When I was a young Hardshell minister I used to hear the Hardshells brag about how their doctrine is clearly taught in the Book of Romans and that anyone who honestly studied it would become a Hardshell. Well, I can find the doctrines of grace in Romans but I cannot find Hardshellism. I cannot find their salvation apart from evangelical faith. I cannot find their denial of the necessity of perseverance for salvation. I cannot find their ideas about the nature and causes of regeneration in it. I cannot find their ideas about conversion in it.
If any of their brethren want to come here and deny my affirmations and uphold theirs, then they are welcome.
Said Elder Ronnie Loudermilk (See here)
"The many salvations taught throughout the Bible, but specifically in the book of Romans."
"Many salvations taught" in the Book of Romans? To anyone who has read and studied the book of Romans such words will bewilder them. Such a view makes the book of Romans a puzzle, where one does not know which salvation is under consideration from verse to verse. Of course, Hardshells can guide you through it and tell you which kind of salvation it is in each verse; And, what they tell you about the kind of salvation in a given text would not be what you would have discovered on your own. You have to have help seeing so many "salvations" in the book of Romans.
He also said:
"The person who feels the weight of his or her sins in their conscience is exhibiting a great evidence of the work of grace."
How he could get that out of the book of Romans is astounding. I rather find where Paul says that a guilty conscience is the result not of grace, but of the law. A guilty condemned conscience is the result of the "working of the law," not the working of grace. If a guilt ridden conscience is an evidence of grace then why does the conscience feel guilty? If the Spirit and word of God is witnessing to a conscience that it is guilty, causing unease, is the Spirit not telling a falsehood? If only the justified regenerate soul suffers conviction by the word and Spirit, and the Spirit is testifying of guilt to such, then a falsehood is being told.
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