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Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Avoiding the Ditches of Liberalism & Legalism

Rodney Albert over on SBC OUTPOST ask “Is it that parameters are being narrowed, or is it that they’re being widened?”

There are some pretty deep ditches on both sides of the strait and narrow way… Turn to the left and you fall into Liberalism, turn to the right and you fall into Legalism. Both are deadly…

Both must be avoided… “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matt.7:14)

So, how can we (the SBC) keep on the narrow way and avoid ditches? How can one guard against both Liberalism and Legalism?

Psalms 119:11 gives us the answer ” Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.”

Note, that Liberalism and Legalism are both unbiblical. One takes away from what the Bible teaches and the other adds to what the Bible teaches.

The SBC has (on paper at least) won the battle over the “Inerrancy of Scripture” that was necessary to keep us from slipping into the left hand ditch of Liberalism…

Now the SBC is facing the battle over the “Sufficiency of Scripture” that is necessary to keep us from slipping into the right hand ditch of Legalism…

Grace to all

3 comments:

Lee said...

I like your analogy. I think we were not so much in danger of slipping into the ditch on the left, we were more in the middle of the road when the steering wheel was grabbed and yanked back to the right. We've been stuck in the ditch on the right for a long time, spinning our wheels.

I don't know about you, but I've had a hard time determining whether the use of theological perspective in the SBC is more about gaining control than it is a genuine concern for the theological health of the SBC.

Unknown said...

Lee,

I have always believed that the conservative takeover of the SBC was about conservative Baptist doctrine… However, I am fast being disillusioned of this notion…

Kevin said...

Nice blog. I'm not surprised by the IMB BOT decision, but I'm disappointed.

blessings,
Kevin
http://kevin.ph