Reformationists, an honest question.

[good4u]

Yes you can be saved.
Romans 10:9 If you confess with your lips that Jesus Christ is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.

Is this the beginning of a beautiful relationship?

^^^CO-SIGNS WITH Phoebe this is what it means to have faith and part of how one is saved. But the transformation is found in Ephesians 2:8: "For it is by GRACE (Ken's post) you have been saved through FAITH (Phoebe's post) IN Christ. So putting Ken's and Phebe's post with mine you have the understanding of salvation by God: GRACE thru FAITH in Christ.

So no, you do not have to be a TULIP to have salvation. I am sure there will be a lot of surprises in heaven when non-TULIPers are seen as heavenly citizens....LOL

 

[A. believer]

This preface to a famous letter from George Whitefield to John Wesley offers what I believe is a good and balanced perspective on such issues.

A Letter
from
George Whitefield
to the
Rev. Mr. John Wesley

IN ANSWER TO MR. WESLEY'S SERMON ENTITLED
"Free Grace"
​

"But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed" (Gal. 2:11).

(Iain Murray has written an excellent article explaining the historical background of this exchange between Whitefield and Wesley.)

PREFACE


I am very well aware what different effects publishing this letter against the dear Mr. Wesley's Sermon will produce. Many of my friends who are strenuous advocates for universal redemption will immediately be offended. Many who are zealous on the other side will be much rejoiced. They who are lukewarm on both sides and are carried away with carnal reasoning will wish this matter had never been brought under debate.
The reasons I have given at the beginning of the letter, I think are sufficient to satisfy all of my conduct herein. I desire therefore that they who hold election would not triumph, or make a party on one hand (for I detest any such thing)—and that they who are prejudiced against that doctrine be not too much concerned or offended on the other.
Known unto God are all his ways from the beginning of the world. The great day will discover why the Lord permits dear Mr. Wesley and me to be of a different way of thinking. At present, I shall make no enquiry into that matter, beyond the account which he has given of it himself in the following letter, which I lately received from his own dear hands:

London, August 9, 1740
​

My dear Brother,
I thank you for yours, May the 24th. The case is quite plain. There are bigots both for predestination and against it. God is sending a message to those on either side. But neither will receive it, unless from one who is of their own opinion. Therefore, for a time you are suffered to be of one opinion, and I of another. But when his time is come, God will do what man cannot, namely, make us both of one mind. Then persecution will flame out, and it will be seen whether we count our lives dear unto ourselves, so that we may finish our course with joy. I am, my dearest brother,
Ever yours,

J. WESLEY

Thus my honoured friend, I heartily pray God to hasten the time, for his being clearly enlightened into all the doctrines of divine revelation, that we may thus be closely united in principle and judgment as well as heart and affection. And then if the Lord should call us to it, I care not if I go with him to prison, or to death. For like Paul and Silas, I hope we shall sing praises to God, and count it our highest honour to suffer for Christ's sake, and to lay down our lives for the brethren.


Here's a link to the whole letter.

 

[PatrickM]

This preface to a famous letter from George Whitefield to John Wesley offers what I believe is a good and balanced perspective on such issues.

A Letter
from
George Whitefield
to the
Rev. Mr. John Wesley

IN ANSWER TO MR. WESLEY'S SERMON ENTITLED
"Free Grace"
​

"But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed" (Gal. 2:11).

(Iain Murray has written an excellent article explaining the historical background of this exchange between Whitefield and Wesley.)

PREFACE


I am very well aware what different effects publishing this letter against the dear Mr. Wesley's Sermon will produce. Many of my friends who are strenuous advocates for universal redemption will immediately be offended. Many who are zealous on the other side will be much rejoiced. They who are lukewarm on both sides and are carried away with carnal reasoning will wish this matter had never been brought under debate.
The reasons I have given at the beginning of the letter, I think are sufficient to satisfy all of my conduct herein. I desire therefore that they who hold election would not triumph, or make a party on one hand (for I detest any such thing)—and that they who are prejudiced against that doctrine be not too much concerned or offended on the other.
Known unto God are all his ways from the beginning of the world. The great day will discover why the Lord permits dear Mr. Wesley and me to be of a different way of thinking. At present, I shall make no enquiry into that matter, beyond the account which he has given of it himself in the following letter, which I lately received from his own dear hands:

London, August 9, 1740
​

My dear Brother,
I thank you for yours, May the 24th. The case is quite plain. There are bigots both for predestination and against it. God is sending a message to those on either side. But neither will receive it, unless from one who is of their own opinion. Therefore, for a time you are suffered to be of one opinion, and I of another. But when his time is come, God will do what man cannot, namely, make us both of one mind. Then persecution will flame out, and it will be seen whether we count our lives dear unto ourselves, so that we may finish our course with joy. I am, my dearest brother,
Ever yours,

J. WESLEY

Thus my honoured friend, I heartily pray God to hasten the time, for his being clearly enlightened into all the doctrines of divine revelation, that we may thus be closely united in principle and judgment as well as heart and affection. And then if the Lord should call us to it, I care not if I go with him to prison, or to death. For like Paul and Silas, I hope we shall sing praises to God, and count it our highest honour to suffer for Christ's sake, and to lay down our lives for the brethren.


Here's a link to the whole letter.

Awsome! I especially like Wesley's phrase "But when his time is come, God will do what man cannot, namely, make us both of one mind."

I pray that more of us Christians can be as they were!

 

[PatrickM]

^^^CO-SIGNS WITH Phoebe this is what it means to have faith and part of how one is saved. But the transformation is found in Ephesians 2:8: "For it is by GRACE (Ken's post) you have been saved through FAITH (Phoebe's post) IN Christ. So putting Ken's and Phebe's post with mine you have the understanding of salvation by God: GRACE thru FAITH in Christ.

So no, you do not have to be a TULIP to have salvation. I am sure there will be a lot of surprises in heaven when non-TULIPers are seen as heavenly citizens....LOL

Amen. I heard it said that when we get to heaven we'll all have little red spots on our foreheads, from slapping ourselves there. We'll all be saying, "I can't believe you're here!"

 

[PatrickM]

PatrickM, did you think that Reformationists/Calvinists believed you needed faith + works to have salvation? Quite Untrue if you look at TULIP. The T in TULIP stands for total deprevity. This means that there is absoulutly nothing we can do to save ourselves. Got it?

Thanks, daaawg! I have rather been of the impression, not of works, but of adherence to a specific beliefe in the Salvation process as spelled out by the Canons of Dort. Specifically, Limited Atonement, and Irresistable grace.

 

[good4u]

Amen. I heard it said that when we get to heaven we'll all have little red spots on our foreheads, from slapping ourselves there. We'll all be saying, "I can't believe you're here!"