Since I began this blog I have had more private emails and comments than I have public ones. Some of these emails and comments I have made public. Some people have asked that I not mention their names when corresponding with me privately. Certainly their wishes will be honored where it is possible to do so.
I have also, during the past two years, had some interesting experiences with Calvinistic Baptists in my area of North Carolina and these experiences would prove quite interesting, I am sure, to many people. Perhaps I will get a chance to put these all in a book some time.
I get a little perturbed at those Calvinistic Christians who are always belittling certain kinds of gospel invitations that supposed "Arminians" make to the lost when they address them in preaching. One I heard recently, and one I have heard often, is one which says "it is not scriptural to call upon sinners to 'give their hearts to Jesus.'" One writer made such a comment and I wrote to him and cited these words to him - "My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways." (Proverbs 23: 26 KJV)
Another saying that many Hyper Calvinists make against what they perceive as improper gospel invitations is to say - "it is not scriptural to call upon sinners to open their heart's door to Christ." How they can say this in view of Revelation 3: 20 is amazing.
"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
When these people are confronted with these words of invitation, they rarely give up on their stubborn opposition to such kinds of gospel invitations. So, they attempt to explain the verse as either 1) not applying at all to unregenerate souls, but only to regenerate ones, or 2) else say that the invitation is not to open the door of the heart but rather that of the church.
But, such "argumentation" only belies a stubborness against the belief that the gospel is the "power of God unto salvation." Every Hardshell Hyperist "interprets" this invitation as applying only to born again people.
Two rebuttal points are to be made in regard to this "interpretation." First, how anyone can legitimately say that such adjectives as "wretched, miserable, poor, and blind, and naked" can be said to be appropriate for only the born again children of God, is truly amazing. It is no "argument" at all either for the Hyperists to say that this letter, and these words, are addressed to church members. This proves nothing unless it can be proven that churches are always composed only of those who are truly regenerate. Clearly the invitation is to those in the visible assembly who did not have Christ within them supping and dwelling with them!
Secondly, how the Hyperist can eliminate the heart from this invitation is also bewildering. The church is the people, and Christ's knocking to get within the church is no different from his desire to get inside their hearts. Why is the Hyperist so intent in not making this door the door to the heart and soul?
All this anti-invitation hullaballoo both Bob Ross and myself have addressed in our writings against the Hyper Calvinists. It is because of these Hyperists saying such things against gospel invitations that we both put together the following test for deciphering whether one is a Hyper Calvinist or not. The following was written by Brother Ross in the calvinist flyswatter (http://www.calvinistflyswatter.blogspot.com/) and I posted my addition to his list of test items in a comment to that entry. I am sure we can and will likely add to this list. Perhaps some of our readers can help with this.
Brother Ross wrote:
"Clues by which you might recognize a "Hybrid Calvinist" --If you happen to meet someone who makes one or more of the following remarks, it is possible, even probable, that you have met a Hybrid Calvinist. Here are a few clues which point in that direction. If the person says --
"I have never met and don't know a hyper Calvinist."
"I don't follow any man's theology; I just follow the Bible."
"We don't win souls, the Holy Spirit does."
"Invitations to accept Christ are Arminian."
"Charles Finney invented public invitations."
"How can a dead man believe on Christ?"
"Most professions by youngsters are false professions."
"Most of those who respond to invitations are false professions."
"Invitations have corrupted evangelical Christianity."
"Regeneration (new birth) precedes repentance and faith."
"Praying the sinner's prayer is Arminianism."
"Making decisions for Christ is Arminianism."
"I am Reformed, a Monergist, and a 5-point Calvinist."
"My favorite websites and blogs are by Reformed writers."
"I am affiliated with the Founders Ministries."
"I like the writings of R. C. Sproul, Iain Murray, Tom Nettles, Ernest Reisinger, James White, and similar writers."
"I like to attend Reformed conferences on the doctrines of grace."
"I believe in Covenant theology."
"I believe in following the Regulative Principle."
"I believe in the primacy of expository preaching."
"If it were not for baptism, I would be a Presbyterian."
These are a few of the clues which may -- but not necessarily -- indicate that you just might be talking to a Hybrid Calvinist, one who advocates the heresy of "born again before faith."
http://calvinistflyswatter.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.html
I have added these to your list about how to recognize a "hybrid" Calvinistic Baptist.
“A church should have a plurality of elders to rule in it”
“Asking Jesus into your heart is not a gospel invitation”
“I am against ‘easy believism’”
“I am against ‘decisional regeneration’”
“Numbers are not a sign of spiritual growth in a church”
“Losing members can be a sign of a healthy growing church”
“Most Southern Baptists are unregenerate”
“I am for purity in church membership”
“People like Joel Osteen do not make any lasting converts”
“Southern Baptists need to ‘reform’ or be ‘restored’”
“Confession of Christ is equal to baptism”
“Calvinism doesn’t hinder evangelism”
“I am a Reformed Baptist”
“Most of our new members have come from non-Reformed churches”
“Mega churches cannot be healthy”
“Every church needs to be taught the ‘nine marks (points)’”
“Spurgeon was a 5-point Calvinist and yet was a great evangelist”
“‘Altar calls’ are modern and not the biblical or best way to win souls to Christ”
“We don’t believe in order to be born”
“A man’s will and decision has nothing to do with his being born, either naturally or spiritually”
“New converts should not be baptized too quickly”
“Sinners are not won to Christ by oratory or high pressure tactics”
“Sinners must be taught the doctrines of grace in order to properly believe to salvation”
“Belief in the doctrines of grace is the chief proof of regeneration”
“God must first give a man ability to believe before he call upon him to believe”
“Are not infants and idiots regenerated without faith and repentance?”
“God must give one eyes before they can see”
“God must give one ears before they can hear”
“The Book of Acts is the church’s pattern of things is binding as law upon the churches”
“Men must have the law preached to them before the gospel will benefit them”
“Calvinists must all band together to preserve Calvinism”
It is my intention to also address some of the issues involved with those who are seeking to "quietly reform" Baptist churches, especially issues dealing with gospel invitations and with elder rule. Brother Bob Ross is currently writing some very good articles on the "Founder's Movement" and of its insidious beginnings with the work of Ernest Reisinger.
It is my hope also that I can complete my series on "Hardshells and the Great Commission" very soon also. The difficulty is in organizing the relevent material and on editing.
I am looking forward to future writings also on "Hardshell Proof Texts," and on "Paradigm Problems," and in writings regarding the present on going debate among today's Hardshells on the question of "Will All The Elect Hear The Gospel"? I will be looking at what has been written and preached of late, by both sides, in this debate, looking at what both Elder Sonny Pyles and his son, Elder David Pyles, have said on this topic.
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