Five of the seven men representing their churches that brought the charges.l-r: Lam Chin Kaw, James Indran, Peter Kek, Andrew Liu, Ho Eng Ghee, (author).
Mr Lam, the theological spokesman for these Reformed Baptists
has since returned to the Methodist Church.
A Summary of the Seven Theological Points Disputed
The ‘Reformed Baptist Fraternal’ boldly designated their views as the ‘Standard Reformed’ view. The following is a comparison of the ‘Standard Reformed’ view of the RBF and the view of one non-conformist Particular Baptist on the seven doctrinal issues raised by the RBF.
‘Standard reformed’: Effectual calling unto eternal life is by the instrumental means of gospel preaching. Gospel preaching is the necessary means for God to bestow spiritual life to His elect.
Author: Effectual calling unto eternal life is by the immediate life-giving call of the Triune God. Gospel preaching is not a necessary means for God to bestow spiritual life to His elect.
‘Standard reformed’: Repentance and faith secure eternal life. You repent and believe IN ORDER THAT you may receive eternal life.
Author: Repentance and faith evidence eternal life. You repent and believe BECAUSE God has effectually called you to eternal life.
‘Standard reformed’: The gospel is ‘‘if… then." If you respond, then God will do something wonderful for you. You must believe in order that you may have eternal life from God.
Author: The gospel is “because… therefore.” Because God has done this wonderful thing to you, therefore you respond. God has bestowed you with eternal life, therefore you believe.
‘Standard reformed’: Gospel preaching is necessary because it is the instrumental means for the regeneration of the spiritually dead elect.
Author: Gospel preaching is necessary because it is the instrumental means for the conversion of the ignorant, uninformed regenerated elect.
‘Standard reformed’: Faith secures your justification before God. God justifies when you believe. By faith the condemned shall be justified and live.
Author: Faith evidences your justification by God’s free grace. God justified us when we were enemies. The justified ones shall live by faith.
‘Standard reformed’: Irresistible grace is the powerful working of the Spirit in gospel preaching to bring the spiritually dead elect to conversion.
Author: Irresistible grace is the powerful working of the triune God to bring the spiritually dead elect to eternal life.
‘Standard Reformed’: All the elect will be saved eternally because they will hear and believe the gospel; and God’s power keeps them in a life of faith and holiness, and thus all persevere in a life of faith and holiness to the end and shall be eternally saved.
Author: All the elect shall be saved eternally because God effectually calls them to eternal life; and God perseveres to preserve His elect in the state of grace, and they shall remain in that state of grace and be eternally saved.
