A false charge made against Means Baptists or those who have been dubbed Burnamites is that they have a desire to “help God”. They’re accused of not believing that salvation is all of grace because they feel that they are instruments in the hand of God for accomplishing His purposes. This charge actually comes back to haunt the very ones who make this unfounded accusation however, as we demonstrate below.
Instrumentality is established by simple grammar in the form of prepositions used by the Bible writers: through, with, and by.
For example, Paul writes to the Corinthians (emphasis mine – KF):
“Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?” (3:5)
In this passage, evangelical faith is under consideration, and Paul asserts that he and Apollos were ministers by (instrumentally) whom the Corinthians believed. Following the Hardshell grid, the text must be placed in the category of time salvation.
Let us therefore turn this charge upon the chargers:
Does God need help in accomplishing gospel time salvation? Did Paul and Apollos help God bring the Corinthians to faith?
If so, then time salvation is not all of grace. If not, then the charge that something wrought instrumentally is not all of grace is false.
Of course, the real Old Baptists face no such dilemna. They do not so partition the Bible, nor are they driven to call upon man-made premises to escape instrumentality. They realize that they are not “helping God” save His people.
They’re discharging their responsibility.
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