If we need to be more intentional about discipleship that means that there must be something we teach and model which is giving people permission to be passive. There must be something in our message and modelling which is causing people to believe they can be saved without living a holy life. What then is it in our beliefs and our behaviour which is causing people to ignore instead of apply the following passages of scripture? Matthew 3:9-10 ESV And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Romans 8:13 ESV For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Hebrews 12:14 ESV Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. James 2:14, 24 ESV What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. The belief of Sydney Anglicans which stands in the way of these passages having application is unconditional election. Those who believe in unconditional election wrongly believe that sanctification is the automatic onflow of justification. Romans 8:13 (quoted above) contradicts that - it says that we must be holy by CHOOSING to walk BY the Spirit - in order to behave like Jesus - which we must do in order to live. That the key requirement is to walk BY the Spirit is confirmed by Galatians 5:16: ESV But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Note that these verses show that if Sydney Anglicans do not recognise that obedience has two dimensions - welcoming God as Word - AND welcoming God as Spirit (I regret to say that I doubt that even a quarter of Sydney Anglicans think of obedience as having two dimensions) their churches will fall under testing from God himself - those who fail to obey God will end up in hell. Unconditional election makes it impossible for people to see that we can have the word but not welcome the Word (John 5:39-40) and we can have the Spirit but not walk BY the Spirit (the latter revealed in Romans 8:13 above - notice in that verse people have access to the Spirit BEFORE they meet the condition of being like Jesus - and therefore are saved). While those who believe in unconditional election may ALSO tell people they must repent and live holy lives - as long as they believe in unconditional election they are LOGICALLY telling people that either living a holy life cannot matter - or if it does matter that they will end up being holy because they are chosen. Or alternatively that no matter how hard they try they will never be holy because they aren't chosen. Whether or not Sydney Anglican churches believe and teach unconditional election the INFLUENCE of unconditional election has led to people believing that sanctification is the automatic onflow of choosing to be justified - whether election is unconditional - or conditional - instead of a separate and necessary choice/condition to be saved. As proven by the following bible passages together (most of the bible references I am about to list show that the people who are in danger are/were justified - subject to their then choosing to turn from their sin) - Romans 11:22, 2 Peter 2:20, Hebrews 10:20, Hebrews 6:4-6. The passages below PROVE that unconditional election is wrong doctrine (the third passage showing that it must be because grace is not irresistible): 2 Peter 1:10-11 ESV Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Hebrews 3:12-14 ESV Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. 2 Corinthians 6:1 ESV Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. One scholar who recently did a series at Moore College says that the verses above exist because they are 'cattle prods' to the Calvinist elect. But in saying this he is denying unconditional election - since the verses would not exist unless people needed to respond to them - which makes responding to them a CONDITION of being saved.
If we need to be more intentional about discipleship that means that there must be something we teach and model which is giving people permission to be passive. There must be something in our message and modelling which is causing people to believe they can be saved without living a holy life.
What then is it in our beliefs and our behaviour which is causing people to ignore instead of apply the following passages of scripture?
Matthew 3:9-10 ESV
And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Romans 8:13 ESV
For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Hebrews 12:14 ESV
Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
James 2:14, 24 ESV
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
The belief of Sydney Anglicans which stands in the way of these passages having application is unconditional election. Those who believe in unconditional election wrongly believe that sanctification is the automatic onflow of justification. Romans 8:13 (quoted above) contradicts that - it says that we must be holy by CHOOSING to walk BY the Spirit - in order to behave like Jesus - which we must do in order to live.
That the key requirement is to walk BY the Spirit is confirmed by Galatians 5:16:
ESV
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Note that these verses show that if Sydney Anglicans do not recognise that obedience has two dimensions - welcoming God as Word - AND welcoming God as Spirit (I regret to say that I doubt that even a quarter of Sydney Anglicans think of obedience as having two dimensions) their churches will fall under testing from God himself - those who fail to obey God will end up in hell.
Unconditional election makes it impossible for people to see that we can have the word but not welcome the Word (John 5:39-40) and we can have the Spirit but not walk BY the Spirit (the latter revealed in Romans 8:13 above - notice in that verse people have access to the Spirit BEFORE they meet the condition of being like Jesus - and therefore are saved). While those who believe in unconditional election may ALSO tell people they must repent and live holy lives - as long as they believe in unconditional election they are LOGICALLY telling people that either living a holy life cannot matter - or if it does matter that they will end up being holy because they are chosen. Or alternatively that no matter how hard they try they will never be holy because they aren't chosen.
Whether or not Sydney Anglican churches believe and teach unconditional election the INFLUENCE of unconditional election has led to people believing that sanctification is the automatic onflow of choosing to be justified - whether election is unconditional - or conditional - instead of a separate and necessary choice/condition to be saved. As proven by the following bible passages together (most of the bible references I am about to list show that the people who are in danger are/were justified - subject to their then choosing to turn from their sin) - Romans 11:22, 2 Peter 2:20, Hebrews 10:20, Hebrews 6:4-6.
The passages below PROVE that unconditional election is wrong doctrine (the third passage showing that it must be because grace is not irresistible):
2 Peter 1:10-11 ESV
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 3:12-14 ESV
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.
2 Corinthians 6:1 ESV
Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
One scholar who recently did a series at Moore College says that the verses above exist because they are 'cattle prods' to the Calvinist elect. But in saying this he is denying unconditional election - since the verses would not exist unless people needed to respond to them - which makes responding to them a CONDITION of being saved.
Is it possible to have a contact email for Peter Mayrick?