Getting the Gospel Right

If you've been reading my blog, I had mentioned that I was reading a book entitled "Getting the Gospel Right, A Balanced View of Salvation Truth" by C. Gordon Olson.  I started diving into the book because of the renewed interest of the old arguments between Calvinism and Arminianism.  I have taking some time everyday to read some of this 300+ page book basiclly to better be able to clearify to others my personal understanding and stance on the scriptures when it comes to the doctrine of salvation.  I must say, this book has been a great help in defining my terms and knowing how to systematicly put the arguments together and sometimes take them apart.

The more I study both Calvinism and Arminianism the less I like both.  It is sad to me that people would think that you must be one or the other in the fact that both ideas are lend to the extremes of their respective views.  There is a chapter in the book that I have found to be a great help in my discipleship class and that is chapter 11, "Are we saved by discipleship."  I found this to be very helpful even in the midst of teaching this discipleship class.  There was a major clearification that was made.  There are many passages like Luke 14 where Christ is laying out ground rules for being his disciple. One must be careful not to take these as salvation passages because to do so is to have a works based salvation.  Therefore, salvation must be a separate event and conclusion drawn before the level of commitment discribed by the Lord in this passage and others like it.  I do believe and preach that salvation is the beginning of discipleship, but understanding that not all will reach this level of commitiment with the Lord.  This also helped to clearify the statements of Christ such as, "If a man would lose his life, he will save it."  Understanding that this is not a salvation passage brings the conclusion that a person doesn't know true life until it is given totally to the Lord.  "For He is our life!" 

I would encourage all that have questions to order a copy of the book from Amazon and give it a read.  A word of causion.  This is not a picture book.  This is a book of inductive study that can, at times, get pretty weighty.  If you have a hard time swimming in the deep end of truth.  This may not be the pool in which to dive.