V. The 2nd Theological Statement

V. The 2nd Theological Statement Briefly Examined



‘Standard reformed’: Repentance and faith secure eternal life. You repent and believe in order that you may receive eternal life.
1689 Baptist: Repentance and faith evidence eternal life. You repent and believe because God has effectually called you to eternal life.


The 2nd theological statement expressed in your letter is as follows:
The place of repentance and faith in salvation – that unless one believes (John 3:16 ‘whosoever believes’) he will not have eternal life; & unless one repents he will perish in hell (Luke 13:3 - ‘unless you repent you will all perish’).

To begin with, let me caution that both passages are grossly abused. It is assumed that John 3:16 is making an offer, i.e. “Whoever believes… WILL have eternal life.” No, John 3:16 makes a declaration, i.e. ‘whoever believes… HAVE eternal life.” And please note that there is no mention of ‘hell’ in Luke 13:1-5. It is wrong and cruel to imply that those who perished in the accident went to hell! (I hope the same view is not entertained towards the 200 plus thousands that perished because of the recent tsunamis.) That is reading your own ideas into the text, adding to Scriptures! Please pay attention to the words likewise – likewise – likewise. You ignore what is clearly stated there, but add what is not there! Standard reformed people should do better at rightly dividing the word of truth.

Using Scriptures out of context or applying a text wrongly is the most subtle and damaging method of deceiving and misleading God's children. I am not saying that you are out to deceive.

In summary, this is where the disagreement lies:
You and your churches that embrace and defend the ‘standard reformed position’ hold that believing is in order to have eternal life. You obtained or secured eternal life by your faith. You may protest that your faith is the gift of God. Yes indeed, your faith is a gift of God… eternal life is also a gift of God; nevertheless it is still your conscious personal exercise of the gift of faith that is instrumental in securing for you the eternal life. (I hope I have not misrepresented you. I abhor misrepresentation.)

As pastor of SDC this is my settled conviction: believing is because of eternal life already bestowed. An elect must first be given eternal life before he has the capability to believe. Spiritual activities presuppose the presence of spiritual life, John 3:3-7, 1Cor 2:14; Rom 8:7-8. There are sincere but misguided folks who believe that there can be spiritual activity without spiritual life. Faith is a spiritual act of a person with spiritual life; faith is evidence of salvation already bestowed by grace.


1. Repentance and Faith in Gospel Preaching

Repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ is central in the gospel preaching. It is conspicuous in the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. His ministry began with these words, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The Great Commission He delivered to the apostles declares the same truth, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned,” Mk 16:15-16. The apostles who were trained by the Lord did the same thing in their ministry. On the day of Pentecost, apostle Peter preached, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” Acts 2:38-39. Preaching repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ is central to their preaching of the gospel. The faithful ministers of Christ have continued the apostolic tradition in every generation. So, there is no question about the necessity of preaching the gospel, and preaching repentance and faith. There is also no question about the necessity of repentance and faith. Sinners everywhere are commanded to repent and to believe – “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent,” Acts 17:30. The ultimatum is, “He who does not believe will be condemned” Mark 16:16.

The above helps to pinpoint the exact issue of your disagreement with my teaching as pastor of SDC. The point of disagreement may be expressed in the form of a question: “What is the place of repentance and faith in our salvation from eternal condemnation?”

The ‘standard reformed position’ espoused and defended by you and your churches gives the answer to that question succinctly in your statement above, “that unless one believes… he will not have eternal life.” It would not be inaccurate to express that belief in a statement like this, “Repentance and faith are necessary in order to have eternal life. Repentance and faith are prerequisites to secure eternal life.” I hope I have represented fairly the ‘standard reformed position’ articulated and espoused and defended by your churches. I have no intention to misrepresent any one who disagrees with me.

My answer, as the pastor of SDC, to this all-important question ‘What is the place of repentance and faith in salvation?’ is different. I would say “repentance and faith are outward evidences or demonstrations of the eternal life already bestowed by free grace at the effectual call to life, when God called a sinner ‘out of that state of sin and death to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ.’ I believe this to be the teaching of Scriptures which has been faithfully summarized by our Confession of Faith, a teaching that differs markedly from that espoused by you and your churches who hold to the ‘standard reformed position.’ Spiritual activities like repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ are activities animated by the spiritual (and eternal) life bestowed by God.