Rebecca Stark is the author of The Good Portion: God, the second title in The Good Portion series.
The Good Portion: God explores what Scripture teaches about God in hopes that readers will see his perfection, worth, magnificence, and beauty as they study his triune nature, infinite attributes, and wondrous works.
Monday, June 11, 2012 at 8:51PM 
Part III: Questions about Salvation
(Click through to read scriptural proof.)
Sunday, June 10, 2012 at 9:27PM 
This weekend I updated the theological term semi-Pelagian. The precise definition has been discussed lately because of a recent statement on the doctrine of salvation put forward by a group of Southern Baptists who are not fans of Calvinism.
Some have called the statement semi-Pelagian, or at least semi-Pelagian sounding.1 In response, its defenders have mostly denied this charge, with a few saying they really don’t care if it’s semi-Pelagian or not because they’re not bound by historical creeds anyway.
What is clear in all this is that not everyone shares the same definition of semi-Pelagianism. I looked up my Theological Term page on semi-Pelagianism and realized there wasn’t much there, so I decided to update it. I couldn’t find a whole lot to add, but I did find a little more info.
[Semi-Pelagianism] admitted that the whole human race is involved in the fall of Adam, that human nature is tainted with hereditary sin, and that all men are by nature inclined to evil and not able, apart from the grace of God, to complete any good work; but denied the total depravity of man, the guilt of original sin, and the loss of the freedom of the will.
As I see it, the semi-Pelagian bit in the so-called “traditional” statement on the doctrine of salvation is in Article 2 on the sinfulness of man:
We affirm that, because of the fall of Adam, every person inherits a nature and environment inclined toward sin and that every person who is capable of moral action will sin. Each person’s sin alone brings the wrath of a holy God, broken fellowship with Him, ever-worsening selfishness and destructiveness, death, and condemnation to an eternity in hell.
We deny that Adam’s sin resulted in the incapacitation of any person’s free will or rendered any person guilty before he has personally sinned. While no sinner is remotely capable of achieving salvation through his own effort, we deny that any sinner is saved apart from a free response to the Holy Spirit’s drawing through the Gospel.
That’s a pretty clear denial of the bondage of the will (We deny that Adam’s sin resulted in the incapacitation of any person’s free will) and inherited guilt (We deny that Adam’s sin … rendered any person guilty before he has personally sinned).
1In some places, the language of this document is confusing. It doesn’t use the precise language you’d expect in a well-written theological statement. Who knows what some of those sentences mean!
Sunday, June 10, 2012 at 8:27AM Tell me the old, old story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.
Tell me the story simply, as to a little child,
For I am weak and weary, and helpless and defiled.Refrain
Tell me the old, old story, tell me the old, old story,
Tell me the old, old story, of Jesus and His love.Tell me the story slowly, that I may take it in,
That wonderful redemption, God’s remedy for sin.
Tell me the story often, for I forget so soon;
The early dew of morning has passed away at noon.Tell me the story softly, with earnest tones and grave;
Remember I’m the sinner whom Jesus came to save.
Tell me the story always, if you would really be,
In any time of trouble, a comforter to me.Tell me the same old story when you have cause to fear
That this world’s empty glory is costing me too dear.
Yes, and when that world’s glory is dawning on my soul,
Tell me the old, old story:Christ Jesus makes thee whole.—A. Katherine Hankey
Other hymns, worship songs, sermons etc. posted today:
Have you posted a hymn (or sermon, sermon notes, prayer, etc.) today and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by contacting me using the contact form linked above, and I’ll add your post to the list.