"...every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire...He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matt. 3:10, 12 nasb)
"He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit...Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit...Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned." (John 15:1-6 nasb)
"For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (II Peter 1:8-11 KJV)
These passages clearly show that those who do not bear fruit (which must include evangelical faith) will be eternally lost. Those Hardshells who teach that unbelievers (fruitless) will be saved are against them.
The great Hardshell apologist and debater, Elder C.H. Cayce, wrote:
"All God's children, according to this view, would be a fruit-bearing class." (Editorial Writings - see here) And, Cayce and his modern followers do not believe that all the elect and called are a "fruit-bearing class."
Modern anti means Hardshells will
1. Affirm that many of the Lord's born again people will not bear fruit (have faith).
2. Affirm that the fruitless persons in the above passages will be saved.
3. Affirm that condemnation rendered against the fruitless is not eternal.
In affirming these things, they put themselves in opposition to the clear teachings of these verses of scripture.
Perhaps this view grows out of a fear of Lordship Salvation or Legalism at its extreme. But we need to understand that while fruits of the Spirit are inevitable, they are assurances of salvation, not conditions.
ReplyDeleteThe Baptist Catechism says:
Q. 36: What is justification?
A. Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein He pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in His sight, only for righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.
(Ro 3:24-25; 4:6-8; 2Co 5:19; 21; Ro 5:17-19; Gal 2:16; Php 3:9)
Q. 37: What is adoption?
A. Adoption is the act of God's free grace, whereby we are received into the number and have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God.
(1Jn 3:1; Jn 1:12; Ro 8:14)
Q. 38: What is sanctification?
A. Sanctification is the work of God's free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.
(2Th 2:13; Eph 4:23-24; Ro 6:4; 6)
Q. 39: What are the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification?
A. The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification, are assurance of God's love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Spirit, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.
(Ro 5:1-2; 5; 17; Pr 4:18; 1Jn 5:13; 1Pe 1:5)
Let's make the distinction between condition and assurance without falling into the opposing ditch of antinomianism.