My son told me that if you are going to have a blog and call it "Thoughts From the Right Brain" that I should post some original thoughts, not just quote people. Although my media clips and songs and how they relate to the topic were my own thoughts his point is well taken so here are some of my thoughts on a recent article I read in CT on Al Mohler who is the president of Southern Seminary in Louisville,KY which is the flagship seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Al Mohler is an "impeccably groomed", brilliant, aristocrat with a personal library of 41,000 books and rare artwork, with museum like collectables of Charles Spurgeon and Winston Churchill. He is a frequent contributor to the Washington Post, has appeared on Larry King Live several times and Time Magazine has called him "the reigning intellectual of the evangelical movement in the U.S. Not at all the stereotype you picture when you mention "Southern Baptist". The surprising thing is that this "renaisance man" stands for such fundamentalist views as the inerrancy of scripture, a conservative view of gender roles, conservative politics, creationism , etc. In fact in a matter of 3 years he was able to purge the seminary of liberal professors through means the KGB would have been proud of.
In my mind this is great! You don't have to check your brain at the door to believe the Bible is the inerrant word of God and I'm thrilled that a person like Al Mohler can be our spokesman. When my oldest son was looking at schools we interviewed at Carson Newman a SBC university in our area. I talked with the head of the religion department about their view of scripture and both he and the president of the school both gave me the same answer, "Well, what do you mean by inerrancy?" It reminded me of when I asked one of my youth group proteges who went off to a liberal school and had a change of heart about his faith if he still believed Jesus is the only way to Heaven. His reply was, "Well, what do you mean by Jesus?" The professor and president also were proud of the fact that they present all views and let the students make an educated decision of what they want to believe. I truly believe this was the direction the SBC was headed and Al Mohler has been instrumental in stemming and reversing that tide of giving in to cultural pressures to appear relevant, thinking that will reach more for the kingdom. Thank God for Al Mohler.
Now for the bad. Al Mohler is a 5 point calvinist. Now dont get me wrong, if God works that way, who am I to argue. All I would say is thank you Lord for choosing me. I don't know why but I will worship and praise You forever. But the 5th point of Calvinism, limited atonement, I believe is contrary to scripture. It basically say that Christ died only for the elect; the blood spilled on the cross was not for the whole world's sins but only for the people He had chosen ahead of time. Christ therefore on the cross could have looked out over the crowd and said, "I'm dying for you and you, not you, not you, you...". Here are some scriptures that teach otherwise:
Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 1John 2:2
14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 1John 4:14
For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 1Cor 15:21,22
14For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. 2Cor 5:14,15,19
5For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. 1 Tim. 2:5,6
9This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance 10(and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe. 1Tim4:9,10
9But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
17For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people Heb. 2:9,17
15But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
18Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. Rom 5:15-19
32For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all. Rom 11:32
7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:7,9,29
32But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." John 12:32
11For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. Titus 2:11
8"Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find. Matt 22:8,9
20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Col. 1:20
10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Luke 2:10
23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,[i] through faith in his blood. Rom 3:23-25
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all. Isa. 53:6
Coming from a background of Reformed theology I've seen several dangers. One is an intellectual elitism that almost borders on cultish. It says "I am right and everyone else is wrong. When you study enough and get intellectual enough you will come to the light." The second is the loss of evangelical thrust. According to the article the number of baptisms are down. Of course they are. If the elect will come to God no matter what, why evangelize? I know, it's the means by which God acts just like prayer is the means by which God acts so we don't say, "Why pray when God is going to do what he wants to do anyway?" Or they will say "the reformers started Evangelism Explosion." Thank you D.James Kennedy for that. But having been in that way of thinking it's a rare church that has an outreach evangelism team that is flourishing. Its rare to see an altar call - in fact many churches believe it is not scriptural. And it is rare to see people saved; it just anaesthetizes your zeal for evangelism.
In conclusion I'm thrilled with Al Mohler I just don't get how a guy so right on can adopt Calvinism to it's full extent.
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