In our Ask FGBC Anything video series, listeners submit questions that we then answer in a video format.

Transcript

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

jesus, word, saved, truth, church, persons, god, bible, charity, grace, chose, sloppy, betray, christian, faith, convinced, lord, speak, language, taught

SPEAKERS

Pastor Pastor Jim Butler, Mike Kirkpatrick, Wim Kerkhoff

Wim Kerkhoff  00:06

Next question. I have it’s similar one we just answered in another video called, is accepting salvation a choice. But it’s worded different so think it’s some other issues in it. So are people who chose for Jesus actually saved? So Tara asks, in the greater rounds of Christian conversation I hear a lot of when I chose Jesus, or when I accepted Jesus as my Savior, or some other such language as they decided to be a Christian. Are those people so fundamentally flawed as to not be saved? Or is it just a simply a matter of word choice, because many of them seem very intellectual and godly minded as to be born again Christians. But this language has caused me to think that they believe they can choose to turn away from sin. And as such, there is no possible way to be saved, correct? That’s a long quote, you almost got to understand the question first and parse it out a little better. It’s,

Pastor Jim Butler  00:59

Well, let me just take a stab at it. Thankfully, we’re saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ and not our ability to articulate God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. So I agree with Tara, I agree that there’s a lot of sloppy speech out there. And I would want to encourage that we realized that you know, most people, most some, they’re just not know how to say this. Because gingerly as I can’t, maybe they’re not as skilled or schooled in theology and Bible as perhaps we’d like, right. I mean, people say sloppy things, I think about, you know, ministry in the past to old folks home and I mean, you know, an old doll, say, you know, the Lord spoke to me. Well, there’s a reflex in me to say, well, the Lord doesn’t speak anymore. And we’ve got the 66 books, both old and new, testaments, canon’s closed. But I tried to think she probably mean she was reading her Bible and in there, and God spoke to her. So I think that with, especially persons outside of the Reformed faith, yeah, I chose for Jesus. Now, some of them can be flaming Arminians and Palagians that have no concept whatsoever of the gospel, and I certainly wouldn’t endorse that. But persons that are brought up in churches where perhaps they’re just not taught well, they do have some sloppy speaking or some, you know, imprecise categories. I think the judgment of charity is helpful, you know, take their profession, at face value if they have practice, or they have conduct that betrays that, and you’re so inclined, you know, exhort them, encourage them that sort of a thing. Now, I would also want to say that I think that persons in that category should tighten it up. So I mentioned in a previous video that, you know, pagans can do good things, right, they can do outwardly moral things. So it’s not just Christians that sort of have the market on outwardly moral things. What distinguishes the Christian from the pagan, what distinguishes the Christian from just about everybody else, it’s the things that we believe, right? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved. So knowing that, that we’re to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. The Apostle tells us in Romans 12, Don’t be conformed to this world, but rather be transformed by what? By the renewing of your morals, no by the renewing of your minds. So Christianity, if I could be so bold, it’s a doctrinal religion. And so it is imperative that we understand doctrine. It is imperative that we know categories that we that we understand the truth as it’s revealed to us in the Scripture. And as well, you know, the Psalmist says that Great are the works of the Lord, they are studied by all who delight in them. If you know persons are interested in botany or zoology or stamp collecting, why aren’t believers more interested in the wonderful grace of God most high. So I think it is imperative that the people of God are in good churches, where they’re taught the truth of God, and they learn how to speak precisely concerning the gospel of our salvation. It shouldn’t be that a that a sinner comes to saving faith, in spite of the evangelist. He shouldn’t come to saving faith in spite of a bad church. He should come because God in his infinite wisdom, used means and that means was able to articulate clearly the truth as it is in Jesus. And then that sinner by the grace of God He leaves that truth. And then that sinner who believes that truth now goes out and does likewise, he knows the truth, and he’s able to explain it. I’m not convinced every believer should do evangelism. I’m not convinced that genuine believers should be out on the streets representing Jesus, you should probably have to pass a test along the way. Because you can do the positive damage. Just just like I’m not convinced that everybody who can diagnose a disease on Google should be treating that disease. Right? There’s a bit of education, a bit of knowledge, for afraid to go to a doctor that you know, has some rinky dink degree.

Wim Kerkhoff  05:40

We should all be lights and witnesses, maybe share some lights

Pastor Jim Butler  05:44

and witnesses and basics for sure. But there’s a lot of challenges when you go out and start proclaiming the truth. I mean, are you prepared to answer those hard questions? And are you prepared to do so in a way that doesn’t betray the truth of God’s Word? So there seems to me to be a lack of carefulness on the part of the people of God. But there’s a lack of carefulness on the part of the preachers of the Word of God as well. And so you know, carefully thinking you know, precise language articulating truth and you know, today that’s almost mock well, let’s just love Jesus, let’s some point, we’re gonna have to ask the question, what Jesus are we loving? We don’t define Jesus the way the Bible presents him. We may have a Jesus after our own fashioning. You know, there’s a debate presently, and churches and seminaries about, you know, the early creeds and confessions and you know, no creed, but the Bible. Well, these grades reflect what the Bible teaches. And they understood that they needed to use outside the Bible words, to protect inside the Bible words, and they did so with carefully constructed statements to serve as guardrails so that the people of God and Church of God wouldn’t go astray. So I appreciate Tara’s question. I’ve felt the same thing and my own goings and doings and dealings with people, judgment of charity. But if you have a chance to speak more to these, these, these sorts of people, encourage them Bible study, you know, lots of stuff online. Listen, listen, R.C. Sproul, there’s a lot of wealth of material on the internet, to help people think more clearly about their, their confession of faith.

Pastor Mike Kirkpatrick  07:28

And if I could just add anecdotally, to that idea of charity. Many years ago, when we started attending, Free Grace [church], I didn’t grow up in the reformed tradition. So a lot of the reformed distinctives were new to me. I didn’t understand the importance of the Lord’s day, I didn’t understand that pictures of Jesus probably are a violation of the of the second commandment, not probably they are a violation of the second commandment. And Pastor Butler came over to our house and we had a picture of Jesus up on the fridge. And he didn’t say anything to me. One time we’re over at, at someone else’s house. And after Sunday service, and we went mini golfing instead of coming to the evening service, and they didn’t say anything, it was being under the preaching of the Word of God, the theology that was taught the words that were taught the language that was taught, that helped me grow over time, and there was patience with me. And so I’ve tried to be that as well. When people come into our church that don’t know some of these distinctives we can’t just hit them over the head right away with some of these things, and just to be patient and gracious, and God will give us wisdom when to speak and when to be silent. And we need to pray for that wisdom with who we’re speaking to. But the important reminder is to be in a good church and under a good church and under good preaching, and whether those things are true or not.

Wim Kerkhoff  08:53

these are all in this theory of sanctification and God’s working in different parts in our life. Sometimes it’s pride sometimes its external sin, internal sin, so don’t just I just learned to be a lot more open hearted or large hearted I guess.

Pastor Jim Butler  09:07

The word Catholic is the word has been used in the church. Catholic doesn’t mean just Roman Catholic Catholic means universal. Yeah, there’s a catholicity and a genuine an ecumenical spirit that should be imbibed not at the sacrifice of truth obviously not. But we should pursue unity we should pursue large heartedness and, and loving kindness to our brothers and our sisters. And if somebody you know, doesn’t have the nomenclature, the vocabulary or the jargon you know, may not necessarily mean they’re not saved. It just may mean they need better teaching.

Wim Kerkhoff  09:45

I’m just thinking I think you’ve quoted it or mentioned the the Alistair Begg quote of this man who gets to heaven. Why are you here? He couldn’t say a whole lot. “The man on the middle cross said I could come.”

Pastor Jim Butler  09:56

the man on the Cross told me

Wim Kerkhoff  10:00

the middleman yeah yeah so just yeah knowing Jesus that’s right

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