Unconditional Salvation?

The question as to whether salvation is conditional or unconditional is an old one among Baptists of the Particular Baptist tradition, though not among General or Free Will Baptists. I don't like telling people that I believe in unconditional salvation because it gives people the wrong idea. It suggests that a person does not have to do anything to be saved. However, many Baptists of the past plainly said that they did not believe in conditional salvation. I have written much on this question. 

In my series on "The Hardshell Baptist Cult," in chapters 119-122, I dealt with this subject under the title of "Conditional or Unconditional?" You can read those chapters in a blog giving all those chapters (here). In chapter nineteen I cite from Spencer's history of Kentucky Baptists as follows:

"Thus was Elkhorn Association constituted, on Saturday, October 1, 1785. William Cave was chosen Moderator. The Association decided that all matters of business should be determined by a majority. At the request of Gilberts Creek, the oldest church in the Association, a committee was sent to inquire into its standing. In answer to a query from Tates Creek,the churches were advised to use all tenderness to reclaim persons holding the error of conditional salvation, but if they could not be reclaimed, to exclude them." (Spencer's History of Kentucky Baptists Volume II, 1886 - See here)

When Baptists of the past and of the Calvinist tradition denied "conditional salvation" they did not mean to imply that a person could go to heaven without faith in Christ or repentance. Nevertheless, I think such denial has done more harm than good and should not have ever been said. In the following citations, taken from those chapters on that question, I give citations from Baptists of the past who explained what they meant by saying that salvation was unconditional. We will begin with John Bunyan (1628-1688)  who wrote (emphasis mine):

"The conditional promise calls for repentance, the absolute promise gives it (Acts 5:31). The conditional promise calls for faith, the absolute promise gives it (Zeph 3:12; Rom 15:12). The conditional promise calls for a new heart, the absolute promise gives it (Eze 36:25,26). The conditional promise calleth for holy obedience, the absolute promise giveth it, or causeth it (Eze 36:27)."

Next, we will cite from Benjamen Keach (1640-1704), a signer of the second London Confession (1689), wrote the following in "THE DISPLAY OF GLORIOUS GRACE: OR, THE COVENANT OF PEACE OPENED. IN FOURTEEN SERMONS" (You can read it here):

"From hence we may infer, That in the Covenant of Peace, the Promises of God are Absolute; and that this Absoluteness implies, that all the Conditions that are required on the Creature's part, Grace is promised to them to perform them on God's part, Who works in us to will and to do of his own good Pleasure."

"The Gospel doth not proclaim a Conditional Peace, or Reconciliation, or that God is only reconcilable; so that if the Sinner performs his part, God will be fully reconciled; that is, if the Sinner repents, believes is Regenerated, or answers the Rule of the Promise, as some speak. I know no such Conditional Gospel, or Proclamation; but those Conditions which Jesus Christ was to perform, which was not only to reconcile God to us, but us also to God: Can that be the Condition of Life on our part which Christ hath engaged in the Covenant to do?"

"Moreover, whatsoever Duties God requires of us as to our actual Justification, in our own Consciences, and as to our Sanctification-also, he hath promised to give us his Spirit to perform and work in us."

"My Brethren, Doth a Child contribute any thing to its own Formation in the Womb? Alas, What is in us before we are Born again? And of his own Will begat he us, &c.

Object. But doth not the Gospel require Faith and Repentance, as the Condition of Justification, and Eternal Life?

1 Answ. I told you but even now, there are Conditions of Connection by way of order and dependence of things one upon another (Page 186):

As in Logic (saith the same Reverend Divine) if a Creature be a Man, he is a Rational Creature; or if God be the first Cause, he is the Creator of all things: And in this sense (saith he) Creation is a Condition of Salvation; if a Man be Saved, he must be Created: So if a Man believe he shall be Saved, believing is a Condition of Connection, a State of Grace is thus a Condition to a State of Glory, by way of Connection in the Promise; but one is not the Federal Condition of another, but both come in as the Gift of Grace; in this sense the Covenant contains all the Conditions of Order and Dependence in the Exhibition and Performance; the hearing the Word is the Condition of Faith, but hearing is not a Federal Condition; so the giving the Spirit is the Condition of Union to Christ and Faith, and Faith the Condition of receiving of Pardon, and living in Holiness and the giving of Pardon the Condition of receiving it, and Holiness the Condition of seeing God, and of having Eternal Happiness; but these kind of Conditions are not Federal Entitling Conditions to the Promise, but are contained in the Promise, and denote the Connection and Dependence of one promised Benefit upon another."

So, both Bunyan and Keach affirm that salvation is conditional in one sense but not in another. They deny that salvation is conditional if by that someone means a condition which a sinner does himself without God's grace being the cause, a condition of merit. They affirm that salvation is conditional upon God producing faith and repentance and every other thing necessary to salvation, or what they call a "condition of connection." 

Bob L. Ross of Pilgram Publications (now deceased) was once an editor of the "Baptist Examiner" published out of Ashland, Kentucky. In the 1958 edition of that paper (for which my father used to write articles for) Ross wrote (you can read it here) the following under the sub-title "UNCONDITIONAL SALVATION" (emphasis mine):

"There ARE NO meritorious acts whereby salvation is gained. God is not in the business of peddling His grace upon certain conditions. Merit-mongers despise salvation by grace, and the God of all grace equally despises the doctrine of salvation by human effort. There are no meritorious conditions to salvation. God does not say, “I will save you, if you perform such and such an act.” That would be salvation by works."

The key point in these words are "no meritorious conditions." He is not denying that faith and repentance and confession sins and confession of Christ are necessary prerequisites to salvation, but is denying that people do these things "by human effort" apart from the power of the gospel and Spirit of God.

Ross wrote further:

"Furthermore, it would be a denial of man’s total depravity and inability (John 6:44, Ephesians 2:1). Grace brings salvation to the spiritually helpless sinner. Some Baptists refer to repentance and faith as “conditions” of salvation. But if salvation is conditioned upon the sinner in the very beginning, then why not all the way to the end? Repentance and faith are not conditions to salvation; they are the means of God in bringing His people from sin unto Christ. I say the “means of God,” for repentance and faith are “inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the regenerating Spirit of God. (Baptist Confession of Faith, New Hampshire). The elect do not of themselves perform repentance and faith but the Spirit produces these graces in the elect, “in connection with divine truth.” Our salvation is conditioned upon one only, even our God. If we, as helpless sinners, are to be saved, it depends entirely upon Him. We are what we are “by the grace of God.” (I Corinthians 15:10)."

This was written when Brother Ross was a young man in the faith. I knew brother Ross personally. I don't think that he later in life objected to saying that salvation was conditional. He still believed that faith and repentance were means, or conditions of connection.

Sylvester Hassell, a recognized leader of the "Primitive" or "Old School" or "Hardshell" Baptist, wrote:

"All the unconditional spiritual promises of God, from the beginning to the end of the Scriptures, engage to work in His people all the conditions of the conditional promises, and thus ensure their salvation (Gen. iii. 15; xii. 3; 2 Sam. xxiii. 5; Psalm cx. 3; Isa. xxvii. 13; xxxv. 10; xlii. 16; xlv. 17; liii.-lv.; Jer. xxxi. 33-37; Ezek. xxxvi. 25-27; xxxvii. 1-14; Zech. xii. 10-14; xiii. 1, 7-9; Matt. i. 21; xxv. 34; John vi. 37-40; x. 15, 27-30; xvii. 2, 3, 24; Acts xiii. 48; Rom. v. 19-21; viii. 28-39; Eph. i.-iii.; 2 Thess. 13, 14; 2 Tim. i. 9, 10; 1 Pet. i., ii.; 1 John v. 11, 12; Rev. i. 5, 6; xxi. 27)."  ("Interpreting the Scriptures-The Error of Conditionalism" by Sylvester Hassell, The Gospel Messenger—September, 1894 - See here)

It is an instance of further departure from the truth for later Hardshells to say that there are no conditions for sinners, in any sense, to obtain salvation. 

Elder John Rowe, another 19th century Hardshell, wrote:

"Not, however, without repentance and faith, though some have been so full of folly, as to affirm that if sinners are saved upon the principles we maintain, then repentance and faith are needless things....Whereas none ever have, or will repent and believe, evangelically, except under the influence of special grace applied to them." (Elder John Rowe, "My Grace is Sufficient for Thee," in the Gospel Messenger, 1881, pg. 9)

Elder W. M. Mitchell, another 19th century "Primitive Baptist" leader, wrote:

"In conclusion, let us not overlook the fact that in order to salvation, it is necessary that we be born again; that we have faith, repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ; but as salvation is of the Lord, these things are as much of him as our redemption, calling or justification, for his “divine power hath given us all things that pertain unto, life and godliness.” 2 Pet. i. 4." ("The Southern Baptist Messenger," Oct. 1, 1880)

That there are necessary conditions or prerequisites for sinners to be saved is evident from many biblical texts. 

Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler

"17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” 18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ” 20 And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” 21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” 22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." (Mark 10: 17-22 nkjv)

Why did Jesus not say to this man -- "you don't have to do anything"?

Paul and Silas to the Jailer

"27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.” 29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16: 27-31 nkjv)

Why did Paul and Silas not say to this man -- "you don't have to do anything"?

If salvation was in every way unconditional, why did John the Baptist preach as he did in the following text?

"But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" (Matt. 3: 7 kjv)

First, notice that these words were spoken to those who were dead alien sinners, for that is evident in the Baptist calling those he addressed as a "generation of vipers." Second, if there are no conditions for salvation, then why did the Baptist say "flee from the wrath to come"?

It is true that sinners need to be told and need to learn that they cannot believe, repent, or obey Christ, apart from the Lord's power and grace. They need to be told to seek such grace from the Lord out of realization of their own inability.