There is a new term out there used by Independent Baptists that is gaining much ground, but the way it's being used doesn't make much sense. And the word can be very confusing, and also very divisive and hurtful to the cause of Christ. The word is "retread," and no doubt you've probably heard it used by now. If not, you'll probably hear it in the near future.
The word is usually used by others to describe a person who claims he's gotten "saved" but who then doubts his salvation, and then when a soul winner comes along and helps him with his assurance, and he claims he's gotten saved over again, he's immediately labelled a "retread" by other Christians.
Have you heard that term? What does that even mean??? And, is it possible for a person get saved more than once???
I'm an Independent Baptist (Better said, I'm an Independent Independent Baptist). And as such, I believe in ETERNAL SECURITY. That is to say, I believe that once a person is saved, he is SEALED with the Holy Spirit of God. He cannot LOSE his salvation. If that be the case, then he can't be SAVED more than once, period! He cannot, therefore, be a "retread."
Thus, logically, there is no such thing as a "retread." It's a made up word that means absolutely nothing! For a person to get saved over again, they would have to lose it, in order to get it again! Biblically, this can not happen!
It's very irritating to me to hear people use terms like "retread" or "retreading" when they haven't even stopped to think what they are saying! It's especially discouraging to see people make up a word that doesn't even show up once in the entire Bible. But depending on which camp you are in within the varying Independent Baptist groups this word is thrown around quite frequently, and often used in a derogatory way, especially against those who are ostracized by another group.
I know a little bit about this whole "retread" business, as both myself and my wife have been labelled "retreads" by a very well-known preacher who uses the term quite frequently in putting down others he doesn't agree with. (Note: Interstingly enough, this same pastor has given two different testimonies of salvation. In one, he's saved in one place, and in another, he's saved somewhere else. Is he then a "retread" to use his jargon?!?!).
But, neither myself or my wife have been saved more than once! We weren't retreaded. We weren't even treaded. We were just born again! And it only happened one time!
However, we were both deceived into thinking before we were saved that we were on our way to heaven by well-meaning soulwinners who gave us a formula to follow instead of just plainly giving us the Gospel. We followed that formula, but we didn't trust in the finished work of Christ. This led to both of us doubting we were saved continually, so every night we did what we had been programmed to do, instead of just resting in the finished propitiatory work of Jesus Christ by faith alone.
When we finally did get saved, all doubt fled away, and we knew beyond all shadow of a doubt we were on our way to heaven! When we told others about our really getting saved, and "knowing for sure" we were born again, many of them said outrageous things like, "Oh, you were already saved, you just didn't know it."
What? How can a guy be born again, and not know it??? In the Bible, salvation is like being born, and like being married. How can a guy doubt he's born, and how can a man doubt he's married to his spouse?
We believe, and the Bible teaches, that when a man or a woman is born and then born again HE'LL KNOW IT! That's sound Bible doctrine!
I can't tell you how much trouble this has gotten us into. We have been called, "retreads," and our ministry has been slandered, as we were told we are only trying to "retread" others. But we are simply trying to preach the Gospel plainly, and point sinners to the blood atonement of Jesus Christ for salvation! We want souls to GET saved, and we want them to KNOW they are saved!
So where does this whole "retreading" movement come from, and what's it all about? That's a good question. And I don't know who started it. All I know is it's gaining ground quickly. And it's causing much harm, especially when there are others out there like my wife and I were who are deceived and need to hear the truth!
There are lots of people who "claim to be Christians," and who tell others they continually doubt their salvation. These people are instructed to just "pray the sinner's prayer" over and over again until the doubts flee away. This they do, but it never really takes, so they do it over and over, often every night of their lives.
Is this the Gospel plan of salvation? If so, then why does a man do it, and then doubt it? And, what does the Bible say about doubting? Isn't doubt the opposite of faith, and isn't a man saved by faith alone?
According to the Bible, a man's faith must be in the right thing. My wife and I had our faith in our prayers instead of our faith in the payment of Jesus Christ for our sins. In other words, we trusted in what we did, and were doing it over and over again, hoping it would work. For this reason, we were not saved (even though we thought we were). It was only when we saw the light and repented of trusting in our own works and our righteousness, and trusted in the shed blood of Christ Jesus alone at Calvary as SUFFICIENT to give us the new birth that we were wonderously and gloriously saved! And we don't doubt it anymore! All doubts fled away, as the old hymn said, and we understood how joyous salvation really was!
This whole "retreading" thing then to us is a very false doctrine! And it can even be a DAMNABLE HERESY which can lead to a false assurance of salvation and even PUT SOULS IN HELL! For there might be others out there just like myself and my wife were, who are lost, thinking they are saved. And instead of being instructed to trust Christ alone, they are told to seek "assurance" through a work of their own, whether it be by praying, begging, beseeching, asking, etc. instead of resting solely by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on Calvary. This leads to them trusting more in their own self-righteousness, and through fear, they'll never truly get born again, worrying about being called a "retread" if they seek more truth.
Those who are quick to label others "retreads" not only cause possible damnation, but are also guilty of trying to play the Holy Spirit. No one knows if a person is saved or not. Only God knows that. Who are they then, to tell a person if they are or aren't saved, or if they did or didn't get saved? And who are they to say a person is a "retread" or that is to say, they got saved over again. What if they weren't ever saved to begin with?
The practice of labelling a person a "retread," or labelling a soul winner who's just preaching the Gospel plainly a "retreader," is not only anti-biblical, but is also highly divisive, as it leaves people confused. (And we know God is not the author of confusion!). It further divides the brethern who withdraw fellowship from other Christians because brother-so-and-so said he heard he was a "retread" or a "retreader." How does this help the cause of Christ?
Finally, the "retread doctrine" falsely assumes most people are already saved to begin with. These people preaching the "retread" doctrine must be very gullible! They want to think everyone is saved, and they don't want to believe for a second that many of those around them and even in their own churches who claim to be Christians might be lost.
For this very reason, I'll now quote to you from a sermon by Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. I do so as many of those who preach the "retread doctrine" are very fond of this man. In his sermon, "What is a Christian?" Dr. Jones states the following, "...I tell you frankly, after having preached the Gospel in most of the states of the Union, I do not believe 50 percent of the church members are really Christians. You can live in what you call a Christian country and not be a Christian. I will tell you something else. You can join the church, be baptized, and take communion, yet not be a Christian. It is possible to stand in the puplit and preach and not be a Christian. I think I know more preachers than any man my age in this country, as I have spent nearly my entire life in association with ministers. I believe the majority of our preachers are godly, unselfish, consecrated men of God, but nobody would tell you that every preacher in America is a saved man! You can go to church every Sunday and sing in the choir, you can read your Bible every day and say your prayers, yet still not be a Christian. You can have a Christian father and mother and still be unsaved...I hope while I am talking you will search your heart and ask yourself these questions solemnly: 'Have I ever really been convicted of my sin? Have I really and truly repented? Have I been converted? Have I been born again? I realize that is a serious thing for me to stand here and talk to you about this subject. I am dealing with your soul. This job is more serious than the job of any surgeon in an operation room with his patient under an anesthetic. The surgeon deals with the human body. I am dealing with the immortal souls. I can't afford to make a mistake. A preacher may be perfectly honest and yet give the wrong directions to a lost soul...I am going to make [it] simple so you can understand...The thing upon which you rely for salvation, that is your religion. Some men rely upon one thing, some upon another. Your religion is no stronger than your reliance. A Christian is a person who, knowing that he is insufficient in himself, that he is helpless and undone, and that he cannot save himself, relies upon Jesus Christ and His atoning blood alone for salvation. That's a Christian! He doesn't rely upon himself; he doesn't rely upon his morality; he doesn't rely upon his religion; he doesn't rely upon his church membership. He doesn't partly rely upon any of those things. He relies absolutely, unconditionally, and unreservedly upon Jesus Christ!...Nothing but the blood of Jesus will do for a dying man. "
After reading this, it's hard to wonder why those who preach the "retread doctrine" and love Dr. Bob Jones Sr., don't label him a "retreader!" For he outright says that he thinks 50% of all the people he's met are LOST! And he further thinks a lot of preachers he's met are on their way to hell!
This sermon was preached in 1946, back in a time when I'm sure there really were a lot more Christians. I wonder what the percentage of lost people in our churches would be today?
SUMMARY:
Is there really such a thing as a Christian "retread?" If so, who are they? How did they get "retreaded?" And what harm is there really in showing people how to be saved and know it?
Why has this term caused so much "division" in the body of Christ? People who use the term to label others say it's because "retreaders" only live to "talk Christians out of their salvation." Is that even possible? If you are a Christian, wouldn't you already KNOW IT, and therefore not be able to be talked out of it??? Like one old preacher said, "If I can talk you out of your salvation, I've got to wonder if you were even saved to begin with!"
In the Bible, there is no such thing as a "retread" or a "retreader." There are only saved and lost. Those who are saved love the old Gospel story. Those who are lost need to hear it.
So, which one are you? Oh...uh...um...eh... So sorry, I'd better not ask, or I'll be accused of trying to "RETREAD" you! :)
For more information about the important doctrine of salvation, and how to be born again by FAITH, and not by following a man-made METHOD which leads only to doubt, please read my books:
THE HERESY OF THE SINNER'S PRAYER:
WHAT IT MEANS TO CALL UPON THE LORD:
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS:
HEY, WHERE'S THE BLOOD?:
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