There was once a ministers’ meeting in Toronto, and a scholar addressed them. He claimed that there was a spark that was present in every single person and that it was the duty of ministers to fan it into life. There was a fundamentalist preacher there who was bold enough in the question time to challenge this interpretation. He used Scripture very skillfully and comprehensively to present its own verdict on man. He expostulated with the speaker, didn’t he know that man was dead in trespasses and sins, that he was born in sin and from the womb he went astray telling lies, that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually, that in his flesh dwelt no good thing, that none seek after God. “The leopard cannot change its spots,” he said, “and this so-called spark of goodness doctrine is not only a myth; it is a lie; it gives man confidence in himself. It dethrones God and exalts man to be the Captain of his soul.” It was very well done and all of us would have said Amen to his words.
Then the modernist got up to respond. “I commend you,” he said, “on your response and your knowledge of many Scriptures. I have only one question. Do you believe that man has the ability, in himself, to either accept or reject the gospel of Christ when it is presented to him?” Without a moment’s hesitation the fundamentalist replied, “Why, of course I do.” “Right,” said Mr. Liberal, “well, what is this ability in man that gives him this power?” The Arminian fundamentalist looked a bit puzzled as he replied, “Why, that is man’s free will.” The modernist smiled and said, “Exactly! You call it free will, while I call it the spark of goodness. You say we should do all we can to get man to exercise his will to make a decision, and I say we should fan the spark into a flame. Regardless of all you said in your statement, we both agree that the determining factor in becoming a Christian is man’s own power of choice, and we’ve both got to find the best methods of inducing him to use that ability in the right way.”
That liberal was being 100% consistent with his basic and wrong presupposition, and the fundamentalist was the one who was totally inconsistent. The failure to see the obvious truth that a phrase like ‘spark of goodness’ and another phrase like ‘free will’ is much the same thing drove a wedge deep into the evangelical church a hundred years ago, and it allowed modernism its massive spread and grip on the pulpits of our nation. As long as men believe that they have a ‘spark of life’ that they can fan into a flame when they choose to do so then they will go on feeling that they are not actually dead in sin. Then salvation is not due to the grace of God alone, but it is grace cooperating with man who decides to fan the spark, when he chooses. But the Bible will not tolerate that interpretation. Every part of man is affected by his being dead in transgressions and sins.
- Geoff Thomas, pastor of Alfred Place Baptist Church, Aberystwyth, Wales
