non dignus
Puritan Board Sophomore
Originally posted by BrianBowman
Originally posted by non dignus
Bahnsen: 4. A regenerate believer who falls into the sin of adultery will offer genuine repentance for it (Ps. 51; Jas. 4:8-10; I John 1:9; Matt. 5:23-24) and do the works appropriate for turning from it (Matt. 3:8; Acts 26:20). Refusal to repent in this way must be taken as a sign that the person is not truly a believer (1 Cor. 6:9-10; Prov. 28:13; Luke 13:3, 5) - eventuating in excommunication, if need be.
No. It must be taken as a sign that the person is not repentant.
David, this is another "big red-hot debate" that intersects with Church discipline, etc. Clearly someone who can continue to live headlong in adultery without repentance *may* not be regenerate as in "you shall know a tree by its fruit". No Church Session, Elder, Pastor, etc. can pronounce that a "professing believer" is ultimately reprobate, however they can, based upon their office, exercise excommincation after sufficent exhortation to repentance has been given with no results.
[Edited on 12-2-2005 by BrianBowman]
Brian,
Thanks for the Bahnsen piece. I agreed with nearly all of it. 'Very enlightening.
This might be better on an ecclessiology thread but,
Unbelief is certainly a possibility. If I were an elder I would definitely vote to excommunicate but I don't think restoration would involve a new profession of faith, do you? On the other hand, if a member were teaching that adultery is OK, he would get the complete heave ho even if he weren't shacking up. Giving into temptation and knowing it's wrong doesn't add up to apostasy.