More Examples of Hyperism?

"If you tell them that there is no such thing as decisional regeneration they will call you a heretic." (abclay)

In writing to agree with such statements by brother Clay, Todd Pruitt writes:

"In fact, as I have preached from such passages as John 3 I have lamented to my congregation that I grew up being taught that the new birth was the result of something we do. "If you want to be born again then do these three things." What a distortion of Jesus own words! Instead, I preach to them that the only reason we repent and have faith is because of the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit. Your point is important because Southern Baptists will proclaim "amazing grace" all day but ultimately make man the decisive factor in his salvation."

http://www.founders.org/blog/?ext-ref=comm-sub-email

It is these kinds of remarks that are doing more, I believe, to hinder any "resurgence" of genuine Calvinism (of the kind Spurgeon believed and taught) rather than promoting or 'recovering' it! It is truly ironic! These comments were made in the "Founders Blog," the blog of Tom Ascol. They followed my comments there and which I have posted here in the Baptist Gadfly.

First, most of the "Reformed Baptists" and "Founder's" friendly churches, it seems to me, are not promoting or recovering Calvinism but Hyper Calvinism. If one would simply take time to collect all the anti invitation writings and all the writings condemning the calling upon people to be saved, or born again, and other such writings, written by these brethren, it would become apparent that they are nothing like Spurgeon and the real Old Baptists of the order of Bunyan, Kiffin, and Keach, etc. If these Calvinists were alive today I am sure that their evangelistic appeals to the lost would likewise be ridiculed by the "Reformers" in the Southern Baptist churches.

So, what is wrong with what the brethren wrote above?

First, it shows how they have drifted towards Hyper Calvinism. It shows they accept ideas about regeneration and the new birth that is exactly what the Hardshell Baptists teach. If you go to a Hardshell Baptist Church you will hear all kinds of statements like those made by brothers Clay and Todd above.

It shows that these brethren do not understand how salvation is both conditional and unconditional, a major misunderstanding among Hyper Calvinists.

I have a series planned for my ongoing book on "The Hardshell Baptist Cult" where I plan to deal with this important issue. Our Baptist forefathers taught that regeneration was both conditional and unconditional, although in different senses. They certainly did not believe that the sinner did not act at all in his resurrection and rebirth! They certainly did not exclude the sinner coming to a decision about Christ in that work!

Will the Hyperists tell us that they believe there is no decision for Christ in regeneration? That seems to be exactly what they are saying!

The passage that says - "thy people will be willing in the day of thy power" has always been interpreted by Baptists, Calvinist or otherwise, to be words describing the regeneration and rebirth of the sinner. Will they now say that to preach this is to preach what they decry as "decisional regeneration"?

Believing is a decision! Have we forgotten that? Will these Hyperists become full blown Hardshells and say that there is no decisions made by the sinner in regeneration?

Do these brethren actually believe that the sinner does not "DO" anything in regeneration? Who is born or who comes forth from the grave of sin? Does God do this for them? Is God born or resurrected? Who is it that "comes forth"? Is "coming forth" not activity? Who believes and repents, God or the sinner?

Besides, is not "coming to Christ" equated with "believing in Christ"? And, is not "believing" in Christ not the same as "deciding" for Christ?

If one will look at some of the chapters in my book, especially in that series "Addresses to the Lost," he will see that the scriptures are filled with gospel commands and invitations that call upon the sinner to "make himself a new heart," and to "come forth from the dead," and such like.

The problem with the Hyperist is that he wants to make the sinner wholly passive in regeneration. I also plan to have a series dealing with this issue also, perhaps in the series on "Paradigm Problems."

I would ask the Hyperist in the "Reformed" camp, just as I do the Hardshells, - "when Christ calls men to come to him, is he not calling upon them to be saved and born again?"

In closing, let me say that the error of Arminians, in the Southern Baptist churches, in giving "invitations" (often after the order of the "Campbellites" with their "five step plan"), is not in what they say, but in what they generally do not say. They would do well to follow Spurgeon just as well as the Hyperist.

Spurgeon would call upon the dead to live, to decide for Christ, but he would always warn the sinner to always look to Christ for the power to do as the gospel demands. This is where many Arminian Baptists are erring perhaps. Yes, command the sinner to do! But, tell him also that he cannot do without Christ. That is a method that truly "works"!