Tried With Fire

This is another quote from The Whole Christ on another negative side effect of separating the benefits of the gospel from the Benefactor. The separation of the benefits of the gospel from Christ, who is the gospel, is also the mother of the many varieties of "multiple stage" Christianity in which a person can enjoy some, but not necessarily all, of the discrete blessings. Thus one may experience an abstractable "second blessing"; or alternatively enjoy the blessings of salvation without obedience, having Christ as Savior but not (at least not yet) as Lord. But this, as Calvin noted, is to "rend asunder" the Savior. What Marrow theology grasped was the New Testament's stress on the fact that when we are "in him," we possess Christ himself; all spiritual blessings are ours immediately and simultaneously "in him." Yes, this is true eschatologically - in the sense that their full realization awaits glorification. But, nevertheless...

Whenever someone implies that there are multiple tiers to salvation, I get suspicious. It's mainly due to a "once bitten twice shy" reaction to the deeper life/early Keswick theology which informed 40 years of my Christian life. This is one teaching that will rob you of your assurance and confidence in Christ. Why? Because there is an "initial" salvation that gets you in the door - forgiveness of your sins, but you need to haul yourself to the next level by your surrender. The act of surrender also needs to be a surrender in itself because "you" aren't supposed to do anything. Only "Christ" can. This becomes such a mess of spiritual pulse-taking to check if you are sufficiently dead to yourself. It then produces an underlying fear that never goes away because if you don't reach the next level, your acceptance into the kingdom is at stake. This particular twist is courtesy of the partial rapture teachings of D.M. Panton, and G.H. Lang....