Tozer on Luther

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Matthew Lyon

Matthew L. Lyon is not a Calvinist. Even in the clip given on the left, he described it as a "false doctrine" and in this (IMO) he is wrong. Totally wrong. However, a quick look round his blog shows that he has the capacity to accurately state the Calvinist position. He even calls out those men like John R Rice and Curtis Hutson for their inability to do so.  A while ago I called out Bob Gray in Texas for his shoddy work in this matter. Who else could write a chapter supposedly exposing Calvinism and put in the words "If Calvin meant..."? When you take upon yourself to write a book, you are meant to do your homework first. It helps justifies the price you are charging your expectant customers. Research of the simplest kind will soon reveal what Calvin meant i.e. that God graciously enables the saints to persevere unto the end.

Mr Lyon's short article on the difference between Calvinism and Hyper Calvinism, explaining the doctrinal differences between the two camps, concludes with the observation: 

"The practical result is that a Calvinist will preach the Gospel to all men equally, while a Hyper-Calvinist will not."

He references his article from John R Rice's misleading work (Predestined to Hell? Wheaton: Sword of the Lord, 1958.) where the author ran amok with his descriptions and also from Calvinist, Andrew's Fuller's work: (The Gospel Worthy of All Acceptation, and Defense of the “Gospel Worthy of All Acceptation.” Sprinkle Publications, 1988.) Mr Lyon has obviously done his homework.  Too many critics of Calvinism, especially in the shouting, roaring and spitting end of the Fundamentalist school, either simply don't bother or (IMO more likely) lack the basic ability to do so.

I have bookmarked the above site and look forward to reading more articles. Although somewhat different in its thrust, it reminds me a little of the series of articles which Ryan Hayden (an ex Calvinist) wrote concerning things which  IFB pastors could learn from the Calvinists. Here was another case of  journalistic honesty and therefore another bookmarked site. You can follow Matthew Lyon on Twitter here where, in the last few tweets, he has positively quoted both Machen and Spurgeon and alerted us to his purchase of a book describing Whitefield as America's spiritual founding father.

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Gray - Rice

Bob Gray hammering "Protestant repentance" 

You really must read Bob Gray's article here on legalism. Do you believe that "To repent literally means to have a change of mind or spirit towards God and towards sin."? Do you believe that to repent "means to turn from your sins, earnestly, with all your heart, and trust in Jesus Christ to save you"? If so, according to the Texas preacher, then you believe in "a Protestant repentance" and you are a properly defined legalist, because you are among those (list includes JW's, Mormons and Romanists) "who add something to the Gospel in order to attain salvation." 

Do you think John R Rice is worth quoting when it comes to being an honest Bible preacher, obeying the plain commands of God, who must speak out against corruption etc.? Mr Gray does. The same article gives us the graphic on the left. Would an honest Bible preacher, obeying the plain commands of God add something to the gospel so that men are left trying to attain salvation? Obviously not.

Mr Gray's big problem is that his professed hero, John R Rice,  regularly taught "a Protestant repentance" which (according to Gray) effectively produces another gospel, akin to that of the false cults. It was John R Rice who  tells us: 

“To repent literally means to have a change of mind or spirit toward God and toward sin. It means to turn from your sins, earnestly, with all your heart, and trust in Jesus Christ to save you. You can see, then, how the man who believes in Christ repents and the man who repents believes in Christ. The jailer repented when he turned from sin to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ”

(John R. Rice, What Must I Do to Be Saved?, 1940).

You can read Rice's sermon here. The context of Rice's quote is to resist those who make repentance the basis of salvation, rather than the means. In this, Rice is correct and also clearly defines repentance in the classic Protestant manner i.e. to turn from your sins and trust Christ as Saviour. 

This is another one of those classic examples of some Fundamentalist preachers who can find it somewhat easy to quote men as great spiritual teachers in one paragraph (or tweet) whom they have effectively damned to the deepest Hell for preaching a false gospel in another. Personally,  I always find this somewhat amusing. If nothing else, it helps fuel articles for this blog where opportunity is afforded to set records straight.

Other helpful links:

* Billy Sunday on the definition of Repentance
* General Booth on his fears for 20th Century Evangelism

* John R Rice endorsing the spiritual impact of Calvin and the Reformers
* Are you planning a death bed repentance? 
* Sermon notes on Acts 26:20 (Repentance)
* Four Fundamentalist leaders preaching their Protestant repentance

 
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