How the Late R.C. Sproul Sr.'s Ministry Indirectly Helped Me a Lot in My Later Christian Life
Years back, I remembered I was more of an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist, I was sort of allergic to Calvinism and had a severe misunderstanding of what Lordship salvation really meant and how the term has been lost in confusion all these years. After reading through Theopedia and some of Dr. John F. MacArthur's articles on Grace to You, I soon ran into who I may consider my favorite apologists and preachers - Robert Charles Sproul Sr. or R.C. Sproul Sr. for short. I may be a King James Onlyist but I still have respect for this man.
It saddens me and makes me glad at the same time he's gone. I'm sad because I won't be hearing any new sermon any time soon. I'm glad because it's time to be present with the Lord. Although I have never met him in this life but I'm glad for all the sermons that he has prepared. The moment I shifted from fundamentalism to Reformed was a big shift in my life.
I remembered picking up some of his books namely Now That's A Good Question, Defending the Faith, Understanding Scripture and The Holiness of God. These are but a few books I've read considering that I was more into Dr. MacArthur's books. Then I started listening to Ligonier where I got several highlights of Church history. It was a very scholarly approach which replaced my conspiracy theorist approach in learning how to refute Roman Catholicism.
It touched me to think that Dr. MacArthur also wrote a tribute to him. Me and Dr. MacArthur are Baptists and I personally once misunderstood him no thanks to some crazy "Baptist" conspiracy site that I'm no longer reading. I'm now thinking of these words by Dr. MacArthur for his dear friend:
It saddens me and makes me glad at the same time he's gone. I'm sad because I won't be hearing any new sermon any time soon. I'm glad because it's time to be present with the Lord. Although I have never met him in this life but I'm glad for all the sermons that he has prepared. The moment I shifted from fundamentalism to Reformed was a big shift in my life.
I remembered picking up some of his books namely Now That's A Good Question, Defending the Faith, Understanding Scripture and The Holiness of God. These are but a few books I've read considering that I was more into Dr. MacArthur's books. Then I started listening to Ligonier where I got several highlights of Church history. It was a very scholarly approach which replaced my conspiracy theorist approach in learning how to refute Roman Catholicism.
It touched me to think that Dr. MacArthur also wrote a tribute to him. Me and Dr. MacArthur are Baptists and I personally once misunderstood him no thanks to some crazy "Baptist" conspiracy site that I'm no longer reading. I'm now thinking of these words by Dr. MacArthur for his dear friend:
I’m a committed Baptist premillennialist; he was a steadfast Presbyterian with somewhat fluid eschatological opinions. But we agreed on far more than we ever disagreed—especially when it came to the core issues of soteriology and the five Reformation solas. Over the years we stood shoulder to shoulder in full agreement through several major theological controversies. We defended the principle of sola fide against both antinomians and legalists in the lordship debate; we fought for sola gratia and opposed ecumenical compromise when influential evangelical leaders were promoting “Evangelicals and Catholics Together.” We challenged charismatic and continuationist efforts to downgrade sola Scriptura and redefine the sufficiency of Scripture. We stressed the principle of solus Christus in response to the neo-Socinianism of the Emergent movement, “postmodern Christianity,” and the troubling erosion of evangelicalism’s willingness to declare that Christ is the only way of salvation. We shared the same convictions on the vital doctrines of human depravity, substitutionary atonement, the sovereignty of God, and the authority, sufficiency, and inerrancy of Scripture. Above all, we shared an unshakable conviction that all glory belongs to God alone (soli Deo gloria).
For one, I'm not a Baptist brider myself. I'm a Baptist and Sproul is a Presbyterian and we're both family and part of the Church. I have Christian friends who are Evangelicals. Even if I'm a Baptist I found no reason not to read through Sproul's writings. Charles H. Spurgeon commended heartily the commentary of Matthew Henry - where one is a Baptist and the other is a Presbyterian. Dr. MacArthur also honored other great preachers who weren't into Calvinism or Baptists such as Vernon McGee and Aiden W. Tozer.
For now, I may devote myself to finding more books by Sproul and read "Chosen by God" or any book about the Reformation. I really found him in helping me defend vital truths such as defeating the stupidity of Antinomianism, the truth of eternal security and that true faith results to works. This is all about true and false conversions. Being called to salvation is a call to discipleship. Are you saved? Then you are a disciple. Are you saved? Then obedience will start to grow. That's what he kept fighting and he's fought a good fight.
For now, I may devote myself to finding more books by Sproul and read "Chosen by God" or any book about the Reformation. I really found him in helping me defend vital truths such as defeating the stupidity of Antinomianism, the truth of eternal security and that true faith results to works. This is all about true and false conversions. Being called to salvation is a call to discipleship. Are you saved? Then you are a disciple. Are you saved? Then obedience will start to grow. That's what he kept fighting and he's fought a good fight.
Rest in Praise, R.C. Sproul Sr.