all of which are words both nouns and verbs used as synonyms for that which is 'necessary' for salvation/justification (or eternal life) in Scripture (Eph. 1:12-13; 2:8-10; Lk. 5:32; 15:7; Jo. 3:13-18, 36; 5:24; 6:47; Rom. 4:1-8; I Tim. 4:10; II Cor. 7:10) and which words do not carry the idea that any 'good works' are either 'implicitly contained' in them or need be in addition, for salvation.
These quotes are from individuals regarding 'Lordship Salvation".
Often, in fact, a distinction is drawn between the kind of faith which saves and the kind of faith which does not. But the kind of faith which does save is always seen to be the kind that results in some form of overt obedience. By this means, the obedience becomes at least an implicit part of the transaction between man and God. "Saving "faith has thus been subtly redefined in terms of its fruits. [Zane C. Hodges, The Gospel Under Siege (1981), p.4]
Hodges (Zane C. Hodges - Ed) fundamentally misunderstands the nature of the issue when he thinks that works are some sort of addendum, something beyond the faith itself. We maintain that it is implicit in the faithfrom the beginning. (And - Ed) Hodges, and virtually all dispensationalists, do not see the elementary difference between non-meritorious "requirements," "conditions, necessary obligations," "indispensable duties," and musts, as the natural outworking of true faith, in distinction from faith in the Savior plus meritorious works as the very basis of Salvation. [John H. Gerstner. Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth: A Critique of Dispensationalism, (1991) p. 226]
And just in case you happened to have missed it, the first time around, Dr. Gerstner repeats -
Again, this fundamental failure to comprehend is evident. Lordship teaching does not "add works," as if faith were not sufficient. The "works" are part of the definition of faith. [Gerstner, ibid. p. 257)
I, as a dispensationalist, do "get it", contrary to what Dr. Gerstner asserts. I do not see a difference, here. I do not agree that
any works, whether
meritorious or
non-meritorious are part of the integral definition of faith. Paul did not add this disclaimer in Rom. 4, so I will not either.
Scripture says we should be careful to maintain good works, and does not say anywhere that these will be 'automatic'. (Tit. 3:8, 14) I fully agree - on both counts!
Ed