Pilgrim
As I went to the links, especially the one concerning John MacArthur, I couldn’t help thinking that John Robbins was either misunderstanding MacArthur, or deliberately misrepresenting him.
My understanding of what MacArthur is basically saying can be said by the old Reformed saying (forgive me if I butcher it, as it is from memory): ``Salvation is by faith alone, in Christ alone, but not by a faith that is alone."
Two verses that I like that captures this is James 2:18-19 “ But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” NKJV
Verse 20 makes these verses hit home. “But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead.” NKJV
If true justifying faith doesn’t produce works, then we must conclude from verse 19, that demons would be justified, because they have that kind of faith. Yet they tremble and are not justified!
Here is what John Gill says concerning James 2:18.
Yea, a man may say, thou hast faith, and I have works
That is, a true believer in Christ may very justly call upon a vain boaster of his faith, who has no works, to give proof and evidence of it, and address him after this manner; you say you have faith, be it so that you have; I have works, you see I have, I say nothing about my faith at present; now,
shew me thy faith without thy works,
if thou canst; see what ways, means, and methods thou canst make use of, to make it appear to me, or any other, that you have the faith you talk of: the words are a sort of sarcasm and jeer upon the man, and yet very just, calling upon him to do that which is impossible to be done, and thereby exposing his vain boast; for faith is an inward principle in the heart; an hidden thing, and cannot be seen and known but by external acts; and where it is right, it is operative, and shows itself by works, which is not practicable in those who have none:
and I will show thee my faith by my works;
there may be indeed an appearance of good works, where there is no faith, as in the Heathens, in the Scribes and Pharisees, and in the Papists, and others; and on the other hand, there may be the principle of faith implanted, where there is not an opportunity of showing it by a series of good works, or a course of godly living, as in elect infants dying in infancy, and in those who are converted in their last moments, as the thief upon the cross; wherefore works are not infallible proofs and evidences of faith, yet they are the best we are capable of giving of it to men, or they of receiving. In short, works may deceive, and do not infallibly prove truth of faith, yet it is certain, that where they are not, but persons live in a continued course of sinning, there cannot be true faith.
Would it be fair to conclude that John Robbins doesn’t agree with John Gill and his commentary on the verse? Therefore, he could not agree with people like John MacArthur?

I am a person who has been helped by people who point out error. However, I have noticed that in some people who have ministries that point out error, they often take quotes with out using the full context. Therefore misrepresenting what the person had in mind.
In some cases, I have also found that the original authors may not have used the best wording. However, rather than seeking clarification by further reading etc... the critique often jumps on the statement to try to show just how unbiblical that person is.

Tom

Last edited by Tom; Fri May 03, 2013 12:46 AM.