So, as the President of the Free Grace Alliance, we've prayerfully concluded that this statement must be made.
The Free Grace Alliance is not associated with the Grace Evangelical Society and does not endorse the GES Gospel (also referred to as "crossless" or "promise only" by some). We invite those who share our heart for the Gospel's clarity and declaration, of both the Person and Work of Christ, to join hands with us.
What questions do you have for me?
Fred Lybrand
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Where can I get a brief summary and critique of GES's position?
ReplyDeleteBrother Lybrand:
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this statement. I appreciate your stand against the reductionism of the GES.
LM
To Len:
ReplyDeleteGo to-
http://indefenseofthegospel.blogspot.com/2008/11/grace-evangelical-societys-reductionist.html
LM
Len,
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure where to get a short summary since the view itself has a bit of sophistication / convolution in it. Although their goal is simplicity, to arrive there you must hold on to many assumptions (the role of John's gospel, the inappropriateness of the Epistles being included in a discussion, etc.).
Here's the short summary:
If you believe John 6:47 (has to be in the KJV or NKJV version only)...then you are saved from hell to heaven---even if you don't know anything about Who Christ is and What He did.
Grace,
Fred
Lou,
ReplyDeleteThanks. Our hope is not so much to 'stand against' as it is to 'move forward'---I have some extended comments I'll share in the near future.
Grace,
Fred
Hi Fred,
ReplyDelete(Please forgive me for posting this twice. The first time I posted it under the wrong category.)
Thank you for the opportunity to reply to your Open Letter here on your blog.
I understand that there are different opinions on this very important topic of the "saving content."
I'm one who happens to agree with GES on this, but I have no desire to fight with any of my brothers and sisters in Christ. I love you all, and I'm just being a Berean, asking the Lord to show me truth and keep me from error. I'm leaning on Him all the way through this debate.
I'm not commenting here because I think I can convince you to change your mind. I know I can't. I'm only commenting because I wanted to give you and others who might read your blog an illustration of someone I know personally who was born again BEFORE she understood about the cross and resurrection of our wonderful Savior.
I want to stress up front that she didn't REJECT the truth of the cross. It's just that she got to the place of believing "in" Christ for eternal life BEFORE she knew about the cross. I don't believe anyone can believe in Jesus for eternal life and REJECT the crosswork of Christ when they hear about it. It's the Spirit of God who enlightens everyone who believes in Him. It's a matter of being open and honest before God when you come to Him.
BTW...... I didn't go out LOOKING for this example. It came to me. I never in a million years would have thought about it. That's why I want to share it with you and your guests.
I lead a Ladies Bible study of young moms. We're going verse by verse through John. Before that we used Charlie Bing's wonderful material, "Living In The Family Of Grace." The young moms have grown much in the Lord.
Well, one Bible Study day one of the mom's said something strange to our ears. She said that she didn't want her little girl (3 years old) to hear YET about the cross and the blood that was shed for her. She thought it was too gruesome. All of us in the room found that strange. But that's the way she chose to handle it with her young daughter.
She went on to explain that her little girl knows that God sent His Son, Jesus into the world because He loves us and wanted to give us a gift.
The gift is called eternal life, and those who believe in Jesus get to live with Him forever in His wonderful, happy Home. Her little girl understands that people die. She has been around death because of people in our church who have died. She knows that when people die they move out of their bodies and go live with Jesus if they believed in Him alone to take them there. She knows the body is buried in the ground, but the person moves out and goes to their happy home. She also knows that people who die who didn't believe in Jesus move out of their bodies and go to the bad place where Jesus doesn't live. Her mom said her little girl gets very concerned for people who die because she wants to know if they believed in Jesus to take them to His happy home. She doesn't want them to go to the bad place where Jesus doesn't live. Her faith is in Jesus alone as the only way to go live with God forever. Her mom was the first one to bring it up to us that she's convinced her little girl is saved. It's called the faith of a child.
Did she REJECT the crosswork of Christ? NO. She just hadn't YET gotten to that place of hearing about it. She believed in Jesus for His gift BEFORE she got to the place of understanding HOW He could give that gift. Now she is 4 and she has been taught about the crosswork of Christ and totally accepts that as true. It was like the apostles who found out later. She loves Jesus and she knows now that He died for her sins. But she got to the place of believing in Him for eternal life BEFORE she knew of His crosswork.
One person suggested that she wasn't yet saved until she believed in His finished work on the cross and resurrection, but that she was under the age of accountability so would go to heaven for that reason. He suggested that she was just getting taught truths that will eventually lead to her salvation when she's old enough to be held accountable. Only God knows her heart, but if I take God's Word as true, then this little girl was born again when she believed in Jesus for everlasting life because that's what Jesus so clearly promises to those who believe.
Thank you friends for taking the time to read this illustration. I thought it might be one piece of the puzzle that you may never have considered. I love all of my brothers and sisters in Christ.
All because of His wonderful grace,
Diane
I answered Diane's post here at the following link:
ReplyDeletehttp://fredlybrand.blogspot.com/2009/04/ges-gospel-lybrand-open-letter.html