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Charles Finney taught a False Gospel

Charles Finney was an antichrist and yet we have lots of street preaching false watchmen today who are peddling his heresies. Take a look.

— SAINTS, Charles Finney denied Christ’s sacrifice in his teachings and was a false teacher. Yet, many today in our midst are following his heresies.

Unless you personally understand God’s Word which contradicts these evil, Christ-denying teachings, you will not know you are being beguiled by the modern teachers who promulgate these heresies and are leading many astray (2 Peter 2:1-3).

Beware of the false teachers in our midst today who have taken up Finney’s diabolical, “damnable heresies.” (2 Peter 2:1-3) Mike Desario, Jessie Morrell and Kerrigan Skelly are two of the many false teachers who instead of studying only Scripture, have wasted their time learning the heresies of Charles Finney!

“BEWARE of false prophets”! (Matthew 7:15)

(Below is from bibloscope)

Editor’s Note: The shocking quotes from Finney in this post overwhelmingly prove he was a vile false teacher – a heretic who openly denied Christ’s atonement to be sufficient – “It is finished” (John 19:30)

Beware of False Teachers:
Charles Finney Taught A False Gospel!

Charles Finney is thought of by many as a powerful Evangelist whom God used to bring revival, a new awakening, and to get tens of thousands of people saved. Think again! His own writings show us that he was a false teacher and evangelist who proclaimed a false gospel!

Here are some quotes from Finney’s “Lectures on Systematic Theology” in which he teaches his heresies:

1. “Several theologians have held that regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit alone … but I might just as lawfully insist that it is the work of man alone.” (Charles Finney, ‘Lectures On Systematic Theology’: Abridged Edition, p. 224)

2. “The doctrine of imputed righteousness, or that Christ’s obedience to the Law was accounted as our obedience, is founded on a most false and nonsensical assumption/” (Charles Finney, ‘Lectures On Systematic Theology’, Worcester: 1851, pages 320-322)

3. Christ “could do no more than justify himself. It can never be imputed to us … it was naturally impossible, then, for him to obey on our behalf.” (Ibid.) This doctrine “of representing the atonement as the ground of the sinner’s justification has been a sad occasion of stumbling to many.” (Charles Finney, ‘Lectures On Systematic Theology’, p. 732)

4. Salvation “is not founded in Christ’s literally suffering the exact penalty of the Law for them, and in this sense literally purchasing their justification and eternal salvation.” (Charles Finney, Lectures On Systematic Theology, p. 747)

CHARLES FINNEY is pictured here and his modern followers look just like he does – they have no joy which can only come and WILL absolutely come to all who truly know Jesus (Galatians 5:22-23) …. Listen to Paul: “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and JOY in the Holy Ghost.” Romans 14:17 … When you encounter a man without authentic joy, be sure that you’ve encountered a counterfeit! “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace …” Galatians 5:22-23

— If righteousness is not imputed, 1) The LORD lied to us, and, (Rom. 4), 2) It then has to be earned by the individual fallen man/woman and that is impossible (Isaiah 64:6, etc.).

In his corrupted efforts to expose Calvinism’s obvious heresies, Charles Finney established yet an equally deadly falsehood when he denied imputed righteousness taught in Romans 4. Finney sought to correct Calvinism’s false teaching of “total depravity” where they taught that man has no personal will, no ability to respond to God’s requirement and call to repentance and faith. In attempting to correct this error, Finney erred by denying the biblical doctrine of imputation or transference of Christ’s righteousness – accessed, received by faith, not works (Romans 5:1). The word impute simply means to reckon or to account Christ’s righteousness to the account of all who repent and place their faith in Christ, the one Redeemer.

The Bible uses the word “imputed” and so to say otherwise is to contradict Holy Scripture (Romans 4). If justification is not imputed, accounted from God to man via the perfect sacrifice of Christ alone, then it must be earned or merited by sinful man, which is impossible. I suppose you are a finney-ite. Charles Finney was a fraud, a false teacher. 

Justification

It’s statement like this from Finney “Before, it depended on ourselves” and his leanings, that put a bit too much emphasis on our part, instead of truly resting, trusting, laboring, and abiding in Christ whereby His righteousness is abounding toward us. “In Christ” that is.

“And by him (CHRIST) all that believe are JUSTIFIED from all things, from which ye could not be JUSTIFIED by the law of Moses.” Acts 13:39

“(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be JUSTIFIED.” Romans 2:13 (faith that results in obedience, good fruit, proves to be real, saving faith)

“Being JUSTIFIED freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:” Romans 3:24

“Therefore we conclude that a man is JUSTIFIED by faith without the deeds of the law.” Romans 3:28

“Therefore being JUSTIFIED by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” Romans 5:1

“Much more then, being now JUSTIFIED by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” Romans 5:9

“Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also JUSTIFIED: and whom he JUSTIFIED, them he also glorified.” Romans 8:20

The words “In Christ” appear 77 times in God’s Word. Jesus Christ is our Salvation. He is “eternal life.” (1 John 5:20-21) And so, while correcting the errors of calvinism, we must be aware of the danger of putting too much emphasis on us, on our part, of putting too much of the emphasis salvation upon ourselves. Yes, God requires our participating both initial and ongoing for us to remain in Christ.

Salvation is Christ, is of the LORD first and foremost. Only thereafter is the importance of what His stated conditions for our receiving, appropriating His salvation that He alone purchased for us.

“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. … 19 We love him, because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:9-10, 19

Reading the last verses in Romans 3 is always refreshing! Romans 3:23-28. Wow.

GOD alone justifies and yet that involves our free will, our faith and corresponding obedience that is always born out of saving faith.

Finney was clearly teaching “another Gospel”, and that brings us to the warning of the Apostle Paul, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel to you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:8-9; 2 Corinthians 11:2-4)

By this Scripture, Charles Finney is “accursed.” He is by no means a Born Again Christian! Instead, he is a  “tare among wheat”!

Yet, modern day church leaders speak highly of Finney. Jerry Falwell said Finney “was one of my heroes.” Dr. J.D. Packer said, “Charles Finney, revivalist extraordinary, was a great man…” Billy Graham said, “Finney’s life and commitment to Christ come alive through the pages” (of his memoirs).

The fact that Finney is extolled by modern day church leaders demonstrates how far, despite all the Bible study aids available, the church has deviated from the plumbline of the gospel.

Editor’s Note:
Finney is now dead. Yet, his false teaching live on through ungodly men who are preaching this false gospel and are therefore “accursed.” (Galatians 1:6-9) In their inordinate lust for what they deem as “revival,” there are many today, especially the street preacher cult, who have wasted their time studying Finney instead of the LORD’s Word. They are convoluted, delusional, and greatly deceived as they spread their wares to many. Many are being misled by this system of Christ-denying lies.  In fact, when refuting their self-righteous Finney-ite lies, of lately I’ve been accused by these people of espousing and spreading calvinistic lies. To underscore just how off base these accusers are, here’s a book I’ve written utterly destroying (with Holy Scripture) the justification of all sin and dismantling every part of the cancer of calvinism …I don’t believe there are even 10 men on this planet alive today who more severely despise the diabolical evils of calvinism! Yes there is no justification of sin and yet only CHRIST – JESUS ALONE – can deliver us …and He says it’s through the grace and faith of Christ and therefore a daily cross walk that sin is conquered!!!! Otherwise one is an absolute blasphemer who denies Christ!  Lie of the Ages!

Among the false teachers who peddled Finney’s diabolical lies, are: John Moore, Jesse Morrell, Mike Desario, Sandra Hooper, and Kerrigan Skelly.

Not only are the false teachers of this ilk ugly and nasty in spirit, they are downright prudes with no trace of divine love or concern for others. Beware!

Beware of the Finney cult … they are peddling his Christ-denying (antichrist) heresies today. Charles Finney was a false teacher who denied the atonement of Christ and imputed righteousness.

The no-sin-nature (“old man”, “flesh”)-to-crucify heresy is just another cross-less lie. It’s peddled by those who refuse to die and who pretend to be sinless perfection by means of their own “natural ability.” Beware of these antichrists.

If there were no inherent sinful bend, bent, iniquitous nature…. WHY O WHY would Paul have repeatedly taught that Christ’s disciples must “keep under” their “body” or flesh, the old man? (1 Corinthians 9:27) Why the cross if there is nothing to daily crucify?
Someone is lying and it’s not Jesus and His holy apostles. Beware. Think biblically.

Inherent Sin

True vs False Holiness

Did Charles Finney preach the cross, the crucified life?

The life we have with Christ is all about His cross, the cross He commanded that we take up, His resurrection life, love, and grace working in us (Colossians 1:14, 20; Romans 6-8; Luke 9:23-24; Galatians 2:20; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12, etc.). The life we have with Christ does not require that we do it all but rather that we “abide” – walk in vital union with Him – that is, in Christ, working out (not for) our own salvation with fear and trembling, as He works in us to will and to do HIS good pleasure (John 15:1-6; Philippians 2:12-13).

Finney’s teachings today have produced a whole generation of those who are walking in a fake holiness – a contrived “holiness” that is based on themselves, not Christ’s justification and grace, divine enablement through the crucified life. Finney nor his modern cult followers do not preach the cross. Therefore the holiness they preach is false or better yet, non-existent.

“And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:” Romans 1:4

Anyone teaching on “holiness” without the cross, which is God’s solution, is teaching a false holiness, not the “true holiness” Paul spoke of (Ephesians 4:23-24). “True holiness” comes out of being “crucified with Christ” and thereby raised up by the Holy Ghost into God’s holiness, real holy living, not some trite, manufactured, fake holiness. Beware.

Holiness? YES! But not by way of the flesh! Galatians 3:3 What they will say is that you are justifying sin when all you are doing is preaching the biblical truth that only CHRIST can initially and ongoing deliver and save us from sin! … see the links I’ve included below:

Charles Finney: False Teacher | Modern Street Preachers Busted!

Charles Finney’s False Gospel The Idolatrous Underpinnings of the Stopping all Sinning Focus

No Inherent Sin Nature? | Stop Sinning? Really? | Sin: Man’s Core Problem | The Idiocy of CalvinismMike Desario Exposed

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The following is from Phillip R. Johnson:

“Charles Grandison Finney was a heretic. That language is not too strong. Though he excelled at cloaking his opinions in ambiguous language and biblical-sounding expressions, his views were almost pure Pelagianism. The arguments he employed to sustain those views were nearly always rationalistic and philosophical, not biblical. To canonize this man as an evangelical hero is to ignore the facts of what he stood for.

See, for example, Lecture 16, “Moral Depravity.” Finney rambles on about “physical” vs. “moral” depravity for several pages (nearly 5 in the Bethany edition) before he ever cites a single verse of Scripture. All his polemic about “physical depravity” is wasted anyway, because not one of Finney’s theological opponents ever argued that human depravity is a physical issue. Again, in the whole of Lecture 10 (“What Constitutes Disobedience to Moral Law?”) Finney cites snippets of only two verses of Scripture—a total of eleven words quoted from the Bible in the entire lecture. Many—perhaps most—pages contain no Scripture references at all. By contrast, the typical evangelical systematic theology textbook contains dozens of references per page. The whole point of “systematic theology” is to start with Scripture and systematize a point-by-point comprehensive theology. A sound systematic theology is therefore biblical to begin with. By contrast, Finney constructed a philosophical system based on legal and logical arguments and relying more on his own instinct and speculation than he did on the Bible. Notice that Finney confused the very terms he was ostensibly keeping distinct, essentially admitting that he regarded the believer’s obedience as a ground of justification.”

Mike Desario Exposed

RESPONSE (from a person formerly influenced by Finney-ite doctrine):

Todd, I have to agree with you on this, even though I still believe there are some good biblical messages preached by Charles Finney. He wasn’t off on everything. I am glad you are sounding the alarm. Lately I have been thinking a lot about this whole subject. Charles Finney’s interpretation on the atonement does not bring peace to my soul but only causes confusion and produces joyless religion. And I know I will be misunderstood here by some. Even though I followed the message of “stop sinning”, and did not turn back to sin again, I felt completely depressed. And I know some will say, that proves that I didn’t really turn away or had godly sorrow that will produce that salvation in me, but that is not the case. JESUS is to be found! Shouldn’t he be the Object of our faith and not “stop sinning”? He is the One that my soul seeks. Who else can give peach and power but Him? I say this: If any person turns away from ALL sin with all his might, his being and power, with all the faith that he could possibly acquire, and continues to walk in that victory for years without stumbling once, yet will he not have true peace and biblical assurance because Jesus is not the focus. That person has come in another way. He is a thief. He never entered through Jesus. John Wesley said, when speaking about man’s condition and sin, that he who believes not that man is born spiritually dead and blind, is but still a heathen himself.” Lourens

REPLY:

Hi Lourens. Thank you for your input. This poison is like arsenic …. takes one drop to kill us …. 1 Cor 5:6 and Gal. 5:9 … just “a LITTLE leaven leavens the WHOLE lump.” Study Col. 2:18-19 – THIS is not sinless because it’s pure soul damning idolatry – “If any person turns away from ALL sin with all his might, his being and power, with all the faith that he could possibly acquire, and continues to walk in that victory for years without stumbling once, yet will he not have true peace and biblical assurance because Jesus is not the focus.”

Charles Finney: False Teacher

Support | STORE | Podcasts | Jail/Prison MinistryMexico Mission here | Jesus Died to Give Us the Full VictoryCharles Finney’s False Gospel The Idolatrous Underpinnings of the Stopping all Sinning FocusNo Inherent Sin Nature? | Stop Sinning? Really? | Sin: Man’s Core Problem | The Idiocy of CalvinismIs Romans 7 Before or After Paul’s Salvation? | H.O.T. Bible Study [podcast]

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Apostasy

Favorite Eternal Security “Proof” Text? [podcast]


Excerpt from the book Lie of the Ages

Does John 10:27-29 Prove “Eternal Security”?

WHO are Jesus’ Sheep? Defined by, in God’s Word.

John 10:27-29

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” ~ John 10:27-29

Verse 27 is the condition necessary to appropriate the promises of verses 28-29.

Those who believe that a man can never lose his salvation, use this John 10:28-29 text but ignore the prerequisite, the divinely given condition – v27. Watch this:

Firstly, in this passage Jesus identifies those sheep whom He makes the security promise to. He says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” In this we see one part divine and two parts the responsibility of the individual:

  • “I know them”—the divine part toward those who are truly in Christ, presently abiding (v. 27)
  • Those who are His sheep “hear” His “voice” and “follow” Him—the individual’s responsibility (v. 27)

The promise to be kept is a conditional promise which requires that we choose to continue to hear His voice and follow Him (John 10:27-29). Many today wrongly detach our LORD’s words in verse 27 from verses 28-29. In doing so, they perpetrate their “eternal security” mythology.

The problem for the eternal securists is that v27 has been intentionally been ignored…. It’s the actual condition Jesus gives for receiving the assurance promises He then gives in v28-29.

Those who seek to spread the “once saved always saved” heresy use John 10:28-29 to their advantage and conveniently ignore the preceding words of Christ in verse 27. Verses 28-29 are promises of security to those who have been genuinely born again and are currently abiding in Christ – hearing His voice and following Him (John 15:1-6). Many ignore the previous qualifying words (v. 27) of Jesus where Christ tells us that only those who are hearing His voice and following Him are promised that they are secure and will never perish. There is a condition to being secure in Christ—knowing Him—which requires continuing to abide in Him, hear His voice and follow Him (see also John 15).

“Jesus will neither leave us nor forsake us, but we can leave and forsake Him by choosing our sins OVER His love, grace and mercy!” Dino Filardo

Eternal securists have been taught to selectively interpret Scripture while ignoring mountains of Bible truth, in order to come to a predetermined conclusion.

Many a false teacher has built his own ministry empire dishonestly peddling this passage. Take a closer look. Anchor the promise to be kept in verses 28-29 on verse 27 where Jesus identifies who His sheep are – those who hear and continue to hear His voice and continue to follow Him (present tense). The promise to be kept is a glorious and yet conditional promise which requires that the individual recipient of the salvation gift of God chooses to continue to hear His voice and follow Him (John 10:27-29). Many today wrongly detach our LORD’s words in verse 27 from verses 28-29 of John 10. In doing so, they perpetrate their “eternal security” or otherwise called “once saved always saved” mythology. Beware as this was the first lie Satan told mankind, which led to the fall (Genesis 2:17; 3:4).

Instead of synthesizing the whole of Scripture, false teachers isolate certain verses for their own self-serving agenda and purpose (2 Corinthians 2:17, etc.).

The sheep Jesus’ promises are going to be kept are those who endure to the end, abide (remain) with Him (John 15:1-6). The Great Shepherd defines His sheep as those who are presently hearing His voice and following Him (present tense). John 10:27-29

It’s not difficult to mislead people in the direction of the sinful nature of their hearts – because then they can evade truly repenting which is a major life change and necessity for salvation. This is why Paul foretold of this hour and how men would “heap to themselves (false) teachers having itching ears.” (2 Timothy 4:3) “Itching ears” here represents unrepentant hearts.

OSAS people make a vain attempt at redefining the words of Scripture to fit their own self-serving agenda of lukewarmness, cross-less rebellion. For example they hyper-focus on “eternal” in the term “eternal life” while intentionally refusing to synthesize the whole of what Scripture states. They hyper-focus on the word “gift” and teach that a gift could never be lost which the rest of Scripture does not agree with. They then take the word “sealed” and make it to be permanent which it cannot possibly be because the same Greek word for “sealed” is used of Jesus’ tomb which we all know was NOT permanently sealed (Matthew 27:66). In this they bear false witness against the LORD and act like some Scriptures are more divinely inspired than others. This practice reveals the evil and deceit of their own hearts. Not just some Scripture in the Bible but rather “ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God…” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) It must all be synthesized, put together, compared (1 Corinthians 2:13). Error will result in the hearts and lives of those who do not search, study, and revere “ALL scripture” in God’s Word.

Eternal security deceivers don’t want to talk about Bible verses that contradict and expose their proof texts. You see, they don’t want to get awaken by the truth to the scam they’ve bought into. The wolves who they gullibly believe instead of God’s Word, taught them to cry “context, context” all while THEY are the beguilers who are taking Scripture out of context. Just like the demonic democrats in America, they accuse their adversaries of the exact thing THEY themselves are guilty of (Romans 2:1-3).

YOU are defending OSAS and yet you gave no Bible verses? Self-deception. If “once saved always saved” were true, WHY O WHY didn’t God tell us? Such a term, phrase, or concept appear no where in Scripture and the verses you use to “prove” it are taken out of their context. OSAS is undeniably the very first lie Satan ever told and it led to the fall of mankind from a HOLY God (Genesis 2:17; 3:4). If OSAS isn’t a doctrine of devils, nothing is! (1 Timothy 4:1-2)

Is the unchanging, Almighty God no longer “Holy, holy, holy” now that He sent His only begotten Son? (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8) If He’s still holy, no unrepentant person with sin will enter His holy Heaven (Revelation 21:8, 27, etc.).

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Hebrews 12:14

HOW is it that so many treat the words of JESUS recorded in John 10 more divinely authoritative than the words of JESUS recorded in John 15? False teachers.

Most of the dupes who cite John 10:28-29 to “prove” they can never lose their salvation, 1. Don’t even know what the preceding verse says (v27), and 2. Have no clue what JESUS says in John 15:6.

“If a man abide (remain) not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” John 15:6

In this John 10 passage used by the unconditional eternal security crew to peddle their wares, some neglect to look closely at verse 27 to see who Jesus was specifically speaking to when He promised “they shall never perish.” “They” refers to those who “hear my voice” and “follow me.” According to verse 27 the promise of eternal security is conditional. Assurance of salvation is only to those who are presently following Christ. In verse 27 we learn that protection from judgment to come is only to those who are currently 1) hearing His voice, 2) known by Him, and 3) following Him. This is consistent with the message seen in the whole of Holy Writ.

“For if AFTER they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are AGAIN entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, AFTER they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit AGAIN; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.” 2 Peter 2:20-22 

WHO did Jesus say His true sheep are?

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (Jn. 10:27). According to these words of Christ, those who “know” Jesus and “follow” Him are given the promise that they will “never perish.” As long as the follower hears His voice and follows Him, they are assured “eternal life.” This is exactly what the Son of God taught just a few chapters later in John 15 where He says that if a branch that is in Him does not remain or abide in Him, that person will be cut off and cast into the fire (hell).

Those who abide or remain under the shadow of His holy and protective wing shall remain secure in Him (Ps. 91:1). The Good Shepherd here said: “Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” No man can pluck us out of His protection except ourselves by our own decisions. We who are abiding are protected from the snare of other men drawing us away as we remain walking with the Son of God. If you’re tucked, you won’t get plucked. If you’re not tucked under the wing of intimacy with Jesus, you will, can, and are likely to be plucked out of His holy hand by your own sinful unbelief. The LORD told us “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown” (Rev. 3:11).

It’s also notable that those who emphasize John 10 to convince themselves and others that they are “eternally secure”, don’t even know much less acknowledge the words of the Savior in John 15:1-6.

Telling.

“If a man abide (remain) not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” John 15:6

Jesus taught repeatedly that some would not continue to follow Him (“abide”) and hear His voice and would consequently “fall away.” There is record of some who once believed and then stopped believing (Lk. 8:13; 13:23-30; Jn. 6:66; Acts 8:14-23).

Lie of the Ages (the book)

WHY do eternal securists get all upset when their fairy tale is exposed? Well, they are hiding behind the thin veneer of this heresy, feeling all secure, emboldened to live as they please, feeling assured in their lukewarmness and sin … denying Jesus instead of self, refusing to take up the cross that Jesus commanded all who would follow Him truly (Luke 9:23-24). Christ’s apostle Paul speaks of self-serving “enemies of the cross of Christ.” (Philippians 3:18-19) What’s behind this myth? The Psychology of Eternal Security [book]

Another Example of the Twisting of Scripture

The eternal securists seek to justify their OSAS heresy by misusing the following passage…. but in this Paul is speaking of those who go to Heaven, the judgment of saints, and not those who fell away and won’t be there because they will be in hell. They will not be present when this happens….

“Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” 1 Corinthians 3:13-15

One More….

Common Objection to Conditional Eternal Security….

“What about Romans 8:38-39 where it says nothing can separate us from the love of God?”

REPLY:

Simple: Notice the word LOVE not life. God will love us all the way into hell if we choose not to repent. His soul will even “weep in secret places for your pride” which comes before destruction (Jeremiah 13:17). The LORD is “Holy, holy, holy,” He’s just, and He will not ever coexist with sin. See the fall of lucifer (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:13-19; Luke 10:18). The wages of sin is still death and the LORD will damn every soul that dies in sin, with no exception (Psalms 5:4; Habakkuk 1:13; Isaiah 6:3; Romans 6:23; Revelation 4:8; 21:8; 22:11, etc.). Read Jesus’s parable of the prodigal son Lk 15. Did the father love and miss his son? Yes. Did the father (represents God) go chase him down? No. The son who departed had to choose to return. Much truth there. Speaking of Romans, read 11:20-22. Now read 2 Peter 2:20-22 and the book of Hebrews.

1 John 2:19 is often also utilized to “prove” eternal security. Not.

“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” 1 John 2:19

Interestingly, the word “never” does not appear in this verse above which is so often used to “prove” OSAS. Let’s read it again with an objective mind. And, also remember what Jesus says about the primary importance of His teaching of the seed and the soil, the sower and the Word:

“And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?” Mark 4:13 

The honest student of the whole Counsel of God’s Word knows that numerous clear Bible truths reveal that a saved person can turn away from the LORD, so we know that the apostle John could not possibly be saying that a saved person could never depart from the LORD. In my opinion, this verse is the best argument the eternal security proponent has, yet it’s not enough. There must be two or three witnesses and not just one (2 Cor. 13:1). After a closer examination of this text, one will find that verse 19 does not teach or justify “once saved always saved.” When any one verse is taken to the exclusion of the whole Word of God, one will certainly misunderstand the doctrine of the LORD which can only be apprehended by “study.” (2 Tim. 2:15) This verse is like any other verse of Scripture – it must be taken in light of the entire Counsel of God. The context to be considered is 1 John 2:18-29).

In examining the context in which 1 John 2:19 is set, we see that false teachers whom John calls “many antichrists,” had come and were telling these believers that Jesus was not the Christ (v22).

Let’s look at verses 18 and 19 together:

“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” 1 John 2:18-19

Note here that it is specifically of these “antichrists” that John speaks and says that “if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”

John was speaking of those who were once saved but then departed from the faith (1 Tim 4:1), they believed and then fell away (Luke 8:12-13) …. then departed from the believers in that fellowship.

Teddy Caldwell writes:

“OSAS insists that those are professing believers, but 1 John 2:18 says such people are antichrists. 1 John 2:22 says an antichrist is one who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Anyone who does that isn’t a believer and isn’t even trying to look like one.”

Concerning 1 John 2:19, Donald Stamps, in the Life in the Spirit Study Bible, writes:

“‘THEY WENT OUT FROM US.’ When the antichrists departed from their fellowship with true believers, they were not in a saving relationship with Christ. This allows for two possibilities: (1) They were never true believers to begin with, or (2) they had once been in a saving relationship with Christ but afterward abandoned their faith in Christ.”

Right here in verse 24 of this passage we see the doctrine of personal responsibility to “remain” in faithful obedience to the LORD or lose one’s place with God (1 Cor. 15:2; Gal. 6:9; Col. 1:23). This is a teaching found throughout Holy Writ – the divine requirement to stay saved or lose all in eternity, “suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” (Jude 7)

“Let that therefore abide (remain) in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. IF (denotes condition) that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.” 1 John 2:24-25

Verse 24 alone tells us that we cannot think that verse 19 means that someone who is at some point in right standing with God can never depart from Him and lose out. Also, verse 25 tells us that “eternal life” (not just rewards) is at stake and the promise contingent upon the believer abiding or remaining in that “which ye have heard from the beginning” which is the Gospel. “Eternal life” is assured as long as one is remaining rooted in Jesus Christ. This is the overwhelmingly consistent message of God’s Word.

In verse 26 John says “These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.” Verse 19 is written about the deceivers who sought to “seduce” these disciples John was addressing and not of true believers.

With all of Scripture in consideration, we can conclude that 1 John 2:19 is a specific example and not a rule of doctrine.

If you truly wish to search out this matter, let me encourage you to closely examine, break down and study this entire text (1 Jn. 2:18-29). In order to ascertain truth, one must compare the verse in question with all other related Scriptures, beginning with the context in which the verse is set (Isa. 28:9-10; 1 Cor. 2:13).

Go here for more on the misuse of 1 John 2:19.

Eternal Security / OSAS Exploded

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The Warnings of the Book of Jude [podcast]

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Attend to My Words [podcast]


IF THE WORD isn’t flowing into you daily, you are falling away. Flood and fuel your heart and mind and body with the pure, the holy light of God’s Word daily and you will never famish! All darkness will be vanquished (Psalms 119:130). All who have been saved and yet aren’t in God’s Word and prayer daily – have rejected Christ, with no exception. Re-turn to the LORD prodigal. There’s no good outside of Christ the KING.

“The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” Psalms 119:130

ALL who are not in God’s written Word daily are not hearing from God, do not have God’s wisdom and direction, and are walking in darkness – 100%.

The feeding of Christ’s flock would integrally involve exhorting them to diligently study and walk in God’s Word themselves, daily (John 21:15-17). Isn’t this exactly what the apostle Paul told Timothy to do? Yes. He told his understudy to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

One of the ways we know who the false ministers are, is that they want people dependent on THEM, not God. So, they don’t constantly exhort the people to get into God’s Word, the Holy Scriptures, for themselves. Run.

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Joshua 1:8 

“He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. … My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4:4, 20-23

“Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16

“Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.” Job 23:12

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Colossians 3:16

“Over the last 5-10 years I can see where He has done this for me already, but the problem is …. it’s not enough! I want even more! One hour of study and prayer in the morning is not enough!” Christine

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