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What Would You Say
If…. What
would you say if I told you that I can preach the Gospel any way you want? I can
preach it either round or flat. What
would you say if I said that babies are born in sin, totally depraved, and
damned to hell? Only the elect will be saved, and that election has nothing to
do with one’s obedience or disobedience but God’s eternal election. What
would you say if the next Sunday I stood up and preached that all babies are
saved? They are still born in sin but God’s grace has been extended to all
babies so all are saved. Finally on the third Sunday I preached that all babies
are born innocent; not knowing or committing any sin against God. Therefore,
they have never been separated from God and will go to heaven if they die in
that condition. What
would say if I preached that there is nothing any one can do to be saved?
Despite Jesus telling the Jews to repent, Luke 13.3, and believe in Him as the
Son of God, John 6.29. Despite Peter telling the Jews to repent and be baptized
for the remission of sins, Acts 2.38. But I say that those passages have nothing
to do with our salvation. They
are only “signs” of our salvation. God does all the saving and man does
nothing. The vilest of sinners will go to heaven if they are part of the elect
and the most moral and spiritually minded will go to hell if they are not part
of the elect. What would you say if the next Sunday I told you to be saved by
accepting Jesus as the Son of God, and the next Sunday to pray to God and He
will forgive you? Finally I pointed out that the Bible teaches that one must
confess Jesus as the Son of God, Acts 8.37; repent of their sins, and be
baptized in order to be saved, Acts 2.38; 22.16. What
if one Sunday I preached that baptism is to proclaim one’s salvation, one is
in Christ and is baptized in order to enter a local fellowship. Then I taught
that baptism is in order to be saved (Mark 16.16), one is baptized into Christ,
Galatians 3.27, meaning that before baptism one is outside of Christ and lost.
Then I preached that baptism is sprinkling water over a person, then I changed
my mind and said it is having water poured over the person, and finally I said
it means to be immersed. What
would you say to all of the above? You would probably think that I was either
totally confused and needed straightening out or I was being totally dishonest.
I doubt if anyone would praise me for being open minded and willing to change.
Some might even call me intellectuality dishonest. My
point is that if one person tried to teach all of the different doctrines being
preached today, he would be labeled as a false teacher and not respected.
However, many different men can preach different doctrines and accepted as being
truthful. Why? I just don’t get it. If all of the above doctrines are true
then one person preaching them should be admired and the doctrines believed. If
one person can not preach them, then no one or no group should preach them
either. Some
of the above is true and some is not. We must be able to discern between the
two. – Dennis Tucker |