| Every Church Denomination has within itself different | | | | and forth from in the kingdom and out of the |
| views on specific doctrines. Free Will Baptist are really | | | | kingdom, in Christ and out of Christ. If backsliding |
| just Baptist with one charactorizing doctrine that sets | | | | takes a person out of Christ "salvation," and |
| them apart from other Baptist Denominations. Free | | | | repenting brings them back in Christ, then how many |
| Will Baptist believe that it is possible for a christian to | | | | times can a person move between "in Christ and out |
| turn from thier faith and commit apostasy. While | | | | of Christ?" How many times can a person be saved |
| most Regular, Southern and Independant Baptist | | | | and lost? |
| believe that once a person is saved they are always | | | | This leads also to a catorgorizing of sins, This sin is |
| saved no matter what they do. Even in these Baptist | | | | worst than that sin and can send you to hell, If you |
| Churchs, that would call themselves Calvanistic, there | | | | live in Fornication you will go to hell, if you live with |
| is a wide range of thought and doctrine concerning | | | | anger twords someone you are safe. There is no |
| the teachings on salvation. | | | | grey area in the word of God, we are either in Christ |
| I recently ran into a problem with false doctrine in my | | | | or out of Christ, Heaven bound or Hell bound. |
| church. I knew that this problem existed but had | | | | I cannot find any problems concerning Scripture or |
| never encountered it face to face. But it seems the | | | | our Free Will Baptist Statement of Faith in regard to |
| widely held view in my new church, is that a Christian | | | | Statement B. Our Free Will Baptist Treatise along |
| that lives in sin will go to hell if they die in that sinful | | | | with the teaching of our Free Will Baptist Colleges |
| condition. So being a believer in the Free Will Baptist | | | | stands in complete agreement with Statement B. |
| Doctrine on Soteriology, I wanted to put this little | | | | I am not saying a Christian can live in sin with no |
| study together. | | | | penalty. I do believe that there is a loss of fellowship |
| The two opposing views are stated here. | | | | with God when we grieve the Holy Spirit which can |
| A. The Christian that backslides, "lives in sin", can | | | | result in losing the blessings of God and suffering a |
| repent of their sins and be restored, but if they die in | | | | loss of rewards in Heaven at the judgement. Also |
| their backslidden condition they will go to hell. This | | | | some sin carries its own punishment that a person |
| apart from committing apostasy. | | | | can suffer throughout the rest of their lives. But |
| B. The Christian that backslides, "lives in sin," is in | | | | anything less than committing apostacy still delivers |
| constant danger of hardening their heart through the | | | | the Christian, though living in sin and a broken state |
| deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:12-14.) and in so doing | | | | of fellowship with God, to Heaven. Maybe this |
| can commit apostasy to which there is no possibility | | | | doesn't preach well, but it is the truth of scripture. A |
| of return (Hebrews 6:4-6.) But if before the | | | | person is "in Christ" through faith, and the person "in |
| backslider commits apostasy, i.e.; "turns from their | | | | Christ" through faith, is "IN Christ" even when they |
| faith in Christ," they should repent of their sins, they | | | | sin. Now (Hebrews 3:12-14). makes it very clear that |
| can return to fellowship with the Lord and His Church. | | | | sin is deceitful and that it will harden a person's heart |
| These two differing veiws are in contrast one to the | | | | to the end that the heart is evil and can depart from |
| other and only one of the statements can be true. | | | | the living God. That is why we are called to exhort |
| Problems I see with the first statement, statement | | | | one another daily. This exhortation is to remain |
| A. | | | | faithful and not to fall into sin. |
| 1. This says a Christian can go to hell. Not possible, | | | | Free Will Baptist Treatise: Perseverance - We believe |
| nowhere in the scripture can we get even a hint that | | | | that there are strong grounds to hope that the |
| the Christian can go to hell. If this Christian can go to | | | | saved will persevere unto the end and be saved |
| hell then it is because they have passed over into | | | | because of the power of divine grace pledged for |
| apostasy, Scripture is clear that the apostate cannot | | | | their support. We believe that any saved person who |
| repent and be restored. This belief creates a new | | | | has sinned (whether we call him a backslider or |
| category for people that can go to hell, 1) The lost | | | | sinner), but has a desire to repent, may do so and |
| that has never trusted Christ for salvation, 2) The | | | | be restored to God's favor and fellowship. Since man, |
| apostate that has turned from trusing in Christ, 3) | | | | however, continues to have free choice, it is possible |
| The Christian that lives in sin. Only the first 2 | | | | because of temptations and the weakness of human |
| categories can be found in Scripture. | | | | flesh for him to fall into the practice of sin and to |
| 2. If the statement is true and a Christian can go to | | | | make shipwreck of his faith and be lost. Taken from |
| hell, it violates Scripture in that it dictates that there | | | | the treatise of Free Will Baptist. |
| is condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, | | | | Free Will Baptist believe the Scripture warns of the |
| obviously violating such marvelous passages as | | | | possibility of making shipwreck of the faith. In other |
| (Romans 8:1). There is therefore now no | | | | words, a person who was genuinely saved can |
| condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. | | | | degenerate into a sinful condition rejecting his faith in |
| 3. Creates a Faith + Works salvation. If a Christian | | | | Christ. We do not teach a person is saved one |
| can forfeit salvation because of sinful living before | | | | minute and lost the next. There is no returning from |
| committing apostacy, then they have forfeited | | | | this shipwreck of one's faith because there is no |
| salvation based on works and not based on faith. | | | | other sacrifice for sin other than the Lord Jesus |
| Obviously a christian that maintains good works | | | | Christ. We teach the assurance of salvation, that is, |
| rather than evil works will go to heaven. Our salvation | | | | knowing for sure one is saved. God has given man |
| is not based on works but rather on placing our faith | | | | the choice, he is a free moral agent to decide by his |
| in Christ Jesus, and faith alone will save you. | | | | own free will, but God is not willing that any should |
| 4. Opens the door for even greater error. We see | | | | perish but that all should come to repentance. |
| that many take this false teaching a step further and | | | | I agree with statement B, and hold statement A to |
| believe that if a Christian dies with unrepented sin, | | | | be error and extra biblical, relying on mans reasoning |
| lets say you swore and then had a heart attack, | | | | to further its propagation. Lets give ourselves over |
| they also go to hell. Sounds much like statement A. | | | | to God and His Scripture, forsaking man's doctrines |
| In fact it is a very small step to go from Statement | | | | and reasonings, searching the scriptures diligently and |
| A to arriving at the belief that dieing with any sin can | | | | relaying on God and His Spirit to lead us and guide us |
| send the Christian to hell. Once again, very much a | | | | into His truth. This takes laying aside our |
| works salvation belief. (Eph 2:8-9). For by grace are | | | | presumptions and sometimes the teachings we were |
| ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: | | | | raised with. |
| [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man | | | | And may the Spirit of God lead us into His |
| should boast. | | | | understanding and bless us with all knowledge of the |
| 5. Creates the doctrine that a person can move back | | | | truth in Christ Jesus our Lord! |