Bob often mentions the name of R. B. Thieme, a pastor from Houston, who had an unusually influential ministry. Bob considers Thieme one of the first Free Grace theologians.
Several Thieme-influenced churches, and many Thieme-influenced people, are very friendly to our ministry. So I thought it was about time for me to become familiar with his writings.
Thieme has numerous booklets and audio teaching available for free through his ministry’s website www.rbthieme.org. (Personally, I always send a donation for everything I request.) So far, I’ve enjoyed Thieme’s booklets immensely. The occasional times where I find myself in disagreement with him, or raising an eyebrow at something he writes, are far outnumbered by the times I’m nodding my head, or taking notes of a great insight.
For example, here’s the absolutely excellent opening paragraph from his book, Reversionism:
“Can a Christian immerse himself in sin and evil and still be a Christian? Throughout the Church Age pastors and theologians have struggled to explain this paradox. Some contend that perpetually carnal believers were never genuinely saved. But the Bible emphatically states that once a person expresses faith alone in Christ alone, he is eternally saved (John 3:16, 36). Others assert that believers who continually sin can lose their salvation. But since every believer has an irrevocable position “in Christ” (2 Cor 5:17), neither sin nor evil, not even God Himself, can separate the believer “from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:39). The believer is eternally secure, forever a son and heir of God (Gal 4:5-7).
“Although the believer can never lose his eternal life, he can be in danger of destroying his spiritual life and losing all the blessings that “God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor 2:9)” (Reversionism, p. 1).
That is about as clear a statement as you can possibly have of the Free Grace position on eternal security and the possibility of carnality and failure in the spiritual life.
Drew
Shouldn’t refer to anyone in modern times as “one of the first” Free Grace theologians.
Ariel Beltran
Being a student of Bob Thieme Jr. since 1986 I know full well what you mean. I only came across FG & LS debate around 5 years ago and realized that Bob Thieme Jr. is actually a hardcore FG. In my reading of many theologians the past few years particularly those who came from Dallas Theological Seminary, many times I would recognized the same doctrinal orientation with Thieme and I would always thought of these theologians “you are borrowing from Thieme”. In particular when reading and listening several of Zane Hodges’ articles and audio messages I can see Thieme in it. Even Bob Wilkin’s articles resemble Thieme’s doctrines.
Many times when reading through Free Grace positions and debates today I can only tell myself “Thieme has already taught them long time ago.
Jim Poulos
The word ‘carnal’ is dominantly used in the letters to the Corinthians. It is used of the naive and child thinking Believers. Child thinking can be the result of two cases. The 1st case is simply they need to go forward onto maturity. It is the 2nd case that Paul’s dominant concern for the Corinthians is about. The simply don’t want to mature.
When he challenges them with ‘don’t you know we shall judge angels?’ (1 Cor. 6:3). Some in the church just didn’t know this goal and some just didn’t care about God’s goal for them. It is the 2nd case that is the most difficult to cure.
Craig Specht
Eternal life once received by believing in Jesus Christ alone for it can NEVER be lost. Being born again or born from above can NEVER be revoked. We are born once physically, we can not give our physical birth or revoke it. We can ruin our physical life but never our birth. The same with the spiritual, we can ruin our spiritual life but never our spiritual birth. This is a solid and absolute TRUTH.