Why Scot McKnight Is Not A Calvinist

Answer: The Warning Passages in Hebrews

http://www.jesuscreed.org/?p=1396#comments

This is an older post on Dr. McKnight's popular blog, JesusCreed, written shortly after that Christianity Today cover article on young Calvinists came out a few months ago. McKnight taught for many years at one of the leading evangelical seminaries in the world, Trinity, and now teaches at North Park University. I really like McKnight in many ways--he is very genuine, passionately committed to Christ and to the gospel, has maintained a high view of Scripture even at the top levels of critical scholarship, and is clearly a dear brother in Christ and transparently lives out the gospel better than many who call themselves Calvinists. He's a little too sympathetic to those who want to downplay historic biblical orthodoxy at times for my taste, but I consistently sense that he is willing to follow the Scriptures wherever they lead. In this post--which, if you have the time, I also encourage you to read through some of the comments (including some by Scot), in which The Race Set Before Us is mentioned a few times--it becomes clear that a main reason many reject Calvinism is because it seems to downplay seriously the force of the warnings and the reality of apostasy from the faith and the consequences professing believers will experience. This, in my mind, heightens the sense of responsibility we should have to be balanced in proclaiming both the promises and sovereign grace of God, and the warnings and the eternal judgment they actually (and not hypothetically) threaten on all who say "Lord, Lord" but do not do what He commands--without using either to cancel out or diminish the others. If you read through the comments, it also becomes crystal clear how crucial it is to have a basic grasp of "compatibilism." I'd love to hear your thoughts.