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Originally Posted by greenbaggins  I don't agree with Guthrie that we can work up our own hearts to close with the offer. Our faith is a gift from God. By all means, we should consider our lost estate apart from Christ, and be persuaded that Christ is the answer. However, I don't believe that the actual persuading comes from us, but from the Spirit. |
Exactly Lane. This is an issue I have had with many who have thought like this with Guthrie. There is no possible way an unbeliever can close with Christ without the spirit first regenerating him. Closing with Christ has led many to a flase assurance of walking an aisle or saying a prayer. Perhaps I find the Gospel too simple for all of this. The unregenerate will nt approach the throne with all his sins about him to lay on Christ. He will instead try to close from his own heart and make himself better before he comes. Or repent from the flesh. By this I mean a one time repenting which is not ever commanded in scripture. Everytime the command to repent is used, it is spoken as a continuous repenting. "Keep ye repenting, the kingdom is at hand.." Keep ye repenting or ye shall likewise perish"
Guthrie in this document question 14 sounds exactly like Billy Graham. I mean no offense, but if someone told me or anyone that Graham said the same thing, we would scream arminian from the rooftops. He could have easily said, "Make Him your personal savior, pray Him into your heart, etc etc "
Also in q 13, this sounds to me, and I may be wrong, a 'name it and claim it assurance"
Personal covenanting need not be anymore than "As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord"