My entire adult life as a believer I've always faced critics.  When I first turned away from the dispensational freewillism of my youth toward a belief in sovereign grace, I lost friends and was attacked.  All my freewilller buddies turned against me.  They would say things like, "Don't listen to Brandan, he's a compromiser!  He denies the free will  of man and thinks that salvation is ENTIRELY by God's predestination!"

    And as I learned more of God's effectual love for His people in the doctrines of Grace, I became more aware of the problems around me with a lot of classical calvinism.  I turned away from doctrines such as progressive sanctification, common grace, infralapsarianism, and free offerism.  And once again, I lost friends.  "Don't listen to Brandan, he's a compromiser!  He's a hyper-calvinist!  He *gasp* thinks God predestinates EVERY THING, and denies that God wants everyone who hears the Gospel to be saved.  He's against preaching the Gospel!"

    The show must go on!  As I have progressed further in my Christian walk, I discovered in myself and others a needless sharp and cynical edge of presenting the truth.  I turned from it, re-discovered the joy of finding truth in different authors, and learned to present the truth more softly and tenderly.  The compassion I had for other men, not just believers, but my family, neighbors, and even the poor arminian grew.  I started to LISTEN to others that disagreed with me, and became much less judgmental and more patient with those the Lord hasn't enlightened the same as me.  And again, I lost friends.  But this time the attacks were much worse as they were accompanied by slander.  My personal reputation was and still is being destroyed by others amongst people who should know better. "Don't listen to Brandan!  He's a compromiser!  He once defended the truth, but now he promotes  error."

    And so it will continue.  As I continue to progress in grace and knowledge, I expect I will continue to lose friends, face criticism, and suffer petty attacks from many people.  Owning and operating a website such as this will continue to draw out the critic. I fully expect my latest critics to pass around my latest articles along with this one, by e-mail and social media, commenting about me with disdain about how far I've fallen, and what shame I've brought upon the Gospel.  So be it.  I don't do anything for the praise of men, and I certainly won't change how or what I write to please my critics.  I care nothing for their praise in light of the exceeding delight I have in my Savior.  

    Ultimately, it is my heart's desire to know Christ and to be be known of Christ.  And if there is anything I have determined to know amongst the people of God, it is this. . . Jesus Christ, and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2).  Everything else is just noise.  Eventually, as it is true for all of God's saints, in the end all we will have is the joy and peace of our Kinsmin Redeemer.  All the bad stuff will fade away.  As time continues to progress, the barking noise of my critics will also continue to fade away until nothing is left for them to bark about.  They too will be left alone with their conscience.  Lord willing, may He begin to give them the same perspective that I have!  To Him Be the Glory Forever and Ever!!!

    Grace and Peace,
    Brandan