I have a beef with some of our “enlightened friends.” I know you all, in God’s sovereignty, have come to understand the doctrines of grace more clearly now. I know that means you have liberty in Christ. I know that means that many of the legalistic standards you grew up with, are not necessary anymore. (BTW, did you stop to think that God sovereignly allowed you to grow up with those legalistic standards–that He wanted you to be trained up in that way?) I know that you have grown into the spiritual standing you are in now.
Here’s my beef. If you’ve truly learned about grace, why not have some graciousness with those of us who haven’t got it yet? Why shove it in our face? Why attack us like we’re evil? Why take us to such hard taskmasters? If you’ve learned about grace, you know what you learned isn’t because of you. And, conversely, that what we know isn’t because of us! It’s because of God’s graciousness. Why not pray for us that we would come to the light of God’s grace? How is it that some people of grace can be so belligerent to those of us belligerents who haven’t (in the sovereignty of God) experienced grace yet? It seems like sometimes when the doctrines of grace are finally understood by some, they neglect to allow it to form their relationships with those of us who haven’t got it yet. They understand grace for liberty, but are not gracious toward those that don’t understand. Some will not even have a non-theological conversation with their own parents–the ones that God sovereignly gave them! I know I’m unqualified to write this because I haven’t been enlightened or reformed myself. But, I’m trying to understand, and the actions of some reformed Baptists are truly mystifying.
Has anyone else had this beef? Or, is my experience rare?
BTW, so far, I have enjoyed all of Peter Master’s writings on Christian liberty. He is a reformed Baptist–as far as I know. Check out Should Christians Drink in the book list on the right.
You Think Too Much! 
Great point, Jeff. Their Christian liberty gives them license to trample all over ours. Well said. For those “reformed” kids who won’t talk to their parents, I wonder if they think Christian liberty extends all the way to there?
I think I am a little bit confused here. We receive grace at the point we are saved (Gift of eternal life, slavation from Hell, Fruit of the Spirit, etc…, all things we don’t deserve) and we learn to appreciate them. Love them. That’s the Christian Life in an aspect. So maybe I just don’t understand what the Doctrines of Grace are but does that make me less of a Christian. If so, does that mean I can’t be successful in performing the duties of a Christian. I’m not talking about the legalistic standards that we give kids (emphasize kids) to help them grow up, but at some point those standards have to no longer be just the parents/pastor/church (legalistic) and be the young man/woman (no longer a kid, maturity has set in). I also believe that it would be the responsibility of those who are more mature in the ways of God (if I can safely use that phrase) to help others grow. So to not talk to someone else who is saved, just because he/she is not as mature as you seems like taking your ball home because someone who can’t play as well joined the game. How are they suppose to get better, or rather how am I suppose to learn?
ChrisTopher
P.S. That wasn’t a threat… Just a friendly reminder
By the way I give you “Grade B” for you beef. Because it didn’t come from a happy cow here in California.
ChrisTopher
Good post Pastor V.
Just because we have the Christian liberty to do something, doesn’t mean we should do it. I think of what Paul summed it up well in 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 6:12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
Chris Topher Myers said: By the way I give you “Grade B” for you beef. Because it didn’t come from a happy cow here in California.
Oh, but you didn’t check the brand. It did come from California. Maybe not a happy cow, but a Californian cow to be sure!
The grade should be “Q” if it is a California cow. Do they have cows in California? I know they have hot dogs…
Yes, we have cows in California. Oddly enough, while I was growing up the public school milk came from Berkeley Farms. Never thought much about that until you asked the question Pastor Mallinak. Speaking of school. When do the college students need to be back, I can’t find the information on-line anywhere and by the time I get off of work it’s 9 pm your time. Just wondering. By the way. Our cows are perfect brand “S”. Except for the imported ones from Wisconsin, but that is a whole different story =0Þ
Where do we start with the doctrines of grace? I start with the Bible, interestingly enough. I had someone tell me I didn’t preach the doctrines of grace, so I studied every use of the term in its context in the entire Bible, categorized them, and then preached all of the teachings that came from that study. So I have now long preached the doctrines of grace, and found that what the Bible teaches is different than what they believe.
God is so gracious to some of them that they don’t even know when they got the grace, because their will wasn’t even involved. They just know they have it, and since they have known, their lives have strangely become less holy and more worldly.
“Them” above refers to those individuals who believe they know and teach the doctrines of grace.
I’m wondering if any of my “enlightened friends” have “happened” to read this. Or even if they were sovereignly lead here to read this? I know this doesn’t apply to all of them, but it does apply to many/most that I have any knowledge of.
How could Peter Masters have gotten it so different on drink, dress, the versions, and music than his reformed counterparts all over the world? Does God’s grace really have several ways that it expresses itself? Or are those who differ from him really the ones who represent all things Spurgeon?
I don’t know who represents Spurgeon, but I do know I could use some more grace from those that have so much more than I got! I suppose I should be pitied since I have yet to understand all that liberty. You’d think that they’d be bending over backwards to help me and those like me rather than beating me with thier gracestick!
I enjoyed reading this blog along with the comments posted.
I would like to add that if the world does it, then can it be spiritual? I think not. The world is evil because they serve their father the devil (what a coincidence that the word evil appears in the word devil). 😉
The Word applies to all – whether they are “reformed” or not. Therefore, the following verse applies to those who want to live under this doctrine of grace: Abstain from all appearance of evil. (1Th 5:22) It’s written by the same author, Paul, and listed in a series of instructions for us. Why would Paul encourage a doctrine of grace and then turn around to abstain from even the very appearance of evil? If the world drinks, why should I be at liberty to drink?
If the world does it, whether or not I can do it is not the point. I am commanded to abstain from even the appearance of it.
Alas, it must be rocket science because it seems to be way over many believers’ heads. 🙂
I personally love however one wants to over analyse the sitution. It it really isn’t a gray area, it is black and white. It is a matter of doing what God wants or what you want.
I read something from Tozer that kinda fits in with this. “Many of us Christians have become extremely skillful in arranging our lives so as to admit the truth of Christianity without being embarrassed by its implications”
I his statement defines christianity so much today. Let’s all get saved, but hey let’s live like we want anyway, we really don’t have to be a light in this old sinful world, we can act like them but be a christian too for fire insurance.
Sorry rambling on, guess I wasn’t hit with gracestick either….
Chris, I totally agree with you, if you look as an example to the LDS church, they have a phrase that they use called “keeping the saints”. This means that those who are more “mature” in the faith as you put it, help out those that are not.
Also, to Jeff, the Arabs have a word for this called Din(Pronounced “Deen”)
It basically means living as God wants you to, or living in the path of God.
Christians should all strive to be like Christ, have his compasion for others, be an example to others, and do not judge others.
Judging others is God’s job, not ours.
We should all lead by example, and the ones that have more grace should guide the one with less.
Thankfully someone judged me and realized I was deep in sin otherwise I would never have witnessed the grace of God. It would have been there, I just would have missed knowing it.
Judging and guiding are two completely different things.
It looks to me like you are referring to guidance given by someone else.