To Be Clear

I, Mark Pierson, hold to doctrinal positions that would earn me the moniker "L/S Calvinist". And though I differ with MacArthur on how he views 2 Corintians 13:5 I do not shy away from that label. In my spiritual and theological journey of the past 36 years my views that one coming to Christ MUST surrender to His Lordship as well as to His salvation in order to be saved have done nothing but to solidify. In this I differ greatly with the classic dispensationalists.

Over the past twenty years I have developed a great disdain for that system that teaches that only the Savior-hood of Christ should be preached to the lost, while His Lordship should be taught only to those already saved. I believe that it is wrong that they teach that there is such a thing as the "carnal Christian", one who can go on to live a life that is completely indifferent to the claims of Christ after having once made a profession of faith. I do not hold to the "once saved, always saved" mentality. I do not have any respect for a system that seems to throw all of Christ's Kingship into some future millenium, thus changing the biblical face of Christianity wherein Christ's Kingship is experienced within the heart and mind of the truely converted - a true Christian.

In short I fault the system of classic dispensationalism for having altered the face of biblical Christianity. They have put forth a view to the unsaved masses that Christianity is a ticket to Heaven, while watering down the truth that Christianity is discipleship, that one coming to Christ is taking upon themselves Christ's yoke - His rule in their lives - and has then and there become a learner of His ways.