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Why Your Faith is Secure: It is a Logical Necessity by Steve Lemke

In this series of articles about the Biblical reasons supporting the security of the believer, we have already seen three reasons based in Ephesians 1 that we cannot lose our salvation: (1) because salvation is not ours to lose since God provides it, not we ourselves, (2) because it is based upon a life-changing salvation experience with God, and (3) because eternal salvation is a Scriptural promise. In this article we examine the fourth reason that we can have confidence that once we are genuinely saved, we are saved forever:... Read more →

Young Calvinists, Sound Teaching, and the Future of the Southern Baptist Convention by Peter Lumpkins

By all estimations, the book of James stands a grossly neglected section of biblical truth in today’s church. And, while Luther’s infamous dictum concerning the Lord’s inspired half-brother’s “right strawy epistle” finds no public affirmation among them, the young reformed very well may betray their sympathy with the Reformer by neglecting James just as confidently as did he. Why? It’s only a theory but... >>> I have a hunch the young, restless, and reformed within the Southern Baptist Convention so overindulge on the potent wine of Romans 9-11—not to the... Read more →

Presidents of the Conservative Resurgence by Peter Lumpkins

Georgia Baptists’ state paper, The Christian Index, has a fabulous article on SBC parliamentarian, Barry McCarty, by its editor, Dr. Gerald Harris. Even more interesting to me was McCarty’s personal musings on the presidents during the CR. I’ve copied part of the article below. The entire story is worth your time, I assure. With that, I am… Peter ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Presidents of the Resurgence McCarty was thrust into the spotlight in Southern Baptist life when he was named parliamentarian during the second year of Charles Stanley’s term. Here are his remembrances... Read more →

Why Your Faith Is Secure: It is a Scriptural Promise by Dr. Steve Lemke

We have been examining reasons for the security of the believer – that persons who are genuinely saved are saved forever. We have seen two reasons in previous articles why the Bible teaches that we cannot lose our salvation: (1) because salvation is not ours to lose since God provides it, not we ourselves, and (2) because it is based upon a life-changing salvation experience with God. In this third article of the series is the most compelling reason why we believe that we cannot lose our salvation – because... Read more →

Why Your Faith Is Secure: It Is Based upon a Life-Changing Experience with God by Dr. Steve Lemke

Can you lose your salvation? This is the second in a series of six articles exploring the biblical teaching that that once you are genuinely saved, you are saved forever. In the last issue, we saw that we cannot lose our salvation because salvation is simply not ours to lose. God took the initiative in our salvation and He accomplished our salvation, not we ourselves. We did not earn or deserve our salvation; God provided it for us. The second reason that we can be assured in our salvation is... Read more →

Is “Reformed Baptist” an Oxymoron? (Final Part) by Peter Lumpkins

I should have closed this series a while back. However, too many irons which require some heat pushed closure for this issue well past the deadline. In fact, it is so far past, it almost is useless now to think we can pick up where we left off without a serious retooling of the argument that “Reformed Baptist” is an oxymoron, an argument which began here and continued here and here. Nonetheless, I owe at least a closing thought, and a closing thought is what you’ll get. I’ve offered a... Read more →

Jerry Vines on Clark Pinnock by Peter Lumpkins

Controversial Theologian, Clark Pinnock, passed to glory August 15 at a young age of 73. Though moving away from the feisty biblical conservatism of his earlier years, I still found Dr. Pinnock an exhilarating author and stimulating theologian. Few, if any, Southern Baptists would gladly embrace his latter contribution to broad evangelicalism via Open Theism. Nevertheless, Pinnock will be missed as one of the most erudite, sophisticated critics of the Reformed tradition. Dr. Jerry Vines has an enlightening, positive tribute to Dr. Pinnock. Clearing the air of some misconceptions about... Read more →

Will James White Debate Louis Ruggiero? by Peter Lumpkins

Reformed apologist, James White (assisted by his blogging army of self-described minions) hounded Ergun Caner to "debate me" for over three years. This happened after a scheduled debate at Liberty University between White and Caner (along with two other team members) was canceled due to White pulling out over what many perceive as a minor technicality... More recently, James White has been busy attacking other Christian apologists. For example, White brutally attacked reputable Christian apologists Norman Geisler and Josh McDowell, two of the most effective Christian, evangelical apologists of the... Read more →

Calvinism vs Non-Calvinism: A Parable by Peter Lumpkins

Does strict Calvinism and non-Calvinism have identical salvific visions? I do not think so. Indeed I think, in the end, the two redemptive visions are incompatible with each other, and at least one is incompatible with the gospel record. Of course, my saying so does not make it so. Nonetheless, it is my interpretative judgment as I understand the Word of God. Though I’ve not pursued much in the form of fictional writing, I do enjoy creative writing, especially attempting to capture the “big ideas” of theology in short story... Read more →

Why Your Faith Is Secure: Salvation is of God, Not of Us by Dr. Steve Lemke

Why Your Faith Is Secure: Salvation is of God, Not of Us* From time to time, many Christians struggle with the issue of the assurance of their salvation. Often these doubts arise out of a sense of unworthiness when the believer becomes aware of stubborn sins in their own lives that hinder their fellowship with God. Some other denominations teach that even true believers can lose their salvation. Does the Bible teach that once we are genuinely saved, that we are saved forever? Or can we lose our salvation? Southern... Read more →

Theology Focus by Peter Lumpkins

Over the next several weeks, we’ll observe a theological focus on what Baptists have come to call the “security of the believer.” In pursuing our focus, I am glad to post a six-part series only recently published by The Baptist Message, Louisiana Baptists’ state paper. Written by Dr. Steve Lemke, Provost and Professor of Philosophy and Ethics, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and republished by permission, the series, while scholarly, is not written for scholars but for the widest readership possible. Hence, some finer points within Dr. Lemke’s presentation may... Read more →

Reading Minds the Future of Fighting Crime? by Peter Lumpkins

Actor, Tom Cruise starred in a 2002 film entitled "Minority Report," a futuristic flick where technology was wed with "gifted" brainy people resulting in catching criminals before they commit their crime. Sound unthinkable? Time Magazine reports of a study by researchers at Chicago's Northwestern University and published in a journal entitled "Psychophysiology," a report which appears to reveal a fairly accurate measure of predicting violent crimes. Using what is called, P300, brain waves are measured to determine crimes being planned. In one test, for example, researchers were able to identify... Read more →

On Calvinism and Infant Salvation: A Brief Proposal (Part II) by Peter Lumpkins

As I mentioned in Part I, I felt it necessary to set the record straight because some “Reformed” brothers claimed I did not take the time to rightly understand “reformed theology” and consequently was butchering it. And, one of the supposed outrageous claims I made pertained to Calvinism’s darker side in assigning all reprobate infants to hell. I began with John Calvin’s “horribile decretum”; so horrible, in fact, that Calvinism’s 19th century Princeton champion, B.B. Warfield hid Calvin’s view from plain sight, burying it in a footnote, when he offered... Read more →

On Calvinism and Infant Salvation: A Brief Proposal by Peter Lumpkins

On my last post, I placed an interlude between my first three pieces dealing with Nathan Finn’s advocacy of the modern moniker, “Reformed Baptist”—a term I dubbed a genuine “oxymoron”--and my final piece summing up why I think it is a mistake for Southern Baptists to describe themselves “Reformed Baptists.” My readers can expect my final piece in the near future. The present post I feel is more than justified by the, shall we call it, outrage my last piece (the interlude) managed to summons from the depths of Calvinist... Read more →

Doktor James White Apologetics: Connecting to the World with Love by Peter Lumpkins

#2 UPDATE: Note: many in the comment thread--not to mention the red-hot emails I received--have raised questions whether my video resembles what it provocatively criticizes. Yet, one representative "Reformed" brother has this to say about me for posting such blasphemous materials: Regardless, his [Peter Lumpkins] hatred of the doctrines of grace cast doubt on whether he has even received saving grace in the first place, for how can a true son of God knowingly and continually spits [sic] upon the grace that saves him?--Daniel Escondido While I could offer other... Read more →