Quote:
Originally Posted by Hippo  I found the answer in the talk to be slightly unsatisfying as he based his position on what seemed to be a hyper-common grace position.
I do have sympathy as it is a really difficult subject to discusss with non believers, if we are brutally direct in our answer we do risk offending unbelievers in a very unproductive way.
In my mind it is much better to save our powder for arguing that they are sinners and for that reason they have no right to be loved by God than by denying that God loves them, after all we do not know who the elect are.
I do think that we should avoid making bold and incorrect statements like Christ dies for all individually or that God loves the reprobate, but that does not mean that we should trumpet the opposite. |
Certainly "trumpetting" the opposite isn't the right call - but we must be honest with those outside the fold. Outside of Christ there is no salvation - all have sinned and fall short, and if God is to be true, and just, then sin must be punished - there are no "free passes" handed out just because God's a nice guy. I honestly believe that none can come to Christ without knowing and believing the dire circumstances they are in apart from being in Him. Evangelism that lacks such a truth being presented is hardly evangelism at all (since without it, the good news is not particularly interesting or good news at all).
__________________
Todd K. Pedlar
member, First Congregational Church, (CCCC) Cresco, IA
http://semperubi.rtrc.net
"Many men, after a long conversion, see more of the workings of sin in their hearts than ever they did before or at their first conversion. Now, such men have not an increase of sin, but an increase of illumination and light"
(Christopher Love)
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