Good Men, Differing Doctrine

Good men can differ on Doctrine and the Interpretation of Scripture, when they do not understand what the other man honestly sees; but, when the message of the Scripture has been mutually revealed by the Spirit, "no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation" (2Peter 1:20).

Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892), the celebrated pastor of London's Metropolitan Tabernacle for 49 years, called himself "neither an Arminian nor a hyper-Calvinist, but a Calvinist of Calvin's own stamp" (The Two Wesleys, p. 4). Spurgeon-- lectured on the lives of John Wesley (1703-1791) and Charles Wesley (1708-1788)-- touching on their Arminian doctrine-- on December 6th 1861.

Comparing John Wesley with Spurgeon's ideal of a good Calvinist preacher, i.e., George Whitefield (1714-1770)-- who was at one time, a fellow worker with the Wesleys, Brother Spurgeon said, "In fact, I think I might say that George Whitefield had his eye fixed on heaven, and he read all the truth in the light of God, while John Wesley had his eye fixed on man, and with a tear in his eye, weeping over man's fall and ruin, he read truth in the light of his sympathy with man" (The Two Wesleys, p. 4).

Continuing, he suggested the balance that fit the examples of the lives of both Whitefield and Wesley. "That man will just hit the truth, who can read the truth in both ways; with his eye full of tears thinking of man; with his eye gleaming with sunlight, thinking of God; he who can preach Divine sovereignty, and yet preach human responsibility; he who can declare that God 'hath mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will He hardeneth,' [Romans 9:18] and yet with equal vigour can say, 'Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize?' [1Corinthians 9:24]" (The Two Wesleys, p. 4).

Clarifying to his Calvinist listeners that he was at odds with Wesley's Doctrine of Sinless Perfection and Wesley's rejection of the Doctrine of Election, Spurgeon stated, "As for John Wesley's doctrine, I have not an atom's worth of sympathy with him, except so far as he preached the Gospel of Christ. Now the essential doctrine of the Gospel is justification by faith. 'Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.' [Romans 5:1]

That he did preach" (The Two Wesleys, p. 4). In all fairness to the doctrinal dissension of the great and good C. H. Spurgeon with the great and good John Wesley, listen to how Great Heart Spurgeon encapsulates John Wesley: "Peace to his ashes, death to his errors, life to all the truth he preached, and may the blessing of God make any one of us but a tenth as earnest as he was, and a tenth as useful! With what we think to be clearer views of Divine truth, we can only justify our belief by being more zealous and more devoted to the Master's cause"(The Two Wesleys, p. 45).

And finally, in the conclusion of his lecture on the two Wesleys: "As for John and Charles Wesley, they seemed to fly with all the speed of seraphs, -- they had never a moment's rest; they were, from early in the morning till late at night, incessantly engaged in the good cause. As I have read their lives, and the lives of others, whom I hope to introduce to you on future occasions, I have felt as if I had not yet begun to live, and did not know how to begin. What have any of us done? Oh! these times need as much energy and fire as ever those times did; there needs as much passion and earnestness for the conversion of men now as then; there needs as much exertion that we may be good ministers of Christ, and clear our souls from the blood of men as in the olden times" (The Two Wesleys, p. 62).

"26 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.

27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His Own blood" (Acts 20:26-28).

Many have spent much time debating the Doctrine of the Final Perseverance of the Saints-- which is a Blessed Doctrine believed by this writer-- however, most of the discussion revolves around the human perspective of "Can I lose my Salvation?" and not God's perspective of "The LORD is with you, while ye be with Him; and if ye seek Him, He will be found of you; but if ye forsake Him, He will forsake you" (2Chronicles 15:2).

In other words, why does God owe us the Assurance of our Salvation, if our fists and heart are clenched in rebellion against Him? In answer, God's Word only testifies to us through the voice of the Holy Spirit that we are His, if we are presently walking and abiding with Him.

"3 And hereby we do know [Greek, givoskomen <present, continuous action> knowing] that we know Him, if we keep [Greek, taromen <present, continuous action> keeping] His commandments.

4 He that saith [Greek, legon <present active> saying], I know him, and keepeth not [Greek, ma taron <present active> not keeping] His commandments, is [Greek, estin <present tense> is] a liar, and the Truth is not [Greek, ma estin <present tense> is not] in Him" (1John 2:3-4).

This is paramount to saying that the Holy Spirit gives us permission to say that we presently know Him, only if we are presently keeping His commandments. And, anyone who is saying that He knows Him, and is not keeping His commandments, is presently a Liar, and the Truth is presently not in him. Remember, the Truth is Jesus, i.e., "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6); so, it is calculated to be unsettling for the Holy Spirit to say that He is not within the disobedient. If the Spirit of God calls the disobedient "liars," then there can be no comfort of Heaven, when "all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the Second Death" (Revelation 21:8).

God comforts the obedient child with the Assurance of Salvation, while assuring the disobedient of a "certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation" (Hebrews 10:27).

No assurance or comfort is owed to anyone presently walking in disobedience, regardless of how free the Grace of God is, or how unmerited the Mercy of God is bestowed. Most assuredly, the Sovereign God-- Who "cannot lie" (Titus 1:2), because He "will not lie" (1Samuel 15:29)-- will never arbitrarily set aside His promise to comfort the obedient and unsettle the disobedient. It would be easier for Heaven and Earth to pass away, than for "one jot or one tittle" (Matthew 5:18) of God's Eternal Law of Love not to be fulfilled. So, though Eternal Salvation can never be lost, the Assurance of Salvation should be removed from anyone, who walks in known disobedience.

"19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it" (Isaiah 1:19-20).

Consistent Christianity May Require Changing Doctrine

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