Which Came First? Faith or Regeneration-Monergism Maniacs Exposed [video]
Just saw a video of Paul Washer speaking in a slight of hand fashion of how “it’s not about calvinism”, and how he can commune with non-calvinists due to regeneration. Yet, like all cults, calvinists intentionally hide their definition, their gross redefining and perversion of the doctrine of regeneration, being born again. Notice that Washer never denied he is a calvinist, because he is.
Here’s what they really believe about regeneration.
Calvinist Define their Un-biblical, Extra-biblical Belief System with the Acrostic TULIP:
T – Total Depravity
U – Unconditional Election
L – Limited Atonement
I – Irresistible Grace
P – Perseverance of the Saints
In Reformed theology, “regeneration precedes faith.” Samuel Storms writes that, “Calvinists insist that the sole cause of regeneration or being born again is the will of God. God first sovereignly and efficaciously regenerates, and only in consequence of that do we act.”
Another calvinistic quote:
“Monergism is the view within Christian theology which holds that God works through the Holy Spirit to bring about the salvation of an individual through spiritual regeneration, regardless of the individual’s cooperation.”
Is this true?
Monergism, the idea that God shakes down, hijacks, and forces His “elect” to be born again, is a doctrine of calvinism. In contrast to Monergism, Synergism is a cooperative venture, a working together of two or more parties. Synergism would better fit what God’s Word teaches whereas Monergism is just another diabolical invention of the heretical system of calvinism. The god of calvinism is a demon, or the devil himself, and it’s clearly seen in this forced entry, hostile takeover theology. In contrast to the one whom the LORD says came “to steal, to kill, and to destroy”, Jesus says to all of mankind …
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17
The calvinists isn’t taught the biblical truth that God calls men to come to Himself and that He gave all men the choice to come to or reject Him. Instead, calvinists teach that man is so depraved that he cannot make the decision to receive and follow Christ. Hence, or therefore, they get away with teaching that God hi-jacks the lives of the elect, forcing them, even if against their will, to be regenerated.
Lawrence Brown writes:
Here’s another heretical quote calvinists throw around:
“Without the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit no man could ever believe.”
Once again this puts regeneration ahead of faith.
CALVINISTS ARE “DECEIVING THE HEARTS OF THE SIMPLE”
Calvinism is a wholesale rejection of the original Gospel, personal accountability, and a diabolical mockery of God’s good, loving character.
At all costs, the calvinist refuses to repent. He denies the obvious, that he has a personal will, in order to evade truly, personally repenting.
Monergism and the so-called “perseverance of the saints” heresy go hand in hand. The “perseverance of the saints” lie says that if one is truly overtaken by and made to be saved by God, that such a person will automatically endure to the end with Christ. If such a person falls away, the coward’s cop-out used by calvinists is that that person wasn’t actually saved to begin with. So, “perseverance of the saints” is generally the same doctrine of devils as OSAS (once saved always saved) otherwise called eternal security. A refusal to truly repent, lay down ones life in this world, deny self, take up the cross and follow Jesus on His terms, are the root reasons sinful men migrate to and adopt these sin-justifying heresies (2 Timothy 4:3-4; Jude 4, etc.).
Backslidden counterfeits are willingly deceived moral cowards, “enemies of the cross of Christ”, who want nothing to do with anything that involves giving up their lives in this fleeting world and so they hide behind the prophesied grace-perverting false doctrines of eternal security and Calvinism (Philippians 3:18-19; Jude 4).
Calvinism is for moral cowards who refuse to face God honestly in true repentance, lay down their lives in this fleeting world, and follow Jesus for real (Luke 9:23-24; 14:33; 17:33, etc.). So, they hide behind the grace-perverting, sin-justifying heretical system of calvinism which came through a murderer who got it from a catholic named Augustine. Jude specifically forewarned of this very thing (Jude 4). Calvinism by Ken Rieske
In the diabolical delusionment of calvinism, God doesn’t require or want your personal participation. To conclude such would be to ignore and dismiss the hundreds of commands from God to man. No honest Bible reader comes away with this idea that God does it all in the relationship without the consent or participation of the person He’s in a relationship with. Only a calvinist could believe something like that. This is the danger of a system. When people are seduced and sold on the system (calvinism, dispensationism, etc), they are indoctrinated into seeing everything through that man-made demon concocted system lens. Once someone is delusioned, indoctrinated by calvinism, everything then revolves around the tenets of the system (TULIP) and so they then ignore Holy Scripture that contradicts it – which means they are “NOT of God” according to Jesus (John 8:47). Without exception, every child of God holds God’s written Word and every word of it, as the highest divine authority (Psalms 119; Mark 13:31; Romans 3:4; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19-21, etc.). In contrast, like the hell bound pharisees of Christ’s day, calvinists sacrifice divine truth to keep their own tradition (Mark 7:6-10).
God sure is sovereign, yet according to the whole counsel of His Word and such is not subject to the delusions of calvinism. Divine sovereignty is defined by the whole counsel of holy scripture, much of which the calvinist cowards despise.
The calvinist has created a false god in his own depraved image where he simply, intentionally ignores scriptures that call for true repentance and the crucified life in order to concoct, erect in his unrepentant heart this imaginary idol. it won’t fair well in the end.
Unrepentant evil men have always sought to cloke their rebellion with an alternate view of God, that is, false doctrines, doctrine that contradicts the whole of Scripture – does not stand the biblical test. This is exactly why calvinists can crassly dismiss mountains of Bible truth. They are serving the god of self, not the one true God revealed in the Bible. If they knew and were serving the LORD, they’d submit to the whole counsel of His Word (John 8:47). | The terrible TULIP of calvinism exposed.
“(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly (carnal appetites), and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.).” Philippians 3:18-19
Those who serve the god of self instead of truly repenting and worshipping Jesus in the crucified daily life He commanded, are “the enemies of the cross of Christ” and will twist and manipulate the Bible to justify them in their sinful lifestyles (Jude 4).
The calvinist migrates to these flesh-flattering lies because he wants an excuse to dismiss his sin instead of dealing with it the only way God’s Word prescribes – through the crucified life (Luke 9:23-24; Romans 6; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3, etc.).
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 14:12
The goal of the calvinist is not truth but rather to justify his sins using a distorted theology where certain Bible verses are hyper-interpreted, hyper-emphasized while mountains of other Bible verses are completely ignored, denied, and/or explained away.
Calvinism is a cover-up for sin. Buying this package will damn the soul. The central goal of this heretical system of theology is to dismiss man’s personal responsibility to obey God.
“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13
There are 2 types of professing Christian – 1 is Heaven bound and 2 is hell bound:
- Those who face the LORD honestly in true repentance with their own utter depravity and sin, fasting and prayer, the cross (crucified), fighting the good fight of faith in a grounded, daily walk with Jesus, and then there’s …
- Those who choose to be dishonest and deceitful of heart, unrepentant, and so migrate to false teachers and false teachings to justify their sin, to attempt to hide from them, dismissing all personal responsibility before God, and make a false god out of, in the image of their own wicked hearts. This is the whole construct and system of calvinism and the eternal security/OSAS and the hiding place for moral cowards who refuse to present themselves honestly before the LORD.
Was this not all prophesied of this last hour by the Holy Spirit?
“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 (hold themselves accountable to) 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
Those who espouse calvinism’s grace perverting, sin-justifying falsehoods do such because they refuse to hold themselves accountable to truly, honestly, worshipfully obey God (2 Timothy 4:3; Jude 4).
Calvinists spend their time and energy philosophying about what the Bible says and using flesh-flattering, grace-perverting, sin-justifying systemization instead of simply, personally reading and studying the Bible honestly.
“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” 1 Samuel 15:23
False doctrine always and only finds its home in the deceitful heart.
Calvinists somehow believe they have permission to ignore Bible verses, divine truths that contradict their delusional heresies.
Keep in mind that wolves like Paul Washer, John MacArthur, RC Sproul, and Charles Spurgeon are all calvinist heretics. Everything they say, everything they teach is poisoned with this calvinistic system, a doctrine of devils. “A LITTLE leaven (false doctrine) leavens the whole lump” and calvinism perpetrates far more than a just “little leaven.” It’s a thoroughly poisoned pond. The Idiocy of Calvinism
Calvinists spend their time and energy philosophying about what the Bible says and using flesh-flattering, grace-perverting, sin-justifying systemization instead of simply, personally reading and studying the Bible honestly.
An honest view of the whole of Holy Scripture reveals that Jesus died for all men, God draws all men to Himself, initiating the relationship, granting the sufficient grace, and yet leaves the final decision to the individual.
If man has no choice in the matter of being the LORD’s child, salvation, why would calvinists ever evangelize? They wouldn’t and they don’t. So Jesus’ Great Commission command is a mute point with them. If God just arbitrarily comes upon one of the “elect”, takes over their life and regenerates them, WHY did Jesus command His people to “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to EVERY creature.” (Mark 16:15) Why would there be any evangelism in the kingdom economy? There wouldn’t be. After Jesus commanded His disciples to go preach the gospel to EVERY creature, then He said that some will believe and “shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark 16:15-16)
God sent His only begotten Son Jesus to die for the sins of all men and Jesus told us, His people, to go preach to “every creature” because He desires to save all men from sin and hell!
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to EVERY creature.” Mark 16:15
Why did God want “EVERY creature”, all men, to hear His Gospel preached? – Simple: Jesus “for the sins of the WHOLE world”, because He desires to save all men into His eternal kingdom! (John 12:32; Hebrews 2:9; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 John 2:2, etc.)
Calvinists love to misread Romans 9-11. They reject the knowledge of God here where it is once again revealed, as is repeatedly the case, that God desires to “have mercy on ALLLLLL.”
“For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon ALL.” Romans 11:32
The LORD saves souls through “the foolishness of preaching.”
“For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” 1 Corinthians 1:21
When lost souls hear the Gospel preached, God saves “them that believe”, which is a choice.
Biblically speaking, the fact that salvation requires the direct act of God in no way negates that GOD sovereignly stated that He requires the individual to repent and believe on the LORD Jesus Christ to be saved (Luke 13:3; John 1:12-13; 3:16; Acts 3:19; 2:38; 20:21; Romans 10:9-10, 13, etc.).
Calvinism falsely teaches that man has nothing to do with salvation and that God saves whom He chooses without their consent (monergism). Calvinism also teaches that the LORD’s atonement is limited to a certain elect few (of which every calvinists claims to be, conveniently). God’s Word says that Jesus died to save “all men”, is “NOT willing that ANY should perish.” (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9) The Son of God told us that when He went to the cross He was going to “draw all men unto me.” (John 12:32) It’s lunacy to say that Jesus doesn’t intend and desire to save “ALL men” even though we just read that He draws “ALL men” to Himself and “is the propitiation (atoning sacrifice) … for the sins of the WHOLE world.” (1 John 2:2)
DID JESUS DIE FOR ALL MEN OR JUST SOME MEN?
RECENTLY I had a lengthy phone conversation with a man I grew up with. He called to attempt to convince me, using a twisted (calvinistic) view of Scripture, that a person is first born again BEFORE they actually believe. John 1:12-13 is one of the passages he asked me to read. Read it here below closely and see what comes first, faith or becoming a son of God, the choice to receive Christ or being born of God. ….It got so bad and went on so long that I found my red button getting off point (hung up and blocked his number) with the passage he was using to “prove” his erroneous point…..here it is:
John 1:12 But as many as received him, TO THEM (that believe) gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
John 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Receiving, believing upon Christ comes BEFORE being born of God.
WHO is it that is born of God? – “as many as receivedhim”. This passage in John 1 first speaks of receiving Jesus, synonymous with believing on Him. Only AFTER receiving Christ which is a choice, does it speak of being born of God.
Those who at the hearing of the Gospel and conviction of the Holy Spirit chose to receive Christ, were born of God. “As many as received Him” clearly denotes a God-given choice.
This man who had called me was on a rampage to prove that God chooses men He wants to be His and those men have zero choice in the matter. They have no free will, to choice in the matter according to this deranged calvinistic heresy.
“Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” Joshua 24:15
If the LORD warned us: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7-8) How is it then that man has no choice, no ability to exercise his own God-given personal will to sow good or bad seed, to make decisions?
He called to make his point and therefore was not interested when I sought to read Scripture. I could hardly get a word in and after hearing him go on at length, would find an opening and be shut down by him. He forcefully spoke over me loudly and would not let me read certain Scriptures. I told him that was a red flag and quoted the words of Jesus in John 8:47. – “He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.” (John 8:47) This man knows the Scriptures well yet is choosing to ignore certain, many Bible verses and passages which contradict his false doctrine.
The calvinist does not want to find out and evades the hard truths of Scripture because if he embraces “ALL scripture” it will require that he truly repent, lay down his life in this world, and truly follow Christ for real (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Luke 9:23-24, etc.).
The job and work of the calvinist coward is to run from, knock down, twist, take out of context, and negate every Bible verse of warning, severity, obedience, the daily cross (crucified life), and the divine command to “be ye holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16). He does this to escape all personal responsibility. Instead he wants to live after his sinful lusts and justify it all by saying he’s one of the “elect”, saved by the grace of God and has no personal responsibility to take God at His Word and obey Him.
The calvinist is willingly indoctrinated and intentionally, deceitfully selective in the way he interprets Scripture. The calvinists interpret Scripture in order to prove their heretical points and not to apprehend the truth. In fact, the calvinist is inoculated from believing any Scripture that the cult of calvin hasn’t pointed out to them. They refuse Bible truth, mountains of Scripture which contradict the 5 poisonous points of Calvinism.
Beware of the “private interpretation” of modern beguilers in our midst. Contrary to the self-worshipping, wishful thinking calvinists, one Scripture never cancels another. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God” and must be assimilated in its immediate and whole Bible context (1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). Those who do not follow this biblical rule enter into what Peter calls “private interpretation.”
“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2 Peter 1:19-21
No Bible verses are to privately interpreted for the self-serving agenda of any individual. Such is the work of deceivers and their prey.
“Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing (collating, putting together) spiritual things with spiritual.” 1 Corinthians 2:13
Calvinist apologists are simply those who have been dishonest before God for many years and instead of getting honest and coming to complete, real repentance before the LORD, they built this paper castle they vainly believe is hiding them from God and from His coming judgment. False security. They search high and low and borrow, parrot the intentionally falsely interpreted Bible verses which seem to justify their position. They will do anything but repent. They will spend endless hours searching for, and digging up Scriptures to “prove” their position – all while purposely ignoring the mountains of Bible truth that is in direct opposition to their false doctrines.
What’s tragic is when heretics are shown volumes of Scripture, mountains of God’s Word which contradict their beliefs and choose to ignore and set aside God’s Word in order to keep their heretical tradition – just as Jesus cited the hell bound pharisees for doing (Mark 7:6-10). What is the disciple of Christ to do after showing Bible truth and yet the hearer ignores it?
“A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; 11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.” Titus 3:10-11
To subvert is to undermine the power and authority of God who has an established Word of truth concerning salvation.
“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” 2 Timothy 3:5
Though in the ministry and engaging men with the Word of God daily, I was somewhat caught off guard by this childhood friend who had called – wasn’t expecting a call of that nature. Enraged, he insisted that I was intentionally ignoring verse 13 of John 1. Being that I do not ever wish to ignore one verse over another because “ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God”, we read those verses aloud together (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Together, mostly at his beckoning and leading, we went all over the Bible on this topic. We ended up back at John 1:12-13 at his leading and under his condemnation of me. So, we read those 2 verses together again and I asked him this question: What comes first in this passage, believing/faith OR being born of God? He was momentarily quiet and I pointed out that receiving Christ came first (v12) and then the person was born of God (v13).
Over his angry words I told him kindly that I was “done with this phone call.”
Of course, instantaneously upon receiving Christ, God saves the person, justifies, and regenerates them. They are born again. Jesus says “He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” (John 6:47) Scripture states “without FAITH it is impossible to please him.” (Hebrews 11:6) The LORD requires faith. Period. And not only initial but ongoing faith to the end of one’s life (Matthew 1:22; 24:13; John 15:6; Colossians 1:23; Hebrews 3:6, 12-14; 10:26-39; Revelation 2-3, etc.).
Jesus said to the blind as He healed them “According to YOUR FAITH be it unto you.”
“Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. 30 And their eyes were opened …” Matthew 9:29-30
In the divine economy, we appropriate God’s blessings by faith and forfeit them by the sin of unbelief (Hebrews 3-4, etc.). God requires the faith of men who will know and walk with Him.
Being born of God is a biblical truth and yet not without man’s involvement, man’s individual choice. The delusional calvinists conflate many things, including the erroneous notion that because it’s God that draws and saves, man is not at all involved and has no choice in the matter. Is that true? Not at all.
During this conversation the caller pointed out Romans 9 which is a passage that spans Chapters 9-11 in Romans. He was not happy and ignored what Scripture teaches in Romans 11:20-22. After I was finally able to get a word in edgewise, we read Romans 11:20-22. Being that he was clinging to heresy and not interested in apprehending the mind of Christ on this matter, this man didn’t like the threat the LORD gave to all Gentile believers of being “cut off” just like God did the Jews, His own people. Here it is:
“Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21 For IF God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity (judgment); but toward thee, goodness, IF (denotes condition) thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.” Romans 11:20-22
Notice the utter essential of faith – the truth that God requires faith, initially and perpetually – “because of unbelief they were broken off.” (v20)
Jesus also told us that cast into the fire any man IN HIM who doesn’t remain, abide, continue in Him:
“If a man abide 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
Conclusion: Monergism, the regeneration before faith heresy, is just another twisted, perverse lie of the cult of calvinism. All calvinists are heretics who have corrupted the original Gospel message and character of God in their vain attempt to claim justification by Him with no involvement of their own.
“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. 4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude 3-4
The sober minded will find that calvinists are arrogant, pretending that they, the special “elect,” possess esoteric, secret knowledge that others aren’t privileged enough to possess. When you give a calvinist heretic Scripture upon Scripture that clearly refute the lies he’s espoused, he will convey to you that because you aren’t one of the special “elect,” you can’t possibly understand. Calvinists are not men of truth but rather dishonest and deceitful in heart, hanging their hats on hellish doctrines of devils to justify living as they so choose in this fleeting world. Scripture clearly reveals that the “grace” they claim to be saved by is a farce. If they were truly saved by divine grace, here’s what their lives would look like:
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;” Titus 2:11-12
If Paul was overtaken and forced by the LORD to be saved, and therefore had no danger of falling away and going to hell after being saved, why did he tell us he had to “keep under” his body – live the crucified life – or he would be a “castaway” in the end?
“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (a reject).” 1 Corinthians 9:27
If the Laodicean church, the people of God were forced to go to Heaven and were not in any jeopardy of being vomited, rejected from Christ’s body and suffering eternally in hell, why did the Son of God warn them that they were in danger of being rejected for being lukewarm? (Revelation 3:15-16)
Why did Jesus warn us all that if we didn’t overcome all sin, no matter what it took, or be cast into hell, if such were not a real and present danger? (Mark 9:43-50 KJB – Satan’s new fake “bibles” altered or removed this passage)
If those whom Christ saves (when they choose to obey His drawing and receive Him) why did Jesus warn each and every one of the seven churches of Revelation 2-3 that they had to overcome to be with Him in glory?
Jesus invented the phrase “fall away” and so we know it’s possible and we also know that someone who falls away was previous in Christ’s kingdom (Luke 8:13).
God “commandeth all men every where to repent” and yet the calvinist says man has no choice in the matter (Acts 17:30). How is it that the LORD says one has to repent to be saved if an exercise of one’s own will isn’t involved and if repenting is not possible or not required by God?
CRUX – WHY THEY DEPART FROM GOD’S WORD AND MIGRATE TO THIS HERETICAL SYSTEM:
Calvinists are among the vilest of counterfeits who love their sin, spending endless hours reading the works of mere sinful men, who they call the “reformers”, who offer an alternative to the cross, the crucified life. These are the very “ungodly men” Jude warned us about who are “turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God.” (Jude 4). They will do anything on earth except truly repent and lose their life in this world (Luke 9:23-24; 14:27, 33; 17:33; Galatians 2:20, etc.).
Calvinism is extra-biblical, a system of theology devised by mere men and devils. John Calvin, the pope of Geneva, had over 60 people murdered and admitted to getting his teachings from a catholic bishop named Augustine. All 5 points are poison.
Calvinism’s Origins by Ken Rieske | Eternal Security / OSAS DEVILS Slammed! 1 John 2:19 | DOES Mankind Have Free Will? | The Heretical System and Doctrines of Calvinism | UN-Limited Atonement [podcast] | Eternal Security/OSAS Perseverance of the Saints Busted and Exposed | John Wesley on Calvinism, Once Saved Always Saved, and Conditional Security
Articles
The Truth about Tradition and Church Membership [podcast]
Is Church Membership Biblical?
Godly and Ungodly Tradition and True and False Church Membership
YOU KNOW you are in a fake church when they have “membership classes” to get you to join yet spend little or no time preaching the Word on the necessity of repentance, forsaking your life in this world, denying self, taking up the cross, and following Jesus daily! Run!
Membership means money to them!
They have a busine$$ plan.
“Prove (test) all things; hold fast (keep and do) that which is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21
Of the 13 times we find the word “tradition(s)” in Scripture, only twice is it used positively. The other 11 times it is used negatively because men put their foolish traditions above Christ.
History of Church Membership: The history of church membership in Protestant and Evangelical churches begins with the Catholic Church, which implements its discipline over all the baptized (christened, water sprinkled), through a tradition-based sacramental system, governing the lives of their captors from cradle to grave. Essentially, in this way the Roman cult corrals and coerces the insistence of membership upon every initiated, water-sprinkled/christened catholic child. Without that cult-initiation rite, that membership to the Roman religion, that person is considered outside of salvation, outside of the “one true church.” Through church membership in the Catholic church, the completely un-biblical sacramental system is enforced. The Catholic sacramental system is the creation, the strategy of devils, designed to strengthen the piety of the Catholic faithful throughout their lives, guiding them safely into the bowels of eternal damnation. Jesus died and rose again that He alone might have preeminence over His true worldwide body. Church membership to a local church or church organization is perpetrated by cross-less wolves and is a direct affront to the Headship of the one, nail-scarred Savior (Colossians 1:18; 2:18-19, etc.).
The vast majority of so-called pastors today are more interested in getting you to join their church club, to become a member of their church, than they are about truly feeding the flock of God with the whole counsel of Scripture, equipping you for ministry, and winning souls to Jesus (John 21:15-17; Acts 20:20-32; Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Peter 5:1-6, etc.). Prove it wrong.
Church membership today is nothing more than a device of wolves to corral and exploit the people! There’s no biblical justification for it.
Church membership is a tool to run a scam on the people – to number them as Satan led David to do (1 Chronicles 21). The LORD judged David for doing this and is judging the wolves today who coercively promulgate their church membership scam. God’s people belong to HIM and no other (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 7:23, etc.).
Church membership is for nobody’s good except those peddling it. Church membership is designed to make you loyal to their church club, not Christ.
APPLE CARTS FLYING: THE TRADITION AND DECEPTION OF CHURCH MEMBERSHIP: BEWARE!
Can anyone find church membership in God’s Word among the earliest followers of Jesus? No. If someone is concerned about you becoming a member of their church, that’s a red flag. Make no mistake: They are corralling you in order to control you. Think about it: WHY can’t they just love you as a member of the one blood bought body of Christ? (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4) Church membership as it’s done by the 501(C)(3) government churches is against Holy Scripture and is a device of evil men, wolves. Run.
Beware of the agenda saints. Church membership is a corralling of God’s people for the self-serving purposes of hirelings.
“Church membership” as it’s carried out in the modern church world, quenches the Holy Spirit in my opinion. It ruins the organic, spontaneous, pure fellowship true believers enjoy due to being in Christ. Church membership seems to be a learned device to coral believers in order to exploit them. Think about it: Seminarian pastors are taught this scheme to build their church busine$$.
Denominations or church organizations reinforce this to secure people and funds. It’s a business model. No such thing as church membership in the Bible except that membership Christ alone procured by His own blood. ALL of His saints’ names are written in Heaven (Luke 10:20). Jesus says that this is what we rejoice in!
“Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:20
We are Christ’s kingdom disciples. We belong to HIM.
“Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.” 1 Corinthians 7:23
Local level “church membership” diverts the heart affections of those corralled by hireling wolves! Beware.
Only Abiding in the Truth Protects
“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield (protection) unto them that put their trust in him. 6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” Proverbs 30:5-6
Is church membership not adding to God’s Word?
God gave us His written Word so that we can be safeguarded from being misled. As we will see in a moment, the traditions of men have and will continue to lead many astray and into eternal damnation. Tradition is passed along from one religious, truth-despising generation to the next. Concerning rightly dividing the truth of God’s Word and how twisting Scripture transpires as a tradition and applies to interpretation of God’s Word, Charles Koller writes:
“There are pitfalls of interpretation into which devout believers may fall, resulting in distortions of the truth. A preacher may borrow an interpretation from a devout Bible scholar, who had previously borrowed it from another equally devout but perhaps misguided Bible scholar. And so the inventions of devout men may unwittingly be passed around as ‘the Word of God.’ Let the Bible speak for itself! What does it actually say? And what does it mean?” Charles W. Koller, How to Preach without Notes, p.65
“Tradition(s)” as it Appears in Scripture:
Matthew 15:2 Why do thy disciples transgress the TRADITION of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
Matthew 15:3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your TRADITION?
Matthew 15:6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your TRADITION.
Mark 7:3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the TRADITION of the elders.
Mark 7:5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the TRADITION of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
Mark 7:8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the TRADITION of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
Mark 7:9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own TRADITION.
Mark 7:13 Making the word of God of none effect through your TRADITION, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
Galatians 1:14 And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the TRADITIONS of my fathers.
Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the TRADITION of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
2 Thessalonians 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the TRADITIONS which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
2 Thessalonians 3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the TRADITION which he received of us.
1 Peter 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by TRADITION from your fathers;
Did you notice that in 2 Thessalonians 2:15, Christ’s apostle Paul says we are to “hold the traditions WHICH YE HAVE BEEN TAUGHT, whether by word, or our epistle.” The roman catholic cult deceitfully seeks to justify the use of its myriad of Bible-contradicting traditions using this verse. Yet read the words of this verse and carefully note that Paul taught these “traditions” and so they came from God who sanctioned the apostle to pen Holy Scripture (2 Peter 1:19-21). “Traditions” that glorify God are found in God’s Word, not in the writings of some religion of mere sinful men that diametrically contradicts what we read in Holy Scripture. Also, these “traditions” that we received from Paul are tangibly recorded in an “epistle.” The saints at the city of Thessalonica were receiving this divinely-inspired, written letter or “epistle.” This later became part of Holy Writ for all New Testament Scriptures and one of the books of the New Testament canon. What New Testament disciples “have been taught” is now canonized in the 27 books of the New Testament canon of Holy Scripture and is final authority for the faith and practice of all narrow way believers (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21, etc.).
Testing and Discerning what is True Tradition and What is False
All who cling to their religion and/or religious tradition in lieu of Christ and His Word, are as sure for hell as if they were already there (Mark 7:6-9).
We are warned in Colossians 2:8 to “Beware” of false “tradition” which leads us away from the pure worship of “Christ.”
“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the TRADITION of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Colossians 2:8
Many times people in local “churches” are seen or heard saying “That’s just how we do things around here!” Well, if what you do around you stupid “ministry” is not according to God’s Word, it’s time to repent and change it. Now!
Testing the Concept and Practice of Modern Church Membership
No such thing as church membership in the early church. Totally false.
Church membership is a tool of controlling leaders to corral souls for their own self-serving purposes! Beware! (Jeremiah 23; Ezekiel 34; Matthew 23) They discount your place in Christ by telling you that membership is important in the church business they are building to their own glory.
JESUS came to make captives free. SATAN’s agents seek to put you in bondage! (Luke 4:18; John 10:10; Galatians 5:1)
—- MOST “good church members” are lost due to following a pastor and program instead of truly following Christ on HIS terms. See Mark 8:34-38 and Luke 9:23-24 and you will see why Jesus says only a “few” will be in Heaven Matt. 7:13-14. Your pastor is not your judge, God is and so you better please Him according to what He told you in His Word or you will be cast into the lake of fire as a disobedient, idolatrous rebel (Matthew 7:21; Titus 1:16; 1 John 2:4; Revelation 21:8, 27; 22:14-15, etc.).
Church membership as we know it today, is a tradition of mere sinful and self-serving men “whose god is their belly.” (Philippians 3:18-19)
“(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.).” Philippians 3:18-19
There is nothing found in Scripture that directly teaches people that they should “join a church.” So, did the Almighty, all-knowing God somehow forget to tell us something we needed to know, OR, has someone added something foreign to the practice of the Christian faith?
The Bible student must conclude that “joining a church” as we know it in this apostate age, is not by divine decree but is rather a tradition of sinful men and therefore a “false way” that we should “hate.” (Psalms 119:104, 128) So, church membership in an earthly organization is not a tradition any disciple of Christ should hold and should stay clear of such in order not to dilute his allegiance to the one and only “Head” of His true body, Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:18; 2:18-19; Ephesians 5:23). This is after the workings of sinful men to secure the allegiance and loyalty of men’s hearts, intercepting the affections of their hearts from the “Head.” Was it not rebellious Absalom who “stole the hearts of the men of Israel”? (2 Samuel 15:6) Is this not the subversive, insidious “spirit of antichrist” at work today to rob God of the glory due to Christ’s holy name alone?
Did Jesus or any disciple in the New Testament Scriptures ever instruct anyone to “join a church” or become a good church member as we know these thing to be today in westernized “Christianity”?
Such a question poses a threat to some pastors who are far too possessive, un-submitted, and un-abandoned to Christ. Though not truly submitted to the LORD, which would mean they trusted Him in all things, many of these same leaders seek for coerce others to submit to them, to join their church, to support them, etc.
Posing such a question as this one on church membership, is an example of testing all things against the counsel of Scripture like good Bereans (Acts 17:11). Testing what is being accepted in a local gathering of saints can shake up a leader who is not truly broken before the LORD. Testing all things helps us rightly divide the word of truth and begin to examine what is truth and what is tradition in the things we do as His body and as individual saints. We must live and oversee only as our LORD has revealed in the divine wisdom of His Word and as He enables and leads – which will always be in accordance with His Word (Psalms 11:105; 2 Timothy 3:15-17, etc.).
Jesus says “follow me” and if one is going to know and follow Him, that person must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Him “daily.” (Matthew 16:24-25; Luke 9:23-24).
Church membership as we know it today in the modern church system, is clearly a tradition of mere men and not a part of true, New Testament Christianity. At this point, many will say: “But brother, the Bible says we are to fellowship!” Yes, true, but remember that church membership is completely unneeded for true Christian fellowship as defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 2:42-47; Colossians 3:16-17, etc.). Yes, the Bible teaches us that Jesus’ true disciples are to fellowship with one another and modern church membership is completely unneeded for such unless you factor in the hirelings who perpetrate such for their own personal purposes. In fact, self-serving ambition is the root of most traditions. The whole church-building centered modern church system is designed to benefit and profit the business-owner or franchisee (the pastor), not the LORD and His people. Christ’s true saints are not lukewarm weekly church members but rather, on fire disciples are fellowship daily and “exhort one another DAILY” and so much the more as His return draws nigh (Acts 2:42-47; Hebrew 3:13; 10:24-25).
You see, if a pastor can get you to sign his roster, he knows he has your allegiance and therefore you money.
Most people claiming to be Christians have this tradition in their minds that they need to find and join a church. Yet, it’s a nearly impossible task to find a body of true believers who are walking in the New Testament definition and revelation of what God calls fellowship where Christ is supreme. 99% of local churches are entertainment centers that offer little or no elements nor the spirit of the early church believers.
The test of true Christian fellowship is whether or not there are the following elements as found in the book of Acts (partial list):
- continuing steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrine (written Word)
- breaking bread together
- fellowship
- prayer
- sharing one to another whatever each member of the body of Christ needs – having all things common
- ceasing not to teach and to preach Jesus Christ (Acts 5:42)
You see, when you find – if you ever find – a pastor who tells the people to give among yourselves, having “all things common,” you have found something very rare. Regrettably, the modern church is a business and that CEO pastor who refuses to truly pastor the people, needs to pay a mortgage and many other unnecessary expenses they are wasting. So, in his mind, following Christ has nothing to do with it – making the mortgage and building his church business is what matters to him.
Perhaps we should cease searching for a church and simply be Christ’s church.
The LORD Himself, nor any of His apostles ever hinted of or instructed anyone to “go join a church” or to “become a good church member” and yet this is the order of the day in the apostate modern church world which is piloted or hi-jacked by self-serving hirelings who are farming their communities to build their own local church franchise, competing against other CEO type entrepreneurs. Now grant it, being an entrepreneur is not a sin if done uprightly in the business world and yet, the Church of Jesus Christ is no place to employ entrepreneurial tactics. Christ’s church is not a business. Yet this is the way much of the modern church world is set up. Ecclesiastes 1:9 tells us that “There is no new thing under the sun” and so we know we can peer into history and see the same things happening as we see transpiring today.
“And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.” Matthew 21:13
God’s house or dwelling place in individuals and in groups is to be dedicated to the worship of Him alone and yet, many today are intercepting the worship due only to the LORD and exploiting His people for their own self-serving purposes (Isaiah 56:10-12; Jeremiah 23; Ezekiel 34; Philippians 3:18-19; 2 Peter 2:1-3, etc.).
Setting forth such an idea that subverts the modern tradition of church memberships may be scary to some. To make the case that true New Testament fellowship is what is important and not joining a church, makes some pastors nervous because they are entrenched in following tradition instead of Christ. Perhaps they are threatened by this because they have not fully released themselves and therefore the people to the LORD, acknowledging Him alone as their Maker, God, Redeemer, and “Head.” (Colossians 2:18-19) Today would be the best day to denounce these idolatrous sins and begin to “lean not to thine own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5-7)
Please don’t read rebellion against God into this – but do read rebellion against man and satan into it please. You can put my name on that! It’s time to sift through and test every notion, philosophy, and practice of today against what we observe in Holy Scripture to be truth and according to the mind of Christ. See Acts 17:11 and Jeremiah 1:10. The erroneous traditions and contradictions to holy truth must FIRST be removed and torn down before a proper foundation can begin to be built. Study and memorize and put into action the divine principle and order of Jeremiah 1:10.
Christ and His redemptive work on that cross is despised by church membership. How? Well, church membership dishonors that Christ bled to make us members of HIS one body or church. Read Ephesians 2; 4; 1 Corinthians 12.
It’s only where Jesus Christ is upheld as the supreme KING, God, Counselor, Truth, Way, and Life that divine virtue flows from Heaven into His people! See Colossians 2:18-19.
Until we first put to the test the very reasons for which we assemble/meet and embrace the priorities set forth in Scripture, our assemblies will be limited at best.
Blindly following or going along with tradition instead of what is taught in God’s Word, always leads to dismal results as we have the pharisees for an example.
We should ask “What is the biblical precedence for ….” and “What saith the Scriptures?”
This doesn’t mean we won’t find things that are biblical, but how can we possibly have a clear heart about things until we do?
“Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.” 2 Samuel 15:6
Traditions of Mere Men are Meant to be Broken – Rooted Out
A reading of the Gospels reveals to us that Jesus often upset the religious bafoons of His day by breaking their foolish, man-centered, Christ-denying traditions. Their foolish traditions trumped divine truth.
“For laying aside the commandment (Word) of God, ye hold the TRADITION of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.” Mark 7:8
Do you know what Jeremiah 1:10 says? This verse gives us extremely valuable and necessary insight into the order and workings of the LORD.
“See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.” Jeremiah 1:10
What is the LORD’s order of working in our hearts?
- “to root out”
- “to pull down”
- “to destroy”
- “to throw down”
- “to build”
- “to plant”
First we should diligently examine why we do what we do. All teachings and practices must be acid tested against Holy Writ (Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1). Questions to explore:
- “What did the early church do” is a very good starting question.
- And, “What do we see the apostles and Christ doing”?
- “What does the Bible teach?”
Your Prayer: Holy Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, I come to You in the name of Jesus, asking that You would please begin to purge out any notion or philosophy or belief in this life You gave that is not of You – that is not according to the whole counsel of Your written Word. Please make me Your authentic disciple. Root out all from my life that does not glorify You and fill this vessel with the fruits of Your righteousness to bring glory to You and to serve others as unto You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Victory is at hand!! This message is at the heart of the original Gospel message Christ and that His apostles gave. Yet, this is seldom if ever heard today. Victory awaits you!!!!! God desires to give it to you!!!! You be careful though saint. Be not deceived. Get this truth in your heart and life and God will raise you upward to the victory that brings Him glory and where you belong. Paul said that there are many “enemies of the cross of Christ.” (Phil. 3:18-19) Discover who they are and what is divinely required for you to be blessed with victory in this life and in eternity with Christ!
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“Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 2:14-17
“Now the end (supreme goal) of the commandment (Word of God, Gospel) is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:” 1 Timothy 1:5
Recently a dear brother in Christ who got to reading on the ministry site, sent me an email claiming that I was perhaps being too harsh in some of the expose’s on the site. After I responded, this dear man sent back an apology, asking forgiveness for his own unwarranted harshness towards me.
Whew! Saints this is exactly how we should humbly work out things in the body of Christ, whose love never fails!
Here was the response sent to him:
“Blessings in Christ dear brother and thank you for the iron sharpening iron (Proverbs 27:17). Please let me know how can be a blessing to you (Ps 133:1; Eph 4:3).”
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” Colossians 3:12-14
WHEN we aren’t concerned about how we are affecting others, it’s because we don’t care for them and are full of self (Colossians 4:6).
“Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” Colossians 4:6
“Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:” 1 Peter 1:22
“Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.” 2 Corinthians 6:12
“For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:8
“If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,” Philippians 2:1
“For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.” Philemon 1:7
“Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:” Philemon 1:12
“Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.” Philemon 1:20
“But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” 1 John 3:17
Saints, may our LORD help us to HELP other disciples who are in the same fight as we are in and help them in the LORD’s process of sanctification. Galatians 6:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:24-26
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