Neither the liberals nor the
conservatives, the humanists nor the Arminians, have a Saviour. The
liberal "Christ," at best, is a brave soul who endures injustice rather
than renounce his belief in humankind; the conservative "Christ" is a
wimp who begs people to let him into their hearts. -- John Robbins
In these days of health care for all, education for all, rights for all, and opportunity for all, it seems almost inevitable that the Gospel of Jesus Christ would be obscured by the popular religious teaching of salvation for all. The democratic ideals of equality and equal opportunity have invaded theology as well as politics.Most churches in the United States that call themselves Christian reject the Gospel. They teach, if they are liberal, that Jesus was a good man--even a martyr--but he died in no one's place; or, if they are conservative, that Jesus died in everyone's place, desires all men to be saved, and offers salvation to all. But it really makes no difference whether a church is large, respectable, liberal, and teaches that Jesus died for no one; or enthusiastic, growing, conservative and teaches that Chris died for everyone. The result is the same: Jesus Christ actually saves no one--no one at all. Both liberals and conservatives agree that people save themselves by an exercise of their wills. The conservative "Christ" makes salvation possible, if people will only let him into their hearts; the liberal "Christ" points the way to salvation, if people will but follow his example. Neither "Christ" saves.The liberals are perhaps more forthright in denying the Gospel; they say that Jesus was just a good example or a good teacher. They don't pretend to present a Saviour. The conservatives disguise the fact that they have no Gospel--no good news--by saying that God loves everyone and offers salvation to all. But the meaning of both the liberal message and the conservative message is the same: Neither a good moral teacher nor a mere offer of salvation saves. Neither the liberals nor the conservatives, the humanists nor the Arminians, have a Saviour. The liberal "Christ," at best, is a brave soul who endures injustice rather than renounce his belief in humankind; the conservative "Christ" is a wimp who begs people to let him into their hearts.-- John Robbins, Foreword, The Atonement, by Dr. Gordon H. Clark.
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4 comments:
Wow.
So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. (Romans 9:16 NKJ)
What a shameful way to treat fellow Christians.
I hope that, when Mr Robbins gets to heaven, he will apologise to John Wesley and all the other Arminian who, by his reckoning, shouldn't be there.
Mr. John Robbins is already in heaven with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Mr. Wesley, on the other hand, is not. As Augustus Toplady put it, the golden idol of libertarian free will makes Wesley an idolater who put his own will above God's sovereign grace.
And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. 7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8 Just as it is written: "God has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see And ears that they should not hear, To this very day." 9 And David says: "Let their table become a snare and a trap, A stumbling block and a recompense to them. 10 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see, and bow down their back always." (Romans 11:6-10 NKJ)
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