Is Glenn Beck a Christian?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by RoyW on September 9, 2010 at 4:13am

Andrew,

I am not suggesting in anyway a works-based salvation. I am a grace alone person and will always be a grace alone person. I see that in Scripture. However, Scripture teaches that our lives must testify to the grace that is within us. I am concerned with the Christian church. We have lost our punch. Maybe the term is we have been neutralized. This shouldn't be. The power of His grace should transform our lives. His grace should cause radical changes. Our entire lives should be about Him.

I am one that believes our sins are covered. That doesn't mean that we are given the privilege to go out and live a life of sin. I am one that believes He has the rights to our lives. He canceled the written code against us, but now He owns us. We are His and His alone. His grace is powerful; why are we not getting the job done? What is wrong with our Christianized nations? Take a look at Britain. They are converting beautiful cathedrals into museums, etc. Virtually as many attend Mosques in that country as attend church. That is coming our way in America. Why was that not a Christian standing there calling us back to God? Could He not find one among us?

I turn on the TV to listen to some of our leading Christian speakers in America. I hear them saying how wonderful God wants this life for us to be. What??? Where does that message come from? Is that Christian theology? Is the prosperity message the way to turn this nation around? Is this what we have been reduced to? Are we too rich? Are we too comfortable?

I am tired of a weakened Christian voice. We must once again stand for righteousness, holiness. I, for one, am sick and tired of our school system pounding evolution down our children's throats while throwing out God. I am sick and tired of a media that pours pornography into our homes.

I am a grace man. I have been defending grace. I just don't want anyone to start thinking that I think that because I am a grace man that I believe that means our lives are not totally in Him and for Him. I believe His grace calls us to an even higher standard. I believe the life that has been saved by His grace shall be totally and radically changed. That is why I appreciate David's testimony so much. I see a life that was totally and radically changed. I have told him that he gives me hope.

Since Glenn Beck has identified himself as a Mormon, he has a lot of explaining to do to me before I will accept his testimony of salvation by grace. I know that one who has been saved by His grace will be more than just a political leader. He will scream to the heavens who Jesus is. He will never equate any other book with the one our Lord has given us.

However, why is the largest movement in our nation calling people back to God being led by a Mormon. What in the world is the real Church of Jesus Christ doing on Sunday mornings? Are we becoming the new entertaining capital with motivational speeches? His message is a message of grace. I am thinking we don't quite know what that means.

By His grace,
Roy

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Permalink Reply by The Shearer. on September 9, 2010 at 7:03am

Yes Ron you are right in that we are saved by grace alone , John 15 :16 You did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last.Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. We should be so grateful if we are chosen ,and if we are we should love our Father with everything we have and listen to James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word ,and so decieve yourselves.Do what it says. About Glenn Beck ,I wonder if he is living out Mark 9:35 Sitting down, Jesus called the twelve and said "if anyone wants to be first ,he must be the very last ,and the servant of all.'' this is just a thought ,not sure if its going anywhere,but thanks for your time,...blessings ....Andrew.

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Permalink Reply by JB on September 9, 2010 at 3:01pm

Quote
we are saved by grace alone

God Calls.= Grace ____His part.
You answer = Faith _____Your part.
So by Grace ye are saved, through Faith.

God calls; you don't answer = rebellion = Hell.

So Grace alone Will not save you, if it did; everyone would be saved,
[come let us reason together]
Faith alone will not save you, if it did; then Jesus need not to go to the cross. If Jesus did not go to the cross; then you would still be dead in your sins and have nothing to base your faith on.
We walk by faith; not by sight.

Maybe we need a little more knowledge of redemption.

By the way our sins are not just covered, they have been completely washed away: never to be remembered again.
My thoughts,
Joe

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Permalink Reply by RoyW on September 9, 2010 at 3:08pm

Good Job!

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Permalink Reply by The Shearer. on September 9, 2010 at 7:36pm

Thank you Joe and Amen ,with the help of you people here ,and the good Book ,I am starting to get a better idea of how salvation comes about .I do know for sure that i'm saved ,and its such a good thing to better understand more clearly how it came about, and in what order ,thanks again,and thank you Jesus .........Andrew.

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Permalink Reply by RoyW on September 10, 2010 at 3:45am

Joe,

I do agree with your statement. However, there is just one little part that I would like to tweak. You said:

God Calls.= Grace ____His part.
You answer = Faith _____Your part.
So by Grace ye are saved, through Faith.

You are absolutely correct that we are saved by grace through faith. The only thing I would comment on is the You answer = Faith______Your part.

Is that really our part? Can we take credit for that? Did that faith come from us? Is that really ours?

When a person is saying that he is saved by grace alone, he is basically saying that he is saved by God's grace and he is giving 100% credit to God. He is not taking any to himself. He knows he believes, but he also knows that faith was a gift from God and therefore he doesn't feel he can take any credit for his salvation.

However, I know that discussion has already been greatly discussed on other forums and wasn't the purpose of this one.

Maybe, I should change the title of the forum to: Please Pray for Glenn Beck. Jesus told us that there would be false Christs and false prophets arise bringing deception. Joseph Smith was a false prophet. Has he deceived the very elect? Is that even possible?

I pray that these people will come to know that in the beginning Jesus was with God and He was God.

God bless you all,
Roy

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Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on September 10, 2010 at 3:17pm

My brother Roy -

When I saw brother Joe's formula, I felt like pointing out the same thing you have, but the more I meditate on that particular portion (the "our part"), the more I feel we do no damage to the complete work of our Lord at the time He calls us and saves us, by stating that faith/believing is our part with a small explanation.

Ok - I'll try to explain what I just wrote haha

We have multiple verses where God tells us to believe (believe in some cases is synonymous to faith) and be saved. We are told that due to unbelief the Israelites perish in the dessert, but if we believe, we can enter the rest. We know that Grace starts the process and that grace carries with it a portion of faith that enables us to believe, which we freely do. We believe and want God at that intersection more than anything or anyone else. We really choose God, which is what He wants, hence providing for us the grace, the calling and faith for us to believe. When we do believe, it is fully me believing. God is not forcing me to believe at that point, though He does breakthrough any resistance to his presence in my heart, I may put up at the time of calling me.

hahaha I know, I know it gets a bit complicated because all this things are happening simultaneously and we can't really pinpoint what comes first in the process.

I remember struggling with the Spirit's conviction for what seems to me now to have been hours. I remember tossing and turning on my bed, until I could not resist the calling any longer.

What do you think?

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on September 10, 2010 at 3:25pm

David,

You didn't ask me, but I want to jump in on this and simply say AMEN! to your comment.

He calls, enables, convicts and we surrender to Him. I like the term surrender better than accept or receive. It is a yielding to His work in us and then aligning with Him as He moves in us.

Lord Bless,
LT

Permalink Reply by RoyW on September 10, 2010 at 7:53pm

David,

You will find much more support for your present position then you will for your previous one. If it is we that choose God, then I have completely misunderstood Scripture. I have yet to hear an explanation how someone can choose to believe. If God tells you to believe, you have to believe He is Who He says He is to respond. There is no question we are to grow in the faith. No, we do not choose to believe.

I will continue to give Him all the praise for my salvation. I do not take any credit.
Roy

Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on September 10, 2010 at 8:22pm

Ok my brother Roy,

Let me try again.

My position has not change, from my previous one to my present one. I have always believed that God called me, chose me and enable me to believe. Once that happened I truly repented, believed/surrender to Him. You see when I say we really do choose God; I don't mean it in the way I think you took it. He chose me, but once He works in my heart, really chose Him, by believing/surrendering to him.

So I am not saying I chose God initially, but I did choose him freely through irresistible Grace. I do not know about anyone else, but I could not resist His beautiful grace and at that point I believed in Him, which is what He wants from me. But I believe because He chose me. Hahaha I probably made a beautiful mess of things. :)

I know better than to make dogmas/doctrines out of my own experience, but I only have my born experience to go by and what I see in Scripture.

So I am not taking any credit from God, but I am saying that I truly surrendered/believe. Now - He chose me, so I am not talking about choosing Him, but believing.

I guess I am not explaining myself correctly bro, but I hope this helps you see what I am saying.

What say you now?

Permalink Reply by RoyW on September 10, 2010 at 9:09pm

Brother David,

What did you do to believe? Just how did you accomplish that? Did you listen to a wonderfully explained message from a preacher or individual? Did you attend a Bible class? What do you do to believe? Do you repress all your doubts? Do you grit your teeth and say seven times I believe, I believe, I believe... I have heard somewhere that if you confess something enough, it will come to be true.

Or, did you all of a sudden realize He was who He said He was? If so, that would have been the point that you would repent of all your sins. You would know that you are a sinner. You would know that you are in rebellion to the Holy Creator. You would be overwhelmed with guilt. You would know that judgment was at the door. You would cry out to the only One that could save you from that judgment.

However, how we came to that moment is not nearly as important that we did come to that point. That cry of desperation comes to all that believe. You know at that point that there is absolutely nothing good in you. You know there is nothing you have to give. You cry out to God for forgiveness. You become overwhelmed by that rush of deliverance that floods your soul. You bow to His love. You become lost in Him. You pledge your life to Him. You are set free from the bondage of sin and the Law. You have been saved by His grace.

Eph 2:4-5
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. NIV

David, you seem to be saying by your experience that you were wrestling with the option of believing or not believing. That is not possible. There is just no way you can make yourself believe.

What you are now teaching is called prevenient grace. This is the kind of statement I am talking about:

We know that Grace starts the process and that grace carries with it a portion of faith that enables us to believe, which we freely do.

Many good and wonderful people believe in this. It was John Wesley's answer to John Calvin. I greatly admire John Wesley. He was a man of conviction and faith. Who am I to argue with him?

God bless you brother,
Roy

Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on September 10, 2010 at 9:45pm

Beloved Roy,

First let me say that I love you, appreciate you and respect you very much. I like the fact that you are here trying to clarify what I am trying to state. I have said in the past that I am very familiar with previnient grace and though previent grace is right in the understanding that God starts the process of salvation previous to us seeking God, I do not adhere to what follows in their sequence. Mainly that one can resist or accept the effectual calling of God in our lives.

Since I am not explaining myself correctly. I will allow these brothers to do it for me. haha.

Check out the first statements made in this video by the host. He is going to ask the brothers in the panel the following:

"Is this related to what theologians call compatibelism? That human responsibility is genuine and real, right? When we preach the gospel to people. We are saying, YOU believe, not, not God makes you believe, we are saying to them genuinely they should believe..."

That is what I am saying. I genuinely believed and surrender to God, which is my part, but why did I believe/surrender, because God call me effectually and gave me faith to believe.


So are we finally on the same page my brother?

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