Soteriology 101 w/ Dr. Leighton Flowers

If I tell my child that he should clean his room it does strongly imply that he could clean his room. This is basic common sense, but is it applicable to how God deals with humanity? Is the implication in scripture of “you should” mean that “you could?” I think we can all agree that “ought” strongly implies moral ability for all practical purposes, but is that a biblical reality in every instance? Sometimes the Bible defies our practical sensibilities and turns our reality upon its ear. Is that the case here? Do God’s expressions of what we SHOULD do imply that we actually COULD do it? For more on this go to: https://soteriology101.com/2018/12/06/does-should-always-imply-could-2/   To ORDER Dr. Flowers Curriculum “Tiptoeing Through Tulip” please click here: https://soteriology101.com/shop/ To listen to the audio only be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or one of the other podcast players found here: https://soteriology101.com/home/ For more about Traditionalism (or Provisionism) please visit www.soteriology101.com Dr. Flowers’ book, “The Potter’s Promise” can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Potters-Promis... Dr. Flowers’ book, “God’s Provision for All” can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Provision... To engage with other believers cordially join our Facebook group: https://m.facebook.com/groups/1806702... For updates and news follow us at: www.facebook/Soteriology101 Or @soteriology101 on Twitter Please SHARE on Facebook and Twitter and help spread the word! To become a Patreon supporter or make a one time donation: https://soteriology101.com/support/  

Dr. Leighton Flowers confronts Dr. James White's faulty critique of Dr. William Lane Craig (and other non-Calvinists). This is a condensed critique. To see the longer video going through each of Dr. White's points go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6giuVEM78Q Often we hear the objection that God is not obligated to have mercy on anyone. That’s true. However, the fact that God is not obligated to be merciful towards all people is what makes the display of His mercy to all people so amazingly gracious and abundantly glorious. That God does what He is not obligated to do for no other reason than He desires to be merciful to all is glorious. Anyone suggesting this display of mercy isn’t genuine (or that’s it’s just an outward/external “prescriptive” will of God, but that His real secret desire is only to show mercy to a preselected few) is diminishing the abundance of His mercy and the glory of His grace extended to every person. Also, I think sometimes there is an assumption that mercy is weakness. But that could not be further from the truth. Mercy can only be handed down by someone in a place of judgement over another. If it is not within my power to pass condemnation on someone, then it is also not within my power to have mercy on them. Mercy is an expression of power, not of weakness. “The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.” -Ps 145:8-9 “For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.” -Rom 11:32 More here: https://soteriology101.com/2020/02/04/no-obligation/  

Dr. Leighton Flowers, Director of Evangelism and Apologetics for Texas Baptists, confronts the Calvinist's appeal to the Crucifixion as their proof that God predetermines all moral evil, specifically playing off John Piper's use of Acts 4:27-28 as justification for his deterministic interpretation of the Bible. To read more on this topic: https://soteriology101.com/2018/08/04/does-calvary-prove-divine-determinism/ To ORDER Dr. Flowers Curriculum “Tiptoeing Through Tulip” please click here: https://soteriology101.com/shop/ To listen to the audio only be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or one of the other podcast players found here: https://soteriology101.com/home/ To become a Patreon supporter or make a one time donation: https://soteriology101.com/support/  

These are some recent comments sent to me via social media: “Your theology is man-centered…” “You are a humanistic Pelagian…” “You start with man and build your view of God around humanistic reasoning.” “Making God in your own image is not theology, Mr. Flowers!!!” And those were the nice ones. First, I would like us to try and objectively consider which soteriological perspective is actually more “humanistic.” To do so we need a good working definition. The American Heritage Dictionary defines humanistic as “one who is concerned with the interests and welfare of humans.” I’ll objectively concede this point: When compared to the claims of Calvinism related to God’s ultimate desire for self-glorification it does appear that our soteriological perspective does put more emphasis on God’s concern with humanity over and above His concern for self-glorification. Notable Calvinists are known to argue that God’s primary concern is not the welfare of man, but for Himself and His own glory. In my journey to becoming a Calvinist, I was very drawn to the teachings about God’s desire for His own glory. This was especially attractive to me coming out of the more “seeker-sensitive” movement that seemed to put way too much focus on pleasing man rather than on glorifying God. And quite honestly, Calvinistic authors introduced me to many texts within scripture which so clearly supported the doctrine of God’s self-glorification that I could not begin to understand how any Bible-believing Christian could deny such truth. They would have to be selfish and humanistic to do so, right? Regardless of what some of my Calvinistic friends may think; in my journey out of Calvinism, I did not abandon the truth that God seeks His own Glory. Instead, I realized that God’s Glory is best revealed in His self-sacrificial love for all. I came to understand that God does not sacrifice creation for the sake of His own glory, but instead He sacrifices Himself for sake of His creation, which in turn reveals Him as the most glorious of all. For more go here: https://soteriology101.com/2019/11/05/is-man-centered-theology-bad-theology/

Dr. Leighton Flowers, Director of Evangelism and Apologetics for Texas Baptists, discusses why Calvinistic Compatibilism is not a sound philosophical worldview because it undermines divine justice and human culpability for unbelief. To read more on this topic: https://soteriology101.com/2016/05/11/philosophical-reflections-on-free-will/ To watch Dr. Flowers confront compatibilism directly from a Calvinistic pastor go here: https://soteriology101.com/2018/09/20/why-compatibilisms-theodicy-fails/ To ORDER Dr. Flowers Curriculum “Tiptoeing Through Tulip” please click here: https://soteriology101.com/shop/ To listen to the audio only be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or one of the other podcast players found here: https://soteriology101.com/home/ For more about Traditionalism (or Provisionism) please visit www.soteriology101.com Dr. Flowers’ book, “The Potter’s Promise” can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Potters-Promis... Dr. Flowers’ book, “God’s Provision for All” can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Provision...  

Dr. Leighton Flowers, Director of Evangelism and Apologetics for Texas Baptists, discussed the abusive tactic employed by SOME CALVINISTS (NOT ALL) called "spiritualized gaslighting." This is especially seen in his interactions with James White over the years, as demonstrated. Dr. Flowers doesn't wish to provoke further discord with Dr. White on this matter but only uses clips from White's "Dividing Line" broadcast to demonstrate how this gaslighting practice can be used to manipulate and subvert honest disagreement among believers...and to emphasize that this should be a tactic we all avoid in our discussions with others. To read more on this topic: https://soteriology101.com/2019/12/05/spiritualized-gaslighting/ To watch the full clip of Dr. Les Carter go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU4ricAMgOM&t=74s  

Dr. Leighton Flowers, Director of Evangelism and Apologetics for Texas Baptists, makes a biblical case for the universal extent of Christ's atonement and confronts the Limited view of 5-Point Calvinists. To read more on this topic: https://soteriology101.com/2018/03/31/limited-vs-provisional-atonement/ To ORDER Dr. Flowers Curriculum “Tiptoeing Through Tulip” please click here: https://soteriology101.com/shop/ To listen to the audio only be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or one of the other podcast players found here: https://soteriology101.com/home/ For more about Traditionalism (or Provisionism) please visit www.soteriology101.com Dr. Flowers’ book, “The Potter’s Promise” can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Potters-Promis... Dr. Flowers’ book, “God’s Provision for All” can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Provision... To engage with other believers cordially join our Facebook group: https://m.facebook.com/groups/1806702... For updates and news follow us at: www.facebook/Soteriology101 Or @soteriology101 on Twitter Please SHARE on Facebook and Twitter and help spread the word! To become a Patreon supporter or make a one time donation: https://soteriology101.com/support/  

Dr. Leighton Flowers, Director of Evangelism and Apologetics for Texas Baptists, replies to a video from a Calvinistic brother, Jacob Trotter, who is critiquing his views on spiritual deadness as moral inability.   To see Jacob’s original video go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbLBdPVqkR8&t=2050s   For more on 1 Cor. 2:14: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgBvRCxsXcE   For more on Romans 8: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvTeMJhjJao&t=7388s   For more on role of Satan within Calvinism: https://soteriology101.com/2017/10/14/the-redundancy-of-satan-on-calvinism/   For more on Romans 1-3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bBJERjnyHA&t=1s   For more on Faith as a gift: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAYXqM-qT6k&t=472s   To SUPPORT this broadcast please click here: https://soteriology101.com/support/   To ORDER Dr. Flowers Curriculum “Tiptoeing Through Tulip” please click here: https://soteriology101.com/shop/   To listen to the audio only be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or one of the other podcast players found here: https://soteriology101.com/home/   For more about Traditionalism (or Provisionism) please visit www.soteriology101.com   Dr. Flowers’ book, “The Potter’s Promise” can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Potters-Promise-Biblical-Traditional-Soteriology/dp/0692561846/ref=nodl_   Dr. Flowers’ book, “God’s Provision for All” can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Provision-All-Defense-Goodness-ebook/dp/B07PLL85Y6/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2BQ08Y6XOZV5S&keywords=leighton+flowers&qid=1556650306&s=gateway&sprefix=leighton%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-2   To engage with other believers cordially join our Facebook group: https://m.facebook.com/groups/1806702782965265/?ref=group_header&view=group   For updates and news follow us at:  www.facebook/Soteriology101   Or @soteriology101 on Twitter   Please SHARE on Facebook and Twitter and help spread the word!   To become a Patreon supporter or make a one time donation: https://soteriology101.com/support/

Dr. Leighton Flowers, Director of Evangelism and Apologetics for Texas Baptists, replies to the latest Dividing Line broadcast from Dr. James White in which he critiques Dr. Flowers views on Romans 3 and the concept of Total Inability. To SUPPORT this broadcast please click here: https://soteriology101.com/support/ To ORDER Dr. Flowers Curriculum “Tiptoeing Through Tulip” please click here: https://soteriology101.com/shop/ To listen to the audio only be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or one of the other podcast players found here: https://soteriology101.com/home/ For more about Traditionalism (or Provisionism) please visit www.soteriology101.com Dr. Flowers’ book, “The Potter’s Promise” can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Potters-Promise-Biblical-Traditional-Soteriology/dp/0692561846/ref=nodl_   Dr. Flowers’ book, “God’s Provision for All” can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Provision-All-Defense-Goodness-ebook/dp/B07PLL85Y6/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2BQ08Y6XOZV5S&keywords=leighton+flowers&qid=1556650306&s=gateway&sprefix=leighton%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-2   To engage with other believers cordially join our Facebook group: https://m.facebook.com/groups/1806702782965265/?ref=group_header&view=group   For updates and news follow us at:  www.facebook/Soteriology101   Or @soteriology101 on Twitter   Please SHARE on Facebook and Twitter and help spread the word!   To become a Patreon supporter or make a one time donation: https://soteriology101.com/support/

Dr. Leighton Flowers, Director of Evangelism and Apologetics for Texas Baptists, confronts the typical Calvinistic interpretation of 2 Timothy 2:25, which they take to mean God effectually bestows the ability to believe onto those unconditional elected before the foundation of the world while leaving the rest in their natural hopeless condition. For more on this please read: https://soteriology101.com/2019/11/24/does-god-grant-repentance-to-some-and-not-others/ To ORDER Dr. Flowers Curriculum “Tiptoeing Through Tulip” please click here: https://soteriology101.com/shop/ To listen to the audio only be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or one of the other podcast players found here: https://soteriology101.com/home/ For more about Traditionalism (or Provisionism) please visit www.soteriology101.com Dr. Flowers’ book, “The Potter’s Promise” can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Potters-Promis... Dr. Flowers’ book, “God’s Provision for All” can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Provision... To engage with other believers cordially join our Facebook group: https://m.facebook.com/groups/1806702... For updates and news follow us at: www.facebook/Soteriology101 Or @soteriology101 on Twitter Please SHARE on Facebook and Twitter and help spread the word! To become a Patreon supporter or make a one time donation: https://soteriology101.com/support/