The Traditional Southern Baptist View of Salvation?

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I had to work late last night so I had no chance to post the next in the Sermon on the Mount series. However, it is so odd how God works things out isn’t it? In my last post, The Sermon on the Mount Part 15, I wrote it after church on Sunday in which my pastor, Rick Holland, preached on persecution based on John 16:1-4. This was after his return from a trip to visit churches in England, Germany and Russia. In Russia he met a man who, when he was 13, his father, who was a pastor, was arrested and executed on the spot by the Soviet Union secret police for refusing to recant. I reflected on this and agreed with Rick that the worst persecution I have ever experienced in my walk has amounted to figurative arrows in the back from professing Christians who have a problem with my theology and my insistence on being very precise in teaching it and upholding God’s truth in its entirety.

The battle in the Southern Baptist Convention over “Calvinism” is close to home for me because I used to be in the SBC and left primarily because of the hateful rejection of it to my face by so many in the Southern Baptist churches in which I have taught and shared my faith. After I posted The Sermon on the Mount Part 15 I did not expect any push back at all, but lo and behold a fellow I banned from commenting here long ago who hates Reformed Theology posted a comment under a different email address. However, I knew it was him so I blocked it with the intention of using it as an example of what we are talking about in some future post. However, why wait? Here is the comment minus the fellow’s full name and email. His name is Jerry.

Mike, Man you need to step back and look at your arrogance Or should I say self assurance. Both are the same when its all about you. You need to read your own writings as a outsider and see how much you talk about “YOU”. You need to pray and ask THE LORD for HIS help that you may find mercy and repent from this type of teaching. I implore you to do so for not only you but those who have been caught up in this false teaching. HOW can you sit there and speaking of GODS sovereignty not sitting on HIS THRONE!!! I could not assume such foolishness. Its sad, you will just push this aside knowing (THINKING) you are right but not knowing who JESUS CHRIST IS. I feel sad for you and pray for you everyday. Because when THE LORD comes or when death shows at your door then you will know the truth and your heart will be shattered because you are being deceived. But I will not say your going to hell but you will know at that moment and you can’t change a thing except now. This is in LOVE

What is he upset about? Is it about my teaching about our Lord’s teaching on not judging in hypocrisy instead of not judging at all, which is what that post was about? No, obviously he as no issue with being critical does he? No, his issue is my very quick mention of God’s Sovereignty in that post and how God used my teaching about it in the past to draw out those who are deliberately in rebellion to it and instead are worshiping the sovereignty of man. Sigh…

This issue is continually being exacerbated by the leadership of the SBC. I experienced it head on this last Easter Sunday where I was subjected to an anti-Calvinistic sermon at a church I visited. I am positive that most of the people there were clueless to what the pastor was talking about. He messed up his attack pretty bad too and proved that he was doing nothing more than burning a straw-man and I just sat there and said nothing nor did I get angry and stomp out. The leadership of the SBC has decided to make it a Convention issue. This is addressed by Dr. James White in his June 1st Dividing Line. Here is a link to Dr. James White’s article. There is a link to the mp3 of the show on that page.

4 thoughts on “The Traditional Southern Baptist View of Salvation?”

  1. Voddie mentioned the SBC Pelagian embrace to me on Sunday. sigh I was glad to see Tom Ascol’s warm but firm defense of the biblical doctrines of grace.

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  3. Mike,
    I wanted to point out some of their ‘doctrine’…

    Article Eight: The Free Will of Man
    We affirm that God, as an expression of His sovereignty, endows each person with actual free will (the ability to choose between two options), which must be exercised in accepting or rejecting God’s gracious call to salvation by the Holy Spirit through the Gospel.
    We deny that the decision of faith is an act of God rather than a response of the person. We deny that there is an “effectual call” for certain people that is different from a “general call” to any person who hears and understands the Gospel.

    I too was once a member of the SBC. Then I started questioning things like their VBS program and Lifeway. It all fell on deaf ears; there was such a shallow understanding of biblical Christianity within that church. There was also sin that was left unaddressed. I thank God I no longer attend an SBC church, God has led me to Pastor Gary Gilley’s church, Southern View Chapel, and I am grateful.

    I point out this damning free will theology because it is based on man’s ability to choose to be saved, which robs God of glory and makes null and void grace. I do not adhere to the doctrines of grace because Calvin taught them, I adhere to them because the Lord God teaches them. I also do not think we can overlook free will theology and remain quiet.

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