Who Said That?

"The biblical picture of a saving experience is masterful in its clarity and simplicity. A single, one-time appropriation of God's gift results in a miraculous inward transformation that can never be reversed.

Since this is true, we miss the point to insist that true saving faith must necessarily continue.  Of course, our faith in Christ should continue.  But the claim that it absolutely must, or necessarily does, has no support in the Bible . . . . It is sufficient to observe that the Bible predicates salvation on an act of faith, not on the continuity of faith."

Leave your guess in the comments section below.  Please no google searches or cheating. 

Update on Saturday, July 19, 2008 at 03:52PM by Kim Riddlebarger

This is a quote from Zane Hodge's book, Absolutely Free, (p. 63) which was a reply to John MacArthur's "Lordship salvation" position.  In one short quote Hodges succeeds in turning faith into a human work (a one-time appropriation), he denies the perseverance of the saints (faith need only occur, not continue), and he makes the act of faith (not Christ) the ground of our salvation.

Would that every theologian be able to accomplish so much in so few words! 

Comments

[Stan McCullars]

Zane Hodges

[KyleinWI]

Almost anyone from DTS. I will say Hodges, maybe even C.Stanley?

[DB]

Well, it is about salvation by faith (kind of), so that pretty much leaves out Joel Osteen and the word of faith teachers.

[John Yeazel]

This Who Said That? blog is a great way to learn theology. It forces you to examine the subtleties of thinking which come into clear focus in these quotes. How we tend to twist and interpret the scriptures and Christian Theology to fit our subjective thinking rather than some objective confession and long held doctrinal beliefs. I have learned a lot just by reading the comments. This last one has to come from someone in the "carnal Christian" crowd. The Jesus as Savior or Lord debate. I do not know many names of the theologians in that crowd but I know some of the main sources of this thinking are Watchman Nee and E. Stanley Jones. This type of theology runs rampant in the Charismatic movement.

[Wayne Rohde]

Any number of folks in the Grace Evangelical Society, who (as I see it) fail to understand either the nature or duration of genuine faith (cf. I Cor. 15:1,2; Col. 1:21-23; Heb. 3:6,14) ... and who have really oddball views of Jas. 2:14-26.

On the other hand, I wouldn't say that all DTS faculty promote such a fallacious view of faith. Buist M. Fanning, for example, contributed a wonderful article --fully supporting the classic Reformed view of faith which perseveres-- in his chapter in "Four Views of the Warning Passages in Hebrews" (Kregel).

[Danan Leab]

Zane Hodges at DTS.

[Coyle]

A 4-point Calvinist who picked the wrong point to disagree with?
I'll go with Dwight Moody, just to be contentious :)

[Paul C. Quillman]

Anyone of th epost modern emergent types. This one seems to fit Brian Mc Laren best.

I seem to blame all bad theology on the emergent church lately. Is that a problem?

Paul

[GrinningDwarf]

Sounds like Charles Stanley to me. At least, that's how I recall Stanley explaining 'eternal security' in his book of the same name.

[Chad V.]

My guess is Ryrie.

[Ivan]

I don't know that he is the author of this quote, but I vividly recall years ago hearing on my care radio while driving Chuck Swindoll stating it is only a change of mind, that Lordship Salvation denies salvation is by grace through faith one time given by God.

I recall thinking the DTS alliance was really hanging together regardless how clearly wrong they were. Yes, Faith alone justifies, but the Faith that justifies is not alone. According to James it is accompanied by works [saving Faith without works is dead]. Hearers of the word only are deceived not being doers of the Word. Jesus will say to those not bearing fruit to begin a life of obeying Christ, "Depart from me, I never knew you".
Just a few verses prior to this statement in Mt. 7 Jesus himself said you will know a tree by its fruit.

Swindoll has said things like this many times, but perhaps he is not the exact author of this quote, Kim?

[Ken Rapoza]

I know it's already been said, but it does sound like Zane Hodges to me.

[Randy]

My guess is Norman Geisler. Sounds like something he would say because I am in the middle of reading James White's book The Potters Freedom, which refutes Geisler's book Chosen But Free.