Three Truths
STATEMENT
Primitive Baptists believe that salvation accomplished by the blood of Jesus and nothing but the blood of Jesus. Arminians sing “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus” at least once a month here in the South, though they do not actually believe that doctrine. Failure to understand that fact does not effect the eternal state of a born again child of God. It only affects their understanding and causes them more more stress than necessary in the here and now. (Anonymous)
RESPONSE
That is correct. This observation gets into the distinction between the ELECT and the CHURCH. They are not the same. The former is larger than the latter. The Good Samaritan was of the ELECT but he was not a member of the CHURCH. He was a Child of God, born of the spirit as evidenced by Christ’s affirmation of his acts of love toward his neighbor, but he was neither a “Christian” nor a member of the CHURCH. The fact that he was not a member “orthodox religion” was precisely what made Christ’s endorsement of his behavior so shocking to a first-century, Jewish audience. That Jesus used “orthodox” practitioners of religion as a comparative backdrop for his righteous behavior only increased the shock value of the message. Simply put, the Good Samaritan was a born-again, child of God but not an “orthodox Jew” or what in the NT era we would call a "Christian."
THREE TRUTHS
In the final mix, we Primitive Baptists believe the bible teaches these three truths:
Not all of the elect hear, receive, understand, and believe the explicit NT gospel. (Hebrews 11)
The domain of eternal salvation is broader than the distribution of the gospel. (Hebrews 11)
The elect includes some whose minds are confounded by false religion. (Luke 10:25-37)
Those affirmations are unassailably biblical and I am comfortable defending them. Where I get uncomfortable is when I hear folks pointing to some seemingly righteous act by someone of another religion and insisting that this is ironclad proof of that person’s eternal salvation. While I recognize that some are saved who are outside the domain of understanding the explicit NT gospel, and I appreciate that someone might feel that they have seen evidence of regeneration in another, I personally avoid making definitive declarations regarding a non-believer’s state of grace based on external observances that are prone to misinterpretation. Instead, I prefer to affirm, “the Lord knoweth them that are his,” (II Timothy 2:19) and to rest on the promise that the Good Shepherd, “give[s] unto them eternal life and they shall never perish.” (John 10:28) The purpose of the Church is to instruct those with the ears to hear, to make disciples of them by teaching them the precepts and principles of the grace of Christ.
Primitive Baptists believe that salvation accomplished by the blood of Jesus and nothing but the blood of Jesus. Arminians sing “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus” at least once a month here in the south, though they do not actually believe that doctrine.
“Nothing but the blood” is an affirmation of “the grace of Christ.” (Galatians 1:6) Arminians DO NOT BELIEVE “nothing but the blood” irrespective of how often they may sing it. If they do not believe “nothing but the blood” then they do not believe a core precept of the gospel – that salvation is by the monergistic work and grace of God ALONE (Romans 8:31-39) and is not according to our works (II Timothy 1:9). It follows that they believe “another gospel” by unavoidable consequence (Galatians 1:6). The problem with their “gospel” is that it describes a Jesus whose blood is ineffectual in accomplishing its saving purpose unless it is improved upon by man. That blood is not the blood of Christ. It is the blood of “another Jesus.”
Yet failure to understand that fact does not effect the eternal state of a born again child of God.
Of course, that is true. That is an unavoidable corollary to the absolutely efficacy of Christ’s atonement (Romans 8:31-39) and the covenant promises that ALL the sheep shall be eternally saved (John 10:28). But this observation is nothing other than what I’m saying, namely that there are some among the eternally saved, who are regarded as “Christians” in the broad sense of that term, who do not believe in the efficacy of Christ’s blood alone, a core precept of salvation by “the grace of Christ”, yet are eternally saved by Christ’s blood nevertheless, because theological understanding is not a requirement for eternal salvation. Simply put, they believe in “another Jesus” who did not accomplish their salvation but merely made it possible, even though they’re saved by the Lord Jesus Christ who made their salvation actual.
It only affects their understanding and causes them more more stress than necessary.
Yes. Believing in “another Jesus” will do that.
- Elder Daniel Samons