|
 A
writer who should know better has brought up the old "die
on his way to the baptistry" dodge and said, "I wish I
could talk to members of the church all over this country and
get a first hand view of this situation ... Do you believe ...
that under such 'death circumstances' this man would indeed go
to hell if death o'er takes him without his being able to be
baptized...? Do you feel that God could never forgive a
believing penitent under these circumstances over which he has
absolutely no control?... I would be happy to hear from any as
to your own views concerning such a matter ... If you would like
to express yourself we will not mention your name ...MY VIEWS?
You first!"
Such
irresponsible journalism is guaranteed to bring out
irresponsible replies, stimulate the emotionally unstable, and
further divide brethren. It contributes nothing to a study of
God's grace and its place in His plan for man's redemption.
What
difference does it make what people think about something that
is God-determined? The writer pits his death-bed story against
"normal circumstances" as though he or anyone else
could decide on exceptions to God's revealed will. He was
critical of some preacher who told the "dying (?) man"
he would go to hell if he was
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not baptized; but the article was far more than a
judgment of the man's judgment. It delved into God's judgment,
and gave Him a hint as to what that judgment should be. For
shame!!
God
knows if that man had rejected salvation in Jesus Christ
past the "point of no return." God knows
his true heart now, as compared to many possible less-than-noble
motives. God will make exactly the right disposition of the
matter. If it was not the business of one preacher to consign
the man to Hell, it is even less the business of another
preacher, armed with letters from the brethren, to fish for
another conclusion. AND MORE, whether intended or not, a writer
who seeks to influence public opinion should know that such
tactics as this give comfort to those who reject the will of God
in what the writer called "normal circumstances."
God
has said what He wants said on Grace, salvation through Christ,
and at what point one comes into Christ. It is our business to
preach it the way God said it, including eternal destruction for
those who "obey not" or fail to do His will (2 Thes.
1:8-9, Matt. 7:21). It is not our business to look for other
than "normal circumstances" and take brotherhood polls
on matters not subject to man's vote.
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