Sectarian Inconsistencies
On every hand it becomes more and more apparent that sectarian preachers cannot preach or write without revealing their inconsistencies. Their statements are full of self-contradictions; what they say on one point contradicts some other point of their theology. The following is another example of such sectarian inconsistencies.
James MacKrell, writing in Orthodox Baptist Searchlight of March 10, 1942, on the subject, "The Bible Way Of Justification," makes the following statement:
This great blessing of justification brings us into a daily life before God where nothing ruffles our peace nor anything can cause us to lose our favor in God's sight, and because we get this first blessing from God, it guarantees that we shall receive all other blessings we shall ever need as long as we live on this earth and through all the years of eternity."
This statement is in perfect harmony with the Baptist doctrine of "once in grace, always in grace." This writer declares that if we are justified before God, there is not anything that "can cause us to lose our favor in God's sight." We can just commit any crime beneath the stars and God will still hold us in his favor. And furthermore, this first blessing of justification, Mr. MacKrell claims, "guarantees that we shall receive all other blessings we shall ever need." That doesn't leave a single thing out, every blessing we shall ever need—for how long? Through all time and throughout all eternity. So "this first blessing" certainly carries a high-powered guarantee, according to this. But this guarantee seems to fail when we read another article from the pen of the same writer. In the same issue of the paper the same Mr. MacKrell, under the title, "Billy Goat Religion Is The Damnation Of Baptists," says:
"When Satan can't stop he resorts to hindering and unless Baptist preachers are awakened to the danger of this hour and the peril that confronts Baptists everywhere, we are doomed and damned in the sight of God and Man."
I am curious to know, if Baptists cannot do anything "to cause them to lose favor in God's sight," how in the world they could become "doomed and damned in the sight of God and man." And MacKrell actually emphasized this last statement by putting it in large capitals. It seems to me if Baptists can become "doomed and damned in the sight of God," they can "lose favor in God's sight." But maybe they can be "doomed and damned" and have divine favor at the same time. And if "this first blessing" guarantees to Baptists that they "shall receive all other blessings" they "shall ever need," how on earth could "the danger of this hour" and "the peril that confronts Baptists everywhere" exist? How could such danger and peril exist in the face of such a lasting guarantee? Here is where some Baptists, afflicted with what MacKrell calls "Billy Goat Religion," could so some more butting. In fact, I think MacKrell has strong symptoms of the religion he talks about, and he might have a spell of butting, somewhat after this fashion: "Nothing can cause us to lose our favor in God's sight" but "we are doomed and damned in the sight of God and man." "Justification guarantees that we shall receive all other blessings we shall ever need" but "we should awaken to the danger of this hour and the peril that confronts Baptists everywhere."
A further addition to this inconsistency is made by the following statement in the same article:
"If a Baptist preacher commits a theft, gets drunk, commits adultery or is guilty of some immoral conduct he ought to be called by name, exposed and kicked out. But until a charge has been proven against him, spiritually, physically or mentally in writing, before the church in the manner prescribed by the New Testament, it must make angels weep, and all hell shout in fiendish glee to see the way Baptist preachers tear at one another by insinuation or outright defamation."
I ask: When Baptist preachers commit these immoral practices they should be kicked out of what? Surely not out of the favor of God, for Mr. MacKrell said the blessing of justification puts them where nothing can happen that would take them out of God's favor. So, according to this, they can commit a theft, get drunk, commit adultery and all other immoral acts of conduct and still be in the favor of God. So why should they be kicked out? And what should they be kicked out of? Does he mean they should be kicked out of the Baptist Church? If God is willing for them to live in heaven with him, despite all their immoral conduct, surely they would be good enough for membership in the Baptist Church. Or is the Baptist Church purer, holier and better than heaven? And since the "first blessing of justification" guarantees to them all other blessings they will ever need, not only in time but in all eternity, I am wondering why such conduct would made "angels weep" and why "all hell" would "shout in fiendish glee." One of the other blessings that will be needed is eternal life in heaven, and if such is unconditionally guaranteed to them. I can see no reason for the angels to weep. And if hell shouts in fiendish glee, it is all a hollow, empty shout; these men are already out of the reach of hell, and they can do all the wickedness that might be committed by the devil himself and still go to heaven. Would that make all the inhabitants of hell shout? Can't you see the inconsistency of Baptist preachers?