Working out Salvation with Fear and Trembling

VS

I was reading a message preached by Dr. T. T. Shields (1873-1955) January 16, 1944 at Jarvis Street Baptist Church titled Does “Killed in Action” Mean “Gone to Heaven?” In it he deals with differring denominations and that in all of them there are those who are in need of being saved. He had a comment regarding Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1969) which made me chuckle.

“What about Baptists? Surely that are all right! They ought to be, but I have met hundreds of Baptists who were just as dry as my Presbyterian friend, though they had been immersed! Harry Emerson Fosdick is a Baptist of sorts.”

According to Shields, Fosdick was a Baptist in name only. He did not possess true saving faith necessary to make him a true Baptist.