Decision?
IF YOU ARE SAVED, DID YOUMAKE A "DECISION"?
A short while ago, we carried an article which demonstrated that C. H. Spurgeon was in the habit of pressing upon his hearers the necessity of making a "decision" to accept Christ.
Frequently, we notice that some of the sooper-dooper Calvinists of the "Hybrid Calvinist" variety work-up a lot of lather in their mouths preaching against what they denominate "decisional regeneration." This charade is just so much phony-baloney. I came across a video of a fellow named "Washer" who was spinning this line at a Conference in Georgia, and he reminded me of some of the TV hawkers whose commercials are quite convincing in peddling snake-oil for all that ails you.
The fact is, in the real world, no one is regenerated because of, on account of, or due to any type of "decision" as being either the instrumental cause or efficient cause of regeneration.
The instrumental cause of regeneration is the Word of God, and the efficient cause of regeneration is the Holy Spirit. In other words, no man regenerates himself.
At the same time, however, no one is ever regenerated apart from being brought by the Word and Spirit to a decision.
The Word of God is a convicting instrumentality, applied by the Spirit, and it brings a sinner to choose repentance from sin and acceptance of Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour.
When you hear a Hybrid Calvinist bellowing, complaining, excoriating, spitting fire, or otherwise down-grading the matter of deciding for Christ, most likely you can just mark him off as one who has found a gimmick by which he can make a living in the pulpit and impress other Hybrid Calvinists of his deep spiritual insights.
Most likely, as with most all of the anti-invitation Hybrids, he was converted in just such circumstances as he is now preaching against!
COMMENTS: Send all comments to be posted to: pilgrimpub@aol.com
posted by Bob L. Ross @ 9:43 PM
4 Comments:
Dear Bob!
Well said!
God bless,
Stephen
PASTOR BRUCE OYEN
sent this comment to
pilgrimpub@aol.com
Bob, I commend you for your latest post, IF YOU ARE SAVED, DID YOU MAKE A "DECISION"?
Hybrid Calvinists are overly-concerned to protect their theory of regeneration, and therefore object to anything that contradicts that theory, such as "making a decision for Christ."
The same ones who are against talking about "making a decision for Christ" often are the same ones who oppose referring to "receiving Christ," even though Luke 8:40; 19:6; John 1:12; 4:45; 5:43 and Colossians 2:6 refer to this very thing.
In fact, in Luke 19:6 we read that Zaccheus "received him (Jesus) gladly," and it was about him that Jesus said salvation had come to his house, Luke 19:9.
The phrase "accepting Christ as Savior" is objectionable to these persons, too. However, in 1 Timothy 1:15 we read, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." Logic tells us that, if the saying about Christ is worthy of acceptance, Christ himself should be accepted as Savior.
Bruce
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BOB'S NOTE: Hybrid Calvinists think that such terms conflict with their view of the total depravity of man."
What they fail to realize is that man's depravity is no barrier to the power of the Word.
God's Word applied by the Spirit brings life to spiritually dead sinners, just as illustrated in the case of the dead dry bones in Ezekiel 37 and in the case of the raising of dead Larazus in John 11. The Word was and is stronger than death.
The Word is powerful and quickening (John 6:63), and it is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). Calling upon spiritually dead sinners to accept Christ, receive Christ, decide for Christ, come to Christ -- this is at the very heart of the design of the Gospel, which is to bring sinners to faith in Christ.
To deny these appeals is to deny the creative power of the Word in the hand of the Spirit.
FORMER STUDENT WRITES:
I received the following email from a brother who was a student of mine when I taught in a small theological school here in Texas several years ago. He is now engaged in a prison ministry:
He writes:
Well put.
For years I have believed that some of the spouting [in a number of areas, including favorite theological points] is merely to play the tune properly for the hearing and acceptance of the ears of the brethren, rather than addressing the souls of men with the Word.
I am afraid that much of what is called "preaching" today is..... well, I don't know what to call it.
Perhaps it is saying more of what they think the brethren want them to say than what God would be telling them to say if they would listen. I was guilty of that myself early on. Really. At one time I wondered that if I quoted John 3:16 I might be considered an Arminian.
Thank God I was delivered from that. Now I quote Scripture as it comes and let Holy Spirit sort it out.
Brother Dan
PASTOR PUT ITEM IN
CHURCH BULLETIN
Received via email at
pilgrimpub@aol.com
Bob, your article "Decision" is the best that I have ever seen.
I put it in our bulletin for today. I did not give you credit. That was not my intent.
I will tell our people this morning that you wrote the article.
Please forgive me.
Doug King
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