heartoflesh
Puritan Board Junior
I just sent an email to a local Christian Talkshow guy, Todd Friel . He has a weekday show called "Talk the Walk" here in the Twin Cities.
Let me know how I did.
Let me know how I did.
Todd dude,
Hey, love your show! I'm been a listener now for some time. Right on!
I enjoyed your conversation with a caller named Corey (aug17th?) when you were discussing being "born again", and how it is by free grace and not by our own effort. You were right on when you told him that even faith itself is a gift from God.
Todd, you know what I see as the major problem with American evangelicalism today?--- (besides more obvious things like general lack of zeal, lack of character, lack of "saltiness")---- it's a lack of theology. It just doesn't really smell like anything, does it? It's deteriorated down to a sort of middle-of-the-road, noncontroversial, sludgy, fuzzy feeling fest. <<<<<feelings...>>>>>
To tie this together with what you were saying to Corey, the issue of how we "become" born again is where the rubber meets the road in my opinion. Most Christians I hear from these days are either consciously or unconsciously Arminian in their belief on the matter, and believe we must "do something" to be born again. Rather, Jesus' words to Nicodemus in John ch3 are intended to stress that we cannot DO anything to be born again, rather it's something that happens TO YOU. "the wind blows where it will..."
Of course this whole subject of free will/effectual calling, effective grace/resistable grace, I choose God/God chooses me, is something most Christians today try to be aloof about. The subject is pretended to be a "great mystery" which we shouldn't discuss. Of course, the almighty freewill theory reigns supreme, so apparently it's really not such a mystery after all. Practically, passages such as Romans 8:28-39, Ephesians 1, 1 Cor. 2, make no sense. What's the point of all this "choosing" language if it really doesn't mean what it says it means?
The complaint is always that I shouldn't me making such a big deal about a "non-essential" issue-- as if anything that takes up so much Scripture space could even be remotely "non-essential" ---but it's really a big farce because their freewill love affair is radically essential to THEM. To me, nothing is more essential then to answer the question "how did I get saved?". Did God do everything he could, and then it was up to me to add my contribution (synergism)? Or was my salvation, my faith, my obedience, my new willing heart completely and wholly a work of God by free grace (monergism)? And of course the question isn't only about how I got saved, but what keeps me saved, etc.
What ever happened to the good old days when a guy was a Calvinist or a guy was an Arminian and was proud of it? Where's the balls today to believe one way or the other on the issue? I wish people would be hot or cold, but this lukewarm stuff-----bbbblllgggssshhhh! Where's the gumption???
Wow Todd, thanks for letting me rant. I feel better...might even go have an ice cream sandwich now and cool down.
Hey, I'd love to come down to the station and chat with ya some time. Seriously, dude-- I have Fridays off and I have a great radio voice. (I went to Brown Institute you know....didn't graduate, but I spun some vinyl). Free grace is a subject I love to wax on. I haven't been able to figure you out completely, Todd, but I hear references from the Puritans, Spurgeon, etc.., and I sense you're on the right track!
If you're ever so inclined, shoot me an email or give me a call.
Blessings,
Rick Larson
