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“Means” Baptists & “Anti-Means” Baptists

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Earth Wind and Fire, Feb 20, 2014.

  1. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    1)Does God employ the use of external means in the eternal salvation of sinners?

    2) Is grace mediated to the sinner through human agency?

    3) Does the church play an instrumental role in eternal salvation?

    Please advise your position on each question.

    Thanks
     
  2. JonC

    JonC Moderator
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    If you mean whether or not God uses external sources to bring the gospel to sinners, then I’d say “yes.”

    No. Grace is not mediated to the sinner through human agency. Men do not dispense grace. Grace is from God, unmediated. It is through this grace that men are able to accept the gospel that is carried through human agency. In another sense, however, it does seem that it is the work of God through men that brings the gospel to the world. If you consider the gospel message as a grace then it involves a human element (although I am not sure that I’d say “mediated” as the human agent is not a mediator). I don’t know that I would consider the cognitive knowledge of the gospel as a grace.

    I believe the church does play an instrumental role, as related to the first question.
     
  3. OldRegular

    OldRegular Well-Known Member

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    God alone acts in the regeneration of His Elect. He may well use external means [preaching of Gospel] in bring the regenerate one to conversion.

    No! Only God dispenses Grace.

    Perhaps, as noted in #1 above!
     
  4. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    OK......what external sources?
     
  5. JonC

    JonC Moderator
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    What I mean by external sources is men, and perhaps literature. I took “external sources” as being external to the person and was focusing on bringing the gospel rather than mediating grace.
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  6. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    Yes, only God mediates the Saving Grace. You are not saying that anyone needs to bring the gospel to someone in order that they be saved. That would be external and would not save anyone per se.
     
    #6 Earth Wind and Fire, Feb 20, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 20, 2014
  7. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    His saved saints telling others about the Gospel message!

    He saved and kept us here as His witnesses, not the Angels for that task!
     
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