1. UNIVERSAL NEED OF GRACE
(Never Tire of Preaching It!)
Perfect Law-keeping Cannot Save Jew or Gentile: “All have sinned”
Introduction to Gospel of Grace: AbrahamGospel of Grace:PERFECTING
REMEDIAL
REDEMPTIVE
ATONING
RECONCILING
IMPUTES RIGHTEOUSNESS
2. First Century Errors About Grace
Rationale for fellowship with error
Gnostics
- 1 Jn. 1:6: “..say we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness…”
Philosophers
- Acts 17:18: Epicureans, Stoics
Col. 2:8, 20-22: “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”
3. Augustine’s View of Adam’s Fall
A. Had Supernatural Grace in Eden
B. By Use of Free Will, Man Fell
C. Resulting in:
Loss of Free Will
Obstruction of Knowledge
Loss of Grace, Loss of Paradise
Concupiscence, Physical Death
Hereditary Guilt
Redemption:
Totally in Hands of God
Irresistible Grace to Elect
Sinner is Passive
Holy Spirit Regeneration
Gospel Obedience Impossible
4. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
- John and Gnosticism – Nature of Man
- Augustine – Roman Catholicism
- Luther – Reformation – Calvinism
- Early America – Restoration
- Rejection of Calvinism and Creeds
- “Scheme of Redemption” by Milligan
- “Gospel Plan of Salvation” by Brents
- Churches of Christ Today
- Untaught in Bible Basics
- Reliance on Denominationalists
- Tenets of Calvinism Re-introduced
- “Neo-Calvinism” widespread today
5. “Shall We Continue In Sin?” (Romans 6:1)
“Our first Parents, by this Sin, fell from their original righteousness and communion with God, and we in them, whereby death came upon all; all becoming dead in Sin, and wholly defiled, in all the faculties and parts of soul and body…From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions.”
London Confession, Baptist, Ch. Vi, part 2, 4
6. “Shall We Continue In Sin?” (Romans 6:1)
“We take the position that a Christian’s sins do not damn his soul. The way a Christian lives, what he says, his character, his conduct or his attitude toward other people have nothing whatever to do with the salvation of his soul … All the prayers a man may pray, all the Bibles he may read, all the churches he may belong to, all the services he may attend, all the debts he may pay, all the ordinances he may observe, all the laws he may keep, all the benevolent acts he may perform will not make his soul one whit safer; and all the sins he may commit from idolatry to murder will not make his soul in any more danger … The way a man lives has nothing whatever to do with the salvation of his soul…“
(Sam Morris, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Stamford, TX, from a tract, “Do A Christian’s Sins Damn His Soul?”)
7. FIVE POINTS OF CALVINISM
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-
- T – Total Hereditary Depravity
U – Unconditional Election
L – Limited Atonement
I – Irresistible Grace
P -Perseverance of the Saints
-
Plus
Imputed RighteousnessPerverted Use of Biblical Truth By Which System Is Implemented
-
-
- “Transfer” Adam’s Sin to Mankind
- “Transfer” Mankind’s Sin to Christ
- “Transfer” Christ’s Perfection to Lost
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8. USE OF CALVINISM AMONG SECTARIANS
Most Accept Calvinism as a Creed
Basis of Faith Only
Basis of Once Saved, Always Saved
Make a Distinction Between Faith/Works
Doctrine is Unimportant to Salvation
Unity in Diversity
Any doctrine, honestly held, is acceptable to God and cannot limit fellowship between believers.
-
-
- One church is as good as another!
- One belief is as good as another!
-
9. USE OF CALVINISM AMONG CHURCHES OF CHRIST
Most Deny Believing in Calvinism
Terms are Re-defined with Same Result
Result: Hybrid “Neo-Calvinism”
Basis of Unity in Diversity
Redefinitions:
Faith/Works
Gospel/Doctrine
Justification/Sanctification
Doctrine Unimportant to Salvation
Fellowship Expanded to Include Error
Doctrinal Differences Do Not Limit Fellowship
10. UNITY IN DIVERSITY TODAY
(Gospel Doctrine Distinction)
ARE THESE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE?
|
Preach |
Teach |
|
Gospel |
Doctrine |
|
Justification |
Sanctification |
|
Ignorance Not Allowed |
Ignorance Allowed |
|
Must Obey Perfectly |
Perfection not Required |
|
No Diversity |
Diversity Permitted |
|
“Right About Christ” |
“Wrong About Doctrine” |
11. UNITY IN DIVERSITY TODAY
(Gospel Doctrine Distinction)
Ketcherside, Garrett, Hardin, Shelly, Et Al
| Gospel | Distinct From | Doctrine |
| Core Gospel – 7 Facts – Grace | Doctrine – teaching, commands, law |
| Saved – Establish Fellowship with God | Unity in Diversity – Fellowship with Brethren |
“If we are right about Christ, we can be wrong about matters of doctrine.”
“Perfectionists, Legalists, Pharisees, believe one must be right on every matter of doctrine.”
12. “Shall We Continue In Sin?” (Romans 6:1)
“There should be room in the Christian fellowship for those who believe that Christ is the son of God, but who differ on eschatological theories such as premillennialism, ecclesiological matters such as congregational organization, on soteriological matters such as whether baptism is ‘for’ or ‘because of’ remission of sins”
Carrol Osburn, “The Peaceable Kingdom,” (Abilene, Restoration Perspectives, 1993, pp. 90-91)
13. “Shall We Continue In Sin?” (Romans 6:1)
“One who accepts the deity of Christ is God’s child in prospect and my brother in deed.”
Carl Ketcherside
“I agree with the brother who wrote that disagreements over instruments should not prevent us from enjoying a common Lord’s table.”
Calvin Warpula
Whenever I see a man call God ‘Father’, I see a brother.”
Max Lucado
14. Grace Covers Sins
“The present frontier is the frontier of a grace-based fellowship with all our brothers and sisters in Christ. A truth began to dawn on us in the 1960’s and 70’s and increasingly through the 1980’s. That truth is that God’s grace extends not only to our moral imperfections but also to our doctrinal short-comings.
(Gary Pearson, “Image Magazine,” Sept/Oct 1993, p. 32)
15. CALVINISTIC UNITY IN DIVERSITY
(Dabney-Frost Debate)
“Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin (Rom. 4:8).
Argument II
- Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin, Rom. 4:8
- One is made free from sin in baptism (Rom. 6:17), therefore…
- Sin is not imputed to those baptized
(pp. 83, 183)
16. CALVINISTIC UNITY IN DIVERSITY
(Dabney-Frost Debate)
“Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin (Rom. 4:8).
Argument III
- Adultery is a sin, Mt. 19:18
- Sin is not imputed to the baptized, therefore:
- Sin is not imputed to adulterers baptized
(pp. 83, 118)
17. UNITY IN DIVERSITY TODAY
(Grace Covers Sin)
“We are Under Grace, Not Law, Rom. 6:14.”
- Law demands Perfect Law-keeping, Gal. 3:10.
- We are not under law (doctrine), but under grace.
- We can be wrong about some matter of law and still be right with God.
Application is Being made to:
Doctrinal Sins
Moral Sins
Example: Adulterous Marriages
18. “Shall We Continue In Sin?” (Romans 6:1)
“…I also believe that anyone who studies the Bible with a pure and sincere heart will be led by the Holy Spirit to complete their salvation. And I do pray that if in my ignorance I said or did something to wound or to cause a soul to reject baptism, that God will consider their life and if that is all that would cause them to miss heaven, that he will allow his grace to forgive us both.”
Written statement to me during meeting in San Antonio, TX from a member at Oak Hills where Max Lucado is preacher
19. “Shall We Continue In Sin?” (Romans 6:1)
Right About Christ ~ Wrong About Doctrine
“What is the basis of one’s hope before God? Is it not that we sustain a right relationship with God through Christ? Therefore – does our salvation depend upon being right about everything or being right about Christ? In other words – if one is right about Christ then that one can be wrong about some doctrinal instruction without being lost, can he not?
Arnold Hardin, The Persuader, What is the Gospel?
20. “Shall We Continue In Sin?” (Romans 6:1)
“I believe I urged you once to get hold of Chuck Swindoll’s book ‘Grace Awakening’. Did you? I really wish you would if you haven’t. I know brethren often look down upon reading works from outside sources, but there is much light we can gain even from those who are not all the way in the light. Max Lucado’s book ‘In the Grip of Grace’ is pretty good too, though not nearly as meaty or as good as Chuck’s. I know what brethren think about Max Lucado as well — and I don’t agree with Max’s ecumenical leanings at all (his chapter on Rom 15 I totally disagree with) just as I don’t agree with Swindoll’s ‘faith-only’ views. But I believe overall Swindoll and Lucado are correct in showing that we need to change our focus and our motivations. ‘We are not under law but under grace’ (Rom 6.15).”
Randy Hohf to Mike Gray
21. “Shall We Continue In Sin?” (Romans 6:1)
Randy Hohf to Mike Gray
August 16, 1997
“It is a matter of overall focus. I have come to realize in the past few years that the focus in the gospel is the grace of God and the cross of Christ. While obedience is certainly important, my righteousness is not based upon my personal righteousness but upon God’s grace. This is what churches of Christ have long lost sight of. There is so much focus on perfect obedience and perfect understanding and perfect agreement with each other. There is so much legalism and Phariseeism.
The strife and division and negativism is killing us. And at camp we are trying to keep the focus positive and uplifting and to be “strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 2.1).(Note: The application of this is seen in that the Bible class director for the camp is David Ford, from the institutional church in Edmonton, AB, Canada. The teachers are advertised as “chosen not only for their Biblical knowledge and teaching abilities, but also for their exemplary lives making them role models for the young people of the church”
(camp brochure).
22. “Not Under Law, But Under Grace”
Randy Hohf, Study Letter with Bobby Holmes, August 19, 1997
“I believe in strict observance of God’s book. I just do not think it is the basis of my justification. I am not under law but under grace (Rom 6.14). That does not free me from the need to obey God or from the conditions to his grace. But it does free me from the demand of being perfect. If I am wrong in MDR, I hope I will one day find out about it, but I know and am absolutely confident that it does not effect my salvation because I know my heart and I know my Lord.”(Note: Application of not “under law but under grace”permits belief and practice of error, typical application of Calvinism.)“My salvation is not based on my 100% perfect knowledge. Thank God that my salvation is not based on whether or not I am correct on one topic. If it were, I would have no hope, for even if I were correct on MDR I would be wrong on something else, for sure. Are you 100% perfect in your understanding of all of God’s word? If not, then why are you not a false teacher and an “enemy of the cross of Christ”? Is it because you pick and choose which things you can be right or wrong on?
“I too believe in the Biblical pattern and I try to call men to it. But simply because I happened to disagree with you on ONE issue, you marked me as a false teacher. It’s your overall attitude portrayed in your articles and actions that are Pharisaical, arrogant and self-righteous.
“It is the idea that men must be 100% agreed on every issue in order to be in fellowship and everyone who is not 100% agreed with YOU is a false teacher. Right here is the whole crux. It is this gospel of perfectionism rather than of grace that I am opposed to. You place on men a yoke that ‘neither we nor our fathers were able to bear’ (Acts 15.10). There is no room or need for grace in your doctrine. It is rarely spoken about. Or if it is spoken of, it is mere lip service, because you make it all null and void by your actions. By forcing on everyone a yoke of perfection, you destroy the gospel of grace. The apostle Paul would have nothing to do with that kind of gospel. Most of what he wrote concerned that very issue. You “tie up heavy loads, and lay them on men’s shoulders” (the load of 100% perfection).”
Randy Hohf, Study Letter with Bobby Holmes, August 19, 1997
23. “Shall We Continue In Sin?” (Romans 6:1)
“I have contended that the guilty party cannot remarry because Jesus was referring specifically to the innocent party when he spoke of remarriage — that is, He was silent as to the guilty party remarrying. But, again, in all fairness, we should admit that we are all having to make a judgment call on this–and where such judgment has to be exercised, we should not be disfellowshipping one another. This does NOT mean that this matter is unimportant or a matter of indifference. But we are simply letting the Lord be the judge in each situation…”
(Don Partain, Dec. 3, 1997, as stated to Joe Price)
24. “By Grace Through Faith”
“The Charge of Perfectionism”
Grace “frees me from the demand of being perfect…”
“I am not under law but under grace.”
Which “law” opposes grace?
| Law of Moses | Law of Christ |
| (Gal. 3:10) | (Rom. 8:2) |
Which Law of Christ can I be wrong about and still be right?
(Eph. 5:11; 1 Jn. 3:4; Mt. 7:23)
Which Law of Christ can I not know and still be right?
(Eph. 3:4; 5:17; Jn. 8:32; Eph. 4:13)
25. The Grace of God
“Instructs Us” (Titus 2:11-12)
“You Don’t Preach Enough About Grace”
We Preach Grace When We:
Preach Baptism
Preach the Church
Preach the Structure of the Church
Preach the Work of the Church
Preach the Worship of the Church
Preach About Sin
Preach About Man’s Need to Obey
