Banned Books 412: Forde - The gospel, and only the gospel, spells the end of the hidden God
Oct 11, 2025
The hosts conclude their exploration of Gerhard Forde's insights on free will and theology. They dive into how personal experiences shape doctrinal beliefs and the distinction between gospel-centered conversion and performative religion. The discussion on Luther's assertion that everything not Christ leads to error is particularly striking. They also tackle the hiddenness of God and its implications for faith, emphasizing the need for unconditional preaching that confronts the bondage of the will. It's a deep yet engaging conversation about grace and the nature of salvation.
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Addiction Makes Bondage Tangible
- Donovan describes addicts as naturally sympathetic to bondage-of-the-will theology because they lived in literal bondage.
- Others default to denying their own bondage by idolizing work, children, or religion.
Demoniac's Simple, Powerful Testimony
- The healed demoniac simply told everyone, "Come and see," summarizing the creed without theology.
- Personal testimony (I was blind, now I see) becomes the most direct evangelism.
Free Will Outside Christ Is Not Neutral
- If Christ is the exclusive way, then what is not Christ is error, untruth, and death.
- Therefore a supposed neutral "free will" outside Christ is captive to error and cannot be the moral intermediate Erasmus imagines.
