Once Saved, Always Saved" -- Really"

For over five years, I have been doing apologetic writing on the Religion Forum of our home town newspaper, the TimesDaily. I initially joined this forum because it was inundated and basically controlled by a handful of atheists, in alliance with a small number of other non-believers.

My purpose in joining the Religion Forum was two fold: First, to refute their non-Christian teachings. And, second, to make sure that readers (currently 11,000 plus loosely registered members -- and an untold number of folks who only come to the forum to read) get to read the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Word of God.

On the TimesDaily Forums, there are ten forums of differing interests. So, I will have to extrapolate to say that, on the Religion Forum, this being Alabama (belt buckle of the Bible Belt), we must get our share of readers.

One of the hot-button issues which immediately draws the ire and stones from my non-believing Forum Friends -- is my contention that salvation is by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ -- plus nothing else.

Another "ire and stone attraction" is my belief that once a person has sincerely invited Jesus Christ into his/her heart, i.e., has become a true Christian believer -- that person has the personal promise of Jesus Christ that he/she HAS eternal life in Christ. In other words, the sincerely confessed believer HAS eternal security in Jesus Christ -- and will never lose that salvation. On most platforms this is loosely referred to as "once saved, always saved" -- or, on the Religion Forum, OSAS.

My non-believing Friends on the Religion Forum continue to challenge me to prove these beliefs. And, when I do offer Biblical foundation for my beliefs -- they refuse to hear it, they deny it, and they keep asking me, "Bill, you are always preaching OSAS. Prove it!"

Wee, gee whiz, fellows and gals -- I have shown you practically every Scripture verse in the Bible -- supported by commentary writings from many very knowledgeable pastors, theologians, and Bible scholars. Yet, you still demand, "Prove it!"

Of course, we all know that, "There is no so blind -- as he who will not see!"

Today, on the Hope Bible Institute Facebook page (a ministry of the Church of Hope, Laguna Woods, California, pastored by my long time Friend, Pastor Freddy Cortez) -- I viewed an amazing video about Free Grace Theology and what this means.

The video is from the Free Grace Alliance and the speaker is Dr. Charlie Bing -- one of the best speakers I have heard in a long time. Dr. Bing, Founder, Director, and past President of Free Grace Alliance, earned his Th.M. and Ph.D. from Dallas Theological Seminary. He pastored Burleson Bible Church in Texas for 19 years before transitioning to GraceLife full-time in 2005. He has served as Adjunct Professor of Biblical Studies for LeTourneau University since 1992. He is active as a speaker for churches and conferences in the United States and abroad and has published a number of books and articles on the gospel, salvation, evangelism, and discipleship

In this video, Dr. Bing gives one of the best explanations of Free Grace and Salvation Through Faith Alone, plus giving Biblical support for Eternal Assurance in Jesus Christ, that I have heard. Immediately, I realized that I want to share this video, this eternally important message -- with all my Friends. The video is about 48 minutes long; so, get a cup of coffee, kick back, and grow in your faith and assurance of eternal life in Christ.

Intro to Free Grace: Dr. Charlie Bing
From Free Grace Alliance
http://vimeo.com/2919716

And, visiting Dr. Bing's ministry web site, GraceLife Ministries http://www.gracelife.org/aboutus.asp I find that his Statement of Faith aligns perfectly with my own Statement of Beliefs and, what I have been writing for the past twenty years -- what I have presented during the past twelve years in my Friends Ministry enewsletters -- what I shared on The Conservative Voice for three years -- and the message I have shared for over five years on the TimesDaily Religion forum.

GraceLife Statement of Faith:

We believe that there is one God eternally existing in three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

We believe that the Bible is God's authoritative written revelation to man. We believe in the verbal plenary inspiration of the Scriptures and that they are without error in the original manuscripts. Scripture should be interpreted according to its historical, grammatical, and normal sense.

We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, that he also took on humanity at His virgin birth, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died on the cross to provide for the redemption of all people, bodily rose from the grave, ascended into heaven, and presently is making intercession for us.

We believe in the personality and deity of the Holy Spirit, that He performs the miracle of new birth in an unbeliever and indwells believers enabling them to live a godly life.

We believe that man was created in the image of God, but because of sin was alienated from God.

We believe in the Gospel of Grace, that by simply and only believing in Jesus Christ alone for the eternal salvation made possible by His death and resurrection that our alienation can be removed and eternal life received.

We believe that once saved, the believer can never lose that salvation, and that it is therefore the privilege of everyone who believes to have assurance of salvation, which is not based on works but on the promises of God's Word.

We believe that we are not only saved from the penalty of sin by grace through faith, but we believe that we are also empowered by the Holy Spirit for daily living and victory over sin by grace through faith.

We believe in the Premillennial Return of Jesus Christ to earth in power and glory when He will establish the kingdom.

We believe in the Imminent Pretribulational Rapture of the church. We believe that following the rapture of the church, all believers will stand before the judgment seat of Christ where believers will appear to give an account for how their lives were lived as believers. We believe that faithfulness will be rewarded by Christ Himself and that special privileges in the millennial kingdom and eternity will be given to those believers who have lived their lives faithfully while loss of reward will be accorded to those who have not.

We believe those who reject Christ's offer of salvation will suffer eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire with the devil and his angels.

Do yourself a favor and view this complete video. As I said, get a cup of coffee, you may want to also have your Bible handy, sit back, relax, and truly listen to the message presented by Dr. Charlie Bing. His message is powerful.

Why should you take my word for this -- what are my credentials? I am only a born-again believer who opened the door of my heart to allow Jesus Christ to enter in 1987. Shortly after that, I began to do Christian writing -- in my own snail-mail newsletter "The Good News" -- writing tracts and church bulletin inserts -- and sharing wherever God presented the opportunity.

Twelve years ago, I began to study and write full time, sharing messages of Christian encouragement and being pulled more and more into apologetic writings. At the time, I did not consider myself an apologetic writer; only that I was responding to comments and questions sent to me by Friends.

My Friend, Pastor Ed Dacio, told me one day, "Brother Bill, you are an apologetic writer." Hmmm, I had never given any thought to a label of any sort -- just that when a Friend had a comment or question which needed an answer -- God had made it possible for me to have the time and resources to probe, research, study, contemplate, and seek an appropriate response.

Have I ever been wrong? You betcha! But, when I have found that my response was, in any way, erroneous or misleading -- I have sought to find the correct answer and submit that to my Friends.

I will say this. There have been times when I have been wrong in my interpretation of Biblical passages -- and, I pray that when this has happened, I have been, or am, able to correct that and move on. However, I do not believe I am wrong in my Doctrinal Beliefs, or my Statement of Beliefs -- which, as I said earlier, align very well with those shown above.

So, I pray that you will get as much from Dr. Bing's video message as I did -- and, that you have a better understanding of why I feel called to share such resources, along with my writings, to all my Friends.

If you find this useful, please feel free to share it with your Friends, Relatives, Associates, and Neighbors -- all your FRANs. Let's keep sharing God's Word and the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world -- until He returns.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

What Would Jesus Tell Us?

WHAT WOULD JESUS TELL US? - If you are a pastor or church planter, young or more mature, and set out to plant a church - would Jesus instruct you to lure young people away from existing churches - and, in this way, bring them, their friends, and their families into your newly planted church? Or, would Jesus tell you to go into the highways and byways, i.e., to the unchurched and unsaved, and bring them into My house (Matthew 22:9, Luke 14:23)?

Although I am not a fan of Pastor Rick Warren's Social Theology nor his views on inter-religion ecumenism -- I am a strong fan of his ideas on church planting and church growth. In his book, published in 1995, titled "The Purpose Driven Church," Warren says, "The Saddleback statistic I'm most pleased about is the fact that 80 percent of our members found Christ and were baptized at Saddleback. We have not grown at the expense of other churches" (page 50).

In his autobiography "Strength For The Journey," Jerry Falwell tells of the beginning of the Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia. Their first service was in the Mountain View Elementary School in Lynchburg; they had 35 people that day. The next week, Jerry and several men went in search of a permanent church building and found a deserted soda bottling building -- with sticky syrup still clinging to the floors, walls, and even the ceiling. They went to work cleaning it and on a July Sunday in 1956, they held their first service in their new Thomas Road Baptist church building.

To grow the church, Jerry took a map of the area, put a black spot on the location of the church -- and drew 1/2 mile circles around it. That first morning, he lay the map on a table, lay his Bible on it -- and read from Acts 1:8 the message Jesus left for His apostles and for us, ". . . and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

Then, Jerry went door-knocking, setting as his goal 100 homes a day, 6 days a week. First, in the 1/2 mile circle around the new church building. When he had saturated that circle, he expanded to the 1 mile circle -- and continued this process until he had saturated the entire community with his door-knocking and inviting the unchurched to come to Thomas Road Baptist church.

On page 184 of his book, Jerry writes, "I wasn't out to steal souls from other congregations in the area. In fact I congratulated each person who claimed active church membership and wished them and their church God's best."

I sincerely believe this is what Jesus Christ is telling us in Matthew 20:19-20: Go - Make Disciples - Baptize Them - Teach Them.

And, in Matthew 22:9, He is telling us to, "Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the Wedding Feast."

No where does He tell us to go into other churches; to use our ability to relate to young people as a lure to bring them into a newly planted church -- and through those young people, to bring their friends and families into the new church. That is not church planting and church growth. That is spiritual felony! And, that is not what Jesus Christ has told us to do.

Just my thoughts.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

Who Is To Blame - God Or You?

So many non-believers want to blame God -- instead of looking within themselves. They will ask, "How can a loving God condemn anyone to spend eternity in hell?" And, the answer: God does not condemn anyone to hell.

Each person, individually, either chooses salvation and eternal life in Jesus Christ -- or they choose eternity in hell with Satan.

Each person's eternal destination depends solely upon the decision he/she makes in this life. Each person must decide to receive eternal life in Jesus Christ -- or to reject Him. Everyone who is in Hades/Torment and who goes to hell for eternity -- can only blame himself or herself -- not God.

That is the heart of the discussion below: Who is to blame -- God or you?

Share this with your Friends, Relatives, Associates, and Neighbors -- all your FRANs. Let's keep sharing the Word of God, let's keep reaching out to the unsaved and the unchurched, sharing with them the Gospel of Jesus Christ -- until He returns.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill Gray

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Hi to all my Forum Friends,

In the discussion which I began titled "Using 'OMG' And The 'F Word On Public Forums" -- our Forum Friend, HoldenMyOwn, told me, "Mr. Gray, Assuming you believe in the Bible... Your Bible states numerous times that I do not deserve to live and that I will burn in hell for all eternity. I say "OMG." And you say that "I" am the one that is being disrespectful? Does that honestly make sense to you?"

Holden, if the city, county, or state where you live has a law which says that driving 90 mph through a school zone is against their law -- and you do it anyway; who is to blame -- them for having and enforcing the law -- or you for breaking that law?

In the Old Testament, God gave the people of Israel certain laws -- and He gave them the punishment for breaking those laws. If a person still broke His laws; who is to blame for that person being punished -- God or that person?

God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments and His Laws expanding upon those commandments. He knew that no one would be able to keep all of His commandments all the time. Why could they not keep those commandments? Because, when Adam fell into sin by disobeying God, from that moment on -- Adam and all his descendants have a sin nature. Man, by his very nature, is sinful.

But, on the other hand, God being a loving God and wanting all people to come to repentance, gave man a means of atoning for his sins, i.e., atonement for breaking the Law. He gave them animal sacrifices they could do to atone for their sins. These animal sacrifices were the precursor for the real "Once For All" Sacrifice which was to come -- Jesus Christ.

The Old Testament Jews had to keep offering animal sacrifices, over and over, to continually atone for their sins. When Jesus Christ came, He became the final Sacrifice, once for all. He was the Perfect Sacrifice -- and, in that respect, the Law had been fulfilled.

Once the Law had been fulfilled in Jesus Christ; He brought us into the dispensation of Grace, the era or period of Grace. We read in John 1:17, "For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ."

So, from the time Israel was given the Law at Mount Sinai, until the Day of Pentecost, the world was in the Biblical Dispensation of the Law and needed continual sacrifices to atone for their sins. On the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) the Christian church, the body of believers, began with the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the 120 disciples in the Upper Room.

And, this was the initiation of the Dispensation of Grace. We will be in the Dispensation, or Period, of Grace until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ at the end of the seven year Tribulation. At this time, He will establish His Millennial Kingdom and thus begins the Kingdom Age, the kingdom of God on earth.

Now that Jesus Christ has brought us into the Dispensation of Grace -- by the Grace of God, through FAITH in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9) -- every person has an opportunity to be forgiven and to receive His "free gift" of salvation, eternal life in Christ.

So, Holden, when you tell me, "Your Bible states numerous times that I do not deserve to live and that I will burn in hell for all eternity."

No, the Bible tells us that if you continue to reject the "free gift" of salvation, which has already been purchased and "paid in full" by Jesus Christ on the cross -- YOU are condemning yourself to burn in hell for eternity.

Up until your last breath in your mortal body -- you can repent, i.e., turn from following the world and turn to following Jesus Christ. Once you have breathed that last breath in your mortal -- your eternal destination is set in concrete. At that point, absolutely nothing can change your eternal home.

If, before you die, you do repent and receive Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior -- you will spend eternity in the glorious presence of God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and all of your loved ones and friends who have died as believers.

If, when you die, you have not received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior -- you will spend eternity in the horrific, evil presence of Satan, eternity in hell.

The ONLY unforgivable sin is to die without having Jesus Christ in your heart, without a saving relationship with Him.

Up until that last breath -- there is always a chance to repent and follow Jesus Christ. But, the danger of waiting that long -- is that none of us know when that last breath will occur. We could be in the best of health one minute -- and dead the next.

When I was 25, I worked of Ramo Wooldridge (early version of TRW). One Friday we had a party and I became good friends with one of our programmers, a guy my age. He was excited because he was getting married the next week. His parents were out from the Mid West and all things were "Go" for their wedding. Sunday morning his parents went to his apartment and found him dead. He had died of a heart attack in his sleep. Absolutely no indication of any problems before.

Several years later, I worked for Scientific Data Systems in Santa Monica. One Monday morning I went to the tool room to get some new tools -- and the young man who worked there, 21 years old, was not in the tool cage. I was told that he had died of a heart attack over the weekend. Once again, no indication of any problems -- until they found him dead -- at 21 years old.

None of us have a guaranty of that next breath. So, Holden, and all of my Forum Friends who are not yet Christian believers -- do not gamble that you will always have more time. There is no guaranty. The only promise, the only guaranty, you have is: If you die as a believer, you WILL spend eternity with God -- and, if you die as a non-believer, you WILL spend eternity with Satan in hell.

So, why gamble with something so important? Take that "sure bet" and get right with God -- right now -- while there is still time.

Is this a "hell-fire and darnation" sermon? No, my Friends, just the truth -- shared in love. I want so much to meet you in heaven one day. Please do not disappoint me.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

A Forum Friend AccusesPastor Chuck Smith Of Heresy!

With the "information explosion" we have witnessed on the internet over the past 10 to 15 years -- we must also keep in mind that, jut because it is written on the internet -- does not make it true. It is not the Gospel -- unless you are reading the Bible online.

Much of what we read online is the opinion of another person -- and could true or it could be based upon false statements and a desire to get even with someone, or to best another, or it could be written by someone who does not have full knowledge of the subject or the issue. So, with all we read on the internet -- the best advise is to remember that just because it is published online does NOT make it true.

The dialogue below is a great example of that. Someone wanting to defame Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa has, it appears, purposely twisted what Pastor Chuck wrote in a book -- actually changing words -- to make his writing appear to say something different.

And, my Forum Friend, Beter, because I often quote Pastor Chuck's commentaries -- has tried to use this same false writing on the internet to declare Pastor Chuck a heretic. I suppose Beter feels that, if he can prove Pastor Chuck (my frequent reference source on Biblical issues) a heretic -- that, in turn, makes everything I write heretical.

Whenever we are sharing the Word of God with the unbelieving world, we will always have such burdens. We just have to look past the ones throwing stones -- to those standing behind who may read and who may be ready to allow seeds of salvation to be planted in fertile soil.

We stand on the words of our Lord and Savior, "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you" (John 15:18). So, the rocks they throw are not bullets of destruction -- but, rather, they are Badges of Honor.

Grab your Full Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20) and join in the battle! Start by sharing this with your Friends, Relatives, Associates, and Neighbors -- all your FRANs. Let's keep sharing the Word of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ -- until He returns.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill Gray

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In the discussion titled "The Holy Way" -- our Friend, Beter, takes a broadside swipe at Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, California. And, this from a person whose tells us he/she is "Better Than You" -- i.e., the posting name BeternU. Personally, I do not think I am better than anyone else. I may be more blessed because I am a Christian believer -- but, I certainly am not "better than you." Only Jesus Christ can claim that title -- for He, indeed, is better than any of us.

Beter wrote, "Bill Gray -- I got yer Pastor Chuck Smith/Calvary Temple right heah! The man is a flaming false prophet. Per Wickipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvary_Chapel:

Return of Christ in 1981: During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Chuck Smith wrote and published a prophetic timeline that predicted the Rapture would occur in 1981"

Beter, my Friend, normally, this is something I would not say to another Forum member -- but, my Friend, what you have written is a complete lie. And, the Wikipedia source you show states this disclaimer: "The neutrality of this article is disputed."

While that article does not disclose the name of the author; it could be one or more of a number of different people who have been asked to leave Calvary Chapel. An example is John Wimber who began to turn heavily toward Pentecostalism and got involved in such heretical teachings as Holy Laughter and other non-Biblical teachings. Pastor Chuck asked him to leave Calvary Chapel and Wimber started the Vineyard Churches, some of which are extreme Pentecostal.

Calvary Chapel has over 1100 churches worldwide, it is non-denominational, and calls itself a "movement" and not a denomination. Yet, if one of the churches which wears the Calvary Chapel name begins to teach beliefs other than those held by Calvary Chapel -- they will be asked to leave, just as was John Wimber. Last year, in their Annual Pastor's Conference, Pastor Chuck presented a White Paper in which he denounced the Emergent Church movement.

He asked all Calvary Chapel churches that choose to continue to follow the teachings of the Emergent Church movement to please remove Calvary Chapel from their name and to leave the Calvary Chapel movement. I applaud Pastor Chuck for this move to protect the integrity of Calvary Chapel and to assure that the teachings of all Calvary Chapel churches adhere to the previously established Statement of Faith of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa.

By the way, I have absolutely no problem with the Statement of Beliefs of Calvary Chapel -- which mirrors my own personal Statement of Beliefs.

Yes, in leading a church movement for 45 years, a man will upset some and will make enemies. Obviously the person, or persons, who wrote this anonymous Wikipedia article is among that group. As I have always said -- if a pastor is not making some people uncomfortable with his messages and with his teachings -- he is obviously teaching a watered down, "feel good" Gospel. Pastor Chuck teaches the Gospel as it should be taught -- and, if that makes you uncomfortable -- you best look within yourself.

Now, Beter, let's look at the source of the statement you copy/pasted about Pastor Chuck Smith. This is the source, taken from a book written by Pastor Chuck Smith, that the anonymous author(s) used to write this untrue accusation:

This is from the References given for the Wikipedia article:

End Times: A Report on Future Survival, Chuck Smith, 1978 Smith, Chuck (1978). End Times: A Report on Future Survival. Maranatha House Publishers. pp. 35. ISBN 0-89337-011-8. "Jesus taught us that the generation which sees the 'budding of the fig tree,' the birth of the nation israel, will be the generation that sees the Lord's return. I believe that the generation of 1948 is the last generation. Since a generation of judgment is forty years and the Tribulation period lasts seven years, I believe the Lord could come back for His Church any time before the Tribulation starts, which would mean anytime before 1981. (1948+40+7=1981)"

In this article footnote you can see that Pastor Chuck has clearly written, "I believe the Lord could come back for His Church. . ." Notice that his says, "COULD come back" -- NOT "WOULD come back" -- as the anonymous writer(s) accused.

Beter, the statement you copy/pasted states: During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Chuck Smith wrote and published a prophetic timeline that predicted the Rapture would occur in 1981 Obviously the author of this article ignored his own footnote and changed "could" to "would." Are you willing to believe anything else this person will write?

Could Jesus Christ return and Rapture His church today? Absolutely! The return of Jesus Christ to rapture His church is imminent, meaning that it could happen at any moment -- or it may not happen for many years. We are told in Matthew 24:36-37, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah."

And, we are warned, in Matthew 24:44 and in Luke 12:40 to be ready, "For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will."

So, yes, Jesus Christ could come today. He could come before I have a chance to post this writing. If you get to read this writing on the Religion Forum; then He has not come back yet. The Rapture has not occurred.

Or, He may not come in my lifetime. All I can do is to be ready to greet Him when He does come for all believers at the Rapture.

What Pastor Chuck Smith wrote in 1978, that He could come before 1981 -- was absolutely correct. The main prophecy gating His return is the nation of Israel being reestablished as a nation in their homeland -- which occurred in 1948. Like Pastor Chuck, I, too, believe the time may be near.

I have heard him refute people who teach a specific time for the return of Christ to Rapture His church. But, at no time have I ever heard him predict or give a date for the Rapture. That would be anathema to Pastor Chuck -- for he believes the Bible.

Pastor Chuck has and will say that many of the signs for the return are evident today -- starting with the return of the nation Israel to their homeland. He will quote many prophecies which show signs of the coming Rapture. But, he has never played the "this is the day" game.

I have never attended Calvary Chapel; but, I have followed the teachings of Pastor Chuck Smith for the last 23 years -- and I have NEVER heard him teach anything such as you, or these writers, have accused him. There have been times when I have disagreed with his teaching; but, that does not mean that he is a heretical teacher as you would have people believe. As a matter of fact, I do not know any pastor or Bible teacher that I have not disagreed with at one time or another. That does not make them or me wrong -- it just makes us good Bereans.

Beter, I am not sure what hang-up you have; but, this time, my Friend, you have written and copy/pasted an accusation which is totally false. I am just curious. You come on the Religion Forum and blast the writings of everyone who professes faith in Jesus Christ -- are you a Christian believer? If so, what church (not the specific church, but the denomination, affiliation, etc.) do you attend? What Bible teacher do YOU trust to teach the truth?

Let's talk about Calvary Chapel and Pastor Chuck Smith. Pastor Chuck came to Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa in 1965. At that time they had only about 20 members. Since then, Calvary Chapel has grown to over 1100 churches worldwide; many of them large enough in membership to be called megachurches. Why has Calvary Chapel had such phenomenal growth?

From the beginning, Pastor Chuck has always used expository Bible teaching, i.e., teaching through the Bible starting from Genesis 1:1 and teaching, verse by verse, all the way to Revelation 22:21. And, then, he starts all over again -- teaching through the Bible. Occasionally, he will take a break for a topical message -- but, the normal messages are expository. In this way, their teachings, and their theology, builds upon the complete Bible; not just chosen verses or passages.

As a comparison, Dr. Robert Schuller started the Garden Grove Community Church (now the Crystal Cathedral) the same year, 1965. What has he built? A huge glass cathedral dedicated to the memory of Robert Schuller? Since 1965, to the best of my knowledge, Robert Schuller's church has planted only two other churches, one for his son and one for his close associate, Dr. Leetsma -- both in affluent Orange County.

While in the same time period Pastor Chuck Smith and Calvary Chapel has planted over 1100 churches worldwide. And, most of the Calvary Chapels have Christian schools for the K-12 level -- and, many have Bible Colleges for the adult believers and those preparing for a life of ministry.

Why the great difference between these two ministries, both begun in adjacent Orange County communities, the same year, 1965 -- but, with drastically different results?

My personal belief is that it is because Robert Schuller is Reform, i.e., Calvinist -- and apparently their approach is to build bigger and prettier cathedrals, but, with no emphasis on evangelism. I spent several years in Schuller's church and never, not even once, did I hear or see an altar call being given. Why? Because the Calvinists teach that God chose, before the Creation, who will be saved and who will be lost to hell. Thus, no real reason for an altar call or evangelism, and, no real growth except among the affluent of Orange County who want to hear "feel good" sermons. Three churches in 45 years!

On the other hand, Pastor Chuck Smith's whole ministry is built upon evangelism -- sharing the Word of God with the unsaved and the unchurched of the world. He truly follows the teachings of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15) to take the Gospel to the whole world. And, Calvary Chapel has seen extraordinary spiritual and numerical growth over the years. Over 1100 churches in 45 years!

Calvary Chapel has spawned other church groups, i.e., Horizon Christian Fellowship out of San Diego which has over 100 churches in its group -- and Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California. We are all familiar with the Harvest Crusades which happen in cities all over America where millions have heard the Gospel taught by Pastor Greg Laurie. All of this started from the ministry of Pastor Chuck Smith who came to a church of 20 people in 1965. I would say that this man is indeed doing the work of God in sharing the Gospel to the world.

To learn more about Calvary Chapel and what they teach, visit this web site: http://www.calvarychapelcostamesa.com/

Visit Pastor Chuck's personal ministry web site: The Word For Today - http://www.twft.com/

Or, visit the web site of KWVE Christian Radio (107.9 FM): http://www.kwve.com/ You can listen to live broadcasts. I believe you will find the Pastor's Perspective Radio Talk Show very interesting. It is on from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM, California time -- and you can call in on an 800 number to ask questions of Pastor Chuck and other pastors.

And, if you would like to find a Calvary Chapel near you, visit this web site: http://www.calvarychapel.com/

Beter, my Friend, you might do yourself a big favor if you will listen more closely to what Calvary Chapel and Pastor Chuck Smith teach. It could make an eternal difference in your life.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

Two Extremes: Calvinism & Arminianism - Let's Meet In The Middle!

Recently, a Friend sent me a message asking, "I have been reading a lot lately about theology. What is your view regarding Calvinism and Arminianism? Where do you stand on both -- and why?"

Where do I stand on Calvinism and Arminianism? Pretty much in the middle between the two. While there are teachings in both theologies which I agree with -- there are issues in both which I believe are not Biblical. Let's take a look at each:

CALVINISM: The doctrines and teachings of Calvinism are defined by the Five Points of Calvinism which are usually illustrated by the acronym T U L I P.

T -- Total Depravity: Sin has affected all parts of man. The heart, emotions, will, mind, and body are all affected by sin. We are completely sinful. We are not as sinful as we could be -- but we are completely affected by sin.

U -- Unconditional Election: Some are elected into salvation, others are not (Rom. 9:15, 21). God chooses to save people unconditionally; that is, they are not chosen on the basis of their own merit. The reason it is called Unconditional Election -- is because there is "no condition" through which man can choose, of his own "free will" -- to follow Jesus Christ and have eternal salvation. Those saved are chosen arbitrarily; like in a lotto; some win, some lose.

L -- Limited Atonement: The sacrifice of Christ on the cross was only for the purpose of saving the elect, those "predestined" -- chosen before the Creation to be saved. His death was not meant to offer salvation to all people. Jesus died only for the elect. Though Jesus' sacrifice was sufficient for all, it was not meant for all. Jesus only bore the sins of the elect.

I -- Irresistible Grace: When God has chosen to save someone, He will. When God calls his elect into salvation, they cannot resist. God offers to all people the Gospel message. This is called the external call. But to the elect, God extends an internal call and it cannot be resisted.

P -- Perseverance Of The Saints: You cannot lose your salvation. Because the Father has elected, the Son has redeemed, and the Holy Spirit has applied salvation -- those thus saved are eternally secure. Those people God chooses cannot lose their salvation; they will continue to believe. If they fall away, it will be only for a time.

The doctrines and teachings of Calvinism which I believe are not Biblical are:

U - Unconditional Election, which is another name for Predestination -- lotto style salvation; some win, some lose. Nothing a person can do to gain salvation if he/she was not chosen before the Creation. How secure does that make YOU feel?

L - Limited Atonement, which teaches that Jesus Christ did not die for all people as we are told in John 3:16; but, only for those chosen, i.e., predestined, before the Creation to be saved. If you were not chosen before the Creation -- on the cross, He did not know you. Can you believe that Jesus Christ -- did NOT die for YOU on the cross? If you believe Calvinism -- maybe He did not. But, how are YOU to know?

I -- Irresistible Grace: When God has chosen to save someone, He will be saved, whether he wants to be saved or not. In other words, man does not have the "free will" to choose to follow Jesus Christ or to deny Jesus Christ.

Calvinism teaches Predestination, that ONLY those people chosen before the Creation to be saved -- will be saved. And, it teaches that everyone chosen before Creation to be saved -- will be saved, regardless. They will have no choice. In other words, Calvinism teaches that we do not have the "free will" to choose to follow Jesus Christ or to deny Him.

Ephesians 1:13 tells us, "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the Gospel of your salvation — having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise."

This tells me that those who heard the Gospel being preached and believed -- were saved, sealed in Him by the Holy Spirit. Are the Calvinists telling us that God closed the ears of those He did not want saved -- so that they could not hear the Gospel and believe?

Calvinist, themselves, do not believe this -- for under Irresistible Grace above, we are told, "God offers to all people the Gospel message." If God offers the Gospel message to all people -- and some believe -- can they not be saved as Ephesians 1:13 tell us? Not according to the Calvinist doctrine of Predestination.

I do not believe my God would do that to a person who sincerely wants to hear and believe.

Where I agree with Calvinism is their teaching of Total Depravity, that man, with his sin nature inherited from Adam, is lost in sin and only the Holy Spirit can lead him to salvation in Jesus Christ. Yet, I will state that I believe Jesus Christ gave us the Great Commandment (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15) because we are to be Sowers of Salvation Seeds -- to all people, not just those predestined to be saved. And, when we are evangelizing; how do we know who was predestined -- and who was not?

I believe that we Christian believers sow seeds of salvation through our evangelism; that others water and nourish those seeds through their evangelism -- but, only the Holy Spirit can harvest those seeds and bring the person to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

If we witness to people not predestined to be saved; aren't we wasting the Gospel on them? Would it not be better to put all of our witnessing effort toward evangelizing only those predestined to be saved? But, how do we know the difference?

And, I agree with Calvinism that one cannot lose his/her salvation. Yet, Calvinism teaches "once saved, always saved" only for those arbitrarily chosen by God before the Creation. I believe that ALL can, by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, be saved. And, once saved, always saved -- for if a person can lose his salvation this makes a liar of Jesus Christ who tells us, "He who believes HAS eternal life" (John 6:47).

Calvinism says: because of man's sinfulness, God must predestine people into salvation -- or none would be saved. This is because Calvinism denies the gift of "free will" which God gave to man.

ARMINIANISM: The Five Points of Arminianism are:

• Human Free Will: This states that, though man is fallen and will always have the curse of his sin nature -- he still has the "free will" to make a choice to follow God and be saved. His will is not restricted and enslaved by his sinful nature. All people have the God-given attribute of "free will" -- the ability to choose to follow Jesus Christ or to deny Jesus Christ.

• Conditional Election: God, in His omniscience, knows all things; there is nothing He does not know -- from eternity past to eternity future. Therefore, in His "foreknowledge" -- His knowing what you and I will do throughout our entire life -- He knows who will follow Jesus Christ -- and who will deny Jesus Christ. Those who will follow Jesus Christ -- are predestined to eternal life with God.

• Universal Atonement: Jesus Christ died on the cross to offer salvation to ALL (". . . whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" -- John 3:16) -- who will, by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ -- believe and receive His "free gift."

• Resistible Grace: That because God had given man the gift of "free will" -- man can choose to resist the grace of God and reject salvation in Jesus Christ.

• Fall From Grace: The Teaching that a person can fall from grace and lose his salvation.

While I agree with the first four Points of Arminianism; the last, to fall from grace and lose your salvation, is totally unBiblical.

Arminianism teaches that everyone can be saved -- if we will, by grace, through faith, believe and receive His "free gift" of salvation. However, the Arminians go over the cliff on the other side -- saying that a person can loose his/her salvation by sinning. If that were true -- absolutely no one would be saved -- for we all sin (Romans 3:23).

And, since we are told in Ephesians 4:30, "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption" -- the teaching that we can lose our salvation makes a liar of God. God, in this Scripture verse, tells us we are sealed for, or until, the day of redemption. Yet, the Arminian teaching tells us that this is not true -- and that, if one sins, he/she will lose his/her salvation.

Personally, I stand where I believe the Bible stands -- right in the middle between these two teachings. I agree with Arminianism that Jesus Christ died on the cross to make salvation available to everyone who will, by grace, through faith -- believe and receive His "free gift" of salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9).

And, I agree with the Calvinist that once a person is saved, sealed with the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption, he/she cannot lose that salvation. Salvation is a "free gift" from God -- and God does not give a gift -- and then take it away.

Several points come to mind regarding Calvinism:

Calvinist believe that God predestined before Creation, i.e., God arbitrarily decided before He created the heavens and the earth -- who will be saved and spend eternity with Him. And, He arbitrarily chose before the Creation who will spend eternity in hell with Satan.

If that is true, YOU have to ask yourself: If God created man for fellowship, to love, worship, and honor Him -- if He created man from His love; why would He allow Satan to have the "free will" to turn from Him; but, will not allow man to have that same "free will"? Does this sound like the God of the Bible, where we read, "God is love" (1 John 4:8, 4:16).

If Calvinism is true and God did indeed predetermine, before the Creation, who will be saved and who will spend eternity in hell -- how do YOU know that YOU were predestined for salvation? Do those who have been predestined for eternal life with God have a special mark on them?

Does the Holy Spirit give the chosen people a "special revelation" telling each chosen person that he/she has been saved? If this is true -- have YOU been given that "special revelation" -- that special message from the Holy Spirit? If not, do you really believe that God has turned His back on you and that you cannot be saved? That is what Calvinism teaches.

Calvinism will tell you that if, in God's foreknowledge, He predestined people according to His foreknowledge of the choice each person will make in his/her lifetime -- then, that negates "free will." First, Calvinism tells us that they do not believe God gave us "free will" -- then, they use the loss of "free will" to allow them to negate His foreknowledge. They seem to want their cake and to eat it, too.

Romans 8:29-30, "For those whom He foreknew -- He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified."

This tells me that God foreknew who He would predestine. What does this mean, to foreknow? It means that God knew from the foundation of the earth who will choose to follow Jesus Christ and who will reject Him. Calvinists will say that this takes away our "free will" to make a choice. No. It says that God foreknew -- it does not say that God fore-destined. Man still has the "free will" to believe or deny; nothing changes that. However, since God is omniscient -- He foreknew the decision YOU will make regarding Jesus Christ. Now, doesn't this sound more like the God you have chosen to worship?

Regarding Arminianism:

If, as Arminianism teaches, we can lose our salvation if we sin -- and given the fact that we all sin (Romans 3:23) -- how can anyone know they are saved, how can anyone be saved?

1 John 1:8, "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us."

1 John 1:10, "If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us."

REGARDING BOTH CALVINISM AND ARMINIANISM: Let's take a look at the teachings of Jesus Christ:

John 3:36 "He who believes in the Son HAS eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

John 5:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, HAS eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but HAS passed out of death into life.

John 6:47 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes HAS eternal life."

John 3:15, "So that whoever believes will in Him HAVE eternal life."

John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but HAVE eternal life."

John 6:40, "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will HAVE eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."

1 John 5:13, "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may KNOW that you HAVE eternal life."

Does anyone see, in any of those Scripture verses, a single instance where it reads, "will have eternal life IF. . ." or "may have eternal life IF. . ." or "could have eternal life IF. . ."? No, Jesus Christ is telling us that, ". . .he who believes HAS eternal life."

Notice that these verses do not say, "He, who was predestined before Creation, and believes, HAS eternal life."

One point I would like to emphasize: When interpreting the Bible, i.e., hermeneutics, if you have several Scripture verses or passage that you believe say one thing -- but, you find another verse or passage which you know says something different; you do not have the correct interpretation.

While both Calvinism and Arminianism base their theologies on Scripture verses and passages -- both are establishing their theology by ignoring other verses and passages which contradict their interpretation. The Bible cannot contradict the Bible. So, when Calvinism quotes Scripture passages which they use to support their doctrine of predestination and limited atonement -- they are refusing to look at other Biblical verses and passages which absolutely deny that doctrine.

And, when Arminianism quotes Scripture verses and passages which they use to support their doctrine of salvation lost, they are ignoring other Biblical verses and passages, shown above, which absolutely deny that doctrine.

The Bible shines light upon the Bible -- however, the Bible NEVER contradicts the Bible.

Although a person may teach Calvinism or Arminianism; this does not mean he is not our Christian brother. However, Jesus Christ came to assure us that "whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but HAVE eternal life."

Romans 5:1, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

How can a Calvinist have "peace with God" if he does not know for sure that he was elected, chosen, before Creation? How can this person have "peace with God" and want to follow Jesus Christ -- if he does not know if he was predestined before Creation to have eternal life with God?

How can an Arminianist have "peace with God" if he is always worried that he will sin and lose the salvation which Jesus Christ purchased with His blood on the cross? How can an Arminianist have "peace with God" -- if he cannot accept that Jesus Christ "paid in full" his sin debt to God when He died on the cross?

In Hebrews 2:17 we are told that we have a High Priest, Jesus Christ, to make propitiation for the sins of the people -- not just the elect -- but the PEOPLE -- all who will, by grace, through faith, believe and receive Him.

Hebrews 10:19-23, "Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."

I cannot accept either Calvinism or Arminianism -- because I do have a High Priest in Jesus Christ, and with a heart in full assurance of faith -- I look forward to eternal life with Him -- "for He who promised is faithful."

I pray that YOU have that same assurance of faith -- and that you will share it with your Friends, Relatives, Associates, and Neighbors -- all your FRANs. Let's keep sharing the complete Word of God; let's keep sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all we meet -- until He returns.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill Gray