Yes, I know, I already posted today but I thought I'd write this short post to attempt to explain, in my view, why these things matter.
I remember the years I spent at Grand Rapids School of the Bible and Music as three of the most precious years of my life. There I learned how to study the Bible, how to preach, how to administer the word of God. There I learned how to straddle the fence too! You see, Grand Rapids, Michigan is well known for it's academic Christian history. There are many Reformed churches and Colleges there and, frankly, there are a lot of "holiness" and "charismatic" churches as well. These latter churches are pretty Arminian in their Theology, whereas the Reformed are Calvinistic. But the Grand Rapids School of the Bible and Music stood right in the middle of these two systems (in the matter of Soteriology, the Doctrine of Salvation). Most of the students and teachers at GRSBM were probably two or three point Calvinists. That is, they believed in the depravity of man (though I'm not sure they all believed in the TOTAL depravity of man) and in the perseverance of the saints (eternal security), and a few held to an understanding of election but with a variety of views.
Don't get me wrong! I really appreciate what I learned and especially the introduction to Lewis Sperry Chafer's Systematic Theology. I have used Chafer's works time and again over the years and though his is not normally recognized as a work on Calvinist Doctrine, he certainly leans toward Calvinism. Chafer was an evangelist as well and I can remember hearing stories of how he conducted his evangelistic services, relying totally on the Holy Spirit to do His work in the hearts of the hearers! Chafer might conduct these services for several days or even weeks and never give an altar call but only an invitation to Christ, and then he might, at the end ask those in attendance to relate how God has worked in their lives. All of these things stuck with me as I contemplated the ministry of God's word. I am still a dispensationalist and only Calvinistic in Soteriology and those -ologies related to it.
After being in the ministry for several years, and having seen many people make professions of faith, yet fall away, I began to question why. I noticed the tendency for churches to use worldly means to attract attendees and I saw the number a para-church organizations that were springing up outside the authority of the local church. Something was wrong! Something was really wrong! So I began to study the Scriptures and I took some courses with the School of Biblical and Theological Studies and from there I took some classes at Landmark Baptist Theological Seminary and during this time I became, what is called, a Five Point Calvinist!
You see you can't really be a two or three point Calvinist. All you are is confused! All five points of Calvinism work together and cannot be separated, while at the same time, each point stands on its own. Basically we have two systems from which to choose. We will choose a system that bows to Sovereign God, or we will choose a system that makes us co-saviors with God? We will choose a system where God saves ONLY or we will choose a system that allows God to be a partner in salvation. We will choose a system that glorifies God or we will choose a system that glorifies man. Monergism or Synergism, which will it be? Does God have the power and authority to decree? or must He wait upon the decisions of man? Does God chose whom He will save according to that decree or must he look down the corridors of time to see if there is some spark of merit within an individual that causes him to be saved? Is God the CAUSE? or is man?
No matter what a man may claim regarding his theology there is ONE single question that MUST be answered. Is salvation by Grace Only? Sola Gracia? If salvation is by grace alone then there can be no human merit. But, if the salvation of a man is the result of God searching through time to find those who WILL receive grace then there MUST be some spark, some merit within that individual that makes him worthy of salvation! And, if this be true we must change our profession to admit that God cannot save a man unless there be some merit within that man to which God must bow.
Thankfully, THAT is not the case. We believe that God does all of the saving! We believe that God chooses us from the foundation of the world, that He sends out a call (the Good News), that He brings us from spiritual death to spiritual life, that He grants us the gift of faith, that He saves us!
When we sing songs like "Jesus Saves, Jesus Saves!" we mean it.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ." (Ephesians 1:3-12)
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