Hardshell Texts and Citations on Rejecting Christ and His Word

Jason Brown, the apologist for the Primitive Baptists, has stated in a recent posting:

“I have never said that those in this gospel era who live a life rejecting Jesus Christ should be considered saved people. I know of no knowledgeable Primitive Baptist who would consider such people certainly regenerated.”

Yet consider this following quotation from David Montgomery, manager of a leading PB website, in reference to the inquiring rich young ruler who approached Jesus (Mark 10:17-22):

“But that young man turned it all down because he loved his money too much. The Bible never mentions him again. I wonder where that young man is right now. Do you think he is in Hell because he rejected Jesus? If he is, then we have a serious problem and we ought to be very afraid. The scriptures say that Jesus loved the young man, and the Apostle Paul says that nothing shall separate us from the love of Jesus Christ (Romans 8). I think that young man is in heaven right now but I also believe that he spent his days on earth in great sadness. The scriptures say the he went on his way sorrowfully. That is where the Bible leaves him and that is where the Bible will leave us if we likewise reject the Lord. But, if we are obedient, if we believe, if we act on our faith, then the joys that we shall receive will be awesome. It will bring heaven closer to us while we live here on earth. This is Time Salvation.”

http://primitivebaptist.info/mambo/content/view/1575/36

Closely connected to this thought of rejecting Christ must be considered the idea of rejecting His gospel as well, which is simply the testimony concerning Him.

Straight from www.pb.org, the Primitive Baptist website itself, comes this bold assertion from the Salem Association (2008):

“"We reject the teaching that all regenerate persons will respond favorably to preaching regarding Christ when they hear it. While all of God's children ought to receive the truth of the news of their eternal salvation and would be greatly benefited by it, there are many who will not believe either through the error that is mixed with such preaching, the fear of cultural or familial pressure, the failings of the preacher, or the rebelliousness of sin in their nature."

http://www.pbpage.org/Salem2008.php

Now if NOT responding favorably to the gospel, and NOT receiving the truth, and NOT believing it, are equivalent to rejecting it, then this is pretty substantial evidence contrary to Jason’s assertion. That is, unless, these are part of that minority of whom Jason speaks who do not represent the prevailing opinion of the Primitive Baptists. But this is the stated confession of an entire association; and that from a designated PB site!

Furthermore, we have the following quotations from Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth by Tom Hagler, Jr.:

"However, God's children that are blessed to hear the gospel message may still reject it because of the various cares of this life."

"Also this doctrine is incorrect because it forgets that some of God's elect die as infants, have mental afflictions, never hear the gospel, and even reject the gospel in unbelief..."

"Also, we know a believer is someone that is already saved eternally, as 1 John 5:1 'Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God:' We also learn that if this creature (born again person) rejects the gospel message in unbelief and refuses to be baptized, then he will be damned (suffer chastisement, not eternal damnation)..."

"The elect of God (Ephesians 1:4-6), whether an unborn baby, the mentally handicapped, those in remote parts of the world, or those who in rebellion reject the gospel, every elect child of God is safe as regards eternal salvation."

"Once alive in Christ, and therefore eternally saved, the gospel is sent to offer the child of God the possibility of conversion unto salvation, to become a disciple of Christ....A regenerate child of God may reject it or embrace it."

"Not all of God's regenerate children will be blessed to hear the gospel message. Many will die young or have a mental affliction to prevent understanding. Some will hear it or reject it."

"As noted above, not all of God's regenerate children will become disciples of Christ, or as they are called, Christians. Predestination is not involved. God has many children who are not Christians since they do not publicly acknowledge Christ. They may have heard the gospel, but have rejected it. The ones that rejected the gospel may have chosen to follow other religious orders, as with the Jews or other religious orders."

"For those children of God who have the ability of believe but do not (reject the gospel) and will not submit to baptism, Mark 16:16 states they will be damned."

“Some may hear the gospel, but refuse to follow Christ as a disciple.”

www.basicbibledoctrines.com/downloads/Rightly_Dividing.pdf

I might add here that this book was being circulated in the Smoky Mountain Meeting which takes place every year in Pigeon, Forge TN. Would a work containing such statements as this be propagated at this popular event if it was the prevailing view that gospel conversion is not optional for those “under the sound of it”?

From his work How One is Born Again, the same author records:

“Those Jesus saves include those who die as infants (it is the position of the writer that the non-elect do not die young…see more on this below), or those elect who have a mental deficiency, or the elect who live in a remote place and never hear the gospel preached. It also includes those of the elect of God who hear the gospel preached, but reject it for one reason or another.”

www.basicbibledoctrines.com/downloads/Born_Again.pdf

Lastly, from his work Purpose Of the Gospel, Hagler records:

“Also, we know many of God’s children will reject the gospel when they do hear it presented, as above in Romans 3:3-4.”

Apart from citations, there are texts often interpeted to mean that some of the elect heard the gospel but rejected it.

First, in being consistent with its denial of perseverance and the existence of professors, advocates of conditional time salvation are forced to conclude that the antichrists of 1 John 1:19 (who being with the apostles obviously heard the gospel) were regenerate children of God who rejected it.

Second, King Agrippa in Acts 26:27-28 is viewed by many as yet another example of one who was regenerated, heard the gospel, but rejected it. On this passage, Tom Hagler Jr. (cited above) writes:

“Since Paul said he knew Agrippa believed, Agrippa was born again. Even so, Agrippa chose not to become a disciple of Christ by way of baptism.”

Third, Romans 11:28 is often cited as proof that God’s regenerate children can be enemies of the gospel. This must certainly involve a rejection of the same.

Fourth, since most PBs are against preaching the gospel to the unregenerate due to their Pelagian notion that command implies ability, it is thought that all of the “grounds” upon which the Seed Sower (Matt. 13) cast his seed were regenerated souls. Yet only one, the “good ground”, chose to receive it and get a “time salvation”. The rest rejected the message.

Fifth, many PBs agree with C.H. Cayce and E.D. McCutcheon that the Greeks at Athens were regenerated but not converted when Paul arrived (Acts 17). They were each under the sound of the gospel yet only some "clave unto him, and believed" (v. 34).

Sixth, there is the warning of Heb. 2:1-3. Under the scheme of conditional time salvation, the regenerate may let the “things which we have heard” slip and “neglect the so great salvation”.

Seventh, failing to contrast the apostates of Heb. 6:4-6 with the truly regenerate (v.9) it is thought by many that these were regenerated children of God who had “tasted the good word of God” but had fallen away, temporally speaking.

In none of these instances is a one-time rejection of Christ or His gospel under consideration, but a denial of Him which is never amended by repentance.

In light of these above errors, it is wise to consider the words of our Lord himself on this matter:

"He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day" (John 12:48)