Posted on 05/04/2003 12:10:50 PM PDT by P-Marlowe
EASY BELIEVISM By Hank Lindstrom What is "Easy Believism"? Usually the phrase "easy-believism" is a slam against those who teach that salvation is not by human works, but by faith in Jesus Christ alone. It is clear from the Scriptures that salvation is received by faith only in the finished work of Jesus Christ. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8,9)."
"Easy Believism" is a way of saying that salvation by faith in Jesus Christ alone is just too easy. "It is too simple," they say. Those who use the phrase "easy believism" are saying that there must be more to salvation than just faith in Jesus Christ.
The Bible tells us that Satan uses the fact that the Gospel message is so simple to deceive people. II Corinthians 11:3 says, "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." One of the most common objections to the true gospel message is that "it is too simple".
Satan changes the true gospel into a counterfeit message by addition and subtraction. In other words, Satan adds human works or effort to the plan of salvation in order to make the message of none effect (I Corinthians 1:17). Satan used phrases like "easy believism" and "it is too simple" to ridicule the true message of faith only (Romans 3:28).
To not believe the record as God gave it makes it null and void. "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son (I John 5:10)." To add one human work to the plan of salvation would place a person before God without grace. Romans 11:6 says, "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."
When we talk about believing, we are not talking about mental assent to a historical fact. We are talking about a personal trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as the One who gave His life on the cross of Calvary, was buried and then rose again from the dead. The word "believe" comes from the Greek word "pisteuo", which means to trust, to rely upon, to place one's weight upon, etc. When a person puts his trust in Jesus Christ alone as his Saviour, he is saved.
Christ died-that is history. Christ died for me-that is salvation. The fact that Jesus Christ died is a historical fact. Accepting that truth about Jesus Christ's death as a historical fact does not save. But the personal acceptance of Jesus Christ as a risen Saviour, who died for me does save.
This conflict over grace vs. works has been going on ever since Cain and Abel. Even the apostle Paul was slandered when he preached the gospel of the grace of God. Romans 3:8 says, "And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just." Some people were affirming that the apostle Paul taught that salvation by faith only was a license to sin. "Let us do evil, that good may come (Romans 3:8)."
We have now seen the two major objections to the true gospel. 1) "It is too simple", and 2) "easy believism" means that I could live as I please and still go to heaven.
Amazingly, when a person is saved, he is saved forever and cannot be lost. Jesus Christ gave His word in John 6:37 and 39, that "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." If one person were ever lost that was ever saved, then Jesus Christ would be a liar (John 6:39).
Therefore, it is true that no matter what a person does after he is saved that person is still saved. What the person can lose by living as he pleases is not his salvation, but rewards, joy, fellowship, power, testimony, etc. The things related to the Christian life and eternal rewards can be lost but not one's salvation. This can also include the Lord taking a Christian home to heaven early. Many of the Corinthian believers were taken home to heaven early according to I Corinthians 11:30 which says, "For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep." Also, I Corinthians 10:8 tells of 23,000 that the Lord took home to heaven in one day. It is clear that there are numerous illustrations throughout the Bible that God sometimes will take a Christian home before his time. God will not cast the delinquent Christian out, but God might take him home to heaven early.
Concerning the saved, God says in I Corinthians 11:32, "When we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world." God deals with His children as a loving father would correct his erring child. God is interested in our welfare and wishes for us to live a life that He can bless and reward. (See Hebrews 12:6-11).
So the Christian does not have a license to sin when he accepts Jesus Christ as his Saviour, even though the person is saved eternally and cannot be lost. Again, salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ alone. Romans 4:5 says, "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."
To add works to the plan of salvation would be heresy and would mean no salvation at all. Ephesians 2:8,9 says "For grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." I would hate to stand before God having no grace (mercy). To anyone who adds works to God's grace, they will have no grace (mercy) according to Ephesians 2:8,9.
In conclusion, those who say "easy-believism" are rejecting the true gospel of grace (Ephesians 2:8,9), by saying "it is too simple" and "it is a license to sin". Remember the true gospel is simple (II Corinthians 11:3), and God corrects (chastens) those that are truly saved (Hebrew 12:6).
We pray that you can say as the Apostle Paul said, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Roman 1:16)."
Genesis 26
4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
I'll take God's Word, over Paul's!
I'm willing to take that risk. (As was noted in my post).
You paraphrase Paul quite well my friends:
Galatians 2:21 "I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly."
Galatians 3:21 "Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law."
By all means. Grace is not a license to sin. However, we are ALL sinners, and thus need grace. Once saved, we will continue to "work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling." (Philippians 2:21 - see also Hebrews 5:9, Hebrews 2:10, Hebrews 7:28, Hebrews 1:3, etc.) It's a process - We are justified, we are being sanctified, we will be glorified.
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Romans 3:22-24
22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;
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1 John 1: 5 - 10
5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.
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1 John 2
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;
2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.
3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.
4 The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;
5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:
6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
7 Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.
8 On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining.
9 The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.
10 The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
11 But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name's sake.
13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.
14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.
19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.
21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.
23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.
24 As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
25 This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.
26 These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you.
27 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.
28 Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.
29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.
Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
This is confusing to me. In Romans 14 Paul is speaking otherwise. He, more than anyone, teaches about appropriate Christian behavior and judgement by God. Paul says "Every one of us will have to give an account of himself before God......Use the faith you have as your rule of life in the sight of God. Happy the man whose conscience does not condemn what he has chosen to do!..........Whatever does not accord with one's belief is sinful."
How do Calvinists reconcile this? Paul is clearly saying believers in Christ can and do sin.
ET says that Jesus was a failure, that Paul is a false Apostle and that righteousness comes from good works and not from the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. Now based on those statements are you willing to make a judgement about his salvation? Or are you so wishy washy in your own theology that anything goes?
Nor can I. Although, at one time, I did.
One of many troubling psssages in Scripture is where Our Lord speaks on the hard road and the narrow gate to enter to salvation; and the few that go that way.
And in the same passage, the wide and smooth road that leads to destruction and the many that go that way.
Also, St Paul's reflection on his own struggles. When he spoke about a concern that his own faith might become "shipwreck"...well that does not neatly fit with some of the ideas I see expressed here.
Wonder what that Apostle was possibly thinking about?
Let me preface my next statement by first letting you know that there are a few of us (non-Roman Catholics) on this board who, contrary to some on this board, don't believe ALL Roman Catholics are going to hell (DUCK - INCOMING!)
Anyhow, as for the comment that, "it seems that no matter what we do after we are saved or born again, we go to Heaven," you are right. However, there is a BIG difference between "claiming" to be saved, and "being" saved. If one is truly saved, the Holy Spirit lives in him (see Romans 3, 5, Romans 7:18 [For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.]) and the process of conforming to Christ will continue to happen through our lives.
Even though we are still in a sinful world where we will continue to sin until we are glorified with Him, our will (if saved) comes under his control when we are TRULY saved. (Philippians 2:13 "for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." also Ephesians 1:11)
Ultimately it boils down to this: since Christ's blood became a covering for our sin, our true acceptance of Him allows us to have peace with God, and because of that peace, we will one day be with him - and thus, be like him (since God cannot look on sin). See also Matt 7:17-20 (a good tree does not bring forth evil fruit).
If we believe that we can somehow earn our way to heaven, Paul says we are mistaken (Ephesians 2:8-10 "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." also 2 Tim 1:9, James 2:13-26) There is also a passage to the effect that "our best deeds are but filthy rags to God" - although I can't recall the exact scripture offhand. Thus, we are saved UNTO good works so that He is glorified and others may come to Him (Matt 5:16, 1 Pet 2:12).
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