Revised: Seven Points of Protestantism’s Anti-Gospel
1. Progressive Justification
John Calvin’s fourteenth chapter of book three in the Calvin Institutes is entitled, “The Beginning of Justification. In What Sense Progressive.” He then proceeds in sections 9, 10, and 11 to explain how Christians are still under the law, and helpless to obey it for any merit before God; i.e., any attempt at works in sanctification is works salvation (his Sabbath Rest Sanctification CICR 2.8.29,30). He then propagates sanctification by faith alone for the remedy.
2. Redemptive Historical Hermeneutics
This interpretive method reduces the Bible to a gospel narrative only. It’s not about anything that God wants us to do, but rather “what He has done.” “It’s not about our doing, but His doing and dying.” “Jesus isn’t a precept, He’s a person,” ad nauseam. This circumvents learning and doing (the very definition of a disciple), and replaces it with gospel contemplationism. It also circumvents love on the part of believers because anything short of perfect love according to the law is worthy of God’s condemnation according to orthodoxy. This is because the law is the justification standard rather than the new birth. Hence, one does not read the Bible to learn how to love God and others more, but to search for salvific truth in every verse that adds to one’s progression in salvation. In no uncertain terms, Protestant orthodoxy propagates “beginning justification,” “progressive sanctification” (really, progressive salvation/justification), and “final justification.” In Protestantism, the Bible is a tool for the progression of salvation, at least according to authentic orthodoxy.
3. Double Imputation
This is the idea that Christ not only died for our justification, but lived a perfect life on earth for the purpose of imputing that obedience to our sanctification. This view of double imputation goes hand in hand with progressive justification. Not to be confused with the correct view that God’s righteousness is INFUSED within us via the new birth while our sins were imputed to Christ. However, more accurately, all sin is imputed to the Old Covenant law of sin and death and Christ died to end that law. Double imputation is a staple Protestant doctrine, and obviously, if it was necessary for Christ to live a perfect law-keeping life so it can be imputed to our lives, we are still yet under law and thereby unsaved.
4. Gospel Sanctification
This propagates the idea that regeneration is powered by justification, and regeneration is a “process” or “progressive” instead of a one time act through Spirit baptism. Supposedly, Christians “reflect” godliness by continually “revisiting the gospel afresh.” This is a gospel contemplationism that focuses on the same things that originally saved us: Christ’s death for our sins and our own sinfulness. We supposedly “preach the gospel to ourselves every day” to keep ourselves saved. In this “process,” we obtain a greater and greater gratitude for our original salvation which glorifies God and not us. A greater view of the cross is the goal, not an increase of godly character among God’s people.
5. Mortification and Vivification
This is another undeniable staple doctrine of Protestant orthodoxy. By returning to the same gospel that saved us to receive forgiveness of “present sin,” (mortification), we also experience “vivification” which is a “reliving of our original baptism.” Hence, the baptism of the Spirit, or new birth, occurs over and over gain instead of just once. Again, this is stated Protestant orthodoxy. And of course, this is a process that can only be obtained through formal church membership. This is what qualifies Protestantism as one of the most unimpressive religions of the world because most Protestants don’t even know what a true Protestant believes. At least Catholics know they are saved by church membership and most other religions possess participants that are educated according to their religion’s true tenets.
6. The Total Depravity of the Saints
Obviously, if we need the gospel every day, it is for good reason; we remain in need of the same gospel that originally reconciled us because our status as “sinners” does not change. For all practical purposes this denies the new birth regardless of the fact that Christ stated, “You must be born again.”
7. Law Determines Justification
In Protestantism, Justification is not apart from the law; law is still the standard and therefore must be kept by Christ for us in sanctification. A perfect keeping of the law is required for us to be declared righteous; otherwise, it would supposedly be “legal fiction.” However, the apostle Paul made it clear that the “righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law” (Romans 3:21). Justification does not have to be maintained via a perfect keeping of the law by anyone; we are justified by the infusion of righteousness within us via the new birth. We still fail to love perfectly because our weak humanity has not yet been redeemed.
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
This is not addressed to Paul.
There is no question God’s people are a blessed people. Even in the trials we are filled with a peace that passes all understanding. Even through tribulation we rejoice in the confidence assurance of glorification with Christ. My point is that we have no promise of anything but spiritual blessing as we persevere in obedience to God’s commands. If we expect physical health, or material prosperity as a result of our “faith” or our obedience to God, we may well be disappointed. We have no such promise from God in the New Testament Scriptures. The Old Covenant people of God were indeed promised physical and material prosperity as a result of obedience to a conditional covenant. Even then, many of God’s most faithful servants suffered horrible persecution and deprivation.
We are not under a conditional covenant any longer. If God has promised such blessings to his New Covenant people, then he has been unfaithful to his promises. What he has promised is that his obedient children will be blessed in doing his will. see e.g., James 1:25.
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Can someone tell me what promises of blessing in this life are given to God’s New Testament people?
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Perhaps we should define “blessings”. I doubt anyone here is advocating a “name it claim it” sort of definition. That is one problem we have is that communication is so hard because folks are all over the board on definitions. Life abundantly does not mean in the material realm as so many think it does. I can be obedient and practice patience and the Holy Spirit will guide me to even more patience where my flesh wars less and less with lacking patience. It is not easy to explain. But, that is a blessing.
There are plenty of in the Reformed and seeker movements who think it means influence, wealth, etc. God must like them because they have those things. In the Reformed movement it is more nefarious since they believe God controls everything on purpose then their influence, popularity or wealth gained from their ministry/beliefs must have been decreed by God. You can see where that would lead. dangerous stuff. There are some in the seeker world who believe the exact same thing for different reasons.
trusthimonly, You are so right. One hardly ever hears of the Holy Spirit anymore. That is key here. This is one reason I only read or study the the theological writings of humans to understand why people believe what they believe. Not to understand or know God.
There is way too much following man’s teachings going on. It is the foundation for all the false teaching in Christendom. Too many guru’s both dead and alive. Not enough Jesus Christ.
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Trust4himonly,
Could you also tell me where the Bible states that we get the fruit of the Spirit as a reward for our obedience? It appears to me, the fruit of the Spirit is our obedience. Without question, the Spirit produces these virtues in us as we follow his guidance and live habitually by his enablement, but nowhere are we told they are a “reward” for our obedience.
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And, by the way, there is a difference between ” the righteousness of God is revealed apart from the Law” and “the righteousness of God apart from the Law is revealed.” God’s righteous standard for human kind is expressed in terms of Law. That righteousness can only be revealed in terms of Law, but its revelation to us has come not through the Law, but through the gospel.
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How would some of you define “the righteousness of God?
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Lydia,
lydiasellerofpurple@yahoo.com said, on November 21, 2012 at 10:25 am
Perhaps we should define “blessings”. I doubt anyone here is advocating a “name it claim it” sort of definition. That is one problem we have is that communication is so hard because folks are all over the board on definitions. Life abundantly does not mean in the material realm as so many think it does. I can be obedient and practice patience and the Holy Spirit will guide me to even more patience where my flesh wars less and less with lacking patience. It is not easy to explain. But, that is a blessing.¨
Absolutely right! I think it would be helpful if we could define many of the terms here. We may have far more agreement than we think.
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By the way Lydia. Name it and claim it is the same as blab it and grab it, right_
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Though it is a holiday first celebrated by those stinking heretical, Reformed cultist, the Pilgrims, I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving Day!
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Amen!
Can’t wait to use our Cucking Stool server for the punch this year. Our Hangman’s Noose napkin rings are also a hit with the guests.
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“Paul this is my frustration with Calvinism- they take simple concepts, like rewards (also salvation, etc. and etc.), and over analyze what Scripture states about it. They make these concepts bigger then what they are meant to be. This is what is confusing to poor Christians (and non-Christians)- at this I shake my head in bewilderment.”
Bingo
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