Below in this 57 minute panel discussion video, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, Dr. Steve Lawson, Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr. and Dr. R.C. Sproul, discuss various theological issues. For the first 20 minutes, the blatant errors of dispensationalism are discussed. Here is a partial transcript of Dr. Sproul’s words on dispensationalism and its very real dangers:

“They asked me, R.C., what’s your problem with dispensationalism? And I said, “You know, my biggest problem with dispensationalism is your historic doctrine of regeneration. And that was met with bewilderment. These professors said, “What are you talking about? What’s our problem with regeneration?”

I said, “Well, classic dispensationalism teaches that when the Holy Spirit regenerates a person, that person does not experience a change in their nature. So that you can have the Spirit in you, and you be in a state of salvation, without any change in your life whatsoever. And that was popularized in the picture books that were spread out by Campus Crusade, where you had the circle with the chair, and you had the cross outside the circle, and ‘S’ the self, was on the chair, and that’s the picture of the unregenerate person, the pagan.

But then you have the next stage of those who are regenerated, where now, Christ is inside the circle, but not on the throne. Self is still on the throne. You’re saved; you’re in a state of grace, you’re regenerated, you’re justified – but you have absolutely no fruit whatsoever because your life hasn’t changed; and that gave rise to the development of this concept of the ‘Carnal Christian’ where a person could be saved without any manifestation of any change, and that’s what I said… for us, regeneration involves a foundational change in the disposition of the human heart, where that fallen person prior to his regeneration had no inclination to the things of God, no love for Jesus, and once that heart has been changed, through the immediate, transcendent power of God the Holy Spirit in regeneration, now that person has Christ in his life, and Christ is now his Lord. He’s not perfected, not fully sanctified, but the process of sanctification has certainly begun. And if it hasn’t, you have a profession of faith with no faith!

And so what’s so serious about this is that it invites a false sense of security for people believing that they are saved, because they signed a card, or raised their hand, or walked an isle, and prayed a prayer, whatever, but have no evidence of the fruit of sanctification in their lives. Then they’re challenged and the whole thing about this antinomianism is that the Old Testament law has no bearing on the Christian life… that’s all future, and now comes the eschatology, where the kingdom of God is in no sense realized, it’s totally and completely future, now what do you do with that?”

Live Stream Q&A (Archived) with R.C. Sproul & Ligonier Teaching Fellows from Ligonier Ministries on Vimeo.