Louis Berkhof (1873-1957) was a Reformed theologian, yet Free Grace authors consistently cite him in support of their “a change of mind” definition of repentance.1 Why is this? I have already pointed out several reasons for this in my article: “Free Grace Theology: 6 Ways Grudem Misrepresents Biblical Repentance” (see # 5: “Grudem misrepresents Reformed theologian Louis Berkhof”). I won't repeat those reasons in this article, but here I want to mention yet another statement by Berkhof showing that he does indeed understand repentance in the Bible in the sense of “a change of mind”. Notice what Berkhof says in his Systematic Theology under the heading “THE SCRIPTURAL VIEW OF REPENTANCE”:
“According to Scripture repentance is wholly an inward act, and should not be confounded with the change of life that proceeds from it. Confession of sin and reparation of wrongs are fruits of repentance.” 2
These statements by Louis Berkhof concerning repentance are indeed (as Charles Bing says in his book Lordship Salvation: A Biblical Evaluation and Response) “supporting comments” to the biblical understanding of repentance as “a change of mind” !
ENDNOTES:
1 See G. Michael Cocoris, Evangelism: A Biblical Approach (Chicago: Moody Press, 1984), p. 68; Cocoris, Repentance: The Most Misunderstood Word in the Bible (Santa Monica, 2003), p. 10; Charles Bing, Lordship Salvation: A Biblical Evaluation and Response (Xulon Press: 2010), pp. 69, 82.
2 Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1996), p. 487. First published in 2 volumes by the William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. Introductory Volume to Systematic Theology, 1932. Systematic Theology, 1938. Combined edition with new preface, 1996 by the William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. Note: As I alluded to above, both G. Michael Cocoris and Charles Bing quote this exact statement by Berkhof.
John, is beleiving the Trinity neccessary for salvation? I have no doubt beleiving Jesus is God is neccessary, but what about the Trinity? I'm trying to witness to someone, and I'm at the point where I'm telling them how to beleive on Jesus to salvation. How do I fit the trinity into this part?
ReplyDeleteI would not say that believing the Trinity is necessary for salvation because I just don't see that requirement in the Bible. But believing Jesus is God — yes, that's necessary according to the Bible (see Jn. 20:30-31; 1 Cor. 15:3-5, etc.).
ReplyDeleteBut isn't any heresy regarding God's nature going to cancel your salvation? You can't beleive in the wrong God and be saved right?(btw all these new comments from "unknown" is Jeff. Good to be able to talk with you again.)
ReplyDeleteHi Jeff,
ReplyDeleteGood to talk to you too. Thanks for the question--it's an interesting one. Here's how I would answer it:
The unsaved don't have to pass an exam in theology in order to get to heaven. Would any of us be smart enough to get to heaven if that were the case? Very few, I think. The Bible says lost sinners need to believe the Gospel in order to be saved (Rom. 1:16; Eph. 1:13; 1 Cor. 4:15, 1 Cor. 15:1; 2 Thess. 1:8-9, etc.)--that's God's requirement as to how much knowledge a lost person needs in order to get to heaven.
I like what Charles Ryrie has written in this regard. I'm going to quote a statement by Ryrie from his book Balancing the Christian Life. There is a chapter in that book titled "Must Christ Be Lord to Be Savior?" and Ryrie is writing in that context. But I think what he says also answers your question because you are asking about how much information on top of or in addition to the Gospel does a person have to believe in order to get saved? And the answer of course is that a lost person doesn't have to believe any additional information above and beyond the simple Gospel message in order to get to heaven. Now, we have to avoid the other extreme also which is not telling the lost person enough information to get to heaven. They must hear the Gospel! This is what Paul talks about in Romans 10:14 when he asks, "How can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without a messenger?" But let me get back to your question which has to do with more information above and beyond the simple Gospel message of Christ crucified, buried, raised, manifested (see 1 Cor. 15:1-5). Here's the quote by Charles Ryrie that I mentioned earlier--Ryrie writes the following:
"Does this emphasis on the deity of Christ mean that the phrase Lord Jesus includes no other connotations in the term Lord? Definitely not, but it does mean that deity is the principal emphasis and the focal point of faith as far as salvation from sin is concerned. To be sure, Lord includes other ideas....For example, the Lord God is also the Creator. Must one believe that the Lord is his personal Creator in order to be saved? Or again, the Lord is the Judge. Must one believe in Christ as the One who will judge him in order to be saved? Or again, the Lord is the Sovereign of all things. In order to be saved must one acknowledge Him as the Sovereign of his personal life any more than he should acknowledge Him as the Sovereign of Israel or of the world or of the millennial kingdom? In other words, if the gospel of the Lord Jesus includes Lordship over my life, it might very well also include the necessity of believing He is my Creator, Judge, coming King, Example, Teacher, and so forth, on and on, to include every attribute of Deity and every aspect of the perfect humanity of the Lord Jesus. While the words Lord Jesus do not exclude any of these things, the emphasis the Bible gives to these words (as we have tried to show from Acts 2, for instance) is on His being the God-Man, Man in order to die, and God to make that death effective for the remission of sins. Where do you stop if you start adding something else to this which is the gospel revealed in the Bible? If you add lordship over life, what right have you to include only that? And if you add to the gospel other ideas included in the word lord, why not add the other ideas included in the name Jesus? And, of course, if you do any of this, you complicate the gospel beyond comprehension and effectiveness." (Ryrie, Balancing the Christian Life, pp. 176-177.)