Since the advent of the Internet, I have enjoyed listening to sermons online. It has been encouraging and educational to hear good ideas presented in good ways. God has most certainly been generous in His distribution of talents.
However, if you cast your sermon net widely, you will soon be confronted by non-biblical ideas. Some of them well-worn denominational doctrines and others the oddities of fringe groups.
One of the things that have always concerned me is the cavalier attitude towards baptism held by Reformed preachers. I am sure that they would disagree and think me ungracious for saying so. But hear me out.
I have never heard a Reformed preacher preach the Biblical doctrine of baptism. In fact, they dismiss it “as an outward sign of an inward grace.” In other words, “You are baptised to show that you are saved.”
Of course, there is no room in Calvinist teachings for a plan of salvation that includes Biblical baptism – never the twain shall meet.
Calvinism teaches that a person is saved by a direct act of grace upon the sinner’s heart. This is consistent with the Calvinist doctrine of ‘Irresistible grace.’ They believe that God ‘saves’ you at a specific moment, regardless of will or action on your part. Thus, baptism for the forgiveness of sins cannot be a part of their plan of salvation.
This Reformed plan of salvation is found nowhere in the New Testament.
Though the Apostle Paul’s Damascus Road Experience was indeed a miraculous encounter with Jesus, it wasn’t the moment he had his sins forgiven and was saved. If it was, then Ananias was a false teacher when he told Paul: “Get up and be baptised, and wash away your sins” (Acts 22:16).
I too know good and godly people who believe that baptism is “an outward sign of an inward grace.” But what they are repeating and practising is some man’s false teaching.
False teaching and truth have this in common: “They are both package deals—it’s all or nothing.”
I’ll take truth!
John Staiger
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