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Featured A Statement from the Calvinism Advisory Committee

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Revmitchell, May 31, 2013.

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  1. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    Although we are committed to these central truths, we recognize that within them there are tensions:

    God desires for all to come to repentance, yet not all do.
    Humans are ruined by the Fall, yet required to respond in faith.
    God is sovereign in salvation, yet individuals are still held responsible for their reception or rejection of the Gospel.
    Southern Baptist identity has often been connected to Calvinism, yet has often significantly modified it.

    These are just a few of the dynamics at work in Southern Baptist faith and practice. While these tensions can be a source of frustration, especially when we are uncharitable toward those with whom we disagree, they have also been a great benefit to us, reminding us that God’s ways are higher than ours, that no systematic construct can ever contain the fullness of Scriptural truth, that it is we and not the Bible who are subject to error, that we should approach the Word with both fidelity to the past and readiness for further reformation, and that it is better to live in the tensions of unanswered questions than to ignore or adjust some part of the whole counsel of God.

    With a full recognition of the limitless wisdom of God’s Word and the limited wisdom of ourselves, we urge Southern Baptists to grant one another liberty in those areas within The Baptist Faith and Message where differences in interpretation cause us to disagree. For instance,

    We agree that God loves everyone and desires to save everyone, but we differ as to why only some are ultimately saved.
    While we all heartily affirm the article on election in The Baptist Faith and Message (Article V), we differ as to whether the response of faith plays a role in one’s election.
    We agree that the penal and substitutionary death of Christ was sufficient for the sins of the entire world, but we differ as to whether Jesus actually substituted for the sins of all people or only the elect.
    We agree that the Gospel should be proclaimed to everyone, but we differ as to whether or how every hearer will be enabled to respond.
    We agree that everyone has inherited Adam’s hopelessly fallen sin nature, but we differ as to whether we also inherit his guilt.
    We agree that men and women are sinners, but we differ about the effects of sin on the mind and the will.
    We recognize the differences among us between those who believe that sin nullifies freedom to respond to the Gospel and those who believe that freedom to respond to the Gospel is marred but not nullified.
    We agree that God is absolutely sovereign in initiating salvation, uniting the believer to Himself, and preserving the believer to the end, but we differ as to how God expresses His sovereignty with respect to human freedom.
    We agree that the Holy Spirit working through the Gospel enables sinners to be saved, but we differ as to whether this grace is resistible or irresistible.
    We agree on the necessity of regeneration that results in God-ordained, Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered obedience from the heart, but differ as to whether faith precedes regeneration or regeneration precedes faith.
    We agree that most Southern Baptists believe that those who die before they are capable of moral action go to heaven through the grace of God and the atonement of Christ, even as they differ as to why this is so.

    These differences should spur us to search the Scriptures more dutifully, to engage in lively interaction for mutual sharpening and collective Gospel effectiveness, and to give thanks that what we hold in common far surpasses that on which we disagree. But these particular differences do not constitute a sufficient basis for division and must not be allowed to hamper the truly crucial cooperative effort of taking the Gospel to a waiting world. Southern Baptists who stand on either side of these issues should celebrate the freedom to hold their views with passion while granting others the freedom to do the same.

    http://www.sbclife.org/mobile/wrapper.asp?ref=http://www.sbclife.net/Articles/2013/06/Sla5.asp
     
    #1 Revmitchell, May 31, 2013
  2. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    I think that is appropiate, believe it or not, for do NOT think that we should be dividing up the local church along arm/cal/non cal positions...

    Still think cal best way to view salvation, but also see other positions as viable, IF they are done with sincere exegesis of the texts, and not just "Anti calvin!"
     
    #2 Yeshua1, May 31, 2013
  3. Rippon

    Rippon Well-Known Member
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    Why do you continue to copy very long posts by others? It's not necessary, and it's a waste of bandwidth.
     
    #3 Rippon, May 31, 2013
  4. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    What did you think of the SBC statement though?
     
    #4 Yeshua1, May 31, 2013
  5. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    hogwash...there should be separate churches. You go to your church & I go to mine! :smilewinkgrin:
     
    #5 Earth Wind and Fire, May 31, 2013
  6. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    There is ONLY 1 Church though, and we are brothers and sisters in Christ, so lets try to at least tolerate each other!

    After all, we willbe with each other forever, so lets practice now!

    Think of it as a sronger brother carrying the weaker ones in the faith!
     
    #6 Yeshua1, May 31, 2013
  7. Aaron

    Aaron Member
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    Yep. The views are not only incompatible, but diametrically opposed.
     
    #7 Aaron, May 31, 2013
  8. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    Oh boy :rolleyes: Are you having a "Kumbayah" moment?
     
    #8 Earth Wind and Fire, May 31, 2013
  9. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    NOT to the Lord! We cannot divide up on this issue, just need to show tolerance and respect to each others position!
     
    #9 Yeshua1, May 31, 2013
  10. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    That would be the same as going to church with a Roman Catholic. I don't buy into Roman Catholism nor should I be tolerant to that type of doctrine. I'm respectful to them to a degree but I'm not having services with them...nor am I blending with that other type. No way, no how. I have my faith beliefs & they are welcome to theirs....that is as far as it goes.
     
    #10 Earth Wind and Fire, May 31, 2013
  11. Tom Bryant

    Tom Bryant Well-Known Member

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    This statement is not about individual churches. This is about the SBC as a whole and cooperative ministry among the churches. The SBC is made up of churches, seminaries and leaders who are Calvinists (Southern Seminary, Al Mohler) and those who are not (Southwestern Seminary, Paige Patterson).

    We, as a convention, are trying to work together as a cooperative body. I don't expect non-SBC to understand.

    So are you equating what I believe about soteriology with being as wrong as Catholicism?
     
    #11 Tom Bryant, May 31, 2013
  12. Herald

    Herald New Member

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    Let's see how that works in real life. Arminians have this mindset that Calvinism is independent of other doctrinal connections. That may be true with some of today's neo-Calvinists, but generally speaking Calvinism is just one spoke of the larger Reformed theology. Reformed doctrinal distinctives are so different from mainline Baptist churches that there is no compatibility.
     
    #12 Herald, May 31, 2013
  13. Herald

    Herald New Member

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    You may have a point. I am not a fan of the SBC. To some degree this is an intramural squabble, but it does have carry over effect outside of the SBC.
     
    #13 Herald, May 31, 2013
  14. Alive in Christ

    Alive in Christ New Member

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    Rippon posted...

    I disagree.

    Any information that is pertenant to the topic should be OK, IMO.
     
    #14 Alive in Christ, May 31, 2013
  15. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    Frankly yes.
     
    #15 Earth Wind and Fire, May 31, 2013
  16. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    But you said in another thread that you do go to Catholic services:


     
    #16 annsni, May 31, 2013
  17. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    Don't take it out of context. I said most of my mission is to wayward Catholics. Its a good bet you will find them in Catholic churches...but that doesn't mean I am one or agree with them on doctrinal matters. Id choose SBC next in that pecking order.
     
    #17 Earth Wind and Fire, Jun 1, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 1, 2013
  18. Tom Bryant

    Tom Bryant Well-Known Member

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    Too bad you know nothing of what I believe and frankly know even less about what the grace of God really is.
     
    #18 Tom Bryant, Jun 1, 2013
  19. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    I don't care to know what you believe...that's the point. That's why I'm in favor of separation from your type.
     
    #19 Earth Wind and Fire, Jun 1, 2013
  20. JDale

    JDale Member
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    Tom Bryant -- there is no reasoning with the kind of foolishness, intellectual arrogance and mentality of "separation" represented by your adversary in this thread. I've seen it for nearly 30 years, and I attempted it for 2/3rd's of that time. "He that soweth discord among brethren" is a "rabbit trail" the devil leads us down to keep us for the work of the Kingdom.

    Let those who "separate" from everyone except themselves sit alone. They have the spirit of Diotrephes. We just need to busy ourselves about the work of the Kingdom, the preaching of the Gospel, making disciples.
     
    #20 JDale, Jun 1, 2013
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