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.
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:
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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.”
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.”
No Inherent Sin Nature? Born Okay the First Time? After the Fall: Is Mankind Inherently Good or Evil? SELF-RIGHTEOUS DEVILS will be in hell first according the Christ! (Matthew 21:31) There are lots of novices acting like they have the answers because they learned their heresies from now-in-hell wolves like Mike Desario and Charles Finney. Beware. These are the vilest of devils. Some deny that there is a flesh nature to be crucified. Utter heresy. Sin sure is a living entity called the “old man” which is ever with us and must be daily crucified – put to death (Romans […]
"Salvation is the Work of MAN!" - Charles Finney
There are some, in their false teachings, who will ax GOD right out of the picture of His own creation and salvation. This is what the “spirit of antichrist” does. Anti means “in place of.” 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 in Christ, working out (not […]
STOP SINNING? Really? WHEN?
BEWARE of the diabolical frauds who go around teaching that a sinner has to “stop sinning” before Jesus saves him!!! Of all the heresies you will hear circulating, this one is at the height of evil and is standing in the way of sinners entering Christ’s kingdom! Repentance is First and foremost TURNING TO GOD and not turning from sin as some supposed. Yes, turning to sin is a must and yet only after one choose to “turn to God.” Beware of the baiting and switching saints (2 Corinthians 2:17). Acts 15:19 “Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not […]
Mike Desario Exposed
Mike Desario’s ministry is proof that just because someone is intense at communicating a message doesn’t mean their message is true. (At the bottom of this page is the Testimony by Tommy Miner who was delivered from this dangerous cult.) Mike Desario is now dead and presumably unrepentant and in hell and yet his cult and false teachings live on. Beware! In short: Desario and his prey view salvation as their own departure from sin, to stop all sinning, as they claim. They view repentance as turning from sin instead of first and foremost turning TO God (1 Thessalonians 1:9). Jesus […]
The reason God gave His only begotten Son was to clear you of all your sin in His regeneration, to bring you into His eternal family for fellowship with Him.
“That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” John 17:21
“That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:3
When God clears a man at the moment of salvation or thereafter, so should we! When any man truly repents there will be definite fruit to prove it. When one obeys sound biblical doctrine the result will always be that he will bring forth fruit to demonstrate he truly repented, and is cleared by the LORD and must be cleared by us. After the fornicator in the church of Corinth repented, he was cleared and the LORD, through Paul, instructed the believers in that assembly to forgive, clear, and love him.
“So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. 8 Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.” 2 Corinthians 2:7-8
Remember this from the prodigal son parable our LORD taught us?
“I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance … 10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke 15:7, 10
When someone returns to the LORD from sin, regardless of their past, with or without Christ, there is great celebration in Heaven and should be also among the saints of Christ on the earth.
A fresh reading of Luke 15 is highly recommended where Jesus gives us 3 parables to teach the restorative love of God!
WATCH THIS: When we repent we openly renounce and are clear…. God is good.
Godly Sorrow brings the blessings of God and a clearing of past sin.
“Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 11For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what CLEARING OF YOURSELVES, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be CLEAR in this matter.” 2 Corinthians 7:11
Example: Remember how the fornicator in 1 Corinthians 5 was turned over to Satan and then repented and God cleared Him? Read 2 Corinthians 2 for the “CLEARING.” In this verse above, Paul is addressing this very issue and the sorrow, diligent obedience, and consequent “CLEARING” the Corinthian saints experienced. First they allowed the fornicator to function in their midst whereas Paul had to come in and instruct them to turn the transgressor over to Satan (1 Corinthians 5). Then, as a result, the backslider repented.
“He says, what clearing of yourselves. This does not mean that they tried to justify or excuse themselves, but rather that by taking resolute action, they tried to clear themselves of any further guilt or blame in the matter. Their change in attitude led to this change in action. What indignation may refer to their attitude toward the sinner because of the reproach he brought on the name of Christ. But more probably it refers to their attitude toward themselves for ever having allowed such a thing to go on for so long without taking action on it. Paul then adds: In all things you ‘ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.’ Of course, we are not to understand by this that they were never to blame, but simply that they had done everything they could to take the proper action and to act as they should have acted in the first place.” William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary
“Clearing of yourselves – From either sharing in, or approving of, his sin. Indignation – That ye had not immediately corrected the offender. Fear – Of God’s displeasure, or lest I should come with a rod. Vehement desire – To see me again. Zeal – For the glory of God, and the soul of that sinner. Yea, revenge – Ye took a kind of holy revenge upon yourselves, being scarce able to forgive yourselves. In all things ye – As a church. Have approved yourselves to be pure – That is, free from blame, since ye received my letter.” John Wesley
“In all things, etc. – In the whole of your conduct in this affair since ye have received my letter, ye have approved yourselves to be clear, ἁγνους; not only to be clear of contumacy and obstinate persistence in your former conduct, but to have done all in the compass of your power to rectify the abuses which had crept in among you. The Corinthians were not clear, i.e. innocent or void of blame in the fact, but they were clear of all blame in their endeavors to remove the evil.” Adam Clarke
The Corinthian saints repented, obeyed God by turning the unrepentant sinner in their midst over to Satan, and were then forgiven and cleared of their sin of allowing the un-repentant fornicator to remain in their company (1 Corinthians 5; 2 Corinthians 2 and 7).
Today, is the LORD showing you something in your life that you must turn back over to Satan where it came from – to rid your heart, your life of a sin?
Interestingly, this 2 Corinthians 7 chapter begins with this:
“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1
When we simply agree with the LORD, His Word, and turn to Him afresh and away from what He calls sin, confessing it to Him for what it is, He will immediately forgive us and promises to grant us a clearing, a clear conscience.
“Now the end(chief purpose)of the commandment(written Word)is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:” 1 Timothy 1:5
The LORD made it clear that He intends for His children to be possessed with a clear conscience which is a gift He alone provided through the perfect sacrifice of His only begotten Son.
“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Hebrews 9:14
“A disciplined conscience is a man’s best friend. It may not be his most amiable, but it is his most faithful monitor.” Austin Phelps
Have you ever had a past sin nag you for many years after you committed and even confessed and were forgiven for it?
WHEN we DO what is right, then and only then do we have the bless-ed confirmation of a clear conscience. AND, doing what’s right begins with re-turning, turning afresh to our LORD and confessing all sin.
“God is greater than our heart”
“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.” 1 John 3:18-21
In fellowshipping with other men who serve our LORD, I’ve often heard them say how that sins they committed in the past still bother them in a hindering way. Yet, we know that God knows all these things and “is greater than our heart” and provided a complete salvation through the blood of His only begotten Son!
“WHEN HE HAD BY HIMSELF purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Hebrews 1:3
Even though 90% of today’s pastors prove themselves to be false by never mentioning this, we must never ever lose sight of the truth that God is “Holy, holy, holy” and He commands us to “Be ye holy; for I am holy” (Isaiah 6:3; 1 Peter 1:15-16; Revelation 4:8).
“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16
Are we presently allowing sin in our own lives, including keeping company with someone who claims to be Christ’s and yet is living in sin? Are you in need of doing an inventory check on your current friends – namely those who name Jesus as their Savior? Read this unchanging divine truth and note the many specific sins listed here:
“I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: 10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. 11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. 12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? 13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” 1 Corinthians 5:9-13
When we truly repent and obey the counsel, the Word of God, only then will we be cleared in conscience and before God and His people. True repentance always, without exception, brings forth a changed life – a life set apart to the LORD (Matthew 3:7-10; Luke 19:1-10).
The fact that our LORD is correcting us today clearly proves how much He loves us. When the LORD points out our sin, it’s because He loves us, He wants us to repent, to return to Him, agree with Him, and depart from that sin. This is all so He can clear us!
“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” Revelation 3:19
Refreshing Always Follows Fresh Repentance
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;” Acts 3:19
“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” Hebrews 8:12
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
Read 1 Corinthians 5, 2 Corinthians 2 and 7.
Yes, we’ve all been hurt by others and we have also hurt others, right? Let’s take accountability for our own evil and watch what God does. Blaming others without taking the blame due to us is a deep, endless ditch.
This morning I prayed “LORD, if I have angered or hurt someone, anyone, please let it be revealed so that amends can be made, in Jesus’ name, amen Father.”
In this passage below, our LORD is addressing being easily angered as well as making amends when we intentionally or unintentionally have harmed another.
“But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 25 Agree with thine adversary quickly…” Matthew 5:22-25
PRAYER: My Father in Heaven, I come to You now on the sole basis of the holy name and blood of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Here and now I ask You LORD to convict, grant repentance, and complete clearing of any and all sin in my life. Please sanctify my life dear LORD. LORD Jesus thank You for dying on that cross, shedding Your precious blood for all my sins. Please bless me with a oneness with You and the Father and a clear conscience. Be glorified in my life dear LORD. I love You LORD Jesus. Amen.
“A GREAT WAY OFF” Luke 15:20 Luke 15 – 3 parables of that which was lost (SSS): Lost Sheep Lost Silver Lost Son What is the overriding divine theme communicated in this beautiful Bible chapter? THE whole of Scripture testifies to the reality that the LORD delights to restore when we simply come to Him humbly, on His terms. “And he (the wayward son) arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.” Luke 15:20 From a […]
Sinlessly Perfect? I Doubt it [podcast]
Yes the LORD commands His people to “Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16) Yet we should ask whether or not His desire is for His people to tout to others that they are “sinlessly perfect” or does His Word rather reveal that His people are to be dependent upon Him through the humility of Christ and crucified life He ordained us to walk in? Did the apostles walk around telling people they were sinlessly perfect? No. Didn’t Paul confess his own utter poverty of spirit outside of the saving, present grace of Christ? Yes. (Romans 7:18, […]
Wait, WHAT, WHO are Christ’s disciples to celebrate?
“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Galatians 6:14
A Biblically based commentary on current issues that impact you
Richard Foster—Celebration of Deception
by Bob DeWaay
Christianity Today ran a glowing cover story about Evangelicalism’s recent embrace of medieval Roman Catholic mysticism entitled The Future lies in the Past.1 The article traced the beginning of the movement as follows: “The movement seems to have exploded in a 24-month period in 1977-1978, which saw the publication of Richard Foster’s bestselling Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth and Robert Webber’s Common Roots: A Call to Evangelical Maturity.”2
The article views Foster as one who continues to guide the movement: “From Dallas Willard, Richard Foster, and living practicing monks and nuns, they [those going back to Roman Catholic mysticism] must learn both the strengths and the limits of the historical ascetic disciplines.”3 So Foster was instrumental in starting a movement that is still growing 30-plus years later.
The irony about this particular CIC regarding Foster’s 1978 book is that in 1978 I myself was living in a Christian community committed to practicing much of what he promotes in Celebration of Discipline (even though we had not learned it from him directly). So I am not criticizing a practice about which I know nothing (or one in which I have no experience). I am criticizing a practice I foolishly allowed to deceive me for a significant portion of my early Christian life. When it comes to being deceived by mysticism, I have had abundant involvement. The only way I escaped it was through discovering and adopting the Reformation principle of sola scriptura.
In this article I will show that Foster’s “journey inward” is unbiblical and dangerous. I will show that most of the spiritual disciplines that he calls “means of grace” are no means of grace at all—but a means of putting oneself under spiritual deception.
The Journey Inward
The Bible nowhere describes an inward journey to explore the realm of the spirit. God chose to reveal the truth about spiritual reality through His ordained, Spirit-inspired, biblical writers. What is spiritual and not revealed by God is of the occult and, therefore, forbidden. We have discussed this in many articles and have produced DVD seminars on the topic. But the concept of sola scriptura is totally lost on mystics such as Richard Foster. They, like the enthusiasts that Calvin and Luther warned against, believe they can gain valid and useful knowledge of spiritual things through direct, personal inspiration.
Foster describes the idea of the disciplines that are the topic of his book: “The classical Disciplines of the spiritual life call us to move beyond surface living into the depths. They invite us to explore the inner caverns of the spiritual realm.”4 So Foster has conceptually repudiated sola scriptura on page one to replace it with a journey inward to explore the realm of spirits. Something must have been seriously amiss in evangelicalism already in 1978 to render this book a bestseller! It ought to have been repudiated on the spot. In a footnote to that statement Foster writes, “In one form or another all of the devotional masters have affirmed the necessity of the Disciplines” (Foster: 1). The devotional “masters,” by the way, are mostly Roman Catholics who never were committed to the principle of sola scriptura. It is not surprising that they looked for spirituality through experimentation. But as an “inner light” Quaker, Foster never was committed to sola scriptura either.
Forgetting that the Bible forbids divination, Foster explains what he is after:
[W]e must be willing to go down into the recreating silences, into the inner world of contemplation. In their writings, all of the masters of meditation strive to awaken us to the fact that the universe is much larger than we know, that there are vast unexplored inner regions that are just as real as the physical world we know so well. . . . They call us to the adventure, to be pioneers in this frontier of the Spirit. (Foster: 13)
Realizing that his readers would likely take this as an endorsement of Eastern religions, he makes a disclaimer that it is not Transcendental Meditation (TM) or something of that ilk: “Eastern meditation is an attempt to empty the mind; Christian meditation is an attempt to empty the mind in order to fill it” (Foster: 15). But what Foster wishes us to fill our minds with are personal revelations from the spirit realm that we naively are to think are the voice of God. This sort of meditation is not meditating on what God has said, but uses a technique to explore the spirit world. In other words, it is divination.
What we learn about the spirit realm either is revealed by God (once for all in Scripture) or gleaned by man-made techniques. That distinction is the difference between Christianity and paganism. Only Bible believers know what God has said about Himself and what He wishes to reveal about the unseen spirit world. Foster’s material continues to be popular because we live in an age where being spiritual pioneers on a journey into the unseen realm of the spirits is the essence of popular piety. It is the spirituality of secular talk shows.
To fully understand the degree of Foster’s deception, he even calls these techniques to the inner journey “means of grace”: “They [the Disciplines] are God’s means of grace” (Foster: 6). As with all who teach spiritual disciplines, there are no boundaries to these false “means.” For example, consider this recommended practice: “After you have gained some proficiency in centering down, add a five- to ten-minute meditation on some aspect of the creation. Choose something in the created order: tree, plant, bird, leaf, cloud, and each day ponder it carefully and prayerfully” (Foster 25). This after he had just taught breathing exercises (a means of “centering down”). Then he makes a startling claim: “We should not bypass this means of God’s grace” (Foster: 25). And there we have it: meditating of a leaf can be a means of grace!
Foster’s journey inward is to discover a spirit world that is available for any who search for it: “How then do we come to believe in a world of the spirit? Is it by blind faith? Not at all. The inner reality of the spiritual world is available to all who are willing to search for it” (Foster: 18). He claims that this spiritual search is analogous to scientific experimentation. Never mind that every pagan culture that has existed has believed in the “spiritual world.”
Spirituality of the Imagination
The Bible does not have anything good so say about the imagination. For example: “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility; They speak a vision of their own imagination, Not from the mouth of the Lord'” (Jeremiah 23:16). A search of the KJV for “imagination” yields 14 verses, and in each case it is a bad thing. According to the Bible, the imagination is where people go when they do not want to listen to God.
However, for Foster the imagination is central: “The inner world of meditation is most easily entered through the door of the imagination. We fail today to appreciate its tremendous power. The imagination is stronger than conceptual thought and stronger than the will” (Foster: 22). Some of the authorities he cites on this point are C. G. Jung, Ignatius of Loyola, and Morton Kelsey. Jung is famous for his concept of the collective unconscious, and Kelsey was an Episcopal priest committed to Jungian principles. Kelsey wrote many books promoting mysticism. The advice Foster gleans from these teachers is that we must learn to think in images and take our dreams to be a possible doorway into the spirit world. Foster claims that dreams are something we already have and can help us develop the use of the imagination. He says, “Keeping a journal of our dreams is a way of taking them seriously” (Foster: 23).
There is, Foster warns, a danger to this process: “At the same time [that we ask for dreams to be God speaking to us], it is wise to pray a prayer of protection, since to open ourselves to spiritual influence can be dangerous as well as profitable” (Foster: 23). I would say that is asking God to protect us as we use various techniques to go where He does not want us to go (into the world of the spirits to gain information). The danger he warns of is far greater than Foster imagines. Those who take the journey inward will be deceived—every time! We are not equipped to gain spiritual information from that realm. That is why God speaks to us through His ordained mediators (the inspired Biblical writers); otherwise we would be fishing in the dark in a medium we are not suited for.
Foster teaches his readers to use their imaginations to experience Biblical stories with the five physical senses. Here is what he claims will happen:
As you enter the story, not as a passive observer but as an active participant, remember that since Jesus lives in the Eternal Now and is not bound by time, this event in the past is a living present-tense experience for Him. Hence, you can actually encounter the living Christ in the event, be addressed by His voice and be touched by His healing power. It can be more than an exercise of the imagination; it can be a genuine confrontation. Jesus Christ will actually come to you. (Foster: 26)
Showing that Foster’s ideas are still influential in our day, Greg Boyd cites some of Foster’s words here to support what he calls “cataphatic prayer” which uses the imagination and images as a means to contact God and gain spiritual information.5 Those who endorse this practice assume they are not being deceived by spirits, but I cannot see on what grounds.
Foster prescribes a practice using one’s imagination that mimics astral projection to the degree that he actually includes a footnote disclaimer stating that it is not astral projection (Foster 28). It begins by telling his readers to imagine themselves going out into nature into a beautiful place (Boyd describes how he practices this, as well as its results6). After enjoying the sights and smells (in your imagination) these are the next steps:
In your imagination allow your spiritual body, shining with light, to rise out of your physical body. Look back so that you can see yourself lying in the grass and reassure your body that you will return momentarily. Imagine your spiritual self, alive and vibrant, rising up through the clouds and into the stratosphere. . . Go deeper and deeper into outer space until there is nothing except the warm presence of the eternal Creator. Rest in His presence. Listen quietly, anticipating the unanticipated. Note carefully any instruction given. With time and experience you will be able to distinguish readily between mere human thought that may bubble up to the conscious mind and the True Spirit which inwardly moves upon the heart. (Foster: 27, 28)
I must ask how one knows whether “True Spirit” is not a deceiving one? Mysticism’s fatal flaw is that it naively assumes that Christians having subjective religious experiences must therefore be having Christian experiences that are truly from God—even if the experiences were provoked through unbiblical practices similar to those used by pagans.
Mental Alchemy
Foster’s approach to prayer is laced with mysticism as well. He claims that prayer needs to be learned from people who have the right experiences and are “masters” who know what they are doing. Foster does not teach ordinary prayer, whereby we bring our needs and requests to the Lord and know that He hears us (because He promised that He does). Here is why he thinks such prayer fails:
Often people will pray and pray with all the faith in the world, but nothing happens. Naturally, they were not contacting the channel. We begin praying for others by first centering down and listening to the quiet thunder of the Lord of hosts. Attuning ourselves to divine breathings is spiritual work, but without it our praying is vain repetition (Mt. 6:7). Listening to the Lord is the first thing, the second thing, and the third thing necessary for successful intercession. (Foster: 34)
Of course this means we have to become mystics if we want to pray.
He teaches that we first must hear personal revelations from God, using meditation techniques such as he teaches, before we pray. He says: “The beginning point, then, in learning to pray for others is to listen for guidance . . . This inner “yes” is the divine authorization for you to pray for the person or situation” (Foster: 35). No! Foster is wrong! The only authorization we need to pray is the Biblical command to pray—not personal revelations.
For Foster, meditation (mystical style) is necessary but not sufficient. He also brings the imagination into the process: “As with meditation, the imagination is a powerful tool in the work of prayer” (Foster: 36). He credits Agnes Sanford7 for helping him see the value of using the imagination in praying. Foster writes, “Imagination opens the door to faith. If we can ‘see’ in our mind’s eye a shattered marriage whole or a sick person well, it is only a short step to believing it will be so” (Foster: 36). Sanford got her ideas from Theosophy, New Thought, Jung, and Emmet Fox. These ideas, echoed by Foster, come from the unbiblical “mind over matter” thinking of that era. That kind of thinking uses creative visualization to change reality or channel spiritual power. Foster suggests, “Imagine the light of Christ flowing through your hands and healing every emotional trauma and hurt feeling your child experienced that day” (Foster: 39).
In his 1985 book, The Seduction of Christianity, Dave Hunt labeled creative visualization such as what Foster promotes, “mental alchemy.”8 Hunt warned the church that Foster promoted such mental alchemy in Celebration of Discipline, and as we have shown, he, in fact, does. So how is it that 24 years after Hunt’s warning Foster is more popular than ever with Evangelicals? The answer is end times deception. Now, a huge movement that claims to be a reformation promoting Foster, Willard and their versions of mysticism does exist (i.e., The Emergent Church). Things have gotten so very much worse.
Spiritual Directors
Once mysticism and the supposed need to gain personal revelations from God are embraced, there arises a need for new “masters” who are better at navigating the spirit world. Pagan societies have always had such persons. They are called “shamans.” Eastern religion calls them “gurus.” Deceived Christians call them “spiritual directors.” Foster explains, “In the Middle Ages not even the greatest saints attempted the depths of the inward journey without the help of a spiritual director” (Foster: 159). The problem, according to Foster, is that the churches (in 1978) lacked “living masters”:
No doubt part of the surge of interest in Eastern meditation is because the churches have abrogated the field. How depressing for a university student, seeking to know the Christian teaching on meditation, to discover that there are so few living masters of contemplative prayer and that nearly all of the serious writings on the subject are seven or more centuries old. No wonder he or she turns to Zen, Yoga, or TM. (Foster: 14)
Foster’s dream has come true. Today people can even practice Yoga in a Christian church. We have Christian TM; it is called contemplative prayer. Yes, Eastern religion has come right into the church, and Foster has helped usher it in.
But what about “living masters” or spiritual directors? In 1972 Morton Kelsey lamented their lack: “Indeed I would suggest that everyone who is serious about relating to the spiritual realm find himself a spiritual director, if there were more men trained and experienced in this way.”9 That “problem” has been solved in a huge way. Evangelical theology schools are now offering masters degrees in “spiritual formation” in order to equip people to be “spiritual directors.” Here is what Biola University says about its program: “This degree is designed to equip men and women for the ministry of spiritual direction, discipleship, formation and soul care in the local church and for further academic training in spiritual formation.”10 Spiritual Directors International will help you find a spiritual director regardless of your religion.11 Richard Foster’s own Renovare, which purports to “encourage renewal in the Christian church,” has a list of spiritual direction programs.12
Foster explains the purpose of the spiritual director: “He is the means of God to open the path to the inward teaching of the Holy Spirit” (Foster: 160). Apparently, in a full-blown rejection of sola scriptura where the Holy Spirit’s teaching is mediated to the church through the Biblical writers only, we need mediators for personal revelations beyond scripture.
Foster explains how spiritual directors lead: “He leads only by the force of his own personal holiness” (Foster: 160). In Roman Catholicism the Pope is called “his holiness” and in Tibetan Buddhism the Dalai Lama is called “his holiness” but now evangelicals are developing a class of people who evidently deserve the title. How exactly are we to judge when someone has gained “personal holiness” sufficient to be a spiritual director and mediate spirituality to others? Foster says, “Though the director has obviously advanced further into the inner depths, the two [master and disciple] are together learning and growing in the realm of the Spirit” (Foster: 160). Foster cites Roman Catholic mystic Thomas Merton about how this works: “The spiritual director was something of a ‘spiritual father who begot the perfect life in the soul of his disciple by his instructions first of all, but also by his prayer, his sanctity and his example. He was . . . a kind of ‘sacrament’ of the Lord’s presence in the ecclesiastical community” (Foster: 161).
End Times Delusion
When it comes to end times deception, Foster is on the cutting edge of embracing it. Consider what he wrote: “In our day heaven and earth are on tiptoe waiting for the emerging of a Spirit-led, Spirit-intoxicated, Spirit-empowered people. . . . Individuals can be found here and there whose hearts burn with divine fire” (Foster: 150). Such inclinations have led to massive deception. They smack of the Latter Rain deception, now embodied in such false teachers as Rick Joyner and Mike Bickle. They are elitist. They are in line with the beliefs of the Emergent Church as well. He also says: “Our century has yet to see the breaking forth of the apostolic church of the Spirit” (Foster: 150). Now we have the New Apostolic Reformation claiming to be just that. Foster’s ideas now embody the massive apostasy and end times deception that characterize our age.
Foster’s teachings have taken the church as far away from the Reformation principle of sola scriptura as the Roman Catholic Church ever was. The only thing left is for them to bring us all the way back to Rome. Christianity Today praises Foster for pointing us in that direction.
In early 2008 I wrote a CIC article about how abandoning the principle of sola scriptura would lead evangelicals back to Rome.13 It was partly a response to the CT article praising mysticism. The response I received was rather unexpected. I was contacted by former evangelicals who had rejected sola scriptura and had gone back to Rome! They wanted to debate me about sola scriptura. Sadly, my point was proven. As a response to their misguided challenge our church hosted a seminar on sola scriptura, called Faith at Risk 4.14 In the seminar Gary Gilley and I defended the scriptures as the sole authority for the church.
The aforementioned CT article discusses a new monasticism, former evangelical leaders converting to Roman Catholicism, and mystical practices like lectio divina—and they call all of it a good and hopeful thing. Chris Armstrong, the author of the article, concluded, “That they [evangelicals] are receiving good guidance on this road from wise teachers [Foster and Willard] is reason to believe that Christ is guiding the process. And that they are meeting and learning from fellow Christians in the other two great confessions, Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox, is reason to rejoice in the power of love.”15
Who is left to defend the principles of the Reformation? One would think Reformed theologians are, but they aren’t doing their job. In the last CIC article we mentioned Reformed theologian Donald Whitney who wrote: “Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline has been the most popular book on the subject of the Spiritual Disciplines in the last half of the twentieth century. The great contribution of this work is the reminder that the Spiritual Disciplines, which many see as restrictive and binding, are actually means to spiritual freedom.”16 That from a teacher in a Reformed seminary?
If a book that teaches Christian TM, Christian astral projection and mental alchemy by means of the imagination is a “great contribution,” then something is seriously wrong here. The delusion is so widespread that I see no other explanation for it than the end time deception predicted by Paul: “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,” (1Timothy 4:1). Another passage warns: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths” (2Timothy 4:3, 4).
That time now is here. We are accountable to God for what we believe and practice. Those who wish to persevere in the faith in this age of delusion must base their beliefs and practices only on the truths found in Scripture. Foster’s journey into the world of the spirits will deceive all who enter it.
Issue 112 – May / June 2009
End Notes
Chris Armstrong, “The Future lies in the Past” in Christianity Today, February 2008.
Ibid. 24.
Ibid. 29.
Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth (New York: Harper & Row, 1978) 1. All subsequent citations from this book will be bracketed within the text in this fashion: (Foster: 1).
Greg Boyd, Seeing is Believing, (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2004). Boyd cites Foster to prove that the Lord will actually come to us through our use of “imaginative meditation.” I deal with this issue more fully in CIC issue 83 July/August, 2003: HTTP://CICMINISTRY.ORG/COMMENTARY/ISSUE83.HTM
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LOTS OF FRAUDS WHO CLAIM TO BE SAVED BY GRACE YET DEFEND INSTEAD OF ADMITTING, REPENTING, CALLING OUT AND CONFESSING SIN. “Grace” that isn’t leading you to live godly in this present world, denying ungodliness instead of living in it, is NOT saving grace. You are lost if this is the phony “grace” you have.
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,righteously, and godly, in this present world.” Titus 2:11-12
YES God’s grace in Christ is certainly amazing and yet, the evangelical, calvinistic worlds have grossly emphasized and perpetrate a perverted view of God’s grace…. Fulfilling the prophecy of Jude 3-4. God says these are “ungodly men” who we are to “earnestly contend” against! (Jude 3-4)
It’s only the sin-justifying, grace-perverting frauds who hate personal accountability and obedience as the manifestation, the fruit of true worship and love for God (Titus 2:11-12; Jude 4).
IF you love God, truly, you will obey Him. Those who do not obey Christ, don’t love Him (John 14:15; 1 John 2:3-6, etc.).
Hell is full of people who got saved, then made excuses for their Christ-denying cross-less life on earth (Matthew 7:21; Titus 1:16).
This is how true grace manifests IF someone is saved by it….. otherwise they have either never been saved or have since fallen away from saving grace (Luke 8:13; Galatians 5:4; 2 Peter 2:20-22, etc.).
“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.” 2 Peter 2:20-21
Dear OSAS fairytale believer: Grace is given to overcome sin and not to justify it.
This “so great salvation” (Heb. 2:3) that “hath appeared to all men” was wrought for us by the grace and life blood of the Son of God (Lev. 17:11; Rom. 3:23-26). We were down and out “having no hope” and “when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Rom. 5:6; Eph. 2:12) We were “without strength!” – In other words we had no ability in and of ourselves to get back to the one true God we were separated from due to our own sin (Isa. 59:1-2; Rom. 5:12). Yet, “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8) He saved us to be made progressively more free and to please and serve Him with joy in the Holy Ghost. He is our Salvation and enabler in all things. We truly CAN do “all things through Christ which strengtheneth” us! (Phil. 4:13)
Whenever God commands something, He also provides the grace for it to manifest in your life – as you are submitted and therefore obedient to Him (James 4:6-10; 1 Peter 4:10-11). His grace, divine enablement, operational power, is always sufficient to bring His perfect will to pass in our lives and to bring us through any and all difficulties, grueling seasons we may find ourselves in! (2 Corinthians 9:8; 12:9-10; 1 Peter 5:10)
No gift could possibly be so “great.” See Hebrews 2:3. It is to Jesus Christ the LORD of all lords that we as vile and depraved sinners, owe all thanksgiving and have the immeasurable, grand and blessed privilege to worship. There is no fathoming the magnitude of the blessing, of the grace and mercy of our God poured out to us through “the blood of his cross.” (Rom. 11:33; 1 Cor. 2:9; Col. 1:20; Tit. 3:5-6) His grace truly is amazing and yet He is holy and righteous and will not permit sin into His presence.
“By him (Christ) therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” Hebrews 13:15
Seems to me that in “grace” circles grace itself is deified instead of the One who alone granted that grace?
“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” John 1:17
My identity, my salvation is first and foremost in CHRIST JESUS Himself and not in the grace He brought and provided via His death on the cross! First things first! Keeping the main thing the main thing! (1 Corinthians 2:2; Galatians 2:20; 6:14; Hebrews 2:9)
The apostle Paul, the divinely inspired grace teacher, stated here in our theme verse (please re-read Titus 2:11-12 above) that when God’s grace is genuinely at work in a person, that person is being taught and learning certain things. Let’s go to the divine source, God’s Word, to discover what these things are:
According to Titus 2:11-12, just what does God’s grace teach one who possesses it?
To “deny ungodliness…in this present world”
To “deny…worldly lusts…in this present world”
To “live soberly…in this present world”
To “live…righteously…in this present world”
To live “godly, in this present world”
If a person claims to be saved (secure for Heaven) and yet is not “denying ungodliness” and “worldly lusts…living soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world,” he is simply deluded. See also Matthew 7:21; Titus 1:16; James 1:22; 4:4 and 1 John 2:3-6.
If you don’t mind, I am nominating Titus 2:11-12 as that place in Scripture believers think of when they think of the grace of God. Do you think that saints and/or those who claim to be saints might take on a whole new level of responsibility if such were the case?
The person who currently possesses and is living in the grace of God can be assured of eternal life (Heb. 12:14). One can know or verify whether or not he truly possesses the grace of God by reading closely this enlightening theme passage of Titus 2:11-12. The authentically saved person is presently abiding in Christ’s grace – “Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts” and living “soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world (life).”
If these things are not manifesting in our lives, be sure that we are not presently living in the grace of God and should immediately repent before the LORD (James 4:6). In verse 11 of Titus 2, the Word states that it is “the grace of God that bringeth salvation.” And then Holy Writ reveals how those who truly and currently possess this essential grace live their lives – “in this present world.”
“‘For whom ye yield yourselves, servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey.’ (Rom. 6:16) If we are compelled, therefore, to yield ourselves servants to sin, and be subject to Satan’s power, insomuch that we cannot help but obey him, and really have no choice in the matter, then our free agency, our volition, is destroyed; and to make matters worse, the devil has more power than God. Satan can make us disobey God, but alas, God cannot make us disobey Satan. The devil compels us to be sinners, but God cannot compel us to be righteous. What kind of doctrine is this?” –Howard W. Sweeten
In America, the vast majority of those who are called evangelicals do not even realize that this Titus 2 text exists. The masses have never had this text pointed out to them and expounded upon by their leaders. What is it these leaders are afraid their audiences will discover if they unveil this text? Some leaders just simply do not teach the Word (2 Tim. 4:2-4). This alone makes them false. For the Calvinistic leader I must ask: What are they hiding? What are they afraid people might find out? Why are other Bible passages on grace spotlighted and not Titus 2? Why is this Bible passage purposely neglected and avoided? What are our leaders afraid will be revealed to the people they communicate to? Do these leaders fear that the divine truth revealed in Titus 2 will contradict what they are teaching? Do they fear offending people by communicating what the evidences (fruit) of true grace and salvation are?
Unrepentant rebels who claim to be saved lack the discernment and ability to rightly divide the word of God because they refuse to turn their hearts over to the LORD – 2 Corinthians 3:14-16; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12. OSAS dupes reject the mountains of Scripture that teach a conditional eternal security because they simply do not want to repent and lay down their lives in this sinful world.
Speaking of “A Foreign Grace,” David Servant, in his book The Great Gospel Deception, says:
“It is not only the fruit of people’s deeds that mark them as false teachers, but also the fruit of their words. If they teach what is contrary to essential New Testament doctrine, they are false teachers.
Of course, no teacher in the church is going to stand up and declare that he is teaching what is contrary to the New Testament. Rather, he will neglect certain important scriptures and twist others to persuade his constituency that he is teaching the truth. This is being done today by many very popular and influential teachers who teach about a grace that is foreign to the Bible. The grace they proclaim is not the true grace that leads to holiness…
How is it possible that people who denied the only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ, could have ‘crept in unnoticed’? The answer is that they were not standing in front of congregations declaring, ‘I deny Jesus Christ.’ Rather, they were denying Jesus Christ through their false teaching about grace, turning it into licentiousness.
Their message could be summarized as follows: ‘Isn’t God’s grace wonderful? Because our salvation stems from His grace and not from our meritorious works, holiness is not essential for salvation. Because of God’s wonderful grace, all who believe in Jesus are saved, even if they continue practicing sin.’” p. 230, 231
As David Servant points out, the false teacher is not going to stand up and announce that he is a wolf. It is the individual believer’s responsibility to discern leaders by the fruit of their teaching. What is not taught (left out of the message) can be more deadly than what is taught. What we don’t know can kill us. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hos. 4:6) To be able to discern one must study the Word diligently and be exercised therein (2 Tim. 2:15; 3:16; Heb. 5:11-14). This gross lack of knowledge among some who claim to know the LORD is also an indication that many have not diligently studied the Word of God for themselves, but rather have relied upon their leaders to tell them what God has said. Consequently, so very many have been deluded with a false gospel.
Saints of the LORD, let us allow Jesus Christ to become important enough to our hearts to learn for ourselves what He has stated to us in His Word. Is the LORD truly your first love? Are you actively and fervently memorizing Scripture – His very words? Let me encourage you to do so from the Authorized Version (KJV). See Proverbs 4:4 and Psalms 119. Index cards are a great way to do such.
“In This Present World” – Holiness Now Or Then?
If we do not possess His grace “in this present world,” evidenced by our denial of ungodliness and holy living here and now, then how can we deceive ourselves into thinking we are truly His? If not now, the then (eternity) is surely eternal damnation. According to God’s Word, without holiness, no person will be with Jesus Christ in eternity (Matt. 5:8; Heb. 12:14; Rev. 21:8, 27). Think with me for a moment of how many people who are at this very instant, residents of the domain of the damned – hell. What is their unalterable and horrible future? These eternal souls will shortly be cast into the lake or ocean of fire (Rev. 20:11-15). Why? These people were given the choice and willfully and deliberately chose in their brief earthly life to make something else more important than the LORD and doing His will (Exod. 20:3; Matt. 7:21; Eph. 5:3-6; 1 Jn. 5:21). Pretty simple, yet the consequence is forever fixed – They have reached the point of no return. Hell’s eternal occupants who have gone before us to damnation will, after a million years of excruciating and conscious torment, have not one less second to spend there.
Is it worth it? Is living apart from life-giving fellowship with Jesus in this short life worth eternity in torment? Is justifying instead of crucifying the sins of the body worth spending eternity in the prison of fire? Jesus told us we must abruptly cut off the hand and pluck out the eye that causes us to offend the one true and holy God with our sin, that we might be in Heaven (Mk. 9:42-50). Ready or not – Jesus is Coming!
The Fruit of True Grace: Grace that is not taught with responsibility and the fear of the LORD is not Biblical grace at all. Be not deceived! (Tit. 2:11-14) According to Titus 2:11-12, true grace produces a specific fruit. God’s grace is active. When it truly abides in a person, it has specific earmarks of its possession while “grace” without this fruit is shown to be no saving grace at all. This is a sham that so many today have been taught. It is the bill of goods that is being sold from pulpits across America every week.
Comprehensive grace includes the fear of God which alters the lifestyle and causes the recipient to live a holy life. The adherent is led into intimate fellowship with Christ and from living in habitual sin that would disqualify him from the prize of eternal life. The good news is that there is the precious blood of the Savior available at the “throne of grace” to grant us all a fresh start! This believer, who is less than the least of all saints, has had enormous reason to rejoice in that he has fallen short so many times, only to be drawn back in by the LORD to receive mercy and grace afresh! This priceless grace, purchased with the blood of Christ, is available at all times to those who are born again. We therefore have no excuse to have any sin remaining on our account (Heb. 4:14-16; 1 Jn. 1:7, 9). We are blessed to have EVERY sin washed away in His holy blood as we simply go before His precious throne of grace and cry out in repentance and receive His priceless mercy which we do not deserve yet was merited by Christ’s blood. This truth makes me want to shout for joy!
What a rich blessing it is that God’s grace empowers the believer to fulfill what its Author demands. Through the apostle Paul the Holy Ghost tells us that “sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” (Rom. 6:14)
PRAYER: LORD Jesus thank You for Your saving grace which enables me to experience relationship with You and live completely pleasing in Your holy sight in all things. Right this moment I denounce all dissimulation and self-deception, lies, and excuses. LORD I beg You to make my heart pure LORD Jesus! Thank You that sin shall not have dominion over my life as I obey You in the daily crucified life, as I remain in fellowship with You, forsaking all thoughts and deeds that offend You. Your grace is sufficient to bring about Your perfect will which is holiness. In the name of Jesus, amen.
No honest Bible student reads the whole of Scripture and comes out with the idea that he’s OSAS. No, such a doctrine is taught by men who lure in their un-repentant prey with ear-tickling promises. “For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.” (2 Peter 2:18) Instead of preaching the original Gospel message by calling their audiences to repentance and live a holy, cross-bearing life, they assure them in their sins, just like the false prophets Jeremiah cited (Jeremiah 23:17). This is exactly why those wolves who teach this lie of the ages have such lucrative “church” businesses. They’ve gotten rich peddling Satan’s first lie and are fulfilling prophecy as they lead many to damnation (Genesis 2:17; 3:4).
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 2 Timothy 4:2-4
The OSAS believer is vested in his own flesh which he serves instead of Christ and so he doesn’t care how many Scriptures contradict the lie he loves – because he refuses to truly repent and bring forth fruit consistent with that authentic repentance. Instead of overcoming all sin he wallows in it, justifying that which God condemns because he’s self-deceived with this antinomian (lawless) lie.
"Sealed unto the Day of Redemption” Ephesians 4:30 [podcast]
Salvation Sealed or Doom Sealed? Cross-less moral cowards never cease to look for new ways to twist Scripture to justify their rebellion – to excuse themselves from personal responsibility and accountability to Christ. They are “enemies of the cross.” (Philippians 3:18-19) They want to crown but refuse the cross that Jesus says is essential to following Him (Luke 9:23-24). The sealed counterfeits simply want the guarantee that they are going to Heaven no matter what. They don’t want anything to do with that bless-ed cross Jesus commanded to be taken up daily (Luke 9:23-24). Sealed Pushers Smashed! When Ephesians uses […]
Grace vs Holiness [podcast]
“The horrible travesty we have in America today is Christianity without holiness.” A.W. Tozer Grace and holiness come only from God. The LORD is Holy and He extends salvation by grace to repentant, believing sinners at the moment of conversion. Grave vs Holiness: WHY is one of these two so overwhelmingly overemphasized by today’s pastors and self-appointed “grace teachers,” when the other is prioritized by God as is demonstrated by the number of times it appears in Holy Scripture? Which word appears more times in the Bible?: Grace, or Holiness LET’S DO THE MATH: Comparing Grace and Holiness 170 […]
Resurrection Grace [podcast]
NOTHING – NO MAN, NO DEVIL CAN STOP THIS! Just as no man, no devil could possibly stop the resurrection of Christ, no entity or army can stop the resurrection life of Christ in His saints, as they submit to their own death and burial. Resurrection follows! “Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12 […]
His Grace is Sufficient for Thee [podcast]
“WHEN HE HAD BY HIMSELF purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Hebrews 1:3 ALL “BY HIMSELF” Jesus redeemed us, bought, brought us back to God by the shedding of His precious blood on that cross. Jesus needed no help: He alone was sufficient to propitiate, expiate, atone for the sins of mankind. The grace of Christ which saved us through His perfect sacrifice is the same and only grace that keeps us and enables His perfect will in our lives! Here’s how that works in His kingdom economy: He who died, was buried, and […]
