Posted on 10/27/2014 7:40:10 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Who said they gathered around an altar? That "altar" thing is a Catholic construct erroneously carried over into some Protestant churches. There is no "altar" in the New Testament church other than the one in heaven before the throne of God. So let's dispense with the notion of an "altar".
We don't know the mechanism but without some form of acknowledgment by those believers no one would have known who to baptize. Getting into the minutia of mechanism is counter productive.
Hold it right there, Shane! Don’t get rid of the altar calls. You’re going to need them for the endless re-dedications and ACTUAL salvations (cause the Father didn’t hear them the first time, right?). “Mourner’s Bench” is a perfect place to re-rededicate your rededication! Depressing existence for the poor mourner, but it keeps the preacher BUSY!
The tacit assumption of those who push this “Lordship salvation” formula is “WE’VE produced this fruit...but have YOU?!?!?”
Interestingly, Paul tells the Galatians that those who wanted to circumcise them to get them REALLY saved, did NOT THEMSELVES KEEP THE LAW! They just wanted to boast in their flesh (we won another one), and have the Galatians running to THEM for salvation. They also wanted to avoid persecution for the Cross of Christ. (Note: Nobodies like me critiquing the teaching of a preacher vs. Scripture is NOT persecution, lol)
“If it’s not in the Bible then it’s not scripturally legitimate according to the sola scriptura advocates.”
“Protestants”—the Roman Catholic equivalent of calling people “Gentile sinners”—do a lot of stupid things that are not in Scripture.
Paul’s lovely “Blessed is he who does not condemn himself by what he approves” is ignored freely (but not at the Judgment Seat, where rewards are given).
I love Jesus statement “Stop judging by mere appearances and make a right judgment”. Why cannot we believers manage this?
Protestants screw up on the big stuff, too. Apropos this thread, Justification. You cannot be a “little bit justified” before God. Sanctification is settled in His mind, too, but plays out in space-time for us. The Father chose us in Christ BEFORE the foundation of the world, and the absence of confidence in His once-for-all sacrifice and His eternal advocacy on our behalf is frightening for the one preaching it!
Pulpits are filled with confusion.
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