Grace Conference Update: Day 1

Greetings:

It is late, and I have to be up early for Day 2 of the conference. More detail to follow, but for now...

I have thoroughly enjoyed the conference thus far. For the first time I met Dr. Robert Lightner and Dr. Charlie Bing. Dr. Ryrie’s flight was canceled so he will be at the conference on Friday. I quote each of these men liberally in my book. Each has made valuable contributions to the refutation of Lordship theology.

I asked Dr. Lightner to sign my copy of Sin, the Savior and Salvation. He did so, and I really appreciated it. He brought the opening keynote sermon, and it as on the Lordship of Christ. I intend to post key elements of this fine sermon.

It was quite humorous how I met Dr. Bing. I was in the first five minutes of my workshop and I was showing some of the books both for and against Lordship Salvation. So, I showed some of MacArthur’s Lordship books, then I showed Ryrie’s So Great Salvation and Lightner’s Sin, the Savior & Salvation.

Then I lifted Dr. Bing’s dissertation, Lordship Salvation: A Biblical Evaluation & Response. I was remarking on my appreciation for his book and how it helped me get off the ground in 1997 while I was in South Africa. All of a sudden I notice a member of the audience to my left getting my attention and pointing to his left, my right.

So, I look in that direction, and sitting right in front of me, two rows back, is Dr. Bing. My jaw dropped! I think I did a Ralph Cramdon (Jackie Gleason: Honeymooners) “hamana, hamana, hamana.”

Dr. Bing and I have corresponded via e-mail for 10 years and spoke on the phone once. I had no idea he was coming to the conference. I greeted, and recognized him for the audience. It took me several minutes to recover and get back on track. He and I were able to visit later.

Incidentally, I also met and spent a good deal of time with Pastor Dennis Rokser and Pastor Tom Stegall. At the conference there has been some unofficial discussion of Hodge’s “Crossless” gospel making the rounds. Several men asked me about it having read some of the details here at my blog and having read Brother Stegall’s first two articles in his series.

More to follow…


LM