Calvinist Flyswatter

Dead gospel = dead churches

HYBRID CALVINIST-HARDSHELL GOSPEL
PRODUCES DEAD CHURCHES

I had the following email from a Christian who read my article about Lasserre Bradley Jr. and the "Together for the Gospel" Conference:

Believe it or not, I am from Tifton, GA and know the Primitive Baptist Church there very well. It is on the corner next to what was the old Tifton High School. I remember it all of my life. Without being negative or ugly in any fashion, I have never...in all my years...ever seen anyone there. Of course, I was in my church Sunday so I assume there were people there but the church has always looked abandoned and dead. The properties are well kept so I am not referring to bad looking properties when I say "abandoned." The church has had no perceivable impact on the city of Tifton except just being on that corner for many years. I only knew one family who claimed membership there and, as far as I can remember, they didn't go. So, it is amazing to me that the preacher there is so noted as a blogger. It seems the hyper-Calvinists have all the time they need to sit around and tend to their blogging. They certainly are not out doing evangelism and growing a church or they wouldn't have that much time to spend on blogging. I am just amazed at how wise and knowlegable they are even though it simply doesn't translate into a dynamic ministry which reaches the lost for Christ. . . .

The Hybrid Calvinist doctrine apparently inclines people to relax in their sense of privilege/responsbility to be ambassadors of the Gospel to the lost. They become lovers of doctrine more than lovers of souls. That man in Matthew 25:24, in the Parable of the Talents, was of a "Hybrid Calvinist-Hardshell" attitude, born out of due time!

On the contrary, Paul said "Woe is unto me, if I preach not the Gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16). He said he was "made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some" (1 Corinthians 9:22).

He said:

"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Paul's ministry was a "ministry of reconciliation" (2 Corthinthians 5:18.

It is noticeable that when one-time enthusiasts for spreading the Gospel adopt Hybrid Calvinism, they tend to "cool" in their efforts to evangelize. They tend to "go to seed" on the "doctrines of grace," and it's as if their dominant concept of living for God is to promote the "doctrines of grace." They would seemingly compass land and sea to make a proselyte to Hybrid Calvinism, but they would not walk across the street to present the Gospel to a lost person, and they might even trivialize your doing so.

posted by Bob L. Ross @ 10:57 AM