Truth Matters Today

Gospel Thoughts

"Turn [look] to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.”

^ESV Isaiah 45:22

(Adapted for print from notes taken during a message delivered recently by Barry King.  Barry is pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Wood Green, London.)

The simplicity of the gospel is remarkable; “Look.”  How simple.  This word refers to Numbers 21and the story of the wandering nation in the wilderness.  There, the people were commanded to “look” unto God.  Now, through Isaiah, God commands again “look” to me for salvation.  But Isaiah also prophetically points to John’s gospel where again we see the command to look unto God for salvation.  This is the simplicity of the duty of all men to believe.  

But there are some among us who would complicate the gospel by placing an overemphasis on either introspection or education.  The command is to look, not to lament.  Have I been under enough conviction?  Am I lowly enough?  Good questions perhaps, but the command is to look!  Do I really know enough?  Have I really fully understood the gospel?  Is my grasp of theology comprehensive enough?  Looking back on my salvation, I’m not sure I understood my sin correctly; perhaps I didn’t understand enough.  Again, this confuses the simplicity of the command; look!  Sometimes we create tension and imbalance in the hearts of people who hear us by confusing the simplicity of the command to simply look unto God.

The exclusivity of the gospel cannot be denied.  “I am God and there is none else.”  There is no other name but Christ by which men can be saved.   We must confirm the exclusivity of this duty of all men to believe.

The gospel call is universal in that all the ends of the earth are to look unto God for salvation.  The command and call is not just for Jews or Gentiles; it is for everyone.  The God of the bible is not just the God of western religion.  The gospel and command to believe is for the whole world!

With God, all things are possible.  Many examples exist in scripture of commands that are impossible for men yet possible by the power of God and the command to look is no different.  The man with a withered hand was commanded to stretch forth his hand; something a well man might do but not a man with a withered hand.  But when Jesus commanded him, he extended his hand and it was well.  What about “Lazarus come forth!”  Dead men don’t walk from tombs, but Lazarus did what was impossible at Jesus’ bidding.  And likewise even the worst sinner can be compelled to “look” through the power of the gospel call.

“If it is the duty of all to believe, [and it is of course,] it is our duty to preach the gospel to all men.” We must exercise and act on our responsibility to evangelize.   Call it what you will; evangelizing, witnessing, etc.; you must share the gospel.  We are to share the gospel intentionally.  We should be praying for a lost world.  “When is the last time you wept over your city?”

Ken worships at Tharptown Baptist Church in Russellville.  Comments are welcome and may be sent to kenaskew@me.com.

The Glory of God in Evangelism & The Sovereignty of God

(Thoughts and notes from Jeff Noblit’s message Sunday morning.  Brother Jeff is Senior Pastor-Teacher of Grace Life Church of the Shoals and founder of Anchored in Truth Ministries.)

Strategy Statement for World Missions: 

“The entire local church family personally and strategically involved in [world] missions, church planting, mobilizing laborers, prayer and finances to the end of glorifying God among all peoples.”

The Entire Local Church Family

We want the whole church family to have a passion for world missions.  While grateful for boards, methods and agencies, they should assist the local church in missions, not replace the local church.

In Acts 13:1-3, notice that God took the two best from the congregation, and called them out for missions.  Notice too that the church sent them out.  “The church is God’s sending agency.”  The Spirit said set them apart and the local church sent them out.  Every missionary should have this “double call.”  Those sent by the local church must also be accountable to the local church (Acts 14:24-28).  In Acts 15:1-7, it is the local church that is supervising and resolving problems that arise in missions.  “Biblical missions is by, of, and through local churches.”

Personally and Strategically Involved in World Missions

Unfortunately, too many people today view missions as an institutional endeavor and not a personal command for them today.  But missions is personal and many times the Spirit calls our own to be missionaries. 

At the same time, strategically, we must make wise use of our time and money when it comes to what and who we support in missions efforts.  The end goals should be to plant local churches; particularly among unreached people groups.  “You don’t just run out and do missions.”  Missions has to be done strategically and you begin by training leaders and equipping local believers to carry own the work.  “Mature churches produce true missions;” that’s why it is so important for us to strengthen existing churches.

Mobilizing Laborers, Prayer and Finances

Patient waiting on the Lord is often necessary as we go about missions.  Sometimes we find ourselves waiting for the Spirit to call laborers while at other times we find ourselves waiting for finances to proceed.  Always, we wait on God to answer our prayers.

Glorifying God Among all Peoples

Glorifying God is the end purpose of missions.  If you’re into missions for your own motives and not for God’s glory, you will fail.  Missions is for God’s glory.  “…Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12)

Truth Matters articles are available online at www.truthmatters.us.  Comments may be sent to kenaskew@me.com.

The Great Commission

(Thoughts and notes from Conrad Mbewe’s message Saturday evening.)

Text:  Matthew 28:18-20

“God is glorified in the salvation of sinners.”  To bring folks into the holy service of the Lord is reason enough to evangelize.  The gospel has the power to heal and mend lives.  It has the power to give direction in everything because of what the gospel does to people’s lives and Jesus himself has given us this command that we must either follow in obedience or disobey and consequently live in sin.

It is significant that the Great Commission is the last message that Jesus communicated before he left.  It is likened to the last words of a father to his children.  These words are important.  These are words to remember that will be of great value going forward.  Yet, as important as this command is, its tenants are oft neglected.  Is your church obedient to this command?  We must ask, ‘am I in obedience to this command?’  If not, it is time for a change in order to bring our churches and lives in line with the words of Jesus.

Notice that the word “all” appears four times in this short passage:  All authority has been given to Jesus; we are to make disciples of all nations and teach them to observe all that Jesus commanded.  Finally, Jesus tells us that he is with us all the time; even till the end of time.  Now, when a word appears over and over again in such a short passage, it must be dear to the heart of the speaker.  So this word all must have been dear and meaningful to our Lord.

The two ends of this passage point to the Lord Jesus Christ, like bookends, while the two points in the middle deal with us and our responsibilities.  It is significant that the work begins and ends with Jesus.  By putting our work in the middle, it means we have work yet to do.

All power:  Jesus had already performed many authoritative acts that displayed divine power while he was on earth.  What then does this passage add or emphasize?  Clearly, while he was on earth, he was in a state of humiliation and not in his glory.  This passage then is pointing to Christ’s mediatorial headship; a glorious coming.  This passage is telling us in no uncertain terms that Jesus is in charge; nothing happens without his bidding.  He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Christ sits on a throne now above any other possible authority.  Ultimately, this gives us confidence that his purposes will be realized even as we see persecution and hardship around us.  One day, every knee will bow.

All nations:  Make disciples of all nations; strange and extraordinary words spoken to a small group of uneducated followers.  Basically, Christ is telling them to go and conquer the earth. They were to reach beyond their own people.  It is very comfortable witnessing to our own families and to people in our own comfort zones but the command is to get out of comfort zone and go to all nations.  Look to Genesis 12:2 (the call of Abraham); even there you see that God would show grace to all nations. 

If we are negligent in carrying out this command then we are at risk for being irrelevant to the kingdom.  Christ’s command is being carried out in the world before our eyes today.  The question is whether you are playing your role.  Are you following the command of Jesus?  Are you giving your time, talents, even yourself for the sake of the gospel?

All things: Let’s see the people we witness to come forward and take forth the Lord and be identified with him.  Teach them to know, to observe and to obey all things that Christ taught.  This means living a lifestyle as husbands, wives, workmen, and citizens that glorify God and identify you as a Christian.  Our lives must be categorized with good works so that others would see the light and glorify the father.  Too many sermons have been reduced to nothing more than preaching points. 

All time:  This speaks of comfort; to know that he (Christ) is with us in a hostile world; but it is more.  The efficient cause of what will be produced through your labors is to be attributed to Christ.  He has said, “I will build my church.”  He who is presently ruling over the whole earth is saying, “I am in charge.”

If we are going to obey the Great Commission, we must have spiritual eyes.   We don’t serve a small God.  We serve a God who will accomplish His purposes.   It is not about us.  It is about Him.  “Let’s not be afraid of the world.  Let’s get out there and conquer.”

Truth Matters articles are available online at www.truthmatters.us.  Comments may be sent to kenaskew@me.com.

Missionary Pioneer Andrew Fuller & Hyper-Calvinism

(Thoughts and notes from Dr. Michael Haykin’s message Saturday afternoon.)

Text:  Psalm 2

In speaking of Andrew Fuller, Dr. Haykin paints a picture of a man of God who seems very human and very lovable; a man who was not without fault but accepting of wise counsel and brotherly correction.  He also painted a very human picture of a man whose spiritual growth advanced beyond the hyper-Calvinism indoctrination of his youth to a robust, biblical theology that embraced missions.

Andrew Fuller was both a supporter of missionary endeavors and critic of hyper-Calvinism.  He understood that ministry is not best conducted in a vacuum.  Fuller said in a letter to his dear friend and missionary, William Carey, “I am a dull flint.  You must strike me against steel to produce fire.”  Flint and steel is perhaps a fitting picture of the friendship that Fuller and Carey shared.  It is told that Carey likened ministering in India to willingly descending into a gold mine while others (like Fuller) stayed on top and held the rope; supporting the mission.

Fuller was the youngest of three brothers; born in 1754.  His generational background is heavy in Baptist tradition.  But Fuller wrote of the pastor of his youth, who was a hyper-Calvinist, that there was never any exhortation to unbelievers in his messages.

Fullers conversion:  Fuller came under the conviction of sin repeatedly for more than two years.   In 1769 he realized that to hell he would go without the grace of God.  Under conviction, Fuller recalled the story of Esther and concluded that he would place his troubled soul in Christ’s hands and resolved that if he perished, he perished.  Genuine conversion leads to a life of hunger for holiness; a hunger that Fuller had within himself.  Fuller was baptized in 1770 and within six years he was called to be a pastor.

Fuller, being raised in hyper-Calvinism, had never seen a biblical call to repentance and being a study of John Gill did not help matters.  However, Fuller discovered how to issue a biblical call to repentance, in part by the help of writings from the likes of John Bunyan and others.  Fuller, though not a seminarian, studied scripture and read theology and finally concluded that it was the duty of every minister to declare the gospel to all who would listen.

Fuller would eventually publish a book that would contradict the tenants of hyper-Calvinism; even taking on the errors of John Gill in a loving way.  There is a direct link from this point [the book] to the formation of the Baptist Missionary Society of which Fuller participated.  Fuller concluded that a true Baptist church must be interested and engaged in the evangelism of sinners.

Carey, on learning of Fuller’s death, said simply, “I loved him.”  And we have reason to love him as well.  Fuller, in his ministry, exuded balance by championing missions even while he ascribed salvation to sovereign grace alone.

Great things are not accomplished by men working in isolation; Fuller and Carey exemplify that in some sense.  They were able to speak to each other plainly and correct one another in brotherly love.  In that way, iron does indeed sharpen iron.  “God’s great work is done by bands of brothers and sisters.”

Truth Matters articles are available online at www.truthmatters.us.  Comments may be sent to kenaskew@me.com.

The Doctrine of Hell/The Wrath of an Unpropitiated God

(Thoughts and notes from David Miller’s message Saturday Morning.)

Text: Malachi 4:1-2

Our accountability to God is an awesome obligation.  We are accountable to a just judge who has the right to determine the criteria for the judged.  There will be a day of reckoning; a theme that is oft neglected today.  Perhaps we neglect this truth because we are too busy coming up with new schemes to keep people coming through our front doors to make up for the ones who are leaving by the rear.  It resembles a Ponzi scheme at times.  But where there is no fear of God, there is no contrition or repentance.  And where there is no repentance, there is no salvation.

Two points from the text:  The destruction of the wicked is announced and the deliverance of the righteous is assured.

The Destruction of the Wicked Announced

There will come a time when the judge of all men will pour out his wrath on the wicked and unrighteous.  As a reminder, propitiation presupposes that God is just and man is guilty before this just judge.  Propitiation is found in the atonement of Christ.  It is by Christ’s atonement that the holy just Judge can and does cry out, “I am satisfied.”

The doctrine of hell forces us to wrestle with questions relating to the atonement of Christ.  The Universalists and the Arminians are consistent on the front end; they both believe that in the death of Christ, the claims of holy justice were satisfied for all men in all ages.  They part company though at the end  of the argument.  Universalists say that because Christ has satisfied the claims, that all me are going to be saved.  The Arminian would argue with the Universalist that the only way that the death of Christ is of any benefit to any man is if he believes in the lord Jesus Christ.  True enough; none who do not believe will be benefited from Christ’s death.

The Universalists and Arminians both have a problem.  How could a just God require double payment; once by Christ and once by a hell-bound sinner?  The Arminian tries to get off the horns of the theological dilemma by arguing that the death of Christ is sufficient for all but efficient only for believers.  But when we view the atonement in light of God’s eternal purpose and degree and fulfillment of God’s eternal plan, it is not a matter of sufficiency; it is a matter of efficiency.  Did Christ accomplish God’s will?  Was the atonement real or hypothetical?  “I like a ransom that sets captives free.”  “I like propitiation that satisfies.”  Matthew Henry says, “There is enough sufficiency in the blood of Jesus to save as many worlds of sinners as there are sinners in the world.”  That’s a lot of sufficiency!  But the question is whether the wrath of God as been satisfied for the non-elect; the lost.  The answer is no.

The recipients of the wrath of God are the stubble from our text and they will be “set ablaze.”  They are the proud and wicked.  Is there any stubble amongst us?  We number 16 million as Southern Baptists, but few populate our pews in worship.  Literally, one out of four Southern Baptists are missing completely; unaccounted for and not to be found.  The results of the wrath of God on the souls of unrighteous men; they shall be stubble.  The destruction and wrath of God is everlasting.  It is not simply “non-existence” as some would claim.  The wicked are going to be destroyed. 

The Deliverance of the Righteous

There is coming a day when the lame man will leap for joy like a newborn calf let out of the barn for the first time. 

Speaking from his wheel chair, Brother David told us that a day was coming when we’d have to give way and make room as he leaps physically.  All the while though, the Son has liberated his soul already; set free and delivered by the Son.

Truth Matters articles are available online at www.truthmatters.us.  Comments may be sent to kenaskew@me.com.

The Sin of Unbelief

(Thoughts and notes from Barry King’s message Saturday morning.  Brother Barry is pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Wood Green, London and leads the Grace Baptist Church Planting Initiative.)

Text:  Isaiah 45:22

Brother Barry began by painting a word picture of the morning Charles Spurgeon came to saving faith at the proclamation of this very verse.  “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth!  For I am God, and there is no other.” (ESV)  This text sets forth the duty of all men to believe the gospel. It is a command; otherwise it would not be a sin to disobey.  It is a duty of all men to believe the gospel.

The Simplicity of the Gospel

Look.  How simple.  This word refers to Numbers 21 and the story of the wandering and sinful nation in the wilderness.  There, the people were commanded to “look” unto God.  Now, through Isaiah, God commands again “look” to me for salvation.  Isaiah also prophetically points to John’s gospel where again we see the command to look unto God for salvation.  This is the simplicity of the duty of all men to believe. 

But there are some among us who would complicate the gospel.  Two suggestions:

1. Overemphasis on introspection:  The command is to look, not to lament.  Have I been under enough conviction?  Am I lowly enough?  Good questions perhaps, but the command is to look!

2. Overemphasis on learning:  Do I really know enough?  Have I really fully understood the gospel?  Is my grasp of theology comprehensive enough?  Looking back on my salvation, I’m not sure I understood my sin correctly; I didn’t understand enough.  Again, this confuses the simplicity of the command; look!  Sometimes we create tension and imbalance in the hearts of people who hear us by confusing the simplicity of the command to simply look unto God.

The Exclusivity of the Gospel

“I am God and there is none else.”  There is no other name but Christ by which man can be saved.   We must confirm the exclusivity of this duty of all men to believe.

The Universality of the Gospel

All the ends of the earth are to look unto God.  It is not just for Jews or Gentiles; it is for everyone.  The God of the bible is not just the God of western religion.  The gospel and command to believe is for the whole world!

Now, two items that are not explicit, but implicit in the text:

The Impossibility of All men to believe the gospel

Thinking of Isaiah’s day, the people had become what they revered.  They worshipped deaf and dumb idols. Idolatry was a problem and the people had begun to appear like the idols they worshipped.  They were literally unable to obey the command to look.  Many examples exist in scripture.  The man with a withered hand was commanded to stretch forth his hand; something a well man might do but not a man with a withered hand.  But when Jesus commanded him, he did and his hand was made whole.  What about “Lazarus come forth!”  Had Jesus not been specific every tomb on the face of the earth may have come to life.  Point:  Lazarus did what was impossible at Jesus’ bidding.

The Responsibility which this duty places on us all.

“If it is the duty of all to believe, it is our duty to preach the gospel to all men.”  If we don’t want to be tagged as hyper-Calvinist, we must not act like one, talk like one or walk like one.  We must exercise and act on our responsibility to evangelize.   Call it what you will; evangelizing, witnessing, etc.; you must share the gospel.  We are to share the gospel intentionally.  We should be praying for a lost world.  “Some of you need to get out of your study and get on the street!”  “When is the last time you wept over your city?”

Spurgeon looked and lived.  Look and be saved; Look and believe the gospel and you will live forevermore!

Truth Matters articles are available online at www.truthmatters.us.  Comments may be sent to kenaskew@me.com.

Loving Sinners

(Thoughts and notes from Conrad Mbewe’s message Friday evening.  Heralding from Zambia, brother Conrad is widely regarded as the African Spurgeon.  He has pastored the Kabwata Baptist Church for more than 20 years.)

Text:  Luke 19:41-44 [Please don’t neglect the reading these verses ahead of this commentary.]

The subject of hyper-Calvinism had been somewhat foreign [to Brother Conrad] until a pastor took exception to participation in a conference whose topic was evangelism.  This incident confirms that there are individuals who hold to the doctrines of grace to the extent that they neglect the responsibility of man.  This is against the clear teaching of scripture, which affirms both God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility.  It is an error to get so involved in seeking the mysterious, secret counsel of God that it causes you to neglect evangelism and thus robs you of an opportunity to become more Christ like.

[From the text] When Christ looked towards Jerusalem, he saw a city on the brink of destruction and Jesus was moved to tears; he wept for the city.  The people of that city were completely oblivious to the saving grace of God.  They were unaware that grace was passing them by.

William Carey is said to have wept in similar fashion over a globe as he looked to areas that were unreached by the gospel.  If we truly love people, will our hearts not be broken in the same way?  Will we not desire to bring the lost out of ignorance?  As we look around at our own kinsman do we not see them chasing after things; more and more things that have nothing to do with the eternal welfare of their souls?  And yet we are still filling out the pews of our churches with the religion of works being taught.  So many are interested in going to church only to go through the rituals as if their salvation lies in those things; even when their hearts are unchanged.

For the Lord Jesus Christ, this ignorance provoked him to teach every day (Luke 19:47).  Yet, ironically (from the text), the religious were offended that Jesus would spend his time with sinners.

The love of religious leaders is best illustrated by the Prodigal’s elder brother.  He was content coveting the farm and family possessions instead of reaching out to his lost brother.  We do the same with our church budgets.  We do the same with our personal budgets too; just look in the parking lot at the cars we drive.  But if you have Christ’s love, it should drive you to tears and compassion.  It should drive you to see to it that the gospel is being proclaimed.  It should be a compassion that drives us to put our money to work spreading the gospel.

If you truly loves sinners as God expects you to, it ought to drive you to pray for them because only God can open their eyes to the salvation that is at hand.  Unless he speaks life into us, we remain dead.  Jesus knew this well, but it did not stop him from weeping.

Romans 9-10 is a grand section of scripture that affirms doctrines that Calvinist hold dear yet Paul begins this section by saying I’m heart-broken about what I see (Romans 9:1-3).  In Romans 10:1 we see that Paul’s heart’s desire was to see people saved.

We must understand that God moves his “train of providence” on two rails; his sovereignty and man’s responsibility.  God works through servants willing to sacrifice all for the sake of the gospel.

If you truly love sinners as God calls you to, it provokes you to pray and witness to them because you know they will otherwise perish.  Hell is real.  The bible speaks about a lake of fire; of torment; of judgment.  You ought to be moved in light of these realities to action and prayer.

In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man experienced the fiery of judgment and his mind immediately went back to his brothers at home.  If no relief was possible for him, he desired still for his brothers to avoid the same fate.

When a ship is sinking we throw all our available resources at saving lives.  Why do we not employ our resources to rescue souls from eternal death?  We should show the world the importance of spiritual salvation with our lives; our actions.  Our love for sinners for sinners must be abundant to all.

Is hell real?  Do we believe the bible? When the bible says that God so loved the world that he gave he his Son so that none perish, what does the word perish mean?  Do you think of the lake of fire that awaits the perishing?  It was love that held Christ on the cross when he had every right to come down. 

Finally, It is possible to be a Calvinist in the head and a hyper-Calvinist in the heart.  To hold to Calvinist doctrine, but to never shed a tear or express love towards sinners is to be a hyper-Calvinist.  “Your love for God must translate into love for human beings made in his image.”  Even if your church is bursting at the seams, you must go into the highways and compel the lost to come in.  You must love sinners.

 Truth Matters articles are available online at www.truthmatters.us.  Comments may be sent to kenaskew@me.com.

True Church Conference

Brother Tom has great music on the agenda for this evening; The Wonderful Cross, Praise To The Lord The Almighty, Lord Have Mercy (Kyrie), How Great Thou Art/How Great Is Our God. 

Folks have come from all over.  I had the good pleasure of meeting some men this evening at dinner from North Carolina with a companion from Midland, Texas. 

Had to miss the afternoon message delivered by Jeff Noblit titled The Use of Altar Calls but I'll be posting thoughts on it later.

Urging ALL to Repent and Believe

(Thoughts and notes from Jonathan Sims’ message this morning.  Brother Jon-O, as he’s affectionately called, is pastor of Shelbyville Mills Baptist Church in Shelbyville, Tennessee.)

Text:  Acts 17:30-34

Why must we urge all men everywhere to repent and believe the gospel?  Because that’s what God commands!  God the Son did this.  John the Baptist did this.  The apostles did the same.  The New Testament is built on the prophets and apostles with Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.  If we want to biblical and faithful to scripture, we must do the same; urge all to repent and believe.

Paul exposed the wrong and revealed the right on Mars Hill; that’s good preaching.  Paul urged all men to repent and believe the gospel (Acts 17:30-34). 

Five reasons why we must urge all men to repent and believe the gospel:

1.  Because all men are ignorant (Acts 17:30).  People craft a god of their own imagination when they remain in ignorance.  “What qualifies a man to hear the gospel?  Is he breathing? (laughter)”

2.  Because God himself commands all men everywhere to repent.  This is what the Spirit of God does through his preacher; “repent and believe the gospel.”  God’s commands are not meant to be considered.  God’s commandments are meant to be obeyed.  It is the sinner’s responsibility to repent, repent, repent!  It is appropriate to command people to repent. 

3.  Because all men will one day face the judgment of God (Acts 17:31).  The standard of God’s judgment will be the righteousness of Christ.  Yet we have all fallen short of that perfection.  No man can attain the standard on his own.  Assurances of these truths are contained in Christ’s resurrection (Acts 17:32).  This nation needs faithful preachers to stand up and proclaim these truths.

4.  Because, thanks be to God, some will repent and believe (Acts 17:32-34).  To see someone cling to Jesus, to come to saving faith, makes the trials of ministry worthwhile.  “God’s sovereign plan is to save some by preaching the gospel to all.”

5.  Because this is our calling.  God calls us to proclaim the gospel to all people.  This is our life, our calling, our sacred duty.  This ought to be our passion, to urge all men to repent and believe the gospel.

Conclusion:  Congregational call to all to repent, and believe in Jesus as Lord and Saviour.  Amen.

Truth Matters articles are available online at www.truthmatters.us.  Comments may be sent to kenaskew@me.com.

Defining Hyper-Calvinsim

(Thoughts and notes from Dr. Michael Haykin’s message this morning.  Dr. Haykin is Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.)

Text:  Titus 3:1-8

Dr. Haykin began with a historical account of the raising up of William Carey.  Very early in his ministry he received a rather serious rebuke from fellow ministers at an assembly.  The chair of that meeting was a colorful figure named John Ryland, Sr.  

Carey raised the question in the assembly of whether the command to the apostles to evangelize the nations (Matthew 28) was not one that was to be observed by the church to the end of time.  Carey was a proponent of evangelism and believer’s baptism.

Various accounts of the response Carey received indicate that it was decidedly negative.  One account says that he was sternly commanded to sit.  Hyper-Calvinism was at work in the background and assembly.  They would inquire as to whether it was really Carey’s duty or the church’s duty to carry the Gospel to pagan nations?

William Carey eventually ended up in India though—evangelizing the world. Ironically, John Ryland, Jr. would become one of Carey’s close friends and a great man of mission.  Thankfully, the stiff rebuke didn’t quench Carey’s thirst for missions.

One key figure in this negative response to Carey (and call to violate the call in Matthew 28) was John Gill.  Gill was deeply passionate about learning and was one of the most learned men in the British Isles in some foreign languages.  He was called to pastor a Carter Lane Baptist church in London in 1719.

Gill often is tagged with Hyper-Calvinism (correctly it seems) but he also wrote an excellent commentary on the Song of Solomon the New Testament, and later the Old Testament too.  Gill was a Baptist theologian; well read in Baptist circles.  Another positive note, Gill was insistent that God’s people learn the art of meditation.  But not all is positive in Gill’s ministry and life.  Gill was a hyper-Calvinist and in regards to the three main points below, Gill embraced the first two to the exclusion of the last.

1. The everlasting (eternal) covenant of peace between the Father, Son and Spirit.  In essence, this is a biblical, acceptable doctrine, but Gill was especially fervent in his inclusion of the Spirit’s work in salvation.  So much so that he removes the human element in conversion to a large degree.  He goes so far in defending sovereign grace that, well, he goes too far.  It is similar to one of Luther’s earthy comments on church history:  “Church history is like a drunk on a horse.”  Luther meant that people have a habit of going too far and falling off opposite sides of issues; going too far on some issues.

2. Eternal justification; God justifies before the foundation of the earth.  Gill said:  “Faith adds nothing to the essence of justification…”  Gill’s theology would almost remove the wrath of God from sinful man; a dangerous position.  With Gill’s theology, you are forced to determine whether you are “one of God’s elect.”  But the problem is that the gospel is an outward call; a proclamation.  (Interesting, the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith explicitly denies Gill’s doctrine of eternal justification.)

3. The free offer of the Gospel (rejected by Gill).

Yes, Gill’s doctrine was flawed, but he did genuinely love the Lord and we would do well to remember and study the environment in which he lived and taught even as we disagree with some of his doctrines and conclusions.  He lived in a era that desperately needed spiritual revival.  It’s a shame then that revival didn’t begin with the Baptists; the fruit of hyper-Calvinism I suppose.

Truth Matters articles are available online at www.truthmatters.us.  Comments may be sent to kenaskew@me.com.