By johninnc
2 Corinthians 4:3-4: But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
We have featured a number of articles over the years that document the ways in which the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) undermines the gospel, and how their current leader does not appear to even be consistently anchored to anything at all. See select articles linked below:
Lordship Salvation: Southern Baptist Conventional Wisdom
Lordship Salvation: SBC Leadership Seeking Unity
Lordship Salvation’s J.D. Greear: The Situational Calvinist
In discussing some of this with my son, who was an advertising major in college, he made a very insightful comment: “The SBC is a brand.”
I decided to do a little research on what constitutes a brand, and I happened onto an article entitled “Defining What a Brand is: Why is it So Hard?” (from Emotive Brand).
The article gave some various definitions of brand, including:
David Ogilvy, the “Father of Advertising,” defined brand as “the intangible sum of a product’s attributes.
The Dictionary of Brand defines brand as “a person’s perception of a product, service, experience, or organization.”
Marty Neumeier, author and speaker on all things brand, defines brand by first laying out what a brand is not: “A brand is not a logo. A brand is not an identity. A brand is not a product.” Neumeier goes on to say that “a brand is a person’s gut feeling about a product, service, or organization.”
Perhaps, then, this last definition best fits the brand refinement currently going on within the SBC.
Following are excerpts from an article from The Washington Post entitled “Prominent Southern Baptists are dropping ‘Southern’ name amid racial unrest”:
The 50,000 Baptist churches in the convention are autonomous and can still choose to refer to themselves as “Southern Baptist” or “SBC.” But in his first interview on the topic, convention president J.D. Greear said momentum has been building to adopt the name “Great Commission Baptists,” both because of the racial reckoning underway in the United States and because many have long seen the “Southern Baptist” name as too regional for a global group of believers.
My comment: The SBC developed its name for political reasons and it will change its name for political reasons. The only thing consistent, throughout its history, is its embrace of the false gospel of Lordship “salvation” (LS) and its intent to be economically and politically relevant. The Great Commission refers to preaching the gospel around the world, not the false gospel Calvinist/LS substitute promulgated by the SBC.
“Our Lord Jesus was not a White Southerner but a brown-skinned Middle Eastern refugee,” said Greear, who this summer used the phrase “Black lives matter” in a presidential address and announced that he would retire a historic gavel named for an enslaver. “Every week we gather to worship a savior who died for the whole world, not one part of it. What we call ourselves should make that clear.”
My comment: Greer says that Jesus died for the whole world, but he will not take a stance against Calvinism within the SBC. One of Calvinism’s false tenets is that Christ died only for people whom God predestined to come to faith in Christ (limited atonement). Further, the SBCs false gospel of works is not compatible with the Great Commission, even nominally.
While theology hasn’t changed, he said, what does need to change is the culture of the convention: “We as Baptists want to be defined by 2025, not by 1845.”
My comment: The SBC’s theology was wrong then and it is wrong now. They are simply attempting to whitewash their brand to make their false gospel more palatable to the present culture.
So, back to the definition of brand: a person’s gut feeling about a product, service, or organization: No matter how the SBC, including the new and improved SBC makes you feel, their brand has nothing to do with the Great Commission or Christianity.
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Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Unlike the SBC, the gospel of Jesus Christ is not a brand to be repackaged to keep up with public sentiment. It is the good news of God’s plan of salvation for a fallen world.
If you would like to how to have eternal life, click here: THE GOSPEL
Notes From A Retired Preacher 
Keith, yeah. LS is a war against the gospel, a war against our language, and a war against common sense.
John, in keeping with LS doctrine, maybe if you ate that pizza without earning it, then you never ate it to begin with.
I recently received an e-mail from Domino’s Pizza that said:
“We hope you enjoyed your free Domino’s Pizza. You earned it!”
My comment: you can’t earn something that’s free. This seems to have escaped Domino’s, as well as the SBC.
Kate, I’m with you, so happy to be free from all of that bondage.
Alan, great observation on the word being most often translated, teach, taught or instruct.
Jason, understanding some Greek can be useful, but like anything else it can be misused.
They do a lot of Greek sleuthing. They make every Greek word mean what no word ever means in plain speech. They insult our intelligence.
Jason, not sure. I have seen lots of different ways that people define things. Our eternal life begins the moment we believe in Jesus as Savior, and peoples’ qualitative experiences will vary.
John 3:15-16: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
The attack on eternal life takes a new front: they say eternal does not mean eternal. Eternal life now means a quality of life of an age. Where do they come up with this nonsense?
Chas, I’m thinking the false gospels/ecumenism is how they achieve their head counts.
And, you’re right. If they get the gospel wrong, it is better that they teach less instead of more.
In most denominations today (and apparently, the SBC as well), it’s all about the head count, not about preaching the Gospel. Otoh, given church-wide nonsense and false “gospels” (Turn from sin to be saved!), maybe it’s just as well that these churches NOT try so much to teach until they get the Gospel right.
Alan, I also think it is interesting that there is so much focus on “making disciples” instead of preaching the gospel. The word disciple(s) does not show up after Acts 21:16.
Anyone who has believed in Jesus as Savior has eternal life that can never be lost or forfeited. Accordingly, one can have assurance of eternal life if he has believed, without reference to anything else.
John 5:24: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
A well-worn cliché today that Southern Baptists love to bandy about is “God has not called us to make converts, but to make disciples”. There are a number of problems with this statement. For starters, is the false teaching that you or I can make anyone anything! This doctrine was derived from the mistranslation found in nearly every modern translation of Matthew 28:19. Where traditional texts read “teach all nations”, modern versions read “make disciples of all nations”. I did manage to find one minor translation that used disciple as a verb. But if you change disciple into a verb, wouldn’t it just be synonymous with the more commonly used word teach?
Secondly, there is this implied disparagement of the idea of being “merely” a new believer. Apparently, they chose to use the word convert in place of the word believer because it isn’t used in the New Testament as a noun and therefore aids them in creating this artificial distinction between a believer and a disciple. If you are a believer in Christ, then you belong to Him, and therefore you are His disciple! We have been made complete in Him (Colossians 2:10). Comparatively speaking, I may not be a good disciple, but I am still His disciple!
What does it mean to be converted? It means to be transformed with regard to what you believe. In Acts 3 Peter declared the Gospel to the crowd that had assembled following the healing of a lame man. Then, in verse 19 he declared “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that you sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord”.
Finally, I would like to point out that this current emphasis on “making disciples” (whatever that’s supposed to mean) indicates a redefining of the Great Commission from what it has traditionally been. Fifty years ago you couldn’t drive by a Southern Baptist church that didn’t declare in bold letters “Jesus Saves”! Granted, “Jesus Saves” is not a sufficient expression of the Gospel message. But, it is at least a true statement! In Mark 16:15 Jesus restates the Great Commission with these words: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
Kate, I am so thankful that you responded to the truth of God’s word over the deception taught by the purveyors of LS.
There are so many false teachers out there. As the late Jack Weaver used to say,”the woods is full of ’em.”
The delusion( LS and a man’s fleshy desire to save himself) that people labor under seem like an setup for the one world religion. It seems ominous.
TB, Redding, And any group affiliated with the “World’s preacher’s” (BG) progeny I mark and avoid. These men are grifters, wolves in sheep’s clothing, barring the gate of heaven to lowly sinners in need.
I labored under the delusion for too long believing I was saved when I was condemned already. I believe many of us did. Prayed 5/6 years ago that the Lord would show me the truth and He did because He is faithful.
His grace extended to me and I have been at rest since. No more laboring in vain to be a good, little.law keeper.
His yoke is easy and his burden is light.
Kate
Chas, I saw the adds and noticed Jonathon Cahn’s involvement and was hoping people would avoid it like the plague.
The recent tumult has brought these false teachers out of the woodwork.
Well, speaking of “Brand(s) on the Run”, it seems many of the usual denominational and “evangelical” LS suspects got together on the National Mall in D.C. to have a day of “prayer and repentance” last Fri/Sat. Some are calling it “The Return.”
With people like Franklin Graham and Anna Graham Lotz (daughter of Billy Graham) there, we can rest assured that the LS contingent of “American Christianity” laid their brand of “repentance” on thickly. With Jonathan Cahn leading the proceedings, the “America is a Christian Nation” ruse was accepted from the get-go.
Referring to America as “a nation that started under covenant with God 400 years ago”, Paul Strand also pushed the “Christian Nation” idea, noting “how America has fallen” since then, and how the whole idea that national repentance is necessary to bring about the coming global revival is so important. Another article by Strand on CBN News goes on about how a revival would have begun before now but “Christians rejected” such “spiritual” moves as the Toronto Blessing. (That sure tells me where Strand is coming from.)
What is “America” to repent of? The usual obvious sins: abortion, immorality, general Godlessness, apathy, etc. Then and only then can the predicted great revival come about. Seems God can’t touch people’s hearts with the Gospel without “enough Christians” praying, fasting, repenting and of course “being ready to share their faith” with everybody.
Strange thing (though not unexpected, given the people involved); what seemed to be missing is the one thing that the professing CHURCH in America and all over the world needs to repent of: the false LS “gospel” that is so widely preached. Whatever revival comes, it will be a false revival unless it’s based on the true Gospel of free grace. As I see it, this “return” thing will do nothing but obscure the true Gospel and put more well-intentioned people under bondage.
One more strange thing; I didn’t listen to the whole event’s proceedings, but I found it telling that in the video overview of the event by CBN News the Gospel was nowhere mentioned. Everything was about “feeling the presence”, “how it affected people”, and “what we need to do to bring the revival that judgmental Christians messed up because they didn’t accept the TB and other moves of God” blah-blah. I can’t say the Gospel was never presented during the two-day Washington DC remorse-fest, but if it came from the likes of FG, JK and others involved it would have been the tainted “gospel” of LS.
More and more, I’m thinking the only event that will cause a genuine world-wide revival will be the Rapture. Until then, the true Gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone will continue to trickle out until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in. Any day now…
Jason, the Bible is explicitly clear that assurance of eternal life rests solely on whether a person has believed in Jesus as Savior.
John 5:24: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
People look for assurance in all kinds of other ways that they think are necessary for them (is my life changing, am I more loving than I used to be, do I feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, am I manifesting gifts of the Holy Spirit, am I being persecuted for my faith, am I being chastened by God, am I more charitable than I used to be, am I sinning less than other people, do I like to pray as much as I should, do I enjoy reading scripture as much as I should, am I manifesting fruit of the Spirit, etc.).
None of these things are necessary for assurance, and the search for them, or focus on them for purposes of assurance of eternal life will backfire. It is also not loving of others for anyone to point them in these or other errant directions for assurance of eternal life.
The world (including the religious world of people who claim the name of Christ, but have never believed in Him as Savior) hates the truth of the gospel. By extension, the world hates those who have believed it. This is true even if they go around preaching peace, love, or justice.
Almost every detractor to this ministry has been a person who identifies as a Christian assailing the gospel message we teach as heresy. In most cases they will swear up one side and down the other that they believe that anyone who believes in Jesus has eternal life, with no works required. But, out of the other side of their mouths they will impose some other kind of test for assurance. Let me assure you: there is none!
The Bible is the word of God. It cannot contradict itself and be the word of God. I don’t claim to understand perfectly what everything in the Bible means, but I consider any interpretation of scripture in light of the following three clear tenets:
1. Is it consistent with eternal life by Grace alone through Faith alone in Christ alone?
2. Is it consistent with eternal security?
3. Is it consistent with assurance of eternal life, based on God’s promises alone (i.e., it is not internally-focused on changes in attitudes, behavior, etc.)?
If someone’s interpretation of any scripture renders an answer of “NO” to any of the above questions, it cannot be true. Any interpretation that answers “YES” to all three questions might be true.
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Pentecostals love to accuse believers of lacking the holy spirit, because they have zero desire for the Grift of Tongues and the funky, nasty, crooked works of the church (iniquity).
Sam, agree that Jesus loves everyone and thinks that all lives matter. Calvinists, even if they pay lip service to His love for all, have a warped view. And the SBC (at least the current leader) will take whatever position seems expedient at the moment.
Just my opinion but I think Jesus was all lives matter. Calvinism and SBC Nah I don’t see it.
Jason, there are some prominent SBC pastors that support each of the parties.
The SBC is an extension of the Demokkkrat Party. It’s the same people at the top.
Kate, I agree that the SBC follows whichever way the blows. They are not grounded in the gospel and their leaders are deceivers and likely deceived.
The SBC follows which ever way the wind blows because their doctrinal/core beliefs aren’t sound.
Reeds in the wind, the whole lot of them
I no longer use other “translations” or “interpretations” of the word of God as I lived too long with my mind fogged over with LS.
Keith, I agree that many of them misinterpret scripture due to their preexisting beliefs that aren’t found in scripture. Like you said, they are dangerous. As such, they should be exposed, marked and avoided.
John, many who know every jot and tittle of scripture are spiritually blind because they interpret scripture through a legalistic lens. They are dangerous to unbelievers and to those believers who are not grounded in the faith because they really seem to know what they are talking about and their teachings appeal to the flesh, so they seem spiritual.
“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matt. 6:22, 23)”
Holly, it’s hard to say why people are so easily given to deception.
A lot of the deceivers and the deceived seem to know every jot and tittle of scripture.
Some people sadly mistake the contemporary Christian costume for the full armor of God.
Johninnc, some of the ‘free grace’ movements have done the same. The church down the hill from me, a Bible church that came out of the original church I grew up in has split up. The senior pastor did the BLM talk from the pulpit and people needing to support them and repent from their sins etc.
I’m not sure how these pastors can be this naive or undiscerning. Are they just not in the strong meat of His Word? Or is it that they don’t know Him? I don’t know, but I’m glad I didn’t go there.
John Clendenon,
The ESV has some leanings, most on the board of the translation were reformed/lordship and it is most often used by the Calvinist/lordship group of pastors, JMac, Piper, Mohler, J.I. Packer,
It is endorsed by RC Sproul and Ligonier Ministries, Sinclair Ferguson, J. Ligon Duncan, III, Philip Graham Ryken, Michael Horton (Westminster), Mark Dever, John Piper, Francis Chan, Matt Chandler, Mohler, Chappell, Erwin Lutzer and more. The commentary in most of them is decidedly reformed.
If you are KJV preferred based on which scripts, the ESV uses different ones. The ESV takes a lot the RSV, which was done by the National Council of Churches (ecumenical/apostate) and also embraced by the Catholic church.
Holly, I suppose the SBCs “wet finger analysis” tells them the wind is blowing in the direction of “social justice” right now and they need to be in line with the broader world system if they want to maintain their economic and political influence.
Great article John, it sure is apparent that if people feel the need to re-brand themselves, something might have been wrong the first time (as you noted) and likely going to be wrong the second.
Consistency can only be found in abiding in Him and continuing in His Word. I suspect their concern is their pocketbook, as the book sales are likely ever present on their minds. And instead of recognizing organization of black lives matter, as the sinful, anti-God, anti-Christ group of leaders they are, they pander to them just like the politicians, athletes and celebrities (oh and the corporations who pay extortion money). These the Marxist trained and run founders practice necromancy and witchcraft, along with occult practices in pouring out libations and chanting the name of the dead. These same leaders encourage their followers to commit acts of violence and equip them to do it (teaching them how to assemble molotov cocktails, how to especially target white run businesses or white people in general, and tell them how to throw things to create destruction (frozen water bottles, bricks, stones, etc).
How a ‘Christian’ organization can see this as something they should pander to is beyond me, but this is what’s happening in the ‘social justice’ circles and the Calvinists will find ground with others and be ecumenical in the process in order to further their own goals.
John Clendenon, its always a challenge to ascribe motive to someone. But, irrespective of the motives of the translators, the ESV leans toward Calvinism/Lordship “salvation” in some of its passages and is popular with groups who do as well.
Do you think the ESV translation is intentionally Lordship?
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