Doctrinal Déjà Vu An Old Issue: Faith and Assurance

http://www.faithalone.org/news/y1989/89feb1.html ^ | Zane C. Hodges

[drstevej]

Doctrinal Déjà Vu
An Old Issue: Faith and Assurance

By Zane C. Hodges

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"What goes around, comes around," people often say. And though they rarely do so, they could say it about theological controversy, too!

Recently my attention was called to a hundred year old book entitled, Discussions by Robert L. Dabney, D.D., L.L.D., Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University of Texas, and for Many Years Professor in Union Theological Seminary in Virginia.² (I'm not kidding-all of that was part of the title!) The particular discussion I have in mind was one called "Theology of the Plymouth Brethren" (pp. 169-213). In this segment of the book, Dabney roundly criticizes the errors of Plymouth Brethren teaching.

Dabney himself was a Southern Presbyterian theologian, strongly committed to the Calvinist, or Reformed, system of his denomination. To read him here is like reading the contemporary debate about salvation. Virtually all the central issues are surfaced in Dabney's critique: the nature of saving faith, the grounds of assurance, sanctification and the two natures, etc.

Dabney is particularly adamant in rejecting the Plymouth Brethren view that assurance is of the essence of saving faith. But with a remarkable candor that we could use more of today, he traces this "error" to Luther and Calvin! Listen to this:

The source of this error is no doubt that doctrine concerning faith which the first Reformers, as Luther and Calvin, were led to adopt from their opposition to the hateful and tyrannical teachings of Rome...These noble Reformers...flew to the opposite extreme, and...asserted that the assurance of hope is of the essence of saving faith. Thus says Calvin in his commentary on Romans: "My faith is a divine and spiritual belief that God has pardoned and accepted me" (p. 173: italics in Dabney).

Following the discussion from which I have just quoted, there is another bearing the same title ("Theology of the Plymouth Brethren," pp. 214-228). In this one Dabney replies to a critical correspondent (M. N.), who had found fault with the previous discussion. Apparently, M. N. had objected to Calvin being charged with the view that assurance is of the essence of saving faith. Dabney replies that he still asserts: "That Calvin and Dr. Malan, and the Plymouth Brethren, hold a definition of saving faith which is, in one respect, contrary" to the Westminster Confession and to the Scriptures, as well as to the great body of the confessions of the Presbyterian Churches, and of their divines since Calvin's day" (p.215).

To M. N.'s apparent unwillingness to admit this, Dabney adds: ". . . for as sure as truth is in history, Luther and Calvin did fall into this error, which the Reformed churches, by the Westminster Confession, have since corrected" (p. 215)!

Quite an admission, don't you agree?

To drive the final nails into the coffin of M. N.'s argument, Dabney goes on like this:

He [Calvin] requires everyone to say, in substance, I believe fully that Christ has saved me. Amidst all Calvin's verbal variations, this is always his meaning; for he is consistent in his error. What else is the meaning of that definition which M. N. himself quotes from the Institutes: "Our steady and certain knowledge of the divine benevolence toward us." But I will show, beyond all dispute, that the theological "Homer nodded," not once, but all the time on this point. See the Institutes, Book III, Chap. II, Sec. 16. "In short, no man is truly a believer, unless he is firmly persuaded that God is a propitious and benevolent father to him. . .and feel an undoubted expectation of salvation"
(p. 216; italics in Dabney).

Other quotations from Calvin follow, in Dabney's text, but my space here does not allow me to quote them.

But what is Dabney's view? It is the typical Reformed view that works are needed to verify my faith. The hopeless quagmire into which Reformed theology plunges its adherents is neatly (though unwittingly stated) by Dabney:

There is a spurious as well as a genuine faith. Every man, when he thinks he believes, is conscious of exercising what he thinks is faith. Such is the correct statement of these facts of consciousness. Now suppose the faith, of which the man is conscious, turns out a spurious faith, must not his be a spurious consciousness? And he, being without the illumination of the Spirit, will be in the dark as to its hollownes
(pp 180-181; italics in Dabney).

What a tragic position! The believer in Christ cannot know whether his belief is genuine or spurious. He must, therefore, search for a way to have faith in his faith--to believe that he has believed. But what if, after self-examination, he is wrong there, too?

Obviously, the kind of theology Dabney represents strips believers of their grounds of assurance and dangles them over an abyss of despair.

But, as you can see, we are not the first people to fight this battle over assurance. Calvin fought it, long ago, with Rome.

[drstevej]

What is the basis for one's own assurance?

This article debates whether assurance is a part of faith or whether it is the result of examination of fruit in one's life.

I believe it is both.

[drstevej]

How about a Protestant thread amid the "Diocese of FR" ??

[CARepubGal]

Great idea! :)

[Revelation 911]

This article debates whether assurance is a part of faith or whether it is the result of examination of fruit in one's life.

Dominus Dominus Dominus brother Steve

I'd agree, but personally consider the emphasis on faith.

Id question the ""fruits" aspect for the fact Im not entirely confident that the average "Sunday" Christian exhibits many of them. Not many of them can tithe, let alone consider the issue introspectively.

Rather I think the assurance stems from a fullness of the Spirit and a warming of the heart in which those evidences are apparent to everyone else - not just the goob reviewing his own fruits.

If I have a basket of oranges and all are rotten to varying degrees - arent the semi rotten ones appealing - if thats all there is to eat?

So IMO - if the fruits are apparent AND it is based on a fullness of faith through the atoning sacrifice of Christ and the resurrection -then yes, we have that "assurance"

Can I stop now - my head hurts

[Revelation 911]

How about a Protestant thread amid the "Diocese of FR" ??

Saints be praised !

uh - mmm Jesus be praised !

I dont know what came over me

oh yeah - Im an "arminian romanist" - LOL

hows the weather

[jude24]

I'm suprised the Plymouth Brethren made it into an article here....

It's not like they're THAT big....

[Jerry_M]

I am also in the "both" camp, and believe that Dabney, while good in so many other areas, is splitting hairs here.

Of course, we have only the snippets that the article writer provides, and could probably profit from reading the entirety of Dabney's arguments.

[Corin Stormhands]

bookmarked for later.

[fishtank]

Steve, have you heard about Joseph (Jody) Dillow's book "THe Reign of the Servant Kings"?

You can probably find summaries on the web. In a nutshell, he says in the book that our assurance is based on the finished work of Christ, but that our works determine only the degree of reward in heaven.

With apologies to Jody Dillow, I hope I summarized your thesis correctly.

Dillow, by the way, went to Dallas TS in the good old days.

[fishtank]

I think too many of the Protestants on FR are taking a breather after the recent events.

[drstevej]

I know Jody, went to Israel with him in 1974.

*** In a nutshell, he says in the book that our assurance is based on the finished work of Christ***

I think you mean...

***In a nutshell, he says in the book that our SECURITY is based on the finished work of Christ***

Assurrance is a separate issue.
SECURITY = All true believers will make it to heaven.
ASSURRANCE = I know I am a true believer.

[drstevej]

***I think too many of the Protestants on FR are taking a breather after the recent events. ***

Hope they will return.

[drstevej]

Your comment sent me to google.

Dabney (1820-1898) was familiar with the Brethren through his friendship with George Mueller (Open Brethren). Mueller in turn had been influenced by a pamphlet "Christian Devotedness" written by by Anthony Norris Groves, an early Brethren leader.

Dabney wrote an essay, "Theology of the Plymouth Brethren" in the first volume of his "Discussions: Evangelical and Theological" (pp.169-228).

[jude24]

That's intriguing.

I've encountered discussions on Darby as I peruse Reformed sites (no suprise there, since he pretty much developed/invented the idea of Dispensational eschatology), but I've never seen any discussion of the Brethren except from PB sites.

Interesting...

[fishtank]

"I know Jody, went to Israel with him in 1974."

Small world.......

Thanks for the clarification on security vs assurance!

[jboot]

Some of us are just lurking, waiting for juicy thread to reel us in. ;-)

[computerjunkie]

My assurance of salvation: Romans 10:8-13:

But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,

for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Hi cj,

In Philippians 2:12 Paul preaches the following to the Christian community: "So then, my dearly beloved, obedient as always to my urging, work with anxious concern to achieve your salvation, not only when I happen to be with you but all the more now that I am absent."

Why would Paul say this to a bunch of people who were already Christians?

[nickcarraway]

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

but...

"Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (Mattew 7:21-23)

[don-o]

This article debates whether assurance is a part of faith or whether it is the result of examination of fruit in one's life.

It's a nice find, Doc.

And, it requires some soul searching and intellectual honesty. One of many reasons I left the Protestant confession, was this exact splinter in my brain.

I would go along for time, coosidering I was saved. But, then, I would read a book, or hear a sermon and would have a spiritual crisis.

Actually, both sides in y'all's various Protestant arguments have points. But, it is all so subjective.

What compelled me to Orthodooxy was the Scripture that "God is not the Author of confusion.