Perhaps you have run into an earnest Christian, that when opposing the biblical teaching of the "bondage of the will", "salvation by grace alone" and "election" will use the common salvation analogy which likens the unsaved to a helpless drowning man. That a loving God gives us free choice while drowning whether we will reach out and take His hand to be saved or not. That only an 'evil' God, they say, would leave or not attempt to save people who are drowning in a lake. "How could a loving God be so cruel just to leave them there drowning," they argue.
Read it all here:
http://www.reformationtheology.com/2006/03/the_parable_of_the_drowning_ma_1.php
3 comments:
Once saved always saved vs sometimes saved. Predestination vs free will. Pre-trib rapture vs. post trib rapture ect. Discussing Bible stuff like this can be stressful because there seems to be a lot of scripture supporting both sides and Christians around the world can be pretty evenly split on the issues. Blah Blah Blah...I prefer this link over yours. :)
http://www.godandscience.org/doctrine/predestination.html
ps. So there! :)
Interesting summation...one that I understand but humbly disagree with, profoundly. It is true that if one approaches the bible or theology through proof texting, and pulling scriptures out of chapters to support a certain predetermined point of view, you can come to the conclusion you talk about. The site you listed appears to be a classic dispensational site.
I am not a dispensationalist, that is clear if you know me, hear my teaching or look at my library. I respect anyone who holds to that paradigm of theology but I cling to the christian faith as expressed through the historic christian creeds, the reformers, the puritans and a long list of early church fathers who also passed down a gospel as taught by evangelical/reformed churches.
I addressed many of these issues last Wed in our open forum, question and answer time. Especially addressing the point of why, theology is critical to developing a healthy christian walk, especially today when theology is shunned, maligned or ignored.
We are a weak church because of it and most of the dead guys of the past ages who held the banner of truth high and pure are rolling over in their graves in sorrow at our mile wide waters that are an inch deep.
Avoiding theology will grow a crowd...a crowd full of people who have no clue about what they believe, or why they believe it. We have people with catholic ideas, evangelical half truths, cultish leanings, gnostic mysticism and pagan practices all mixed together in one big happy group...called a church. Instead of being the pillar of truth as the apostle calls the church, we have become the buffet of ideas.
I know you agree that would not be something we would want for our community. Truth is critical in this day...our generation is under assault by the idea that truth is relative. That is not a preposition that the bible holds.
Clarification: when I say "you can come to the conclusion you talk about." I mean the confusion you referenced in your post between the various different points of view.
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