Elder Ronald Lawrence, who pastors Bethel Primitive Baptist
Church in Tennessee stated the following in a sermon entitled “Predestination
& Providence/Perseverance & Preservation”:
"The last time we read anything about Lot in Genesis, chapter
nineteen, he is in an immoral relationship with his two daughters; they are
going to bear two sons by him, and he is drunk. Hardly an example of perseverance.
He did not persevere, did he? Obviously not." (Predestination &
Providence/Perseverance & Preservation, Elder Ronald Lawrence)
Yet the article of faith per the
church he pastors says:
"We believe that such as are called
by His grace and justified shall
finally persevere in Holiness, and never fall finally away." (see Here)
So the sermon denies perseverance, yet the article of faith
confirms it. What sort of message is
being sent to the members of the church when they hear one thing from the
pulpit, but read the exact opposite when they venture onto their home church’s
website? Why, which one are they to
believe? Perseverance is true or not
true?
More than likely the local church is thoroughly ingrained in
their anti-means, Antinomian system just like most of their contemporaries and
are in firm opposition to the idea that the saints of God shall persevere in
holiness. However, they have yet to do what
most of their sister churches have been doing in recent years, which is alter
this particular article of faith to make it palatable to modern day
Hardshellism.
When will the word perseverance
be taken out and substituted with preserved?
And what about that word holiness? Surely, they can’t have people thinking that
only “they that have done good” (John
5:29) will make it to Heaven! Lots of
unconverted folks that Jesus failed to save from the habit of sin must be given
a place as well, correct? Yeah, the
article of faith can’t possibly say what the word of God says on this
matter:
“Follow peace with all
men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” (Heb. 12:14)
So that needs to be omitted as well.
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